Subsolidus phase relations and crystal structure of compounds in the PrOx-CaO-CuO system

The subsolidus phase relations of the PrO_x-CaO-CuO pseudo-ternary system sintered at 950-1000°C have been investigated by X-ray powder diffraction. In this system, there exist one compound Ca₁₀Pr₄Cu₂₄O₄₁, one Ca₂Pr₂Cu₅O₁₀-based solid solution, seven three-phase regions and two two-phase regions. The crystal structures of Ca₁₀Pr₄Cu₂₄O₄₁ and Ca₂Pr₂Cu₅O₁₀-based solid solution have been determined. Compound Ca₁₀Pr₄Cu₂₄O₄₁ crystallizes in an orthorhombic cell with space group D_2h²⁰−Cccm, Z=4. Its lattice parameters are a=11.278(2) Å, b=12.448(3) Å and c=27.486(8) Å. The crystal structure of Ca₂Pr₂Cu₅O₁₀-based solid solution is an incommensurate phase based on the orthorhombic NaCuO₂ type subcell. The lattice parameters of the subcell of the Ca_2.4Pr_1.6Cu₅O₁₀ are a₀=2.8246(7) Å, b₀=6.3693(5) Å, c₀=10.679(1) Å, and those of the orthorhombic superstructure are with a=5a₀, b=b₀, c=5c₀. The Ca_2.4Pr_1.6Cu₅O₁₀ structure can also be determined by using a monoclinic supercell with space group C_2h⁵−P2₁/c, Z=4, a=5a₀, b=b₀, and β=104.79(1)° or 136.60(1)°, V=5a₀b₀c₀.     

Application of Liquid Crystalline NMR Solvents to a Mixture of Ketones

A series of dilute liquid crystalline solvents are used to study the effect of slight anisotropy caused by partial alignment on chemical shift and residual dipolar coupling (RDC) in small molecules. The residual dipolar couplings between protons in solutes are found to be almost independent of the local environment. It is also found that the chemical shift does not change over the concentration range observed. A linear relationship between residual dipolar coupling and liquid crystal concentration is observed at relatively low concentrations, but is severely violated at high concentrations.     

互贯磺酸树脂的离子交换平衡性质

本文研究凝胶型互贯磺酸树脂的热力学性质。测定了一系列第一网和第二网重量比及交联度不同的互贯磺酸树脂对多种离子交换反应的△G~0、△H~0和△S~0值。归纳了二重网重量比和交联度对△H~0、△S~0值变化影响规律。提出了用积分持水量来表达互贯磺酸树脂的平衡常数与持水量关系,并探讨了这类树脂在离子交换色谱等方面应用的可能性。     

Laser-assisted electron capture by a fast proton from a hydrogen atom

The first Born approximation is used to study the laser-assisted electron capture by a fast proton from a hydrogen atom. The laser modification on differential cross section peaks sharply in the forward direction. With the impact energy increasing, the change in integral cross section becomes notable. The more intense the laser, the greater the cross section is; the lower the frequency, the greater the cross section.     

Preparation and Characterization of a Sol-Gel Prepared Ferroelectric Sandwich Structure

A novel silicon-based PbTiO₃/Pb(Zr,Ti)O₃/PbTiO₃ (PT/PZT/PT) sandwich structure has been prepared using a sol-gel method. The annealing temperature is greatly reduced compared with those structures without PT layers. Capacitance-voltage (C-V), leakage current-voltage (I-V), polarization-field (P-E), dielectric-frequency response and polarization fatigue of the sandwich structure are examined. The relative dielectric constant, the coercive field and the remanent polarization of the PZT films are measured to be about 900, 18 kV/cm and 16 C/cm² respectively. The current density is less than 5 × 10^–9 A/cm² below 200 kV/cm. The dielectric constant of the structure remains constant at low frequency, and decreases to some degree at high frequency. The retained polarization does not change significantly after 8 × 10⁹ read/write cycles. The PZT films are proved to have very good dielectric and ferroelectric properties. The new PT/PZT/PT sandwich structure can be valuable for memory devices and other applications.     

TiO2 sol-gel derived amperometric biosensor for H2O2 on the electropolymerized phenazine methosulfate modified electrode

A novel hydrogen peroxide biosensor was developed based on the immobilization of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) in a TiO(2) sol-gel matrix on an electropolymerized phenazine methosulfate (PMS) modified electrode surface. Such membranes are of interest due to their high surface area, biological compatibility, and ease of fabrication. HRP entrapped in the TiO(2) matix was stable and retained its activity to a large extent. Cyclic voltammetry and amperometric measurements were employed to demonstrate the feasibility of electron transfer between immobilized HRP and the glassy carbon electrode via electropolymerized PMS. The influence of various experimental parameters such as operating potential, pH, temperature, and stability was investigated for optimum analytical performance. The biosensor provided a wide linear calibration range from 4.0x10(-6) M to 1.0x10(-3) M, with a detection limit of 8.0x10(-7) M at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. The sensor retained 80% of its original activity after two months of operation.     

Studies on the inactivation of bovine liver enoyl-CoA hydratase by (methylenecyclopropyl)formyl-CoA: elucidation of the inactivation mechanism and identification of cysteine-114 as the entrapped nucleophile

The inhibitory properties of (methylenecyclopropyl)formyl-CoA (MCPF-CoA), a metabolite derived from a natural amino acid, (methylenecyclopropyl)glycine, against bovine liver enoyl-CoA hydratase (ECH) were characterized. We have previously demonstrated that MCPF-CoA specifically targets ECHs, which catalyze the reversible hydration of alpha,beta-unsaturated enoyl-CoA substrates to the corresponding beta-hydroxyacyl-CoA products. Here, we synthesized (R)- and (S)-diastereomers of MCPF-CoA to examine the stereoselectivity of this inactivation. Both compounds were shown to be competent inhibitors for bovine liver ECH with nearly identical second-order inactivation rate constants (k(inact)/K(I)) and partition ratios (k(cat)/k(inact)), indicating that the inactivation is nonstereospecific with respect to ring cleavage. The inhibitor, upon incubation with bovine liver ECH, labels a tryptic peptide, ALGGGXEL, near the active site of the protein, where X is the amino acid that is covalently modified. Cloning and sequence analysis of bovine liver ECH gene revealed the identity of the amino acid residue entrapped by MCPF-CoA as Cys-114 (mature sequence numbering). On the basis of gHMQC (gradient heteronuclear multiple quantum coherence) analysis with [3-(13)C]-labeled MCPF-CoA, the ring cleavage is most likely induced by the nucleophilic attack at the terminal carbon of the exomethylene group (C(2)'). We propose a plausible inactivation mechanism that involves relief of ring strain and is consistent with examples found in the literature. In addition, these studies provide important clues for future design of more efficient and selective inhibitors to control and/or regulate fatty acid metabolism.     

A coupled electron diffraction and rigid unit mode (RUM) study of the crystal chemistry of some zeotypic AlPO4 compounds

Electron diffraction and lattice dynamical calculations are used to investigate the unit cells, space group symmetries and inherent displacive flexibility of the room-temperature average structures of AlPO₄-8, AlPO₄-16 and AlPO₄-tridymite. The zero-frequency rigid unit modes (RUMs) of the idealized high-symmetry polymorphs thereof are also investigated along with their relationship to the lower-temperature polymorphism of these zeotypic aluminophosphates. The clear presence of satellite reflections in addition to the Bragg reflections (G) of the underlying Cmc2₁ parent structure in the case of AlPO₄-8 shows that the true unit cell of the room-temperature polymorph has a doubled c-axis due to a condensed RUM mode. Structured diffuse scattering is also observed which can be related to the thermal excitation of RUM modes. In the case of AlPO₄-tridymite, a complex F1 triclinic polymorph is observed and related to soft RUM modes while, in the case of AlPO₄-16, a soft q=0 RUM mode is shown to be responsible for an observed phase transition in the case of the all SiO₂ analogue of AlPO₄-16. A large number of additional zero-frequency RUM modes also exist in the case of AlPO₄-16.     

Synthesis and characterization of chitosan-graft-polycaprolactone copolymers

The graft copolymers of chitosan with polycaprolactone (PCL) were prepared through a protection-graft-deprotection route using phthaloylchitosan as intermediate. PCL macromonomers terminated with isocyanate groups reacted with hydroxyl groups of phthaloyl-protected chitosan regioselectively, and then phthaloyl groups were deprotected to give the free amino groups. The graft reaction was carried out in homogeneous system and yielded copolymers with high grafting content due to solubilization. FTIR, NMR and XRD were detected to characterize the resultant chitosan-graft-PCL copolymers.     

Mesoscale organization of CuO nanoribbons: formation of "dandelions"

A two-tiered organizing scheme with multiple-length scales for construction of dandelion-like hollow CuO microspheres has been elucidated: (1) mesoscale formation of rhombic building units from smaller nanoribbons via oriented aggregation and (2) macroscopic organization of these units into the CuO microspheres. This self-assembly concept may also be applicable to other metal oxides by creating geometric constraints for constructional units.