Reversible binding of the HPLC6 isoform of type I antifreeze proteins to ice surfaces and the antifreeze mechanism studied by multiple quantum filtering-spin exchange NMR experiment

Antifreeze proteins (AFPs) protect organisms from freezing damage by inhibiting the growth of seed-ice crystals. It has long been hypothesized that irreversible binding of AFPs to ice surfaces is responsible for inhibiting the growth of seed-ice crystals as such a mechanism supports the popularly accepted Kelvin effect for the explanation of local freezing-point depression. However, whether the binding is reversible or irreversible is still under debate due to the lack of direct experimental evidence. Here, we report the first direct experimental result, by using the newly developed multiple quantum (MQ) filtering-spin exchange NMR experiment, that shows that the binding of HPLC6 peptides to ice surfaces is reversible. It was found that the reversible process can be explained by the model of monolayer adsorption. These results suggest that the Kelvin effect is not suitable for explaining the antifreeze mechanism, and direct interactions between the peptides and the ice-surface binding sites are the driving forces for the binding of AFPs to ice surfaces. We propose that there exists a concentration gradient of AFP from an ice-binding surface to the solution due to the affinity of ice surfaces to AFPs. This concentration gradient creates a dense layer of AFP in contact with the ice-binding surface, which depresses the local freezing point because of the colligative property, but not the Kelvin effect.     

Low temperature absorption spectra of TcO 4 − and ReO 4 − in KClO4

The low temperature spectra of TcO ₄ ^– and ReO ₄ ^– both show two band systems with pronounced vibrational structures. The bands are identified as¹ A ₁¹ T ₂ transitions. No other bands are observed with certainty. It seems likely that the KClO₄ crystals contain KReO₄ crystallites. They are therefore not pure mixed crystals. It is concluded that the virtual orbital (2e) used in the construction of the low lying states resembles an atomic nd orbital more and more when going from n=3, Mn to n=5, Re.

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Zusammenfassung Die Tieftemperaturspektren von TcO ₄ ^– und ReO ₄ ^– zeigen beide zwei Bandensysteme mit ausgeprägten Schwingungsstrukturen. Die Banden werden als ¹ A ₁¹ T ₂-Übergänge identifiziert. Keine anderen Banden werden mit Sicherheit beobachtet. Es scheint wahrscheinlich, daß die KClO₄-Kristalle KReO₄-Kristallite enthalten und deswegen keine reinen Mischkristalle sind. Es wird geschlossen, daß das virtuelle Orbital (2e), welches zur Konstruktion der tiefliegenden Zustände gebraucht wird, in der Reihe n=3, Mn bis n=5, Re immer weitgehender einem nd-Atomorbital ähnelt.

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Nachwuchsstipendiat, Schweizerischer Nationalfonds.     

Neue Näherungsgleichung zur einheitlichen Berechnung von Wärmeübertragern

Zusammenfassung Es wird eine für alle Stromführungen einheitliche Näherungsgleichung mit drei oder vier anpaßbaren Parametern zur Berechnung des Korrekturfaktors für die mittlere logarithmische Temperaturdifferenz angegeben. Die anpaßbaren Parameter wurden für etwa 50 verschiedene Stromführungen durch Ausgleichsrechnung bestimmt. Die Genauigkeit der Gleichung ist für die Berechnung im praktisch wichtigen Bereich mehr als ausreichend.

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New approximate equation for uniform heat exchanger design

An approximate equation with three or four empirical parameters for the uniform calculation of the LMTD-correction factor of all heat exchanger configurations is proposed. The empirical parameters have been determined for about 50 different flow configurations using least squares estimation. The accuracy of the equation is more than sufficient for practical design purposes.

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Formelzeichen A Übertragungsfläche - a, b, c, d Parameter der Näherungsgleichung - Wärmekapazitätsstrom - F Korrekturfaktor für die logarithmische mittlere Temperaturdifferenz - k Wärmedurchgangskoeffizient - m, n Zahl der Durchgänge oder Einzelapparate - NTU Anzahl der Übertragungseinheiten (number of transfer units); NTU_i=kA/ _i - P dimensionslose Temperaturänderung - R Wärmekapazitätsstromverhältnis;R ₁=₁/₂;R ₂=₂/₁ - relativer Fehler - Mittelwert von NTU₁ und NTU₂ Indizes 1, 2 Stoffstrom 1, 2 - G Gegenstrom - s Schätzwert Herrn Prof. Dr.-Ing. E.h. K. Stephan zum 65. Geburtstag gewidmet.     

Individual extraction constants of some dicarbollylcobaltate anions in the water-nitrobenzene system

Individual extraction constants of nine dicarbollylcobaltate anions in the two-phase water-nitrobenzene system were determined radiometrically assuming that the changes of Gibbs energy of the transfer of the tetraphenylarsonium cation, Ph₄As⁺, and of the tetraphenylborate anion, BPh ₄ ^– , from the aqueous into the nitrobenzene phase are equal. The constants obtained by this method were correlated with Hansch's constants of hydrophobity.