Correlation between crystal texture and microporous structure of carbon adsorbents

A correlation of adsorption and X-ray data for a series of both initial and modified active carbons (AC) was performed. The AC were modified by thermal treatment and progressive activation. A linear correlation between the sizes of crystallites and micropore widths of AC was established. It was shown that the adsorption of water vapor results in an increase in the parameterL _aof crystallites of active carbons.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 11, pp. 2159–2162, November, 1995.The work was financially supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (Project No. 94-03-09550).     

Porous texture of silica aerogels made with ionic liquids as gelation catalysts

The effect of four ionic liquids on the porous texture of silica aerogels synthesized from mixed tetramethoxysilane and methyltrimethoxysilane and dried by the CO₂ supercritical method, was studied. Two of these ionic liquids were composed of BF₄ ⁻ anions while the other two included Cl⁻ anions. The synthesis of gels from ionic liquids did not require another acidic catalyst for silica hydrolysis, nor a basic catalyst for silica condensation. These aerogels were compared with traditional aerogels made according to a double step catalysis, which first involved hydrolysis with HCl followed by condensation with pH 9 Tris HCl buffer. Gel mass analysis and thermogravimetric data showed that, when the initial molar of ionic liquid to Si was 1.58, only ~2% (by mass) of the initial ionic liquids consisting of BF₄ ⁻ anions and ~10% (by mass) of ionic liquids containing Cl⁻ anions, remained in the aerogels after supercritical drying. Moreover, X-ray diffraction confirmed that in ionic liquids based on BF₄ ⁻ anions, evaporation of the volatile components before supercritical CO₂ drying led to the formation of regularly ordered mesopores.     

Rheological characterization, crystallization, and gelation behavior of monoglyceride gels

Saturated monoglycerides can form firm gels in water. These gels are networks of stiff plate-like beta-crystals of monoglycerides (a "cardhouse"), grown from a space-filling lamellar liquid-crystalline phase. The molecular mechanism of crystallization is discussed in the light of network formation. The concentration dependence of gel development of (shear-cooled) monoglyceride gels has been studied by rheology. A gelation mechanism has been proposed, consisting of two steps: (i) After formation of a nucleus, rapid crystallization in a lateral direction occurs (probably within one bilayer) by which the first space-filling network is formed. (ii) This is followed by reinforcement of the network by which stacks of crystalline bilayers are formed. The plate-like crystals are linked in connective domains or junction zones, probably containing all the material (cosurfactants, diglycerides, etc.) that does not fit in the crystalline array. Small deformation rheology shows that above about 2 wt% monoglyceride a percolating network is formed. The large deformation rheology is typical for a particle gel with a relatively small strain at failure (both in shear deformation and compression). The connective domains or junction zones already fail when relatively small deformations are put on the system.     

Hydrophobic, organically-modified silica gels enhance the secondary structure of encapsulated apomyoglobin

Insertion of hydrophobic groups in a silica matrix, by addition of propyl- or trifluoropropyltrimethoxysilane, leads to a surprising increase in the helical content of apomyoglobin following encapsulation by the sol-gel technique.     

Synthesis of silica gels with a controlled porous structure

Silica gels with a developed porous structure were synthesized by a sol-gel method with the use of templates, drying in supercritical CO₂, and spray drying. A correlation between the synthesis conditions and the textural characteristics of the resulting material was established.     

Relation between microstructure and mechanical behavior of concentrated silica gels

We produce concentrated (40 vol%) gels of uniformly sized silica particles by an in situ process, based on the enzyme-catalyzed hydrolysis of urea in the liquid phase of electrostatically stabilized suspensions. Two different methods are used: Either the pH of the suspensions is shifted toward the isoelectric point of the particles (delta pH method), or the ionic strength is continuously increased at constant pH (deltaI method). We compare the two kinds of gels in terms of elastic and yield behavior as well as microstructure by using rheological measurements in oscillation and high-pressure freezing in combination with cryo-SEM, respectively. Results suggest a strong increase of elastic and yield properties in concentrated particle gels with decreasing homogeneity of their microstructures.     

Effect of preparation pH on pore structure of silica gels

Surface characterization of silica gels prepared at different gelation pH from water glass and sulphuric acid were made by argon adsorption at 77 K using continuous volumetric method. While microporous silica gels prepared in the pH range of 1–3 had BET surface areas of 504–571 m² g^–1, total pore volumes of 0.26–0.31 cm³ g^–1 and micropore volumes of 0.16–0.23 cm³ g^–1, mesoporous silica gels prepared in the pH range of 3.36–0.65 had BET surface areas of 374–530 m² g^–1 and pore volumes of 0.61–0.79 cm³ g^–1.     

Casein structure,self-assembly and gelation

The literature on recent studies of casein structure and function is reviewed. Where appropriate, we try to reconcile conflicting views on the issue of secondary structure in these proteins, steering a middle course where possible. A suggestion is put forward that a coarser view, treating the caseins as block copolymers may be sufficient to rationalise much of the behaviour of these proteins in self-association, adsorption and micellar assembly.     

Changes in texture of ultramicroporous Zr/silica gels as a result of hydrothermal treatment

A study has been made of the hydrothermal modification of Zr/silica gels containing up to 4.3% ZrO₂ by weight, with pore sizes smaller than 0.69 nm. It has been established that silica gels become more resistant to hydrothermal treatment as the content of zirconium ions is increased.Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Éksperimental'naya Khimiya, Vol. 31, No. 4, pp. 259–263, July–August, 1995.     

苯基化硅胶的物理结构和表面性质的研究

本文利用苯基三氯硅烷和硅胶表面羟基反应制备了苯基化硅胶。测定了苯基化硅胶的物理结构、水蒸气吸附等温线、润湿热、差热分析(DTA)和红外光谱(IR)。结果表明,所有苯基化硅胶的真密度(dT)、比表面(S)和比孔体积(V)均减少, 而表观密度(dA)增加, 但苯基化对不同硅胶的平均孔半径(r)有不同的影响; 苯基化硅胶对水蒸气吸附, 对水、苯和环己烷的润湿热均显著减少; 苯基化硅胶的热稳定性大于甲基化硅胶, 甲基化硅胶的表面是高度憎水的, 但苯基化硅胶的憎水性则很弱。     

酯化硅胶的物理结构和表面性质的研究

本文利用正庚醇或正辛醇与硅胶表面羟基反应制备了酯化硅胶。测定了酯化硅胶的物理结构、水蒸气吸附等温线、润湿热、差热分析和红外光谱。结果表明: (1)所有酯化硅胶的真密度(dT)、比表面(S)和比孔体积(V)均减少, 而有观密度(dA)增加, 但平均孔半径(r)变化不大; (2)酯化硅胶是憎水的, 其对水蒸气吸附, 以及对水和环己烷的润湿热均显著减少; (3)酯化硅胶的表面酯基在空气中于235-350℃破坏; (4)酯化反应是可逆的, 硅胶表面酯基在水中大约可水解41-47%。     

Relation between time of gelation and concentration of silicic acid,iron and chromium silicates

Summary Gelation of the product obtained in the metathesis of chlorides of iron and chromium with sodium silicate is highly sensitive to p_H changes. The time of set increases with the decreasing amount of geling material and has been found to obey the following equation at the same p_H 1/t=Ae ^BC . The equation is also applicable for the gels of different amount of silica obtained by the interaction of sodium silicate and an acid at the same p_H.

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Zusammenfassung Die Gelatinierung des Reaktionsproduktes von Eisen und Chromchlorid mit Natriumsilikat ist au?erordentlich p_H-empfindlich. Die Erstarrungszeit w?chst mit abnehmenden Betr?gen an gelierendem Material und gehorcht bei gleichem p_H der Gleichung 1/t= A· exp (BC). Die Gleichung ist auch für Gele von verschiedenem Silikatgehalt anwendbar, die bei Wechselwirkung von Natriumsilikat und einer S?ure vom gleichen p_H entstehen.

     

Rheology and sensory texture of biopolymer gels

Sensory texture perception is based on food structure and the mastication process. Real-time observations of crack growth and rheological measurements have shown different patterns of microstructural fracture. This has allowed for a reductive approach in consolidating a range of gels into characteristic microstructures and fracture patterns that can be linked to sensory texture.     

Encapsulation of bacteria in silica gels

Escherichia coli cells have been encapsulated within sol-gel silica matrices. The cellular organization of these bacteria appears to be well preserved. Their β-galactosidase activity was measured via the hydrolysis of p-NPG. The formation of p-nitrophenol was followed by optical absorption. These experiments show that the enzymatic activity of entrapped cells still exhibit a Michaelis behaviour. Their affinity toward the p-NPG substrate seems even better when the cells are trapped. They can be kept for days in wet gels but their activity decreases drastically upon drying.     

Electrochromatography in packed tubes using 1.5 to 50 μm silica gels and ODS bonded silica gels

Summary Electrochromatography (that is HPLC where the eluent is driven along the column by electro-osmosis using fields of up to 100 kV m⁻¹) promises plate efficiencies for HPLC which are comparable to those attained in capillary gas chromatography, but this requires that narrow-bore columns can be successfully packed with submicron particles. This paper demonstrates that we have now moved a considerable distance towards this goal. We show (1) that, following theory, there is no evidence of any reduction in electroosmotic velocity in columns packed with particles down to 1.5 μm diameter, (2) that reduced plate heights as low as unity are attainable for unretained solutes using both slurrypacked and drawn-packed columns 30 to 200 μm bore and up to 1 m long when packed with conventional 3 and 5 μm silica gels or with 1.5 μm impermeable silica spheres, (3) that columns driven electrically show higher plate efficiencies than identical columns driven by pressure, and (4) that 100,000 plate HPLC separations can be achieved in relatively short times of 30 minutes using in situ derivatised drawn packed capillaries containing 3 and 5 μm ODS-silica gels.     

Effects of phenolic compounds on gelation behavior of gelatin gels

The effects of phenolic additives on the gelation behavior of gelatin gels were investigated using thermomechanical analysis (TMA) for study of gel‐melting temperature, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) for study of gel‐storage modulus and gel‐aging stability, viscometry for study of gelation time, and texture analyzer for study of gel strength and gel melting. Thermodynamically, the addition of 1,3‐benzenediol, 1,4‐benzenediol or 1,3,5‐benzenetriol favored the gelation process of gelatin solutions (increases in T_m and aging stability) due to the introduction of extra physical crosslinks among gelatin chains through hydrogen bonding, while the addition of 1,2‐benzenediol had a negative effect (decreases in T_m and aging stability) possibly due to intra‐hydrogen bonding of the additive molecule itself. All the phenolic compounds had little effect on gel moduli. Kinetically, the introduction of 1,2‐benzenediol or 1,4‐benzenediol slowed the gelation process, while introduction of catechin, a polyphenol, accelerated the first stage of the gelation process. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 224–231, 2001     

Growth and aging phenomena in silica gels

Growth and aging of silica aggregates are influenced both by temperature and by catalyzing fluorine ions as shown by SAXS and BET. It was found that both fluorine and increased temperature slightly increased the fractal dimension Df during aging, but the fluorine catalyzed system showed a lower BET surface area.To understand the effect of fluorine and increased temperature on the aggregates, 2D aggregations and SAXS simulations were carried out using two new programs GRASP and DALAI. In agreement with experiments it was found that binary RLCCA aggregates have a slightly higher Df value compared to DLCCA aggregates and that branch-flexibility during aging increases Df even further.     

Catalytic and spectroscopic properties of cytochrome-c, horseradish peroxidase, and ascorbate oxidase embedded in a sol-gel silica matrix as a function of gelation time

In this study, we investigated the optical features of the redox metal-dependent proteins cytochrome-c, horseradish peroxidase (HRP), and ascorbate oxidase embedded in a sol-gel-processed silica matrix as a function of gelation time. Circular dichroism, absorbance, and fluorescence spectroscopies revealed that the sol-gel process affects the complex structure of the dimeric ascorbate oxidase (although the prosthetic coppers still remain bound to the enzyme) but not that of monomeric cytochrome-c and HRP. Any modifications in ascorbate oxidase occurred in the initial gelation phase; the drying process induced no further alterations and the enzyme remained stable for months. Unfolding-refolding experiments on cytochrome-c revealed severely restricted motility in the protein moiety in the xerogel, the concentrated matrix that forms after drying. The diffusion time of the solvent within the matrix, which regulated the enzyme-substrate reaction rate, depended on the thickness of the monolith, not on the dryness of the specimen.     

Synthesis and some properties of titanium-containing silica gels

Microporous silica gels containing small amounts of titanium ions have been synthesized. Porous structure and surface active sites of silica gels have been studied. It has been found that the titanium ions are distributed uniformly in silica gel matrix, substituting silicon ions isomorphically.