Effect of Solvents Treatment on Microstructure and Dispersion Properties of Palygorskite

Palygorskite was dispersed by various organic solvents and water, and the effects of solvent types on its microstructure, dispersion degree, and colloidal properties were investigated by infrared spectroscopy (IR), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm (BET), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and rheological analyses. It was found that dimethyl sulfoxide and dimethyl formamide molecules may attach onto the surface of palygorskite and cause a complete disappearance of micropores. Solvent parameters govern the dispersion degree of palygorskite, and dimethyl sulfoxide and dimethyl formamide are good solvents to disperse palygorskite aggregates in contrast to ethanol and isopropanol. Colloidal stability and rheological tests suggested dimethyl sulfoxide-dispersed palygorskite can form more stable suspension with higher shear stress and modulus, but isopropanol-dispersed palygorskite may rapidly subside in suspension and show poor colloidal properties.     

锌从土壤向食物链的迁移

锌是生物必需微量元素，但过多时对动植物都有毒害。本文对锌在人类食物链中的行为及在土壤－－植物－－人类和动物系统中的迁移，决定农业系统中锌动力学的关键过程，锌在作物可食部位的丰度，影响锌生物有效性的土壤环境，植物因子及锌在食物中的需要量等作了综述了论述。     

Phase separation behavior of whey protein isolate particle dispersions in the presence of xanthan

In this study, phase separation of colloidal whey protein isolate (WPI) particle dispersions was studied using a rod-like polysaccharide xanthan. Effects of different xanthan concentration, particle volume fraction, and temperature were analyzed by visual observations, turbidity measurements, and particle mobility tracking method. Particle mobility was determined using a diffusing wave spectroscopy (DWS) set up. Xanthan concentration was kept low in order not to increase the viscosity of dispersions, so that the phase separation could be observed easily. Visual observations showed that there was a minimum concentration of xanthan to induce phase separation at a constant particle volume fraction, and xanthan concentration was found to have an important effect on the degree of phase separation. The temperature was also found to have an effect on depletion mechanism. Phase separation was mainly a result of different sizes of WPI particles, and xanthan induced the depletion interaction between WPI particles, as supported by the data obtained from DWS. The results of this study explained both the mechanism and the stability range of particle dispersions in the presence of xanthan, which is important for the design of stable systems, including colloidal particles.     

Surface-enhanced Raman studies of bradykinin using colloidal gold

In this paper, bradykinin (BK), an endogenous peptide hormone, which is involved in a number of physiological and pathophysiological processes was deposited onto the colloidal Au nanoparticles. The surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) was used to determine the adsorption mode of BK under different environmental conditions, including: excitation wavelengths (514.5 nm and 785.0 nm), pH of aqueous sol solutions (from pH = 3 to pH = 11), and size of the colloidal nanoparticles (10, 20, and 50 nm). The metal surface plasmon of the colloidal suspended Au nanoparticles was examined by ultraviolet-visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy. The results showed that the C-terminal part of BK plays a crucial role in the adsorption process onto the colloidal suspended Au particles. The Phe^5/8 and Arg⁹ residues of BK mainly participate in the interactions with the colloidal Au nanoparticles. At acidic pH of the solution (pH = 3), the BK COO⁻ terminal group through the both oxygen atoms strongly binds to the Au nanoparticles. The Phe⁵/Phe⁸ rings adopt tilted orientation with respect to the colloidal Au nanoparticles with diameters of 10 and 20 nm. As the particle size increases to 50 nm, the flat orientation of the Phe ring(s) with respect to the Au nanoparticles is observed.     

高分子分散剂在陶瓷浓悬浮体制备中的应用

良好分散的陶瓷浓悬浮体是胶态成型实现的前提和关键。本文阐述了高分子分散剂的分散稳定作用及其在多种单相复相陶瓷浓悬浮体制备中的研究和应用,进而从高分子分散剂自身特性,陶瓷分散相和分散介质的物理化学性质以及陶瓷胶态成型工艺操作等方面,分析了各因素对高分子分散剂分散效果的影响,最后指出了能够优化陶瓷浓悬浮体性能的高分子分散剂的研究趋势。     

Rigidity of colloidal alloys as studied by reflection spectroscopy in sedimentation equilibrium

Rigidities of colloidal alloys of binary mixtures of colloidal silica spheres (CS82; 103 nm in diameter) with larger silica spheres (CS91; 110 nm, CS121; 136 nm and CS161; 184 nm) have been measured by reflection spectroscopy in sedimentation equilibrium. Substitutional-solid-solution-type alloy structures are formed for mixtures of CS82 and CS91 and for CS82 and CS121. A superlattice, probably MgCu₂ type, is formed for CS82 and CS161 mixtures. The rigidities of the colloidal crystals of the single component of the spheres increase as the sphere size increases at the same number density of spheres. The rigidities of the colloidal alloys decrease when a comparatively small number of the larger spheres are mixed with the small spheres at the same total sphere number density. Received: 14 June 2000 Accepted: 3 November 2000     

Pretreatment-free immunochromatographic assay for the detection of streptomycin and its application to the control of milk and dairy products

A rapid pretreatment-free immunochromatographic assay was developed for the control of the streptomycin (STR) content in milk and dairy products. The assay is based on the competition between an immobilized STR–protein conjugate and STR in a sample to be tested for the binding to monoclonal anti-STR antibodies conjugated to colloidal gold during the flow of the sample along a membrane strip with immobilized reactants. It is possible to improve the cut-off level of positive and negative samples distinguished by a change in the molar STR to protein ratio in the immobilized conjugate. The cut-off level (500 ng mL⁻¹) thus achieved corresponds to the stated MRL of STR in milk and dairy products. For STR concentrations in the range of 16–250 ng mL⁻¹ its content can be quantitatively measured based on the degree of binding of a colloidal gold label in the test strip zone with the immobilized STR–protein conjugate. The duration of the assay is 10 min. The selected sizes of membrane pores and colloidal gold particles allow the assay to be carried out at room temperature without additional reactants and pretreatment. The applicability of the assay for milk, whole milk, sour clotted milk, and kefir with different fat content (from 0.5% to 6%) was confirmed. The results of quantitative immunochromatographic assay show good correlation with traditional ELISA (r was equal to 0.935 and 0.940 for the series tested).     

一闪一闪亮晶晶,我们身体需要锌

Although their contents in the human body are extremely low, even less than 0.01 wt%, trace elements are essential for the human body. As a kind of trace element, zinc plays an important role in human growth and development, reproductive inheritance, immunity, endocrine and other important physiological processes. At the same time, zinc deficiency is also a common phenomenon among Chinese children. Through the fictional experience of the fictional Zinc Gu Cheng, this article uses the anthropomorphic approach to popularize the role of zinc. Finally, the story ends with a little girl's dream. We hope that through this short story, people can understand the importance of zinc to the human body and realize the indispensable role of trace elements.     

Thermal and optical properties of silver-poly(methylmethacrylate) nanocomposites prepared by in-situ radical polymerization

Surface modified silver nanoparticles dispersed in chloroform were encapsulated in poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) by in-situ radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate initiated by 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile. The particle size distribution of colloidal silver nanoparticles was determined using transmission electron microscopy. The obtained transparent nanocomposite films were characterized using UV-vis spectroscopy, ¹H NMR spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography. Effective medium Maxwell-Garnett theory was used in order to explain optical properties of nanocomposite films taking into account inhomogeneous spatial distribution of silver nanoparticles in PMMA matrix. The influence of the silver nanoparticles on the thermal properties of the PMMA matrix was investigated using thermo-gravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. Thermo-oxidative stability of the PMMA in the presence of low content of inorganic phase is significantly improved. The glass transition temperatures of nanocomposites are slightly lower compared to the pure polymer.     

Colloidal aspects of texture perception

Recently, considerable attention has been given to the understanding of texture attributes that cannot directly be related to physical properties of food, such as creamy, crumbly and watery. The perception of these attributes is strongly related to the way the food is processed during food intake, mastication, swallowing of it and during the cleaning of the mouth after swallowing. Moreover, their perception is modulated by the interaction with other basic attributes, such as taste and aroma attributes (e.g. sourness and vanilla). To be able to link the composition and structure of food products to more complicated texture attributes, their initial physical/colloid chemical properties and the oral processing of these products must be well understood. Understanding of the processes in the mouth at colloidal length scales turned out to be essential to grasp the interplay between perception, oral physiology and food properties. In view of the huge differences in physical chemical properties between food products, it is practical to make a distinction between solid, semi-solid, and liquid food products. The latter ones are often liquid dispersions of emulsion droplets or particles in general. For liquid food products for instance flow behaviour and colloidal stability of dispersed particles play a main role in determining their textural properties. For most solid products stiffness and fracture behaviour in relation to water content are essential while for semi-solids a much larger range of mechanical properties will play a role. Examples of colloidal aspects of texture perception will be discussed for these three categories of products based on selected sensory attributes and/or relevant colloidal processes. For solid products some main factors determining crispness will be discussed. For crispiness of dry cellular solid products these are water content and the architecture of the product at mesoscopic length scales (20-1000 µm). In addition the distribution of water at mesoscopic length scales was found to be important. For semi-solid foods, sensory characteristics as spreadability, watery and crumbliness are primarily determined by food properties at mesoscopic length scales. Crumbliness is directly related to the formation of free running cracks that occur during eating of the product. Exudation of the continuous liquid phase of gels during compression gives rise to watery/juicy sensory attributes. For liquid food products, colloidal interactions of emulsion droplets, particles, proteins, and polysaccharides with saliva and oral surfaces were found to affect texture characteristics as creaminess, fattiness, roughness and astringency.     

Conversion of colloidal aggregates into polymer networks on aging

After long-term aging, surfactant-mediated colloidal aggregates of sulfonated polyaniline (S-PANI) and poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVF₂) converted into three-dimensional polymer networks, whereas colloidal crystals prepared from pure PVF₂ remained unaltered. A model, where the surfactant tails anchored from the colloidal particles interdigitate with time resulting in coalescence of the particles to form the network morphology, has been proposed. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed higher relative abundances of carbon atoms on the surface of the polymer networks than those of the colloidal aggregates, which adequately supports the proposed model.     

Synthesis and acid functionalization of cerium oxide nanoparticles

Colloidal cerium oxide has been obtained by controlled oxidation of soluble Ce(III) salts in hydrothermal conditions. The homogeneous nucleation of CeO₂ through thermolysis of this oxidizing solution allows the formation of well dispersed colloidal particles. Under optimal conditions, well crystallized particles with an average size of 8 nm are obtained. The surface is terminated by acetate groups which can be substituted by grafting phosphonic acids or phosphoric acids. Particularly, the grafting of 2-carboxyethylphosphonic acid or phosphonoacetic acid increases the acidic character of the surface as observed by impedance spectroscopy.     

Characterisation of redox states of Ni(La)-hydroxide films prepared via the sol-gel route by ex situ IR spectroscopy

Ni(La)-hydroxide films were prepared from aqueous colloidal solutions containing nickel sulfate and lanthanum acetate in the molar ratio 10:1. Two types of film were made by heating for 15 and 60?min at 300?°C. Thermogravimetry (TG) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) reveal that both films consist of NiO (bunsenite 40%) nanoparticles (particle size?～30?Å), the remainder being amorphous. IR spectroscopy showed that the amorphous phase comprised the α(II)-Ni(OH)₂ phase incorporating SO₄ ^2?, carboxylate and water species. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) in a 0.1?M LiOH electrolyte combined with in situ UV-VIS spectroscopy revealed that the colouring/bleaching changes, as a function of applied potential, differed considerably for the two types of film. Ex situ IR spectroelectrochemical measurements at near-grazing incidence angle conditions using P-polarised light (NGIA IR) were performed for films heated for 60?min in 0.1?M LiOH and 0.1?M tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) electrolytes and cycled 1402 and 1802 times. During the oxidation/reduction cycles the α(II)-Ni(OH)₂ phase transforms to the γ(III)-NiOOH phase, while the β(II)-Ni(OH)₂ did not develop. This explains the high cycling stability of Ni(La)-hydroxide films. The incorporation of TMA⁺ ions was observed from the ν(CH₃) stretching band intensities in the IR spectra of cycled films.     

Effect of Varying Alkyl Chain Length on Thermal Decomposition Temperature of Zinc(II) Xanthates and its Impact on Curing of Epoxy Resin

Linear and branched zinc(II) xanthates with varying alkyl chain length were synthesized and characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, and IR spectroscopy, as well as elemental analysis. Zinc sulfide as the final decomposition product upon thermal annealing of zinc(II) xanthates was confirmed by XRD analysis. Cure time for epoxy resin composite at various temperatures was analyzed employing zinc(II) xanthates (5 % mass) as latent cure catalysts. XRD investigation of the cured epoxy resin including zinc(II) xanthates upon thermal annealing revealed the presence of ZnS in‐situ in the composite matrix, indicating the in‐situ thermal decomposition of zinc(II) xanthates as probable mechanism for curing. Thermogravimetric analysis was performed to investigate the thermal decomposition temperature trend of zinc(II) xanthates. A parallel trend was observed correlating the thermal decomposition temperature trend of zinc(II) xanthates and the order of curing catalytic efficiency utilizing zinc(II) xanthates. In the case of linear alkylzinc(II) xanthates with an increase in the alkyl chain length, both thermal decomposition temperature and the cure time were enhanced. In contrast, in case of branched alkyl chain zinc(II) xanthates with increasing alkyl chain length show decreasing thermal decomposition temperature as well as cure time.     

Rigidity of colloidal crystals of silica spheres modified with polymers on their surfaces in organic solvents

Rigidity (G) of colloidal crystals in organic solvents of acetonitrile and nitrobenzene has been measured by reflection spectroscopy in sedimentation equilibrium. The colloidal spheres used are the silica spheres (136 nm in diameter) modified on their surfaces with polymers, poly(maleic anhydride-co-styrene) [P(MA-ST)], poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), or polystyrene (PST). Log G increases linearly with the slope of unity as log N (number density of colloidal spheres) increases. The mean values of the b-factor, which is the fluctuation parameter in crystal lattices and should be smaller than 0.1 according to the Lindeman's rule, are 0.045±0.003, 0.039±0.007, and 0.038±0.003 for P(MA-ST)/SiO₂, PMMA/SiO₂, and PST/SiO₂, respectively. These values are larger than that of colloidal crystals of mother silica spheres in the deionized aqueous suspension, 0.028. These results support the important role of the excluded volume effects from the polymer layers formed around the silica surfaces. However, contribution of the excluded volume effects from the electrical double layers formed around the spheres in the organic solvents is also effective in the colloidal crystallization. Electronic Publication     

Radiatracer analysis of the physico-chemical state of trace elements in aqueous solutions

Theoretical and experimental analysis of the diaphragm diffusion method for study of the state of trace elements in aqueous solutions is presented. It is shown that the method has substantial advantages over other diffusion methods and over conventional use of dialysis, particularly when nucleopore or other membranes with small internal surface area are employed. These advantages include rather short experimental time, not exceeding tens of minutes, lower adsorption losses and lower shift of equilibria among various forms of the trace element studied. A new method for the continuous measurement of and for the evaluation of diffusion is suggested, which enables calculation of the abundance of colloidal forms of the element. Verification of the method is carried out for a particular case using trace radiocerium.     

水相中乙醇对胶体泡沫性质的影响

用不同比例的水-乙醇混合物作水相制备了胶体泡沫（CLA）,实验观察并测定了CLA的形态、粒径分布、半衰期、Zeta电位、水相溶液的粘度和水相/油相之间的界面张力等性质.结果表明，水相中加入乙醇会影响CLA的稳定性和粒径大小,但对CLA的Zeta电位影响不大.乙醇对CLA稳定性的影响主要是由于乙醇分子嵌入到界面膜中导致膜的强度变化以及水相粘度发生变化导致CLA粒子间隙的排液过程发生变化.     

46例缺锌患儿补锌后发元素含量分析

用0．2%硫酸锌糖浆和葡萄糖酸锌合剂治疗缺锌患儿46例，观察治疗前后发中元素含量的改变，服药后发锌含量明显增加，铁、铜、铅含量明显减少，钙含量无变化，说明元素间存在拮抗作用，提示给患儿补锌要谨慎，必须严格掌握适应症、剂量、疗程、方法等。千万不能把锌剂当做营养药给儿童长期服用，以免导致体内元素平衡失调，造成不良后果。     

Human milk fat globules: polar lipid composition and in situ structural investigations revealing the heterogeneous distribution of proteins and the lateral segregation of sphingomyelin in the biological membrane

Although human milk fat globules (MFG) are of primary importance since they are the exclusive lipid delivery carriers in the gastrointestinal tract of breast-fed infants, they remain the poorly understood aspect of milk. The objectives of this study were to investigate these unique colloidal assemblies and their interfacial properties, i.e. composition and structure of their biological membrane. In mature breast milk, MFG have a mean diameter of 4-5 microm, a surface area of about 2m(2)/g fat and an apparent zeta potential ζ=-6.7 ± 0.5 mV at 37°C. Human MFG contain 3-4mg polar lipids/g fat as quantified by HPLC/ELSD. The main polar lipids are sphingomyelin (SM; 36-45%, w/w), phosphatidylcholine (19-23%, w/w) and phosphatidylethanolamine (10-15%, w/w). In situ structural investigations of human MFG have been performed using light and confocal microscopy with adapted fluorescent probes, i.e. Nile Red, the extrinsic phospholipid Rh-DOPE, Fast Green and the lectin WGA-488. This study revealed a spatial heterogeneity in the human milk fat globule membrane (MFGM), with the lateral segregation of SM in liquid-ordered phase domains of various shapes and sizes surrounded by a liquid-disordered phase composed of the glycerophospholipids in which the proteins are dispersed. The glycocalyx formed by glycoproteins and cytoplasmic remnents have also been characterised around human MFG. A new model for the structure of the human MFGM is proposed and discussed. The unique composition and lateral organisation of the human MFGM components could be of metabolic significance and have health impact for the infants that need to be further explored.     

Development of an impedimetric immunosensor based on electropolymerized polytyramine films for the direct detection of Salmonella typhimurium in pure cultures of type strains and inoculated real samples

The development of a faradic impedimetric immunosensor based on electropolymerized polytyramine (Ptyr) films for the detection of S. typhimurium in milk is described for the first time. Polyclonal anti-Salmonella was cross-linked, in the presence of glutaraldehyde vapors, on Ptyr-modified gold electrodes. The dielectric behaviour of Ptyr films was evaluated with capacitance measurements, while their stability in neutral aqueous solutions was examined with impedimetric measurements. The effect of the concentration of tyramine in the forming solution on both the sensitivity and the dynamic range of the resulted immunosensors was also investigated. The alteration of the interfacial features of the electrodes due to different modification or recognition steps, was measured by faradic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in the presence of a hexacyanoferrate(II)/(III) redox couple. At samples containing a low initial concentration of 10 cfu mL⁻¹S. typhimurium, that actually defines the LOD of the immunosensors, signal changes of 33% and 88% were achieved after 3 and 10 h incubation, respectively. To achieve the working simplicity expected by a biosensor, immunoreaction was performed directly in cultures. This resulted in the elimination of various centrifugation and washing steps, which are used for the isolation of bacteria cells from the culture, thus making the proposed immunosensors promising candidates for on-site applications. Finally, the proposed immunosensors were successfully used for the detection of S. typhimurium in experimentally inoculated milk samples.