TiCl4 Dissolved in Ionic Liquid Mixtures from Аb Initio Molecular Dynamics Simulations

To gain a deeper understanding of the TiCl4 solvation effects in multi-component ionic liquids, we performed ab initio molecular dynamics simulations of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium [C4C1Im]+, tetrafluoroborate [BF4]−, chloride [Cl]− both with and without water and titanium tetrachloride TiCl4. Complex interactions between cations and anions are observed in all investigated systems. By further addition of water and TiCl4 this complex interaction network is extended. Observations of the radial distribution functions and number integrals show that water and TiCl4 not only compete with each other to interact mainly with [Cl]−, which strongly influences the cation-[BF4]− interaction, but also interact with each other, which leads to the fact that in certain systems the cation-anion interaction is enhanced. Further investigations of the Voronoi polyhedra analysis have demonstrated that water has a greater impact on the nanosegregated system than TiCl4 which is also due to the fact of the shear amount of water relative to all other components and its higher mobility compared to TiCl4. Overall, the polar network of the IL mixture collapses by including water and TiCl4. In the case of [Cl]− chloride enters the water continuum, while [BF4]− remains largely unaffected, which deeply affects the interaction of the ionic liquid (IL) network.     

Cationic gemini surfactants as pseudostationary phases in micellar electrokinetic chromatography. Part I: Effect of head group

Two cationic gemini surfactants with pyrrolidinium or alkyl ammonium head groups with but-2-yne spacers, but with the same length hydrocarbon chain have been characterized with respect to their aggregation behaviors and separation power as pseudostationary phases (PSPs) for micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC). They were compared with a commonly used PSP, sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS). The results suggest that the head groups of the surfactants have some effect on physicochemical properties such as critical micelle concentration (CMC), C₂₀, γ_CMC, partial specific volume, methylene selectivity and mobilities of the surfactants. CMC values of G1, G2 and SDS in pure water were found to be 0.82, 0.71, and 8.08 mM, respectively; they were reduced to 0.21, 0.11, and 3.0 mM when measured in 10 mM phosphate buffer at pH 7.0. G1 (α_CH2=2.74${\alpha }_{\text{C}{\text{H}}_2}=2.74$) and G2 (α_CH2=2.48${\alpha }_{\text{C}{\text{H}}_2}=2.48$) provided the most and the least hydrophobic environment, respectively. According to their partial specific volumes, geminis were found to have more flexible structures as compared with sodium dodecylsulfate. The effects of the head group structure were also characterized with the linear solvation energy relationship (LSER) model, which was able to evaluate the role of solute size, polarity/polarizability, and hydrogen bonding on retention and selectivity. The cohesiveness, hydrogen bond acidic and basic character of the surfactant systems were found to have the most significant influence on selectivity and MEKC retention of the gemini surfactants. It should be noted that with their large positive coefficient a values, G1 and G2 were found to be stronger HB acceptors than anionic and most of the cationic surfactants studied in the literature.     

Catechin Photolysis Suppression by Aluminum Chloride under Alkaline Conditions and Assessment with Liquid Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry

Tea is rich in catechins and aluminum. In this study, the process of catechin photolysis was applied as a model for examining the effects of aluminum chloride (AlCl₃) on the structural changes of catechin and the alteration of aluminum complexes under blue light irradiation (BLI) at pH 8 using liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry techniques. Additionally, the effects of anions on catechin upon the addition of AlCl₃ and treatment with BLI were also studied. In this study, when 1 mM catechin was treated with BLI, a superoxide anion radical (O2•−) was generated in an air-saturated aqueous solution, in addition to forming a dimeric catechin (proanthocyanidin) via a photon-induced redox reaction. The relative percentage of catechin was found to be 59.0 and 95.7 for catechin treated with BLI and catechin upon the addition of 1 mM AlCl₃ treated with BLI, respectively. It suggested that catechin treated with BLI could be suppressed by AlCl₃, while AlCl₃ did not form a complex with catechin in the photolytic system. However, under the same conditions, it was also found that the addition of AlCl₃ inhibited the photolytic formation of O2•−, and reduced the generation of proanthocyanidin, suggesting that the disconnection of proanthocyanidin was achieved by AlCl₃ acting as a catalyst under treatment with BLI. The influence of 1 mM fluoride (F−) and 1 mM oxalate (C2O42−) ions on the photolysis of 1 mM catechin upon the addition of 1 mM AlCl₃ and treatment with BLI was found to be insignificant, implying that, during the photolysis of catechin, the Al species were either neutral or negatively charged and the aluminum species did not form a complex with anions in the photolytic system. Therefore, aluminum, which is an amphoteric species, has an inherent potential to stabilize the photolysis of catechin in an alkaline conditions, while suppressing the O2•− and proanthocyanidin generation via aluminum ion catalysis in the catechin/Al system under treatment with BLI.     

Biologically inspired 3Fe4S cluster as structural mimics of FeMoco M-cluster

A 3Fe4S cluster related to M-cluster of Mo-nitrogenase is reported. [K(THF)₅][Fe₃(μ-bdt)₂(μ-PPh₂)(CO)₅] ( 1 ) is synthesized from photo-assisted structural rearrangement of [K(THF)₂][(μ,κ²-bdt)Fe₂(μ-PPh₂)(CO)₅] under visible light irradiation. The molecular structure of 1 consists of a Fe₃ core bearing one dithiolate bridge and the second dithiolate group capping onto the metallic plane. The structural motif of 1 is analogous to that of Mo-participated 3Fe4S unit in M-cluster of Mo-nitrogenase, with the similar Fe-Fe and Fe-S bond distances. Upon protonation in 193 K, a Fe-hydride species ( 1H ) is generated and characterized to possess the bridging hydride group (δ = −12.57 ppm) by ¹H-NMR spectroscopy and DFT calculation. In CH₃CN solution, complex 1 exhibits a reversible reduction and oxidation process at $E_{1/2}^{\mathrm{red}}$ = −1.94 V and $E_{1/2}^{\mathrm{ox}}$ = −0.18 V, respectively, at 273 K. The reduction behavior of 1 in CH₂Cl₂ solution at 243 K displays a slight modification in the presence of trifluoroacetic acid, revealing a moderate anodic potential shift (~50 mV). The current amplitude of the reduction wave is linearly increased with the increasement of acid added, indicative of the catalytic event.     

Theoretical Analysis on Absorption of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) into Solutions of Phenyl Glycidyl Ether (PGE) Using Nonlinear Autoregressive Exogenous Neural Networks

In this paper, we analyzed the mass transfer model with chemical reactions during the absorption of carbon dioxide (CO2) into phenyl glycidyl ether (PGE) solution. The mathematical model of the phenomenon is governed by a coupled nonlinear differential equation that corresponds to the reaction kinetics and diffusion. The system of differential equations is subjected to Dirichlet boundary conditions and a mixed set of Neumann and Dirichlet boundary conditions. Further, to calculate the concentration of CO2, PGE, and the flux in terms of reaction rate constants, we adopt the supervised learning strategy of a nonlinear autoregressive exogenous (NARX) neural network model with two activation functions (Log-sigmoid and Hyperbolic tangent). The reference data set for the possible outcomes of different scenarios based on variations in normalized parameters (α1,α2,β1,β2,k) are obtained using the MATLAB solver “pdex4”. The dataset is further interpreted by the Levenberg–Marquardt (LM) backpropagation algorithm for validation, testing, and training. The results obtained by the NARX-LM algorithm are compared with the Adomian decomposition method and residual method. The rapid convergence of solutions, smooth implementation, computational complexity, absolute errors, and statistics of the mean square error further validate the design scheme’s worth and efficiency.     

The Synthesis Methodology of PEGylated Fe3O4@Ag Nanoparticles Supported by Their Physicochemical Evaluation

Many investigations are currently being performed to develop the effective synthesis methodology of magnetic nanoparticles with appropriately functionalized surfaces. Here, the novelty of the presented work involves the preparation of nano-sized PEGylated Fe₃O₄@Ag particles, i.e., the main purpose was the synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles with a functionalized surface. Firstly, Fe₃O₄ particles were prepared via the Massart process. Next, Ag+ reduction was conducted in the presence of Fe₃O₄ particles to form a nanosilver coating. The reaction was performed with arabic gum as a stabilizing agent. Sound energy-using sonication was applied to disintegrate the particles’ agglomerates. Next, the PEGylation process aimed at the formation of a coating on the particles’ surface using PEG (poly(ethylene glycol)) has been performed. It was proved that the arabic gum limited the agglomeration of nanoparticles, which was probably caused by the steric effect caused by the branched compounds from the stabilizer that adsorbed on the surface of nanoparticles. This effect was also enhanced by the electrostatic repulsions. The process of sonication caused the disintegration of aggregates. Formation of iron (II, III) oxide with a cubic structure was proved by diffraction peaks. Formation of a nanosilver coating on the Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles was confirmed by diffraction peaks with 2θ values 38.15° and 44.35°. PEG coating on the particles’ surface was proven via FT-IR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) analysis. Obtained PEG–nanosilver-coated Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles may find applications as carriers for targeted drug delivery using an external magnetic field.     

Two Intercalation Mechanisms of Oxazole Yellow Dimer (YOYO-1) into DNA

The oxazole yellow dye, YOYO-1 (a symmetric homodimer), is a commonly used molecule for staining DNA. We applied the brightness analysis to study the intercalation of YOYO-1 into the DNA. We distinguished two binding modes of the dye to dsDNA: mono-intercalation and bis-intercalation. Bis-intercalation consists of two consecutive mono-intercalation steps, characterised by two distinct equilibrium constants (with the average number of base pair per binding site equals 3.5): K1=3.36±0.43×107M−1 and K2=1.90±0.61×105M−1, respectively. Mono-intercalation dominates at high concentrations of YOYO-1. Bis-intercalation occurs at low concentrations.     

Hydrothermal synthesis of monodisperse Fe3O4 nanoparticles based on modulation of tartaric acid

In this paper, monodisperse Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles with single crystalline structure were synthesized via a facile environment-friendly method. And the size of the nanoparticles ranges from 10 nm to 15 nm. As-synthesized Fe₃O₄ were characterized by X-ray diffraction instrument (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer and field emission transmission electron microscope (FE-TEM). The effect of tartaric acid (TA) amount on products was investigated by XRD and TEM. The results indicated that TA could commendably modulate the crystalline phase, morphology and size of nanometer Fe₃O_4. A possible generated mechanism of Fe₃O₄ crystals was proposed in virtue of UV–vis absorption spectra. Besides, the magnetic properties of as-synthesized Fe₃O₄ were detected.     

磁靶向纳米Fe3O4-TiO2复合物的制备及其对肝癌细胞的光催化杀伤效应

采用三种低温溶胶-凝胶法制备了具有不同Fe₃O₄掺杂量的磁靶向纳米Fe₃O₄-TiO₂复合物, 通过X射线衍射(XRD)、透射电镜(TEM)、傅里叶变换红外(FTIR)光谱、紫外-可见(UV-Vis)光谱、荧光光谱(FS)及磁性能分析等表征方法筛选出包覆均匀、分散性好、磁性能优异及光催化活性较高的纳米Fe₃O₄-TiO₂复合物. 以四甲基偶氮唑蓝(MTT)法检测肝癌细胞(HepG2)的存活率, 考察纳米Fe₃O₄-TiO₂复合物在外磁场作用下对HepG2 细胞的光催化杀伤效应. 结果表明: 采用方法三制备的5%(质量分数)Fe₃O₄-TiO₂复合物具备核-壳结构, 在混悬液中分散性较好, 平均粒径约为50 nm, 具有较强的光催化活性和良好的磁响应性, 同时将纳米TiO₂的光响应范围拓宽至444 nm; 在外磁场作用下, 紫外光和可见光激发纳米Fe₃O₄-TiO₂复合物对HepG2细胞的杀伤效应差异不大, 且均强于纳米TiO₂; 其杀伤效应在0-1.0 T范围内随着外磁场强度的增大而增强.     

Thermal and photochemical effects on the structure,morphology, thermal and optical properties of PVA/Ni0.04Zn0.96O and PVA/Fe0.03Zn0.97O nanocomposite films

Ni_0.04Zn_0.96O and Fe_0.03Zn_0.97O with average diameter of 23 and 19 nm, respectively, have been synthesized by a modified sol–gel method to be used in the preparation of (100 − x)/x poly(vinyl alcohol)/oxide nanocomposite films, with x = 0, 1, 3 and 5 (in wt.%). A 125 W-Hg vapor lamp with emission above 254 nmwas used to irradiate PVA/Ni_0.04Zn_0.96O and PVA/Fe_0.03Zn_0.97O films. The effect on their structural, thermal, morphological and optical properties was studied by TG, DSC, DRX, AFM, UV–vis and PL spectrophotometry. The Ni_0.04Zn_0.96O addition on PVA films decreases the thermal stability of the polymer in inert and in oxidative atmosphere. In contrast, the Fe_0.03Zn_0.97O presence in the PVA films seems to increase the thermal stability of the polymer. The characteristic peak of the crystalline phase of PVA and wurtzite phase of the zinc oxide were identified through X-ray diffraction in both films. The crystallinity of the PVA film increases with UV irradiation and with the presence of Ni_0.04Zn_0.96O and Fe_0.03Zn_0.97O. The roughness of the PVA film was not modified by the addition of the doped oxides; however, it increases after UV irradiation, more significantly in the films containing the oxides. The PVA film exhibits absorption around 280 nm characteristic of π–π^∗ transitions related to carbonyl groups from residuals acetate, while the 95/05 PVA/Ni_0.04Zn_0.96O and 95/05 PVA/Fe_0.03Zn_0.97O nanocomposite films show absorption at the visible region which is characteristics of the band gap reduction of the doped oxides. The photoluminescence of PVA was modified by the presence of the oxides in the film. These nanocomposite films are interesting due to their thermal, mechanical (flexible) properties and low cost of production. In addition they are also able to exhibit peculiar optical properties showing potential to be used in photonic devices, gas sensors and organic solar cell applications.     

ATP适体接枝Fe_3O_4纳米粒子的制备及化学发光酶检测应用

制备了油酸修饰的Fe_3O_4纳米粒子,利用盐酸多巴胺对其表面进行氨基化改性,制得水分散性良好的Fe_3O_4纳米粒子,用X射线衍射、透射电镜、傅里叶变换红外光谱仪、振动样品磁强计和紫外-可见吸收光谱进行表征。随后,将氨基修饰的三磷酸腺苷(ATP)适体接枝到Fe_3O_4纳米粒子上,结合荧光素酶化学发光法进行ATP的定量检测,并应用于市售酸奶中乳酸菌ATP含量的检测,其灵敏度高、重现性好。各项实验结果表明所制备的Fe_3O_4纳米粒子是一种分散性好、易分离的载体,其粒径均一、稳定、磁性强、与适体结合性能好,拓展了Fe_3O_4纳米粒子在分析检测领域的应用。     

ATP适体接枝Fe3O4纳米粒子的制备及化学发光酶检测应用

制备了油酸修饰的Fe₃O₄纳米粒子,利用盐酸多巴胺对其表面进行氨基化改性,制得水分散性良好的Fe₃O₄纳米粒子,用X射线衍射、透射电镜、傅里叶变换红外光谱仪、振动样品磁强计和紫外-可见吸收光谱进行表征。随后,将氨基修饰的三磷酸腺苷（ATP）适体接枝到Fe₃O₄纳米粒子上,结合荧光素酶化学发光法进行ATP的定量检测,并应用于市售酸奶中乳酸菌ATP含量的检测,其灵敏度高、重现性好。各项实验结果表明所制备的Fe₃O₄纳米粒子是一种分散性好、易分离的载体,其粒径均一、稳定、磁性强、与适体结合性能好,拓展了Fe₃O₄纳米粒子在分析检测领域的应用。     

Solubility of carbon dioxide in pentaerythritol tetraoctanoate

In this paper, solubility measurements of CO₂ in pure pentaerythritol tetraoctanoate (PEC8) between 273 and 343 K are presented. The experiments were performed according to the static, synthetic method. The data are represented using the Peng–Robinson equation of state with the Huron–Vidal mixing rules and the UNIQUAC equation for the excess Gibbs Energy (g^E) at infinite pressure. This system shows immiscibility in liquid phase, with lower critical end point (LCEP) at T = 268 ± 0.1 K and xCO₂=0.98±0.001$x_{\text{C}{\text{O}}_2}=0.98\pm 0.001$ and upper critical end point (UCEP) at the critical point of pure CO₂.     

Determination of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Their Methylated Derivatives in Sewage Sludge from Northeastern China: Occurrence,Profiles and Toxicity Evaluation

This paper assesses the occurrence, distribution, source, and toxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and their methylated form (Me-PAHs) in sewage sludge from 10 WWTPs in Northeastern China was noted. The concentrations of ∑PAHs, ∑Me-PAHs ranged from 567 to 5040 and 48.1 to 479ng.g−1dw, which is greater than the safety limit for sludge in agriculture in China. High and low molecular weight 4 and 2-ring PAHs and Me-PAHs in sludge were prevalent. The flux of sludge PAHs and Me-PAHs released from ten WWTPs, in Heilongjiang province, was calculated to be over 100 kg/year. Principal component analysis (PCA), diagnostic ratios and positive matrix factorization (PMF) determined a similar mixed pyrogenic and petrogenic source of sewage sludge. The average values of Benzo[a]pyrene was below the safe value of 600ng.g−1 dependent on an incremental lifetime cancer risk ILCR of 10⁻⁶. Sludge is an important source for the transfer of pollutants into the environment, such as PAHs and Me-PAHs. Consequently, greater consideration should be given to its widespread occurrence.     

超级铝热剂Al/Fe2O3的制备、表征及对环三亚甲基三硝胺热分解的影响

采用水热法制备了中空短棒状纳米Fe2O3,并用超声分散法将其与纳米Al颗粒复合为单金属氧化基超级铝热剂.利用X射线粉末衍射(XRD)、傅里叶变换红外(FTIR)光谱、扫描电镜及能量散射光谱仪(SEM-EDS)对样品进行表征.并运用差示扫描量热法(DSC)对比研究了超级铝热剂Al/Fe2O3、Al粉和纳米Fe2O3对环三亚甲基三硝胺(RDX)热分解特性的影响.结果表明:超级铝热剂的加入改变了RDX的热分解过程,并加剧了RDX的二次气相反应;随着超级铝热剂含量的增加,RDX的分解峰峰形发生了明显的改变;Al/Fe2O3、Al粉和Fe2O3对RDX热分解的作用主要表现为二次分解峰逐渐明显且峰温降低.     

Electrochemical Resistive DNA Biosensor for the Detection of HPV Type 16

In this work, a low-cost and rapid electrochemical resistive DNA biosensor based on the current relaxation method is described. A DNA probe, complementary to the specific human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) sequence, was immobilized onto a screen-printed gold electrode. DNA hybridization was detected by applying a potential step of 30 mV to the system, composed of an external capacitor and the modified electrode DNA/gold, for 750 µs and then relaxed back to the OCP, at which point the voltage and current discharging curves are registered for 25 ms. From the discharging curves, the potential and current relaxation were evaluated, and by using Ohm’s law, the charge transfer resistance through the DNA-modified electrode was calculated. The presence of a complementary sequence was detected by the change in resistance when the ssDNA is transformed in dsDNA due to the hybridization event. The target DNA concentration was detected in the range of 5 to 20 nM. The results showed a good fit to the regression equation ΔRtotal(Ω)=2.99 × [DNA]+81.55, and a detection limit of 2.39 nM was obtained. As the sensing approach uses a direct current, the electronic architecture of the biosensor is simple and allows for the separation of faradic and nonfaradaic contributions. The simple electrochemical resistive biosensor reported here is a good candidate for the point-of-care diagnosis of HPV at a low cost and in a short detection time.     

柠檬酸根对纳米Fe3O4颗粒的生长及性能的影响

现代诊断学的发展使得超小超顺磁性的Fe₃O₄粒子在医学领域具有重要应用价值。实验中利用某些羧酸盐对铁氧化物晶粒成长的抑制作用，在共沉淀法中引入柠檬酸根，制备出平均粒径小于5 nm的Fe₃O₄纳米分散体系。研究了不同柠檬酸根浓度对生成粒子的大小、结晶和表面吸附情况的影响。对Fe₃O₄颗粒在不同条件下的磁性与胶体稳定性进行了讨论。