Phase behavior of the lecithin/water/isooctane and lecithin/water/decane systems

The isothermal pseudo-ternary-phase diagram was determined at 25 degrees C for systems composed oflecithin, water, and, as oil, either isooctane or decane. This was accomplished by a combination of polarizing microscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering, and NMR techniques. The lecithin-rich region of the phase diagram is dominated by a lamellar liquid-crystalline phase (Lalpha). For lecithin contents less than 60% and low hydration (mole ratio water/lecithin = W0 < 5.5), the system forms a viscous gel of branched cylindrical reverse micelles. With increase in the water content, the system phase separates into two phases, which is either gel in equilibrium with essentially pure isooctane (for lecithin < 25%) or a gel in equilibrium with Lalpha (for lecithin > 25%). These two-phase regions are very thin with respect to water dilution. For 8 < W0 < 54 very stable water-in-oil emulsions form. It is only after ripening for more than 1 year that the large region occupied by the emulsion reveals a complex pattern of stable phases. Moving along water dilution lines, one finds (i) the coexistence of gel, isooctane and Lalpha, (ii) equilibrium between reverse micelles and spherulites, and, finally, (iii) disconnected reverse micelles that fail to solubilize water for W0 > 54. This results in a Winsor II phase equilibrium at low lecithin content, while for lecithin > 20% the neat water is in equilibrium with a reverse hexagonal phase and an isotropic liquid-crystalline phase. The use of the decane as oil does not change the main features of the phase behavior.     

Study of the fluorescent dysprosium/EDTA/Tiron/surfactant system

A dysprosium/EDTA/Tiron/surfactant system at pH 11–12 is used for the spectrofluorimetric determination of dysprosium. The fluorescence intensity is increased 22-fold on addition of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide. There is no interference from at least a 100-fold molar excess of other rare earth ions, except for terbium.     

Exploiting the complementary nature of LC/MALDI/MS/MS and LC/ESI/MS/MS for increased proteome coverage

The goal of this work was to evaluate the improvement in proteome coverage of complex protein mixtures gained by analyzing samples using both LC/ESI/MS/MS and LC/MALDI/MS/MS. Parallel analyses of a single sample were accomplished by interfacing a Probot fractionation system with a nanoscale LC system. The Probot was configured to perform a post-column split such that a fraction (20%) of the column effluent was sent for on-line LC/ESI/MS/MS data acquisition, and the majority of the sample (80%) was mixed with a matrix solution and deposited onto the MALDI target plate. The split-flow approach takes advantage of the concentration sensitive nature of ESI and provides sufficient quantity of sample for MALDI/MS/MS. Hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometers were used to acquire LC/ESI/MS/MS data and LC/MALDI/MS/MS data from a tryptic digest of a preparation of mammalian mitochondrial ribosomes. The mass spectrometers were configured to operate in a data dependent acquisition mode in which precursor ions observed in MS survey scans are automatically selected for interrogation by MS/MS. This type of acquisition scheme maximizes the number of peptide fragmentation spectra obtained and is commonly referred to as shotgun analysis. While a significant degree of overlap (63%) was observed between the proteins identified in the LC/ESI/MS/MS and LC/MALDI/MS/MS data sets, both unique peptides and unique proteins were observed by each method. These results demonstrate that improved proteome coverage can be obtained using a combination of these ionization techniques.     

Dependence of the burning temperature of high-energy compounds (empirical formula CmO2mNn) on the enthalpy of formation and ratio m/n

The work is dedicated to finding new compounds of empirical formula C _m O_2m N _n , which can be used as a basis for ecologically clean smokeless powders for automobile airbags inflators.     

Effect of the presence of iron vapors on the volumetric emission of Ar/Fe and Ar/Fe/HZ plasmas

The net volumetric emission coefficient was calculated using the escape factor method for Ar/Fe and Ar/H₂/Fe plasmas, at atmospheric pressure, over the temperature range from 3000 K to 30,000 K. The calculation involved 712 lines for Ar I, Ar II, and Ar III, 3481 lines for Fe I, Fe II, and Fe III, and 230 lines for H in the Ar/H₂/Fe case. A semiempirical method was used for the determination of line profiles and line broadening. The results show a strong influence of the presence of even traces of iron vapors at low temperatures where the volumetric emission increases by several orders of magnitude. Special attention is given to self-absorption of the argon resonance lines which prevents the radiation from escaping within a few millimeters from the emission source.     

Preparation and properties of the system Fe1−xVxNbO4

Members of the system Fe_1?xV_xNbO₄ were prepared and their crystallographic, electrical, and magnetic properties were determined. The wolframite structure is formed for x ≤ 0.2, but for x ≥ 0.4, a phase transformation to the rutile structure takes place. Magnetic studies established the formal valencies of the elements for members crystallizing with the wolframite phase. However, similar analyses of compounds with the rutile structure did not provide a unique assignment of the formal valencies.     

Effects of the A-site cation number on the properties of Ln5/8M3/8MnO3 manganites

The properties of manganites can be tuned by changing the doping level x in Ln_1−xM_xMnO₃. A second mechanism allows tuning of magnetic and electronic properties, for fixed x values, by varying the average A-cation radius, 〈r_A〉. Moreover, for fixed x and 〈r_A〉 values, the changes in the A-cation size variance, σ², also modify the ferromagnetic and metal-insulator transition temperatures. Here, we investigate the influence of the number of A-site cations on Ln_5/8M_3/8MnO₃ manganites, where x, 〈r_A〉 and σ² values are kept constant, and in the absence of phase separation phenomena. We have found that the number of cation species at the A site (N_A) has a strong influence on the width of the ferromagnetic and metal-insulator transitions, and a small influence on the average transition temperature. This behavior is opposite to that observed for increasing values of the variance σ² in manganites, with the same x and 〈r_A〉 values, where average transition temperatures are strongly reduced.     

Systematics of the pyrochlore structure type,ideal A2B2X6Y

The geometry of the ideal pyrochlore structure type (⁸A₂⁶B₂⁴X₆⁴Y, Fd3m) has been examined using a data base of 440 synthetic samples. Mean ionic radii of the cubic and octahedral cations together account for 95% of the variation in the cell edge. Nonempirical expressions for calculating the cell edge are also derived, using that the interatomic distances are functions of the cell edge and a single positional parameter, x, of the X anion. This alternative method is equally successful for calculating the cell edge, and additionally provides for the calculation of x. Comparison of calculated x values with 27 experimentally measured values indicates that the stoichiometry, x values, or bond length predicting radii are in error for 20% of these pyrochlores. For 21 observed x values judged to be most accurate, the calculated anion coordinates are within 0.009. In addition, calculated x values are given for 400 pyrochlores for which no values have been previously determined.     

The influence of the arrangement of styrene in methyl methacrylate/butadiene/styrene on the properties of PMMA/SAN/MBS blends

A series of methyl methacrylate‐butadiene‐styrene (MBS) core–shell impact modifiers were prepared by grafting styrene (St) and methyl methacrylate (MMA) onto polybutadiene (PB) or styrene‐butadiene rubber (SBR) seed latex in emulsion polymerization. All the MBS modifiers were designed to have the same total chemical composition, and Bd/St/MMA equaled 39/31/30, which was a prerequisite for producing transparent blends with poly(MMA)/styrene‐acrylonitrile (PMMA/SAN) matrix copolymers. Under this composition, different ways of arrangement for styrene in MBS led to the different structure of MBS modifier. The concentration of PB or SBR rubber of MBS in PMMA/SAN/MBS blends was kept at a constant value of 15 wt.%. The effects of arrangement of St in MBS on the mechanical and optical properties of PMMA/SAN/MBS blends were investigated. The results indicated that Izod impact strength of PMMMA/SAN/MBS blend with the amount of St grafted on core in MBS was higher than that of blend with the amount of St copolymerized with Bd in core of MBS, while the transparency of blend is opposite. From transmission electron microscopy, it was found that the arrangement of St in MBS influenced the dispersion of blend, which led to different toughness. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

PET/HBA/TA/HQ四元共聚酯形态及相结构的研究

研制了一套蚀刻方法并对聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯/对羟基苯甲酸/对苯二甲酸/对苯二酚(PET/HBA/TA/HQ)体系的共聚酯液晶试样断面进行蚀刻,并用扫描电镜观察,发现此类共聚酯中存在两相结构.当PET摩尔分数小于50％时,分散相呈球状且富含PET,连续相富含全芳族链段;当PET摩尔分数等于或大于50％时,分散相和连续相结构发生颠倒,连续相富含PET,分散相球状粒子富含全芳族链段且为纤维状结构.因此可以断言,用熔融缩聚方法制备的PET/HBA/TA/HQ四元共聚酯不是无规共聚物,而是嵌段共聚物.     

Phase diagram of the ternary system NMMO/water/cellulose

The phase diagram of the system N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide(NMMO)/H₂O/cellulose has been measured at 80 °C by establishing a solubility map (observation of the mixtures under the microscope), by the analysis of coexisting phases and determining the critical point. These experiments manifest a continuous reduction of the two phase area existing for the subsystem H₂O/cellulose upon the addition of NMMO, where a weight fraction of NMMO in the mixed solvent exceeding 75 wt% is required for Solucell 400 to reach the critical composition. The critical cellulose concentration is only 0.34 wt%, i.e., more than an order of magnitude lower than for the solutions of typical vinyl polymers in mixed solvents. All experimental observations can be well modeled on the basis of composition dependent binary interaction parameters by means of recently established mixing rules. For the subsystems H₂O/cellulose and NMMO/water the corresponding data are known from independent earlier measurements. The adjustment of two parameters to the ternary phase diagram was required to obtain this information for NMMO/cellulose, the third binary subsystem.     

Self-organization of the ternary didecyldimethylammonium bromide/octyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside/water system

The spontaneous and thermodynamically stable mixed vesicles constituted by a double-chain cationic surfactant with 10 carbon atoms hydrophobic tail, didecyldimethylammonium bromide (di-C(10)DMAB), and a nonionic single-chain surfactant, octyl-beta-d-glucopyranoside (OBG), have been characterized in aqueous media by means of a series of experimental techniques, as well as a theoretical approach. Conductivity data allow for the determination of the concentrations at which the monomer-to-vesicle (CVC) and/or vesicle-to-micelle (CMC) transitions occur. Electrophoretic mobilities, obtained from laser-doppler-electrophoresis experiments, permit the determination of zeta-potentials and, from them, the surface charge density of the vesicle aggregates. Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) provides pictures of the vesicles, their size and shape being, thus, determined. Finally, the sensitivity of the emission spectra of some fluorescent probes, such as the cationic TNS and the nonionic PRODAN, to the polarity of the environment, allow for a complete study of different pre- and post-vesicle microdomains, of variable rigidity and micropolarity. This, in turn, yield interesting information about the vesicle surface and bilayer, as well as, about the existence of clusters and/or nanoaggregates prior to the formation of vesicles, as was proposed by us in a previous paper.     

Abinitio calculation of the stabilities of the oxetenyl anion and cation

Ab initio calculations show a cyclic resonance stabilization of ～20 kcal/mol for the 6-pi electron oxetenyl anion. The 4-pi electron cation is destabilized by ～50 kcal/mol.     

Magnetic structure of the UCuxSi2−x system

Neutron powder diffraction experiments were performed on selected compositions of the UCu_xSi_2−x system exhibiting an interesting magnetic phase diagram towards the composition: spin fluctuation behaviour for x<0.49, ferromagnetism for 0.49≤x<0.80, spin glass state for 0.80<x<0.92 and finally antiferromagnetism for 0.92<x≤0.96. At 1.5 K, the compounds UCu_0.49Si_1.51 (hexagonal AlB₂ modification) and UCu_0.65Si_1.35 show a collinear ferromagnetic structure where the uranium magnetic moments equal to 1.1(1) and 2.5(1)μ_B, respectively, are aligned in the basal plane of the [U₆] trigonal prisms. On the contrary, UCu_0.96Si_1.04 adopts a non-collinear antiferromagnetic structure similar to that observed for UCuSn. Moreover, the study confirms the absence of long range magnetic order for UCu_0.90Si_1.10.     

Determination of radiocobalt in seawater by successive extractions with the reagents of tris/pyrrolidine dithiocarbamato/bismuth/III/ and ammonium pyrrolidin-dithiocarbamate and back-extraction with bismuth/III/

Method for the isolation and radioactive cobalt /including⁵⁸Co and⁶⁰Co/ from a large volume of seawater and concentration in a small volume of chloroform as tris/pyrrolidine dithiocarbamato/cobalt/III/, Co/PDC/₃, is described. The seawater was extracted first with Bi/PDC/₃ in chloroform for removing parts of foreign metals like Hg, Ag, etc., and then added with ammonium pyrrolidindithiocarbamate, APDC, to complex with Co and possibly other ions and extracted into the organic phase. The final separation of Co from foreign ions in the organic phase was achieved by stripping with a Bi/III/ solution. The overall recovery of radiocobalt activity was found to be about 96%. The established method can be applicable for rapid and reliable determination of radiocobalt in seawater and other aqueous systems for environmental contamination.     

Spectrophotometric study of the complexation reaction between uranium/VI/ and one semicarbazone /SAS/

Salicylaldehyde-semicarbazone /SAS/ forms a complex with uranyl ion at pH 3.8±0.1 which has been studied spectrophotometrically. The results of Job's and moral ratio methods indicate 14 composition for the complex which at 230 nm obeys Beer's law in the range of 1 to 2500 ppb of uranium/VI/.     

Self-assembly and influence of the organic counterion in the ternary systems dodecylamine/acrylic acid/water and dodecylamine/methacrylic acid/water

Due to complete proton transfer from the acid to the amine, a reaction between an equimolar mixture of dodecylamine and (meth)acrylic acid leads to the formation of dodecylammonium (meth)acrylate. The latter can be considered as a surfactant with a polymerizable organic counterion. The ternary phase diagrams of the two systems dodecylamine/acrylic acid/water and dodecylamine/methacrylic acid/water are described. Both systems can form isotropic solutions and lyotropic liquid crystalline lamellar phases. Moreover, the system with the methacrylate counterion can also form a cubic phase in the water-rich part of the phase diagram. The difference in the self-organization observed for the two systems is explained by the greater bulkiness and hydrophobicity of the methacrylate. Whereas the acrylate counterion behaves rather like a classic inorganic counterion, the methacrylate counterion resides in the outermost part of the aggregates, giving rise to a change in the surface curvature.     

Assignment of the microwave spectrum of trioxane in the v19(E) = v20E) = 1 state

An analysis of the rotational spectrum associated with two degenerate states simultaneously excited by one quantum is carried out for the first time for symmetric top molecules. The microwave spectrum of trioxane in the v₁₉(E) = v₂₀(E) = 1 state has been measured in the range 60–145 GHz and assigned using a graphical method. Accurate molecular parameters are determined by diagonalization of the energy matrices obtained by factoring the matrix constructed using the eigenvectors of the zeroth-order Hamiltonian as a basis.     

Predissociation of the C2Σu+ state of N2+

Two mechanisms for the predissociation of the C²Σ_u⁺ state of N₂⁺ are discussed - the accidental mechanism and a direct, homogeneous process C → B²Σ_u⁺. The matrix elements for the latter channel are dominated by a contribution from the nuclear kinetic energy operator, containing a Franck-Condon integral of form 〈?|?/?R|υ′〉.     

有机盐对水/AOT/醇反相微乳体系电导行为的影响

用二(2-乙基己基)琥珀酸酯磺酸钠(AOT)为表面活性剂研究了以正构醇(己醇、庚醇、辛醇、癸醇)为连续相的微乳体系的电导行为, 结果表明只有水/AOT/癸醇体系有水诱导的电导渗滤现象. 研究了有机盐(胆酸钠、水杨酸钠)及温度对电导行为的影响, 发现庚醇、辛醇体系电导率随胆酸钠浓度的增加而减小, 而癸醇体系电导率不受影响; 庚醇、癸醇体系的电导率随水杨酸钠浓度的增加而增大; 在5～40 ℃范围内lnσ(电导率的自然对数)与温度成很好的线性关系, 无论有机盐存在与否都没有温度诱导的渗滤现象. 根据Arrhenius-type公式估算了体系的电导活化能.