Effect of humidity on the adsorption kinetics of lung surfactant at air-water interfaces

The in vitro adsorption kinetics of lung surfactant at air-water interfaces is affected by both the composition of the surfactant preparations and the conditions under which the assessment is conducted. Relevant experimental conditions are surfactant concentration, temperature, subphase pH, electrolyte concentration, humidity, and gas composition of the atmosphere exposed to the interface. The effect of humidity on the adsorption kinetics of a therapeutic lung surfactant preparation, bovine lipid extract surfactant (BLES), was studied by measuring the dynamic surface tension (DST). Axisymmetric drop shape analysis (ADSA) was used in conjunction with three different experimental methodologies, i.e., captive bubble (CB), pendant drop (PD), and constrained sessile drop (CSD), to measure the DST. The experimental results obtained from these three methodologies show that for 100% relative humidity (RH) at 37 degrees C the rate of adsorption of BLES at an air-water interface is substantially slower than for low humidity. It is also found that there is a difference in the rate of surface tension decrease measured from the PD and CB/CSD methods. These experimental results agree well with an adsorption model that considers the combined effects of entropic force, electrostatic interaction, and gravity. These findings have implications for the development and evaluation of new formulations for surfactant replacement therapy.     

Polyketide chain length control by chain length factor

Bacterial aromatic polyketides are pharmacologically important natural products. A critical parameter that dictates product structure is the carbon chain length of the polyketide backbone. Systematic manipulation of polyketide chain length represents a major unmet challenge in natural product biosynthesis. Polyketide chain elongation is catalyzed by a heterodimeric ketosynthase. In contrast to homodimeric ketosynthases found in fatty acid synthases, the active site cysteine is absent from the one subunit of this heterodimer. The precise role of this catalytically silent subunit has been debated over the past decade. We demonstrate here that this subunit is the primary determinant of polyketide chain length, thereby validating its designation as chain length factor. Using structure-based mutagenesis, we identified key residues in the chain length factor that could be manipulated to convert an octaketide synthase into a decaketide synthase and vice versa. These results should lead to novel strategies for the engineered biosynthesis of hitherto unidentified polyketide scaffolds.     

A simple route towards tubular ZnO

Thermal treatment of Zn(NH3)(4)2+ precursor in ethanol solvent led to the formation of the tubular ZnO which exhibited strong ultraviolet photoluminescence around 385 nm at room temperature; TEM images showed the hollow tubules with approximately 450 nm in diameter and approximately 4 microns in length were built up by ZnO polycrystals.     

Bis[1,1′‐bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocenium] hexadecachlorotetraantimony(III) ethanol solvate

In the title compound, [Fe(C₁₇H₁₄P)₂]₂[Sb₄Cl₁₆]·C₂H₆O, the Fe atoms lie on inversion centres and the pairs of cyclopentadienyl rings are consequently in a fully staggered conformation. The centrosymmetric anionic clusters formed by [Sb₄Cl₁₆]^4? are surrounded by the cations and are held together by weak C—H?Cl interactions. These formations stack along the a axis to form columns, and the columns are interconnected by another weak C—H?Cl interaction along the b axis.     

A Theoretical Study on the Conductivity of Carbon Doped BNNT

From the changes in energy band, density of state (DOS) and electronic structure calculated by the DFT/B3LYP method, the conductivity of carbon doped boron‐nitride nanotube (BNNT), which is formed by C‐C bond substituting B‐N bond, was discussed. The results indicate that the substitution will strengthen the conductivity of the tube, and its semi‐conductivity might be adjusted by controlling the substitution.     

Theoretical study of reaction channels for the weakly bound complex systems created with HF,CO2, and various amines

This investigation conducted reaction channels of weakly bound complexes CO₂…HF, CO₂…HF…NH₃, CO₂…HF…NH₂CH₃, CO₂…HF…NH(CH₃)₂, and CO₂…HF…N(CH₃)₃ systems, using the Gaussian 98 package at the B3LYP/6‐311++G(3df,2pd) level. The syn‐fluoroformic acid or syn‐fluoroformic acid plus NH₃ or amine conformers are more stable than the related anti‐fluoroformic acid or anti‐fluoroformic acid plus NH₃ or amine conformers. However, the above‐mentioned weakly bound complexes are more stable than both the related syn‐ and anti‐type fluoroformic acid or acid plus NH₃ or amine conformers and their related decomposed into CO₂ + HF or CO₂ + NHR₃F (R?H, CH₃) combined molecular systems. Five reaction channels of the weakly bound complexes exist. Each channel includes weakly bound complexes and their related above‐mentioned systems. Moreover, each reaction channel contains two transition states. The transition state between the weakly bound complex and anti‐fluoroformic acid type structure (T₁₃) is significantly higher than that of internal rotation (T₂₃) between syn‐ and anti‐FCO₂H (or FCO₂H…NR₃) structures. However, the above‐mentioned T₁₃ can significantly decrease its energy by adding the third molecule NH₃ or NR₃ (R?H or CH₃). The more CH₃ that is substituted in NR₃ of the reaction channel, the lower the activation energy of the transition state in the system is affected. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2005     

材料化学实验课程体系的改革与建设

结合材料化学实验课程自身的特点及材料化学实验教学的经验，系统阐述我院材料化学实验改革的思路，通过深化材料化学实验教学改革，提高任课教师的学术水平，更新教学内容，优化教学模式，推进教材的系统性建设，实现材料化学实验教学质量的提高，激发学生的学习热情与兴趣，进一步培养学生的创新能力。     

Enhanced Acid/Base Catalysis in High Temperature Liquid Water

High temperature liquid water (HTLW), as an environmentally benign medium, has drawn increasing attention for organic chemical reactions and biomass conversion1-3. HTLW has a strong tendency to ionize and can act as an acid and/or base catalyst. In addition, HTLW can dissolve organic compounds to some extent allowing for a homogenous reaction within an aqueous phase. Extensive researches4-10 have been pursued on acid/base-catalysis reactions in HTLW without addition of acid or base. Howe…     

Thermal characterization and thermal degradation of poly(norbornene-2,3-dicarboxylic acid dialkyl esters) synthesized by vinyl addition polymerization

The thermal properties and degradation behaviors of poly(norbornene-2,3-dicarboxylic acid dialkyl esters) (PNB-dialkyl esters) (alkyl = Me (PNB-Me), Et (PNB-Et), Pr (PNB-Pr), and Bu (PNB-Bu)) were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) in dynamic conditions and by infrared (IR) spectroscopy. The PNB-dialkyl esters show good thermal stability up to 350 °C, and the thermal stability decreases in the order Me > Et > Pr > Bu with the increase in size of side chain. The effect of side-chain size on the thermal degradation behaviors of PNB-dialkyl esters is evidenced by one-step thermal degradation profile for PNB-Me while two-step thermal degradation profile for PNB-Et, PNB-Pr, and PNB-Bu. Transformation is deduced to undergo β-hydrogen elimination and formation of anhydride group in the first stage of thermal degradation reaction according to TGA and IR results for PNB-Et, PNB-Pr, and PNB-Bu. The apparent activation energy and thermal degradation model of PNB-dialkyl esters are estimated by means of Ozawa-Flynn-wall method and Phadnis-Deshpande method, respectively.     

Identification of Earth Pigments by Applying Hierarchical Cluster Analysis to Solid State Voltammetry. Application to Severely Damaged Frescoes

Multivariate chemometric methods are applied for identifying earth pigments from square‐wave voltammetric measurements performed at pigment‐modified paraffin‐impregnated graphite electrodes allowing for a separation between hematite‐based earths, French ochres, Spanish ochres, siennas, umbers and green earths. This methodology is applied to the identification of the pigments in samples from the ceiling frescoes of Antonio Palomino (dated 1707) in the vaulted nave of the Sant Joan del Mercat church in Valencia (Spain). These frescoes suffered considerable damage by fire during the Spanish Civil War in 1936, resulting in severe chemical and chromatic alterations. Electrochemical data, supported by scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X‐ray microanalysis and Raman spectroscopy, indicate that thermal stress induced the transformation of goethite‐based yellow ochres into hematite and magnetite.