Polypeptide-templated synthesis of hexagonal silica platelets

Several studies have demonstrated the use of biomimetic approaches in the synthesis of a variety of inorganic materials. Poly-L-lysine (PLL) promotes the precipitation of silica from a silicic acid solution within minutes. The molecular weight of PLL was found to affect the morphology of the resulting silica precipitate. Larger-molecular weight PLL produced hexagonal silica platelets, whereas spherical silica particles were obtained using low-molecular weight PLL. Here we report on the polypeptide secondary-structure transition that occurs during the silicification reaction. The formation of the hexagonal silica platelets is attributed to the PLL helical chains that are formed in the presence of monosilicic acid and phosphate ions. Hexagonal PLL crystals can also serve as templates in directing the growth of the silica in a manner that generates a largely mesoporous silica phase that is oriented with respect to the protein crystal template.     

Synthesis of surfactant-templated silica films with orthogonally aligned hexagonal mesophase

Thin silica films with orthogonally aligned hexagonal close-packed cylindrical structure are synthesized by dip coating silica precursors and poly(ethylene oxide)-polyproplyene oxide (PEO-PPO) triblock surfactants (P123) onto modified glass slides. All films cast from this sol display 2D hexagonal pore structures (a approximately 6.2 nm) under transmission electron microscopy (TEM). However, X-ray diffraction (XRD) shows that confining freshly deposited films between two chemically neutral modified slides completely aligns the pores toward the direction orthogonal to the substrate. Equally effective alignment is obtained by using slides modified with either a random PEO-PPO copolymer or P123 itself. The channels in films cast onto unmodified slides, onto modified slides which are exposed to air, or onto modified slides which are exposed to unmodified glass slides align at least partially parallel to the substrate. Parallel mesophase alignment is also observed in a control experiment with a sol containing the nonionic surfactant template decaethelyne glycol hexadecyl ether (Brij-56) sandwiched between copolymer-modified slides because the surfaces are not chemically neutral toward Brij-56. This study confirms that it is possible to use substrate surface chemistry to control the orientation of mesophases in mixtures of reactive silicates and low molecular weight nonionic surfactant templates.     

Synthesis and characterization of large surface hexagonal polyoxometalate platelets

The polyoxometalates, or POMs (clusters comprising at least two metal and many oxygen atoms), have recently gained significant interest, owing to their versatile architecture and especially catalytic activities. Due to their high catalytic activity but low surface area, there is always a demand for making high-surface-area POMs, particularly high-surface-area Keggins. Our present work demonstrates the 'gluing' of the anionic phosphomolybdate Keggin on gibbsite nanoplatelets with a residual positive charge to form large-surface-area composites. The resulting composite reported here has been characterized using TEM imaging, EDX/TEM (elemental) analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, potentiometric titrations, electrophoretic mobility determination, and XRD. The composite reported here could be useful in catalysis.     

Synthesis and photocatalytic properties of vertically aligned Bi2S3 platelets

Vertically aligned Bi₂S₃ platelets have been synthesized on FTO substrate via a simple hydrothermal process. X-ray diffraction analysis confirms the orthorhombic structure of the platelets. The results of scanning electron microscopy show that the Bi₂S₃ platelets interconnect with each other. The length of platelets is about 5 μm and the thickness ranges from 50 to 150 nm. The photocatalytic activity studies reveal that the synthesized Bi₂S₃ platelets exhibit excellent photocatalytic performance in rapidly degrading aqueous methylene blue dye solution under UV irradiation. A degradation ratio of 56% was obtained for the Bi₂S₃ platelets at 120 min and about 99% at 240 min. These results suggest that Bi₂S₃ platelets will be an interesting candidate for photocatalytic detoxification under UV light.     

Growth mechanism and optical properties of aligned hexagonal ZnO nanoprisms synthesized by noncatalytic thermal evaporation

Vertically aligned perfectly hexagonal-shaped ZnO nanoprisms have been grown on a Si(100) substrate via a noncatalytic thermal evaporation process by using metallic zinc powder in the presence of oxygen gas. The as-grown nanoprisms consist of ultra smooth Zn-terminated (0001) facets bounded with the {0110} surfaces. The as-synthesized products are single-crystalline with the wurtzite hexagonal phase and grown along the [0001] direction, as confirmed from the detailed structural investigations. The presence of a sharp and strong nonpolar optical phonon high-E2 mode at 437 cm(-1) in the Raman scattering spectrum further confirms good crystallinity and wurtzite hexagonal phase for the as-grown products. The as-grown nanoprisms exhibit a strong near-band-edge emission with a very weak deep-level emission in the room-temperature and low-temperature photoluminescence measurements, confirming good optical properties for the deposited products. Moreover, systematic time-dependent experiments were also performed to determine the growth process of the grown vertically aligned nanoprisms.     

Selective and controlled synthesis of alpha- and beta-cobalt hydroxides in highly developed hexagonal platelets

We report on the controlled synthesis of single-crystal platelets of alpha- and beta-Co(OH)2 via homogeneous precipitation using hexamethylenetetramine as a hydrolysis agent. The alpha- and beta-Co(OH)2 hexagonal platelets of several micrometers in width and about 15 nm in thickness were reproducibly yielded in rather dilute CoCl2 solutions in the presence and absence of NaCl at 90 degrees C, respectively. The phase and size control of the products were achieved by varying both CoCl2 and NaCl concentrations. Polarized optical microscope observations revealed clear liquid crystallinity of colloidal suspensions of these high aspect-ratio platelets. The as-prepared alpha-Co(OH)2 containing interlayer chloride ions was intercalated with various inorganic or organic anions, keeping its high crystallinity and hexagonal platelike morphology.     

Slow-Release RGD-Peptide Hydrogel Monoliths

We report on the formation of hydrogel monoliths formed by functionalized peptide Fmoc-RGD (Fmoc: fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl) containing the RGD cell adhesion tripeptide motif. The monolith is stable in water for nearly 40 days. The gel monoliths present a rigid porous structure consisting of a network of peptide fibers. The RGD-decorated peptide fibers have a β-sheet secondary structure. We prove that Fmoc-RGD monoliths can be used to release and encapsulate material, including model hydrophilic dyes and drug compounds. We provide the first insight into the correlation between the absorption and release kinetics of this new material and show that both processes take place over similar time scales.     

整体柱在样品预处理中的应用

综述了近年来整体柱在样品预处理领域中的应用,包括整体柱样品预富集同高效液相色谱、毛细管电泳和电色谱的联用,微流控芯片中的整体柱萃取以及近年来整体柱萃取模式的改进等。引用文献65篇。     

Hierarchical Porous Polystyrene Monoliths from PolyHIPE

Hierarchical porous polystyrene monoliths (HCP‐PolyHIPE) are obtained by hypercrosslinking poly(styrene‐divinylbenzene) monoliths prepared by polymerization of high internal phase emulsions (PolyHIPEs). The hypercrosslinking is achieved using an approach known as knitting which employs formaldehyde dimethyl acetal (FDA) as an external crosslinker. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirms that the macroporous structure in the original monolith is retained during the knitting process. By increasing the amount of divinylbenzene (DVB) in PolyHIPE, the BET surface area and pore volume of the HCP‐PolyHIPE decrease, while the micropore size increases. BET surface areas of 196–595 m² g⁻¹ are obtained. The presence of micropores, mesopores, and macropores is confirmed from the pore size distribution. With a hierarchical porous structure, the monoliths reveal comparable gas sorption properties and potential applications in oil spill clean‐up.

     

Preparation and Characterization of Temperature-responsive Porous Monoliths

A new temperature‐responsive porous monolith has been prepared by surface‐initiated activators generated by electron transfer atom transfer radical polymerization (AGET ATRP) grafting poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) within the pores of the porous polymer monolith. The grafting copolymerization was carried out by a method based on a continuous flow‐through technique without special deoxygenation procedure needed in the general ATRP. The addition of ascorbic acid could counteract the oxidation effect of oxygen diffusing into the reaction system. The resulting grafted monolith was characterized by a mercury intrusion method and the size of macropore was 3.65 µm, which was suitable for flow through the monolith for HPLC. The thermally responsive property of the grafted monolith was evaluated by HPLC using steroids with various hydrophobicities as probes. Through determination of retention factor of each steroid on the grafted monolith at different temperatures using water as mobile phase, it was found that the slope of the plot of retention factor of each steroid versus the temperature changed around the low critical solution temperature (LCST, 32°C) of PNIPAAm in water. It was relative to the grafted PNIPAAm temperature sensitivity that a hydrophobic and hydrophilic alternation would take place around its LCST. Based on this thermally responsive property, the grafted monolith was used as stationary phase for HPLC and to separate the steroids using water as mobile phase by changing the column temperature. As a mobile phase, water is much better than organic solvents concerning the environment.     

Monoliths for the purification of whey protein-dextran conjugates

Proteins conjugated to neutral biopolymers are of keen interest to the food and pharmaceutical industries. Conjugated proteins are larger and more charge shielded than un-reacted proteins, making purification difficult using conventional beaded chromatographic supports because of slow mass transfer rates, weak binding, and viscous solutions. Past methods developed for pharmaceuticals are unsuitable for foods. In this work, a food-grade whey protein-dextran conjugate was purified from a feed solution also containing un-reacted protein and dextran using either a column packed with 800 mL of a beaded support that was specifically designed for purification of conjugated proteins or an 8 mL tube monolith. The monolith gave a similar dynamic binding capacity as the beaded support (4-6 g/L), at a 42-fold greater mass productivity, and 48-fold higher flow rate, albeit at somewhat lower conjugate purity. Performance of the monolith did not depend on flow rate. In conclusion, monoliths were found to be well suited for the purification of whey protein-dextran conjugates.     

阶层多孔二氧化硅块体材料的制备与表征

以正硅酸甲酯(TMOS)为前驱体、0.01 mol·L^-1盐酸为催化剂、聚环氧乙烷(PEO, 分子量为10 000)为相分离剂、环氧丙烷(PO)为凝胶促进剂、十二烷基硫酸钠(SDS)为造孔剂, 采用溶胶-凝胶伴随相分离制备阶层多孔二氧化硅块体材料, 利用差热分析(DTA)、热重分析(TG)、傅里叶变换红外(FT-IR)光谱、扫描电镜(SEM)、X射线衍射(XRD)、N2吸附/脱附装置等测试技术对所制得的阶层多孔块体进行了表征, 探究造孔剂SDS对大孔和介孔结构的影响机理。研究表明:SDS在凝胶过程中以胶束的形式进入到骨架中形成介孔孔道;当SDS为0.21 g时, 块体材料的阶层多孔结构最优, 大孔孔径为1~3 μm, 介孔孔径为4~5 nm, 比表面积为650 m²·g^-1;800 ℃热处理后, 大孔结构和骨架上的介孔基本保持, 比表面积仍能达到421 m²·g^-1, 体现出良好的热稳定性。     

Amine Functionalisations of Glycidyl methacrylate Based PolyHIPE Monoliths

High internal phase emulsions were employed to prepare highly porous (up to 80% pore volume) monoliths of poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-ethylenegycol dimethacrylate) by free radical polymerisations of continuous phases of emulsions. Monoliths with cavities approximately 4 µm in diameter and with interconnecting pores approximately 0.7 µm in diameter were obtained. In order to obtain monoliths with ion exchange groups on the surface of pores for chromatography applications, functionalisations with different amines were performed and various reaction conditions tested. FTIR spectroscopy and nitrogen content analysis were used to monitor the functionalisation processes. Monoliths were succesfully functionalised with 1,2-diaminoethane, 1,4-diaminobuthane, 1,8-diaminooctane and tris(diethylamino)amine.     

合成条件对硅胶整体柱中孔结构的影响

硅胶整体柱是目前备受关注的液相色谱固定相。本文考察了合成条件对硅胶整体柱中孔结构的影响,包括反应体系的pH值、聚乙二醇(PEG)含量及分子量。实验表明,反应体系的pH值能有效地调控硅胶整体柱的中孔孔径及孔结构,当pH值为2或5时,整体柱中孔孔径较小;而当pH值为3或9时,孔径较大,孔结构趋于圆筒状。整体柱的中孔平均孔径随着PEG含量和分子量的增加而增加,其孔径分布也逐渐变宽。     

阶层多孔二氧化硅块体材料的制备与表征

以正硅酸甲酯(TMOS)为前驱体、0.01 mol·L-1盐酸为催化剂、聚环氧乙烷(PEO,分子量为10 000)为相分离剂、环氧丙烷(PO)为凝胶促进剂、十二烷基硫酸钠(SDS)为造孔剂,采用溶胶-凝胶伴随相分离制备阶层多孔二氧化硅块体材料,利用差热分析(DTA)、热重分析(TG)、傅里叶变换红外(FT-IR)光谱、扫描电镜(SEM)、X射线衍射(XRD)、N2吸附/脱附装置等测试技术对所制得的阶层多孔块体进行了表征,探究造孔剂SDS对大孔和介孔结构的影响机理。研究表明:SDS在凝胶过程中以胶束的形式进入到骨架中形成介孔孔道;当SDS为0.21 g时,块体材料的阶层多孔结构最优,大孔孔径为1~3μm,介孔孔径为4~5 nm,比表面积为650 m2·g-1;800℃热处理后,大孔结构和骨架上的介孔基本保持,比表面积仍能达到421 m2·g-1,体现出良好的热稳定性。     

Synthesis and characterization of (Mo72Fe30)-coated large hexagonal gibbsite gamma-Al(OH)3 platelets

The polyoxometalates or POMs (clusters comprising at least two metal and many oxygen atoms) have recently gained significant interest owing to their versatile architecture and especially their catalytic activities. Due to their high catalytic activity but low surface area, there is always a demand for making high surface area POMs. This work demonstrates the attachment of the anionic (Mo72Fe30) POMs to gibbsite nanoplatelets with a residual positive charge to form large surface area composites. The resulting composite reported here has been characterized using cryo-TEM imaging, EDX/STEM (elemental) analysis, ATR-IR spectroscopy, SAXS, electrophoretic mobility determination and XRD. The composite reported here could find application in catalysis.     

Proteins Entrapped in Silica Monoliths Prepared from Glyceroxysilanes

The preparation of discrete polyol based silane precursors derived from glycerol by a simple one-pot process is described. These polyol-based silanes could be hydrolyzed under mild pH conditions and upon gelation resulted in the formation of optically clear, monolithic, mesoporous silica. The hydrolysis and condensation reactions lead to cure rates that are very sensitive to ionic strength, but are almost unaffected by pH in contrast to those of alkoxysilanes derived from primary alcohols such as Si(OEt)₄. Residual glycerol in the silica monolith could be removed by washing, or could be left in the silica to reduce the magnitude of shrinkage during long term storage. The biocompatible glyceroxysilane precursors lead to materials that were able to retain the activity of entrapped enzymes over repeated cycles of use for periods of up to several months.     

Surface aligned reaction

This paper reflects on three decades during which the study of surface aligned reaction (SAR) has advanced. The objective in SAR, which in considerable part still lies ahead, is the simultaneous control of atomic and molecular "collision energies, collision angles, and impact parameter." Following a discussion of the benefits of such an approach we review the progress made, and, as a stimulus to experiment, present new calculations of SAR dynamics for bimolecular reaction at a metal surface. It seems reasonable to suppose that we are now entering a decade in which a combination of scanning tunneling microscopy and femtosecond laser spectroscopy will bring the full realisation of SAR.     

Extremal hexagonal chains

Some extremal properties of the linear chainL _h ofh hexagons are pointed out. In the class of all hexagonal chains withh hexagons,L _h has minimumK,Z andx ₁ values, as well as maximum W and values;K = number of perfect matchings,Z = number of independent edge sets (Hosoya index),x ₁ = largest graph eigenvalue,W = Wiener index, = number of independent vertex sets (Merrifield-Simmons index). The extremality ofL _h with respect toZ, andx ₁ is demonstrated here for the first time.Dedicated to Frank Harary, teacher, inspirer and friend, pioneer, champion and proprietor of graph theory, on the occasion of his 70th birthday.