Relating foam lamella stability and surface dilational rheology

The surface dilational elasticity module E of a soluble cationic surfactant at the air-water interface is measured in a frequency range of 1-500 Hz. The data are then correlated with the lifetime of a foam lamella formed with the same surfactant solution. The surface rheological measurement have been performed with an improved design of the oscillating bubble technique that measures precisely the real and imaginary part of the complex dilational module E. The imaginary part captures a dissipative process which is interpreted as an intrinsic surface dilational viscosity kappa. The cationic surfactant 1-dodecyl-4-dimethylaminopyridinium bromide shows a transition between a surface elastic to a viscoelastic behavior with an increase of the bulk concentration. The transition corresponds to a striking increase in the lifetime of the foam lamella. The lamella lifetime of the viscoelastic system exceeds the one of an elastic system by 2 orders of magnitude while the absolute value of the E module remains comparable. The results suggest that surface dilational viscosity kappa is crucial for the ability of a surfactant system to form a stable foam. A simple picture that explains this observation is discussed.     

Application of the FCP-activation procedure to the synthesis of a biospecific adsorbent for trypsin

The synthesis of a biospecific adsorbent for trypsin was chosen as a model to investigate the applicability of FCP activation in affinity chromatography.p-Aminobenzamidine was chosen as a ligand, directly suitable for immobilization. The nonspecific binding properties of the first series of synthesized agarose derivatives were obviated either by FCP activation of the ligand instead of the matrix, or by modifying the initial FCP-activation procedure. The adsorbents prepared in this way, however, demonstrated no selectivity between trypsin and chymotrypsin. The introduction ofe-aminocaproic acid as a spacer was ineffectual. These problems were solved by the application of glycylglycine as a spacer. The final affinity matrices had a degree of substitution of approximately 4 μ.mol of ligand per gram gel (100 μmol ligand per gram dry adsorbent). The specific activity of a current trypsin preparation was increased by 58% in a single cycle. The biospecificity of these adsorbents was demonstrated.     

Development of high-temperature pulsed slit nozzle and its application to supersonic jet absorption spectrometry

A high-temperature pulsed slit nozzle, consisting of a circular pulsed nozzle and an interface to convert a circular flow into a slit flow has been constructed. The absorption spectrum is measured by scanning the wavelength of the monochromator equipped with a xenon arc lamp and by detecting the transmitted light through a jet with a photomultiplier. A rotationally cooled spectrum is clearly observed for aniline only when a long slit nozzle is employed. The absorptivity increases proportionally to the slit length at least up to 6 cm. The time for recording a spectrum is 3.5 min, which is reduced to several seconds by transmitting a white light through a jet and by measuring the spectrum with an optical multichannel analyzer. The detection limit is estimated to a partial vapor pressure of 0.4 torr for aniline. The present system can be conveniently used in routine analysis, because of a wide spectral coverage of the lamp source.     

Mechanism of the transition between lamellar and gyroid phases formed by a diblock copolymer in aqueous solution

The mechanism of the transition from a lamellar phase to a gyroid phase in an aqueous solution of a diblock copolymer has been studied by time-resolved synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering. The transition occurs via a metastable perforated lamellar structure. The perforations initially have liquidlike ordering before developing hexagonal packing. The transient phase of irregularly perforated layers is revealed by the development of diffuse scattering peaks, just below the Bragg peaks of the lamellar structure. The diffuse scattering is modeled by Monte Carlo simulations of perforated layers. Following the formation of perforations, Bragg peaks characteristic of a hexagonal structure signal an ordering into a hexagonal lattice (with the concomitant loss of diffuse scattering). Computer simulations based on a dynamic density functional model reproduce these features. The hexagonal perforated lamellar phase is rapidly replaced by the gyroid phase. The domain spacing of the gyroid phase is larger than that of the perforated lamellar structure. The perforated lamellar and gyroid phases coexist for a defined period. The reverse transition from gyroid to lamellae occurs directly, with no transient or metastable intermediates.     

Oriented Nickel Nanonetworks and Their Submicron Fibres as a Basis for a Transparent Electrically Conductive Coating

The paper demonstrates a technique for applying an oriented nickel network to a glass surface. The method is based on the chemical reduction of nickel salt. The shaping and orientation of the resulting system are carried out using a micellar template of a surfactant and a magnetic field. Submicron nickel fibres are used to impart unity to the plurality of individual-oriented nickel nanonetworks. The result is a single conductive coating on the surface of the glass, which has a transparency in the optical range. Investigations of the structure, chemical composition, morphology and electrical conductivity of the coating were performed.     

Measuring the electrophoretic mobility of concentrated suspensions in nonaqueous media

We present a new method of measuring the electrophoretic mobility of a particle in a concentrated suspension. The method is used to measure the electrophoretic mobility of PMMA particles (diameter 10 microm) suspended in a mixture of liquid hydrocarbons. The particle volume fraction of the suspension is varied from 0 up to 0.30 and the resulting variation of the electrophoretic mobility is discussed. The suspending liquid is such that its refractive index is very close to that of the particles. Thus the suspension is almost transparent and it is possible to follow through a microscope the motion of one particle. The suspension is subjected to a low-frequency electric field (0.5 Hz). The cell containing the suspension is mounted on a piezoelectric crystal. The displacement that compensates for the particle motion (when the particle image is steady) is determined.     

Electrorotation of dumb-bell shaped particles: Theory and experiment

The electrorotation of symmetrical doublets was calculated in the dipole approximation as a function of the polarizability of the single spherical constituents and as a function of their distance. The result was that a doublet in parallel orientation to the electric field plane undergoes a shift of the first characteristic frequency towards higher frequencies. The second characteristic was shifted towards lower frequencies. The opposite is true for a perpendicular orientation. The theoretical predictions were confirmed with red cells and pollen. The electrical interaction was larger than theoretically possible in the dipole approximation.     

离子印迹传感器选择性检测甲基汞离子

以甲基汞离子为模板,8-巯基喹啉为荧光单体,4-乙烯基吡啶为功能单体,乙二醇二甲基丙烯酸酯为交联剂,偶氮二异丁腈为引发剂,在二甲基亚砜溶剂中,以聚偏氟乙烯(PVDF)膜为支撑介质,65℃热引发聚合得到甲基汞离子荧光印迹膜。该荧光印迹膜对甲基汞离子表现出良好的选择性,最佳吸附pH值为7.0,检出限为3.5×10-7mol/L。将其作为吸附材料,应用于河水中甲基汞离子的分离和富集,结果表明,该传感器对甲基汞离子具有良好的选择性和特异性吸附,回收率达93%～104%。     

Catalyzed Diels-Alder reaction of alkylidene- or arylideneacetoacetates and Danishefsky's dienes with lanthanide salts aimed at selective synthesis of cis-4,5-dimethyl-2-cyclohexenone derivatives.

The first successful example of the catalyzed Diels-Alder reaction of 1-methoxy-3-trimethylsiloxy-1,3-diene (Danishefsky's diene, 2a), giving the corresponding carbocyclic adducts, is described. The reaction of (Z)-ethylideneacetoacetate 1a with 2a is catalyzed with lanthanide salts such as Yb(OTf)(3) at 0 degrees C, affording the corresponding 2-cyclohexenone 3a in good yield with complete integrity of the starting geometry of 1a. The thermal version of the same cycloaddition results in a decrease in the cis arrangement of the 5-methyl and the 4-alkoxycarbonyl groups on 2-cyclohexenone. The catalyzed reaction of (E)-1a unexpectedly affords the cis-arranged 3a. The reaction path for the catalyzed Diels-Alder reaction is postulated on the basis of these results.     

Chemical modification of the surface of a sulfonated membrane by formation of a sulfonamide bond

This paper describes a novel approach for the surface modification of a cation-exchange membrane, bearing sulfonate groups, by a cationic layer. The modification procedure involved the chlorosulfonation of the sulfonate groups of the base membrane with thionyl chloride, followed by a reaction with a diamine to yield a sulfonamide bond and a terminal amine. The latter could be quaternized by reaction with methyl iodide or protonated by soaking in acidic media. The membranes were characterized in detail by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies as well as elemental analysis to confirm that the above reactions occurred. The selectivity of these membranes toward the electrochemically assisted transport of protons versus Zn2+ metallic cations was determined during an electrodialysis in a two-compartment electrochemical cell. The data indicate a significant decrease of the transport of the metallic cations following modification of the membrane with the cationic layer. The later allows for the transport of protons from the catholyte to the anolyte compartment with much improved selectivity since the divalent cations are excluded from the membrane due to the electrostatic barrier of the cationic layer.     

A DFT study on the formation of a phosphohistidine intermediate in prostatic acid phosphatase

Histidine phosphatases are a class of enzymes that are characterized by the presence of a conserved RHGXRXP motif. This motif contains a catalytic histidine that is being phosphorylated in the course of a dephosphorylation reaction catalyzed by these enzymes. Prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) is one such enzyme. The dephosphorylation of phosphotyrosine by PAP is a two-step process. The first step involves the transfer of a phosphate group from the substrate to the histidine (His12). The present study reports on the details of the first step of this reaction, which was investigated using a series of quantum chemistry calculations. A number of quantum models were constructed containing various residues that were thought to play a role in the mechanism. In all these models, the transition state displayed an associative character. The transition state is stabilized by three active site arginines (Arg11, Arg15, and Arg79), two of which belong to the aforementioned conserved motif. The work also demonstrated that His12 could act as a nucleophile. The enzyme is further characterized by a His257-Asp258 motif. The role of Asp258 has been elusive. In this work, we propose that Asp258 acts as a proton donor which becomes protonated when the substrate enters the binding pocket. Evidence is also obtained that the transfer of a proton from Asp258 to the leaving group is possibly mediated by a water molecule in the active site. The work also underlines the importance of His257 in lowering the energy barrier for the nucleophilic attack.     

An electronic spectroscope for classroom displays of visible spectra

This article is an electronic publication in Spectrochimica Acta Electronica (SAE), a section of Spectrochimica Acta Part B (SAB). The hardcopy text is accompanied by an electronic archive, stored on the SAE homepage at http://www.elsevier.nl/locate/sabe. The archive contains program, data and text files. The hardcopy text describes a program that has been developed to accept data from a compact electronic spectrograph and translate the data into a display on a computer screen. The computer display mimics the view seen through a direct vision spectroscope. Atomic spectra appear as vertical lines of the appropriate color dispersed on a black field. A conventional plot of intensity versus wavelength is simultaneously displayed. The update of the display is sufficiently rapid that the image on the screen is essentially a real-time representation of the light entering the spectrograph. The system was designed for use in conjunction with video projection equipment in demonstrations to large groups of students.     

Optimal non-linear dimension reduction scheme for classical molecular dynamics

The optimal creation of a reduced space that effectively captures the long timescale dynamics of a non-linear molecular system over a range of frequencies is described. The technique builds on a previously developed subspace method based on linear constant projective transformation of the original full space. The present work attempts to propose transformation that are spatially dependent thereby leading to an effective subspace for better representing the dynamics of interests. The algorithm seeks out an optimal transformation consistent with desired low frequency motion in a rather general way. The method is demonstrated for a six-dimensional nonlinear system reduced to two-dimensions. Superior performance is found in evaluating ensemble-averaged classical dynamical properties.     

Mapping the sites for selective oxidation of guanines in DNA

The effective energy of a positive charge when it is localized at a specific guanine nucleobase in DNA was calculated using density functional theory. The results demonstrate that the efficiency of a guanine to act as a hole-trap in DNA strongly depends on the nature of the flanking nucleobases. The presence of a pyrimidine base at the 3' position adjacent to a guanine significantly increases the localization energy of the positive charge. The calculated distributions of a positive charge in sequences of two or three adjacent guanines, flanked by other nucleobases, provide an explanation for experimental literature data on the site-selective oxidation of DNA.     

Development of an integrated optic oxygen sensor using a novel, generic platform

This paper describes the development of a generic platform for enhanced, integrated optic sensors based on fluorescence detection. The platform employs a novel optical configuration in order to achieve enhanced performance and has inherent multianalyte detection capability. The sensor element comprises a multimode ridge waveguide that has been patterned with an analyte-sensitive fluorescent spot, which is excited directly using a LED. The platform was applied to the detection of gaseous oxygen as a proof of principle. The sol-gel-derived sensor spots were doped with an oxygen-sensitive fluorescent dichlororuthenium dye complex and intensity-based calibration data were generated from the oxygen-dependent waveguide output. The sensor achieved a LOD of 0.62% and a resolution of less than 0.96% gaseous oxygen, which compares favourably with a similar, recently reported system. This device highlights the combination of inexpensive rapid prototyping techniques and a dedicated sensor enhancement strategy that together facilitate the production of an effective prototype sensor platform.     

A study of the long-term strength of repair bandages made of composite rings of unidirectional structure

The interference stress relaxation in a composite repair bandage formed on a cylindrical metal surface was studied. The creep of a repair ring bandage under the action of interference stresses was evaluated. The results of the calculation of the creep and the interference stress relaxation of a composite ring on a sample made of a segment of a metal pipe in time are presented.     

Birefringence of native cellulosic fibers. I. Untreated cotton and ramie

The Rayleigh-Gans theory of light scattering by a homogeneous cylinder has been applied to the case of scattering by a pad of fibers immersed in a liquid. The theory enables one to locate precisely the matching wavelength at which the mean refractive index of a sample of optically heterogeneous fibers coincides with that of an immersion medium. Thereby it offers a method of determining the mean refractive index. Besides, it facilitates a quantitative estimation of the variability of refractive index. The new technique has been used to study the birefringence of untreated cotton and ramie. The results are presented and discussed.     

Force-induced de-adhesion of specifically bound vesicles: strong adhesion in competition with tether extraction

A theoretical study of the thermodynamic equilibrium between force-induced tether formation and the adhesion of vesicles mediated by specific ligand-receptor interactions has been performed. The formation of bonds between mobile ligands in the vesicle and immobile receptors on the substrate is examined within a thermodynamic approximation. The shape of a vesicle pulled with a point force is calculated within a continuous approach. The two approaches are merged self-consistently by the use of the effective adhesion potential produced by the collective action of the bonds. As a result, the shapes of the vesicle and the tether, as well as the number of formed bonds in the contact zone, are determined as a function of the force, and approximate analytic expressions for them are provided. The de-adhesion process is characterized by the construction of a phase diagram that is a function of the density of the ligands in the vesicle, the surface coverage by receptors, the ligand-receptor binding affinity, and the reduced volume of the vesicle. In all cases, the phase diagram contains three regions separated by two nonintersecting lines of critical forces. The first is the line of onset forces associated with a second-order shape transition from a spherical cap to a tethered vesicle. The second line is attributed to the detachment forces at which a first-order unbinding transition from a tethered shape to a free vesicle occurs.     

Titanium Anodes with Active Coatings Based on Iridium Oxides: A Sublayer between the Active Coating and Titanium

An optimum composition and a technique for applying a protecting sublayer on titanium are substantiated experimentally. The sublayer prevents the oxidation of titanium during the production and application of highly porous metal oxide anodes. The formation of such a sublayer involves several stages: (a) coating chemically polished and etched in 5-% hydrofluoric acid titanium with hexachloroiridic acid, (b) drying hexachloroiridic acid, (c) a two-step treatment of anodes in argon with a low concentration of oxygen at 350°C, and (d) a brief annealing of the anodes in air at 400°C. The application of such a sublayer makes sense especially in the case of an anode with a thin highly porous active coating. The remarkable protecting properties of the sublayer are due to the formation of a dense coating on titanium. The coating consists of metallic iridium, titanium, and an amount of oxides of these metals. The titanium substrate itself undergoes minimum oxidation.