Usage of supplementary cementitious materials: advantages and limitations

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - It is well known that cement production is not neutral for natural environment among others due to high CO2 emission. Different strategies of...     

On-line solvent evaporator for coupled LC systems

The mobile phase of a fraction eluted from a first LC column is removed by an on-line evaporator in order to reconcentrate the solute material or to exchange the eluent before performing a subsequent LC separation. Evaporation essentially occurs by concurrent evaporation, i.e. the solvent evaporates at a rate equal to the flow rate of the incoming eluent, and is driven by the overflow principle, i.e. vapors leave the tube as a result of the expansion resulting from evaporation. The liquid is introduced into a small tube (e.g., 4 cm × 1.3 mm i.d.) which is packed, e.g., with a coarse silica gel. The outlet of the evaporator is connected to vacuum in order to enable evaporation at reduced temperature and to increase retention of the volatile components. With normal phase eluents, evaporation rates may approach 1 ml/min; n-dodecane was the most volatile n-alkane fully retained by the evaporator.     

Conformational analysis of benzoannulated nine-membered rings. Part 3. 1,4,5,7-Tetrahydro-3H-2,6-benzodiselenine and its 4-spiro derivatives

The ¹H and ¹³C nmr spectra of 1,4,5,7-tetrahydro-3H-2,6-benzodiselenine (1) and three 4-spiro derivatives 2–4 as well as the ⁷⁷Se nmr spectra of 2 have been recorded at different temperatures in order to investigate their conformational behavior. It was found that in analogy to corresponding dithionins the molecules adopt a chiral ground state conformation (Figure 2), and coalescence effects are due to racemization.     

Comparison of the Microbiological Activities of Different Varieties of Hop (Humulus lupulus) Extracts by Thin-Layer Chromatography—Direct Bioautography

JPC – Journal of Planar Chromatography – Modern TLC - Commercially available hop pellets of different origins were extracted by use of ethanol and water, chromatographed on silica...     

Potassium salts of hypodiphosphoric acid

The synthesis and crystal structures of a series of six crystalline potassium salts of hypodiphosphoric acid, H₄P₂O₆, are reported, namely potassium hydrogen phosphonophosphonate, K⁺·H₃P₂O₆⁻, (I), dipotassium dihydrogen hypodiphosphate monohydrate, 2K⁺·H₂P₂O₆²⁻·H₂O, (II), dipotassium dihydrogen hypodiphosphate dihydrate, 2K⁺·H₂P₂O₆²⁻·2H₂O, (III), pentapotassium hydrogen hypodiphosphate dihydrogen hypodiphosphate dihydrate, 5K⁺·HP₂O₆³⁻·H₂P₂O₆²⁻·2H₂O, (IV), tripotassium hydrogen hypodiphosphate tetrahydrate, 3K⁺·HP₂O₆³⁻·4H₂O, (V), and tetrapotassium hypodiphosphate tetrahydrate, 4K⁺·P₂O₆⁴⁻·4H₂O, (VI). All the hypodiphosphate anions, viz. H₃P₂O₆⁻, H₂P₂O₆²⁻, HP₂O₆³⁻ and P₂O₆⁴⁻, adopt a staggered conformation. The P—P bond lengths [2.1722 (7)–2.1892 (10) Å] do not depend on the basicity of the anion. The compounds are organized into different types of one‐, two‐ or three‐dimensional polymeric hydrogen‐bonded networks, or simply exist in the form of isolated or dimeric units. The coordination numbers of the K⁺ cations range from 6 to 9, and the cationic sublattices are polymeric one‐, two‐ or three‐dimensional networks, or isolated [KO₆] or dimeric [K₂O₁₂] polyhedra.     

Size does matter! Label-free detection of small molecule–protein interaction

This review is focused on methods for detecting small molecules and, in particular, the characterisation of their interaction with natural proteins (e.g. receptors, ion channels). Because there are intrinsic advantages to using label-free methods over labelled methods (e.g. fluorescence, radioactivity), this review only covers label-free techniques. We briefly discuss available techniques and their advantages and disadvantages, especially as related to investigating the interaction between small molecules and proteins. The reviewed techniques include well-known and widely used standard analytical methods (e.g. HPLC-MS, NMR, calorimetry, and X-ray diffraction), newer and more specialised analytical methods (e.g. biosensors), biological systems (e.g. cell lines and animal models), and in-silico approaches.     

Biosorption of toxic metals using freely suspended Microcystis aeruginosa biomass

This paper describes the potential application of a freely suspended cyanobacterial biomass of Microcystis aeruginosa as a sorption material for toxic metals, cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) from aqueous solutions. In order to identify the most suitable conditions for removal of these elements (concentration range: 1–20 mg L^?1), the laboratory experiments were carried out during different incubation times (1–48 h) and under various temperatures (10–40°C), pH (5–9) and with or without light irradiance. Competitive biosorption of Cd and Pb was also investigated. We found that M. aeruginosa demonstrates high efficiency in removing both of the studied metals from aqueous solutions. Sorption of Pb occurred, however, more rapidly and effectively, and was less disturbed by changes in physico-chemical conditions. Under pH=7, 25°C and light, the removal rates after 3 h and 6 h of incubation, were 90–100% for Pb and 79.5–100% for Cd, respectively. The co-occurrence of the metals decreased the rate of metal biosorption. Pb was sequestered preferentially over Cd. From the results we conclude that freely suspended M. aeruginosa can constitute a promising low-cost, easy-producible biosorbent material for toxic metals in contaminated wastewater.