Solid acids assisted matrix solid‐phase dispersion microextraction of alkaloids by capillary electrophoresis coupled with quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry

The quantification of three alkaloids is important because quantitative study is a means of assessing the reliability of the experimental method, and three alkaloids of peimine, peiminine, and peimisine are main active ingredients in Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2015. An effective method based on the matrix solid‐phase dispersion microextraction was developed for the extraction of alkaloid compounds in Fritillariae Thunbergii Bulbus. Target analytes were analyzed by capillary electrophoresis coupled with quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry. The optimized experimental condition was that 50 mg Fritillariae Thunbergii Bulbus was blended homogeneously with 10 mg citric acid for 5 min. Two hundred microliters of water acidized by 1 mol/L hydrochloric acid (pH = 4.5) was selected to elute tested alkaloids. The results demonstrated that the investigated method had low limits of detection (1.32–1.59 ng/mL), good recoveries (86.63–98.12%), and reproducibility (relative standard deviations of peak areas < 0.87%). The proposed matrix solid‐phase dispersion microextraction coupled with capillary electrophoresis combined with quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry was successfully applied for the extraction of alkaloids in plants.     

Combustion behavior and thermal stability of ethylene-vinyl acetate composites based on CaCO3-containing oil sludge and carbon black

CaCO₃-containing oil sludge (OS) is a by-product from petroleum industry, with great amount of production. Therefore, an effective processing methods for CaCO₃-containing OS is urgently needed. Herein, ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) composites based on CaCO₃-containing OS and carbon black (CB) were prepared by melt blending method. The combustion behavior and thermal stability of flame-retardant EVA/OS/CB composites were investigated by cone calorimeter test, limiting oxygen index (LOI), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), smoke density test (SDT), and thermogravimetry-Fourier infrared spectrometry. The heat release rate and smoke production rate of the ternary composites containing 3% CB significantly decreased compared with the EVA/OS composites and pure EVA. Moreover, addition of a certain amount of CB could evidently increase LOI values. The morphologies and structures of the residues, revealed by SEM, ascertained that a better carbonaceous protective layer was formed on the ternary composites than the EVA/OS composite. It was obtained from SDT that CB in the material could retard the smoke production with the application of the pilot flame. The EVA/OS/CB composites assumed a higher thermal stability than the EVA/OS composites and pure EVA.

     

Transition-Metal Oxides/Carbides@Carbon Nanotube Composites as Multifunctional Electrocatalysts for Challenging Oxidations and Reductions

The rapid development of renewable-energy technologies such as water splitting, rechargeable metal–air batteries, and fuel cells requires highly efficient electrocatalysts capable of the oxygen-reduction reaction (ORR) and the oxygen-evolution reaction (OER). Herein, we report a facile sonication-driven synthesis to deposit the molecular manganese vanadium oxide precursor [Mn₄V₄O₁₇(OAc)₃]³⁻ on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Thermal conversion of this composite at 900 °C gives nanostructured manganese vanadium oxides/carbides, which are stably linked to the MWCNTs. The resulting composites show excellent electrochemical reactivity for ORR and OER, and significant reactivity enhancements compared with the precursors and a Pt/C reference are reported. Notably, even under harsh acidic conditions, long-term OER activity at low overpotential is reported. In addition, we report exceptional activity of the composites for the industrially important Cl₂ evolution from an aqueous HCl electrolyte. The new composite material shows how molecular deposition routes leading to highly active and stable multifunctional electrocatalysts can be developed. The facile design could in principle be extended to multiple catalyst classes by tuning of the molecular metal oxide precursor employed.     

Study on the enzymatic polymerization mechanism of lactone and the strategy for improving the degree of polymerization

Polymerization of several lactones were carried out by employing Pseudomonas sp. lipase as the catalyst. The data indicate that water is consumed at the onset of polymerization and released in part during subsequent stages, leading us to propose a complex mechanism for the enzymatic polymerization of lactone. This mechanism involves both ring‐opening and linear condensation polymerization. The former was dominant at the early stage while the latter was dominant in the later stage. In addition, the reaction media showed complex influences on enzymatic polymerization. Some organic solvents increased the degree of polymerization (DP) and decreased the molecular weight distribution. A strategy to increase the molecular weight of the polymer is introduced, which led to the synthesis of a polymer with a number‐average molecular weight (M_n) of 14,500—the highest M_n of poly(ε‐caprolactone) prepared by enzyme‐catalyzed polymerization thus far—and molecular weight distribution of 1.23. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 1265–1275, 1999     

Determination of rare earth impurities in high purity gadolinium oxide by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry after 2-ethylhexylhydrogen-ethylhexy phosphonate extraction chromatographic separation

A method was developed for the determination of rare earth impurities in high purity Gd(2)O(3) by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The matrix suppression effect of Gd(2)O(3) on signals of rare earth impurities was compensated for by Re internal standardization. The spectra overlap interferences from GdH, GdO, GdOH(n) (n=1-3) on Tb, Tm, Yb and Lu were eliminated by 2-thylhexylhydrogen-2-ethylhexy phosphonate (EHEHP) extraction chromatographic separation. The detection limits for REEs were 0.005-0.017 ng ml(-1) in solution and 0.002-0.05 mug g(-1) in solid. Recoveries of spiked sample for REEs were from 88 to 121% with the precision of 1.0-7.5% RSD. Determination of trace REEs in two Gd(2)O(3) samples were performed. The method can be applied to analysis of 99.99-99.9999% high purity Gd(2)O(3).     

TiO2纳米粒子膜表面性质的研究

ＴｉＯ_２纳米粒子膜在光催化降解大气和水中的污染物［１］、光电转换［２］、光致变色［３］等方面有广阔的应用前景,近年来受到了科学界的高度重视．研究表明,膜的表面性质对如上应用有着重要影响．本文采用等离子体化学气相沉积法（ＰＥＣＶＤ法）［４］制备了ＴｉＯ２的纳米粒子膜,分别采用ＴｉＣｌ４等离子体或Ｏ２等离子体处理膜表面,获得两种不同表面性质的ＴｉＯ２纳米粒子膜;并利用表面光电压谱（ＳＰＳ）和电场诱导表面光电压谱（ＥＦＩＳＰＳ）技术对膜的表面性质进行具体分析,探讨了其在光催化领域的可能应用．１实验部…     

DMF溶液中导电玻璃上沉积类金刚石薄膜

液相法制备类金刚石膜设备简单,操作容易,能大面积成膜,越来越受到研究者们的关注．Ｎａｍｂａ［１］以乙醇为介质,在１２００Ｖ电压７０℃以下沉积膜,得到了类金刚石膜;Ｓｕｚｕｋｉ等［２］以水乙二醇溶液为介质制膜,只得到了石墨相的碳膜;以乙醇的水溶液为介质利用电解热沉积膜,得到了玻璃碳和石墨碳,同时阴极钨发生碳化有ＷＣ和Ｗ２Ｃ生成［３］;Ｎｏｖｉｋｏｖ等［４］在乙炔的液氨溶液中沉积膜,Ｒａｍａｎ谱表明他们得到了类金刚石（ＤＬＣ）膜;Ｋｗｉａｔｅｋ等［５］重复了Ｎａｍｂａ的实验,证明沉积膜主要为非晶态…     

A chemical sensor for the liquid-ordered phase

The mixing properties of exchangeable phospholipids, derived from 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine and 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine, with an exchangeable form of cholesterol have been used to monitor the transition from the liquid-disordered to the liquid-ordered phase in cholesterol-containing bilayers, made from 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, respectively.     

A molecular docking model of SARS-CoV S1 protein in complex with its receptor, human ACE2

The exact residues within severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) S1 protein and its receptor, human ACE2, involved in their interaction still remain largely undetermined. Identification of exact amino acid residues that are crucial for the interaction of S1 with ACE2 could provide working hypotheses for experimental studies and might be helpful for the development of antiviral inhibitor. In this paper, a molecular docking model of SARS-CoV S1 protein in complex with human ACE2 was constructed. The interacting residue pairs within this complex model and their contact types were also identified. Our model, supported by significant biochemical evidence, suggested receptor-binding residues were concentrated in two segments of S1 protein. In contrast, the interfacial residues in ACE2, though close to each other in tertiary structure, were found to be widely scattered in the primary sequence. In particular, the S1 residue ARG453 and ACE2 residue LYS341 might be the key residues in the complex formation.