Synthesis of spinel CuCo2O4 nanoparticles and its application in p-nitrophenol reduction

Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology - CuCo2O4 spinel nanoparticles were successfully preparedvia a sol–gel method, which were firstly employed in catalytic reduction of p-nitrophenol to...     

The effect of B2O3 impurity in the original B powder on the phase formation of MgB2 during the sintering process

Combined with the thermal analysis and phase identification, the influence of the B₂O₃ impurity in the original B powder on the phase formation of MgB₂ during the sintering process was investigated. It is found that how the B₂O₃ impurity in the original B powder affects the sintering process of MgB₂ depends on the reactivity of Mg particles in the original powder. If the Mg particles in the original powder are small and reactive enough, the B₂O₃ impurity could react with them before Mg melting during the sintering process and accelerate the solid–solid reaction between Mg and B. Otherwise, the B₂O₃ impurity could not react with Mg particles before Mg melting and depress the solid–solid reaction between Mg and B.     

Surfactant-assisted preparation of nanohybrid for simultaneously improving enzyme-immobilization and electron-transfer in biosensor and biofuel cell

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - As enzyme-immobilization and electron-transfer are the key factors for fabricating an enzymatic bioelectrode and its devices, we investigated a strategy to...     

An efficient synthesis of δ-glyconolactams by intramolecular Schmidt–Boyer reaction under microwave radiation

δ-Glyconolactams were first synthesized by the intramolecular Schmidt–Boyer reaction using corresponding δ-azidosugars as starting material. The reaction could be efficiently performed in good yields of 61–69% under microwave radiation in acid condition, providing an alternative protocol to iminosugar δ-lactam.     

Zn or O? An Atomic Level Comparison on Antibacterial Activities of Zinc Oxides

For the first time, the influence of different types of atoms (Zn and O) on the antibacterial activities of nanosized ZnO was quantitatively evaluated with the aid of a 3D‐printing‐manufactured evaluation system. Two different outermost atomic layers were manufactured separately by using an ALD (atomic layer deposition) method. Interestingly, we found that each outermost atomic layer exhibited certain differences against gram‐positive or gram‐negative bacterial species. Zinc atoms as outermost layer (ZnO?Zn) showed a more pronounced antibacterial effect towards gram‐negative E. coli (Escherichia coli), whereas oxygen atoms (ZnO?O) showed a stronger antibacterial activity against gram‐positive S. aureus (Staphylococcus aureus). A possible antibacterial mechanism has been comprehensively discussed from different perspectives, including Zn²⁺ concentrations, oxygen vacancies, photocatalytic activities and the DNA structural characteristics of different bacterial species.     

Differentiating parts of Cinnamomum cassia using LC‐qTOF‐MS in conjunction with principal component analysis

Cinnamon bark (Rou Gui in Chinese), cinnamon twig (Gui Zhi) and shaved cinnamon bark (Gui Sin) have been widely used as spices and in traditional Chinese medicine since ancient times. On‐going issues related to quality and authenticity necessitate the development of analytical methods capable of providing an objective evaluation of samples. In this study, chemical fingerprints of cinnamon bark, cinnamon twigs and shaved cinnamon bark were established using liquid chromatography quadruple time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry in conjunction with principal component analysis (PCA). From 125 samples of cinnamon, we identified the following eight compounds and their the detection ratios: coumarin, cinnamaldehyde, cinnamyl alcohol, cinnamic acid, 2‐hydroxycinnamaldehyde, 2‐hydroxycinnamic acid, 2‐methoxycinnamaldehyde and 4‐methoxycinnamaldehyde. Of these, 4‐methoxycinnamaldehyde presented the largest variations in detection ratio, making up 64.0, 97.4 and 50.0% in cinnamon bark, cinnamon twig, and shaved cinnamon bark, respectively. The quantities of cinnamyl alcohol, coumarin and cinnamaldehyde also varied between the three parts of the plant. Chemical fingerprints of the three cinnamon samples were established using principal component analysis, the results of which indicate that cinnamon bark and shaved cinnamon bark could be easily differentiated, despite a marked similarity in outward appearance. Cinnamon twig was also shown to depart from the other clusters. The proposed method provides a fast and efficient means of identifying cinnamon herbs for quality control purposes. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Electroactive shape memory cyanate/polybutadiene epoxy composites filled with carbon black

Electroactive shape memory composites were synthesized using polybutadiene epoxy(PBEP) and bisphenol A type cyanate ester(BACE) filled with different contents of carbon black(CB). Dynamic mechanical analysis(DMA), scanning electron microscopy(SEM), electrical performance and electroactive shape memory behavior were systematically investigated. It is found that the volume resistivity decreased due to excellent electrical conductivity of CB, in turn resulting in good electroactive shape memory properties. The content of CB and applied voltage had significant influence on electroactive shape memory effect of developed BACE/PBEP/CB composites. Shape recovery can be observed within a few seconds with the CB content of 5 wt% and voltage of 60 V. Shape recovery time decreased with increasing content of CB and voltage. The infrared thermometer revealed that the temperature rises above the glass transition temperature faster with the increase of voltage and the decrease of resistance.