Photoinduced phospholipid polymer grafting on Parylene film: advanced lubrication and antibiofouling properties

Poly(p-xylylene) (Parylene C) coatings have been applied in implantable electronic devices because of their electrical insulation and moisture barrier properties. To provide lubrication and an antibiofouling surface, a biomimetic phospholipid polymer--poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC))--was grafted from the surface using UV irradiation with benzophenone as an initiator. The poly(MPC) grafting on the Parylene C films was confirmed by attenuated total reflection-Fourier transfer inflated irradiation, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and ellipsometry. These analyses indicated that the Parylene C films were completely covered by the poly(MPC)-graft layer with an average thickness of 140 nm under dry condition. The atomic force microscope (AFM) images revealed that the poly(MPC)-graft chains extended under wet condition. However, they formed globular structures under dry condition. Water contact angle measurements revealed a decreased receding angle of 29.5 degrees on the poly(MPC)-grafted surface with a high hysteresis of 41.4 degrees. These results indicate that the poly(MPC)-graft chains gain mobility in a wet environment. The average kinetic friction coefficient of the poly(MPC)-grafted surface in water was 0.018, which was 90% lower than that of the original surface. The in vitro single protein adsorption reduced by over 70% due to the poly(MPC) grafting. The hydrated poly(MPC)-graft chains are considered to provide lubrication and antibiofouling properties. The surface zeta potential measurement clarified the electroneutrality of the poly(MPC)-grafted surface. We concluded that the poly(MPC) grafting from the Parylene C layer significantly improved its surface properties and, subsequently, its biological properties.     

Mini, micro, and high-efficiency torches for the ICP - toys or tools?

Because the inductively-coupled plasma (ICP) is expensive both to purchase and to continue in operation, many workers have sought to reduce both the radiofrequency power and coolant argon ordinarily required to sustain the discharge. In one approach, the ICP has been reduced in size, in the hope that its analytical strengths could be retained but the power and argon required for it reduced. In the second approach, the torch used to support the discharge has been modified extensively. The final and most recent approach utilises alternative torch cooling schemes using, for example, water or high air flows as a coolant. In this paper, these alternative approaches will be reviewed and assessed in terms of their practicability and analytical capability. Prospects for future torch modification and low-flow, low-power ICP instrumentation will be considered and discussed.     

Model predictive control-based robust stabilization of a chemical reactor

The paper addresses an approach to robust stabilization of chemical continuous stirred tank reactors. State feedback was used for the stabilization and the feedback controller was designed using the robust model-based predictive control algorithm in which the symmetric constraints on input and output variables are taken into account. The known strategy was modified by adding integral action to the controller. Parameters of robust feedback controllers with and without integral action were found as solutions of a constrained optimization problem solved on the infinite prediction horizon. The possibility to stabilize chemical reactors with uncertainty using the robust model-based predictive control has been verified by simulations and compared with the optimal linear quadratic control and the model-based predictive control. The obtained results confirm that the robust model-based predictive control provides better results than other approaches.     

Oxidation of Ethylbenzene with Dioxygen in the Presence of Iron(III) Tris(acetylacetonate)-Based Catalytic Systems: 1. Mechanism of Ethylbenzene Oxidation with Dioxygen Catalyzed by Fe(III)(acac)<Subscript>3</Subscript>

The catalytic activity of Fe(III)(acac)₃ (Cat) in ethylbenzene oxidation with dioxygen is studied. 1-Phenylethyl hydroperoxide (PEHP), acetophenone (AP), and methyl phenyl carbinol (MPC) are the main products of the process throughout the Cat concentration range examined. Phenol (Ph) is formed in much smaller amounts. The highest PEHP selectivity, S _PEHP = 65%, is observed at an ethylbenzene conversion of C ≈ 2% at low [Cat] values. PEHP and the other main oxidation products (AP and MPC) form by parallel reactions at any Cat concentration. Depending on [Cat], AP and MPC form by parallel or consecutive reactions. When [Cat] is high enough, AP results from MPC oxidation. At the initial stages of the reaction, the MPC selectivity (S _MPC = 50%) exceeds the PEHP selectivity (S _PEHP = 25–30%). The mechanism of ethylbenzene oxidation catalyzed by Fe(III)(acac)₃ and the role of active complexes in its steps are considered.__________Translated from Kinetika i Kataliz, Vol. 46, No. 3, 2005, pp. 354–359.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Matienko, Mosolova.     

N－甲基-吡咯烷并[3,4]C60衍生物的结构、电子光谱 和二阶非线性光学性质的 理论研究

利用半经验AM1量子化学方法研究了N－甲基－吡咯烷并[3,4]C60(MPC)及其噻吩取代衍生物(TMPC)的几何结构。电子结构研究表明,MPC及TMPC衍生物的前沿轨道主要由C60部分决定,C60母体与成基团之间存在较强的分子内电荷转移,C60部分是电子受体,而噻吩环部分和吡咯环部分为电子给体。在AM1优化几何构型的基础上,用INDO/SCI方法计算了MPC及TMPC的电子光谱,用完全态求和(SOS)公式计算了其二阶非线性光学性质。结果表明,MPC与TMPC在400nm以上均存在吸收峰,TMPC的这些吸收峰(400nm以上)比MPC的吸收峰强得多,与实验所得结果一致。对于TMPC来说,其二阶非线性光学系数β0值随分子构型不同而有较大的变化,β0值最大可达60×10^-30esu。     

Solvent effect on redox properties of hexanethiolate monolayer-protected gold nanoclusters

The capacitance of monolayer-protected gold nanoclusters (MPCs), C(MPC), in solution has been theoretically reconsidered from an electrostatic viewpoint, in which an MPC is considered as an isolated charged sphere within two dielectric layers, the intrinsic coating monolayer, and the bulk solvent. The model predicts that the bulk solvent provides an important contribution to C(MPC) and influences the redox properties of MPCs. This theoretical prediction is then examined experimentally by comparing the redox properties of MPCs in four organic solvents: 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE), dichloromethane (DCM), chlorobenzene (CB), and toluene (TOL), in all of which MPCs have excellent solubility. Furthermore, this set of organic solvents features a dielectric constant in a range from 10.37 (DCE) to 2.38 (TOL), which is wide enough to probe the solvent effect. In these organic solvents, tetrahexylammonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (THATf2N) is used as the supporting electrolyte. Cyclic and differential pulse voltammetric results provide concrete evidence that, despite the monolayer protection, the solvent plays a significant effect on the properties of MPCs in solution.     

Standardization problems in the analytical control of environmental objects,discharges, and emissions

Specific features and methods of determining the maximum permissible concentrations (MPC), the main quality index for natural waters, are considered.     

Monolayer-protected nanoparticle film assemblies as platforms for controlling interfacial and adsorption properties in protein monolayer electrochemistry

Assembled films of nonaqueous nanoparticles, known as monolayer-protected clusters (MPCs), are investigated as adsorption platforms in protein monolayer electrochemistry (PME), a strategy for studying the electron transfer (ET) of redox proteins. Modified electrodes featuring MPC films assembled with various linking methods, including both electrostatic and covalent mechanisms, are employed to immobilize cytochrome c (cyt c) for electrochemical analysis. The background signal (non-Faradaic current) of these systems is directly related to the structure and composition of the MPC films, including nanoparticle core size, protecting ligand properties, as well as the linking mechanism utilized during assembly. Dithiol-linked films of Au225(C6)75 are identified as optimal films for PME by sufficiently discriminating against detrimental background current and exhibiting interfacial properties that are readily engineered for cyt c adsorption and electroactivity (Faradaic current). Surface concentrations and denaturation rates of adsorbed cyt c are dictated by specific manipulation of the individual MPCs composing the outer layer of the film. The use of specially designed, hydrophilic MPCs as a terminal film layer results in near-ideal cyt c voltammetry, attributed to a high degree of molecular level control of the necessary interfacial interactions and flexibility needed to create a uniform and effective binding of protein across large areas of a substrate. The electrochemical properties of cyt c at MPC films, including ET rate constants that are unaffected by the large ET distance introduced by MPC assemblies, are compared to traditional strategies employing self-assembled monolayers to immobilize cyt c. The incorporation of nanoparticles as protein adsorption platforms has implications for biosensor engineering as well as fundamental biological ET studies.     

非水体系中单分子层保护团簇在超微铂电极上的量子化充电

非水体系中单分子层保护团簇在超微铂电极上的量子化充电;单层保护团簇;量子化电容充电     

有序介孔碳载钯的制备、表征及对甲酸的电催化氧化性能

通过浸渍法和硫引入贵金属法分别制备了主要负载在介孔碳主孔道(MPC/Pd-1)和负载在介孔碳孔壁上小介孔中[MPC/(S)Pd-2]的两类负载型钯电催化剂, 用XRD, SEM, TEM和电化学等方法表征了其结构和电催化性能. 循环伏安结果表明, 有序介孔碳载钯催化剂MPC/Pd-1和MPC/(S)Pd-2对甲酸氧化的催化活性分别是商用钯黑催化剂的4.0和2.4倍. MPC/Pd-1中的钯位于介孔碳的主孔道上, 增加了催化剂/电解质/反应物三相界面的面积, 使得其比MPC/(S)Pd-2的催化活性更高.     

甲基苯基碳酸酯标准品的制备及其定量分析

利用甲基苯基碳酸酯(MPC)歧化反应的可逆性及逆反应在热力学上有利进行的特点,提出了以碳酸二甲酯 (DMC)和碳酸二苯酯 (DPC)为原料,在TiO2/SiO2催化下合成DMC与苯酚酯交换反应的中间产物MPC的新方法。反应产物经减压精馏、碱洗、水洗、干燥等精制处理,得到了纯度较高的MPC标准品。采用气相色谱-质谱法对所制备的MPC样品进行定性分析,结果表明其中还含有少量的苯酚和DPC杂质。卡尔·费休水分测定结果表明,MPC样品中的含水量为0.26%(质量分数)。使用常规气相色谱仪,采用OV-101毛细管色谱柱,以苯甲酸乙酯为内标物,对自制的MPC标准品中的微量苯酚和DPC进行定量分析,苯酚和DPC的含量分别为2.04%和1.59%（均为质量分数）。根据杂质分析结果可知自制的MPC标准品的纯度为96.11%。以此作为标准品,解决了对DMC与苯酚酯交换反应的中间产物MPC的准确定量问题。     

The electronic structure of oxo-Mn(salen): single-reference and multireference approaches

Using single- and multireference approaches we have examined many of the low-lying electronic states of oxo-Mn(salen), several of which have not been explored previously. Large complete-active-space self-consistent-field (CASSCF) computations have been performed in pursuit of an accurate ordering for the lowest several electronic states. Basis set and relativistic effects have also been considered. For the geometry considered, our best results indicate the ground spin state to be a closed-shell singlet, followed by a pair of low-lying triplet states, with additional singlet states and the lowest quintet state lying significantly higher in energy. Hartree-Fock and density functional theory (DFT) results are obtained and are compared to the more robust CASSCF results. The Hartree-Fock results are qualitatively incorrect for the relative energies of the states considered. Popular density functionals such as BP86 and B3LYP are superior to Hartree-Fock for this problem, but they give inconsistent answers regarding the ordering of the lowest singlet and triplet states and they greatly underestimate the singlet-quintet gap. We obtained multiple Hartree-Fock and DFT solutions within a given spin multiplicity, and these solutions have been subjected to wave function stability analysis.     

有机锡催化苯氨基甲酸甲酯分解的研究

对几种锡化合物催化苯氨基甲酸甲酯(MPC)热分解制苯基异氰酸酯(PI)反应进行了研究, 发现二丁基氧化锡具有较高的催化活性. 用HPLC-MS确定了分解的未知副产物为二苯基碳化二亚胺(DPCD). 分析认为生成N,N'-二苯基脲(DPU)和DPCD的反应为合成PI的主要竞争反应. 常压下以Bu₂SnO为催化剂时的适宜反应条件为以邻二氯苯(ODCB)为溶剂, 溶剂用量为MPC用量的15倍(质量比), Bu₂SnO用量为MPC用量的0.075 (摩尔比), 反应时间1 h. 此条件下MPC转化率为85.17%, PI收率为67.65%.     

Covalently networked monolayer-protected nanoparticle films

Covalently networked films of nanoparticles can be assembled on various substrates from functionalized monolayer-protected clusters (MPCs) via ester coupling reactions. Exposure of a specifically modified substrate to alternating solutions of 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid exchanged and 11-mercaptoundecanol exchanged MPCs, in the presence of ester coupling reagents, 1,3-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide and 4-(dimethylamino)pyridine, results in the formation of a multilayer film with ester bridges between individual nanoparticles. These films can be grown in a controlled manner to various thicknesses and exhibit certain properties that are consistent with films having other types of interparticle connectivity, including chemical vapor response behavior and quantized double layer charging. Ester coupling of MPCs into assembled films is a straightforward and highly versatile approach that results in robust films that can endure harsher chemical environments than other types of films. The stability of these covalent films is assessed and compared to other more traditional MPC film assemblies.     

Behavior of water molecules near monolayer-protected clusters with different terminal segments of ligand

Molecular dynamics simulations are performed to investigate the behavior of water molecules near gold monolayer protected clusters (MPCs) with two different types of surfactant, HS(CH(2))(5)(OCH(2)CH(2))(2)COOH (type1) and HS(CH(2))(11)COOH (type2). The effects of the different moieties of the two ligands on the local structure of the water molecules are quantified by means of the reduced density profiles of oxygen and hydrogen atoms, and the hydrogen bond statistics. The adsorption characteristics of water molecules are evaluated by means of their residence time near the MPCs. The results show that the hydrophilic oligo (ethylene glycol) segment increases the number of water molecules, which penetrate the protective layer of MPC. As a result, the inter-water hydrogen bond network in the protective layer of type1 MPC is stronger than that in the protective layer of the type2 MPC. It is shown that the presence of interfacial hydrogen bonds increases the adsorption of water molecules near the MPCs and therefore constrains the motion of MPCs. As a result, the residence time of the water molecules adjacent to the type1 MPC is longer than that of the molecules adjacent to the type2 MPC.     

Neural network model predictive control of a styrene polymerization plant: online testing using an electronic worksheet

The batch styrene polymerization process presents transient and nonlinear temperature behavior. In this work, manual control and open loop experiments were carried out in order to build a process knowledge database. Initially, a cascade feedback control loop was implemented by manipulating the thyristor unit of the electrical heater in the thermal fluid tank. Aiming at the MPC development, algebraic equations of a neural network and its adjusted parameters were implemented in an electronic worksheet. Every five seconds, the worksheet was updated with measurements (reactor temperature, thermal fluid temperature and thyristor position) by means of the OLE for the Process Control protocol (OPC). The one-step-ahead temperature prediction was then employed in the objective function of the worksheet solver which used Visual Basic Applications programming. The manipulated variable action was then calculated and sent to the process. A hybrid controller (cascade feedback and MPC) outperformed the pure strategies since the time-integral performance indexes, IAE and ITAE, were reduced by around 22 % and 32 %, respectively. Methodology for the Model Predictive Control presented in this study was considered feasible because the solver of Microsoft Office Excel (2007) is very friendly, easy to understand and ready to implement using VBA.     

Polymers of 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine truly work as cell membrane mimic?

We have prepared several types of polymers derived from 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) to evaluate whether polymers of MPC work as cell membrane mimic or not. We firstly applied capturing test of target proteins of 4-carboxybenzenesulfonamide (Sul) or ibuprofen (Ibu) as a probe. As the results, the rather hydrophilic polymers based on MPC were able to suppress non-specific binding proteins as expected. Additionally, some of the MPC based polymeric surface was able to capture greater amount of carbonic anhydrase II than those of other polymers, when Sul was utilized as probe. In contrary, all the polymers having PC groups and Ibu probe were unable to capture Cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1), its target protein. These results suggested that the position of PC groups realized hydrophilic polymer surface, while MPC based polymer was not able to supply the suitable environment for COX-1 to interact with Ibu.     

Synthesis of graft copolymers having phospholipid polar group by macromonomer method and their properties in water

Water-soluble graft copolymers with phospholipid polar group were synthesized by the macromonomer method and their properties in water were investigated by surface tension and fluorescence spectroscopic measurements. At first, 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) was polymerized in the presence of 3-mercapt propionic acid as a chain transfer agent and carboxyl group-terminated oligo (MPC) was obtained. The oligo (MPC) reacted with glycidyl methacrylate to convert the carboxyl group to a polymerizable methacryloyl group. The MPC macromonomer obtained was copolymerized with hydrophobic n-butyl methacrylate (BMA) and a graft copolymer was obtained. The graft copolymer, poly(MPC-graft-BMA), was water-soluble when the MPC unit mole fraction was above 0.40. The surface tension of the aqueous solution of poly(MPC-graft-BMA) did not depend on the polymer concentration below 0.1 wt %. This tendency was the same as that which appeared in aqueous poly(MPC) solution. The fluorescence intensity of hydrophobic probes observed in an aqueous solution of the poly (MPC-graft-BMA) was also the same level as that observed in the case of poly(MPC). These results clearly indicated that the poly(MPC-graft-BMA) took a domain structure like micelle in water, i.e., the hydrophobic poly(BMA) backbone was in the core part and the hydrophilic poly(MPC) chain formed the shell part of the micelle. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Robust identification of significant interactions between toxicogenomic biomarkers and their regulatory chemical compounds using logistic moving range chart

Identification of significant interactions between genes and chemical compounds/drugs is an important issue in toxicogenomic studies as well as in drug discovery and development. There are some online and offline computational tools for toxicogenomic data analysis to identify the biomarker genes and their regulatory chemical compounds/drugs. However, none of the researchers has considered yet the identification of significant interactions between genes and compounds. Therefore, in this paper, we have discussed two approaches namely moving range chart (MRC) and logistic moving range chart (LMRC) for the identification of significant up-regulatory (UpR) and down-regulatory (DnR) gene-compound interactions as well as toxicogenomic biomarkers and their regulatory chemical compounds/drugs. We have investigated the performance of both MRC and LMRC approaches using simulated datasets. Simulation results show that both approaches perform almost equally in absence of outliers. However, in presence of outliers, the LMRC shows much better performance than the MRC. In case of real life toxicogenomic data analysis, the proposed LMRC approach detected some important down-regulated biomarker genes those were not detected by other approaches. Therefore, in this paper, our proposal is to use LMRC for robust identification of significant interactions between genes and chemical compounds/drugs.