Effects of gamma irradiation and accelerated aging on GO/UHMWPE nanocomposites

This article investigates irradiated and accelerated aged graphene oxide (GO)/ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) nanocomposites. The prepared GO/UHMWPE nanocomposites are gamma-irradiated at a high irradiation dose in a vacuum and then accelerated aging procedure is performed at 80°C in an air oven for 21 days. Irradiated and aged samples are characterized by Raman spectrum, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrum, differential scanning calorimetry, contact angle, and gel content. Filling GO reduces the intensity of Raman spectrum of UHMWPE and irradiation or aging cannot affect vibrational modes of UHMWPE and GO/UHMWPE. The result of the FT-IR spectrum shows that UHMWPE and GO/UHMWPE basically have the same oxidation index values, whether with irradiation or accelerated aging. Irradiation or aging can slightly increase the melting temperature. GO, irradiation, or aging can significantly increase the crystallinity and improve wetting properties. In irradiated GO/UHMWPE, GO is able to maintain the efficiency of the cross-linking. However, after aging, the cross-linking density of GO/UHMWPE is reduced significantly. According to the above results, it is proposed that GO shows a very weak scavenging free radicals capacity in GO/UHMWPE composites and cannot display antioxidant capacity.     

Syntheses and electrochemical properties of three supramolecular architectures based on Keggin silicontungstates and different metal-organic units

Three new compounds [Mn(H₂O)₂(bimb)₂(H₃SiW₁₂O₄₀)₂](bimb)₄ (1), [Zn₂(bimb)₄(H₂O)₄][SiW₁₂O₄₀] (2), and [Ni₂(bimb)₄(H₂O)₄][SiW₁₂O₄₀] (3) (bimb = 1,3-bis(1-imidazoly)benzene) have been synthesized under the same hydrothermal reaction except for tuning the metal cations (Mn²⁺, Zn²⁺, and Ni²⁺). Structural characterizations show that the three compounds possess distinct structural motives. Compound 1 displays a supramolecular one-dimensional (1 D) chain formed by π···π interactions that occur among the almost parallel bimb ligands from adjacent [Mn(H₂O)₂(bimb)₂(SiW₁₂O₄₀)₂] dimers. Compound 2 shows a supramolecular two-dimensional (2D) layer achieved by intermolecular (C–H···O) hydrogen bondings between the Zn₂(bimb)₄ molecular loops and the SiW₁₂ anions. Compound 3 also exhibits a supramolecular 2D layer, but it is different from 2, which is generated by the π···π interactions among adjacent 1D polymeric chains. The distinct structural features of the three compounds suggest that the metal cations should play a significant role in the process of assembly. Additionally, the electrochemical properties of compounds 1–3 have been investigated, and the results indicate that compounds 1–3 possess excellent electrocatalytic activity toward reduction of both iodated and nitrite molecules.     

The Comparative Study of Reaction Mechanisms and Catalytic Performances of Cu–SSZ-13 and Fe–SSZ-13 for the NH3-SCR Reaction

Catalysis Surveys from Asia - The catalytic performances and mechanism differences of model catalysts Cu–SSZ-13 and Fe–SSZ-13 with similar metal content and Si/Al ratio were compared....     

A pH- and temperature-sensitive macrocyclic graft copolymer composed of PEO ring and multi-poly(2-(dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate) lateral chains

A novel method for the synthesis of macrocyclic graft copolymers was developed through combination of anionic ring-opening polymerization (AROP) and atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). A linear α,ω-dihydroxyl poly(ethylene oxide) with pendant acetal protected hydroxyl groups (l-poly(EO-co-EEGE)) was prepared first by the anionic copolymerization of ethylene oxide (EO) and ethoxyethyl glycidyl ether (EEGE). Then l-poly(EO-co-EEGE) was cyclized. The crude cyclized product containing the linear byproduct was hydrolyzed and purified by being treated with α-CD. The pure cyclic copolymer [c-poly(EO-co-Gly)] was esterified by reaction with 2-bromoisobutyryl bromide, and then used as ATRP macroinitiators to initiate polymerization of 2-(dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA), and a series of pH- and temperature-sensitive macrocyclic graft copolymers composed of a hydrophilic PEO as the ring and PDMAEMA as side chains (c-PEO-g-PDMAEMA) were obtained. The behavior of pH- and temperature-sensitive macrocyclic copolymers was studied in aqueous solution by fluorescence and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The critical micellization pH values of macrocyclic graft copolymers and their corresponding linear graft copolymers (l-PEO-g-PDMAEMA) were measured. Under the same conditions, the cyclic graft copolymer with the shorter side chains gave the higher critical micellization pH value. The c-PEO-g-PDMAEMA showed the lower critical micellization pH value than the corresponding l-PEO-g-PDMAEMA. The average hydrodynamic diameters (D _h) of the micelles were measured by DLS with the variation of the aqueous solution pH value and temperature.     

Electrocatalysis of Metalloporphyrins(Ⅷ)——Electrocatalytic Reduction of Molecular Oxygen with Water-Soluble Cobalt (Ⅱ) Tetrakis(4-Trimethyl Ammonium Phenyl) Porphyrin Catalyst

Reported here is the electrocatalytic reduction of molecular oxygen in the presence of water-soluble cobalt(Ⅱ) tetrakis(4-trimethyl ammonium phenyl) porphyrin (Co(Ⅱ)TTAPP) as catalyst in solutions of various pH values. The overpotential of molecular oxygen reduction is reduced by ca. 200-400 mV in acidic and neutral solutions compared with several decades of millivolts in alkaline solutions, indicating that Co(Ⅱ)TTAPP possesses much higher catalytic activity in acidic and neutral solutions than in alkaline. H2TTAPP in solutions of various pH exhibits no significant catalytic activity for oxygen reduction. The significant difference in the electrocatalytic activity of Co(Ⅱ)TTAPP from that of H2TTAPP for oxygen reduction indicates that the electrocatalytic activity of Co(Ⅱ)TTAPP should be attributed to the central cobalt atom (Co(Ⅱ)) coordinated by N4 internal ring in Co(Ⅱ)TTAPP. The total number of electrons involved in oxygen reduction electrocatalyzed by Co (Ⅱ)TTAPP is 2, and the product of suc     

In situ spectral imaging of marker proteins in gastric cancer with near-infrared and visible quantum dots probes

This study presents the investigation of bioconjugating ability of near-infrared (NIR) CdSeTe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) (710 nm) and visible CdSe QDs (595 nm) in immunofluorescent staining for cancer biomarkers in gastric cancer tissues probed with the homemade Hadamard transform (HT) spectral imaging microscope and a commercial multispectral imaging system. The results show that imunostaining ability of NIR QDs probes is stronger than that of visible QDs when the two kinds of QDs are simultaneously used to probe the cancer biomarkers such as cytokeratin 20 (CK20) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in gastric cancer tissues. Moreover, when the two QDs probes are used for immunostaining successively for the same target molecules, staining order has great influences on the final results due to their different conjugating ability to the marker proteins. The results imply that NIR QDs hold more promise for real-time imaging of tumor tissues due to its higher sensitivity and contrast. In addition, the results also demonstrate the potential of Hadamard transform spectral imaging as a useful tool in biomedical analysis and quantitative evaluation for tumor tissues.     

High Levels of Expression of Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 in Transgenic Tobacco (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Nicotiana benthamiana)</Emphasis>

Fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF21) is a hepatic hormone that plays a critical role in metabolism, stimulating fatty acid oxidation in the liver and glucose uptake in adipose tissue. In this study, we produced tobacco plants expressing human recombinant FGF21 (hFGF21) via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation using a potato virus X (PVX)-based vector (pgR107). The vector contained the sequence encoding the human FGF21 gene fused with green florescence protein and a histidine tag. The recombinant plasmid was introduced into leaf cells of Nicotiana benthamiana (a wild Australian tobacco) via Agrobacterium-mediated agroinfiltration. As determined by fluorescence and Western blot of leaf extracts, the hFGF21 gene was correctly translated in tobacco plants. Seven days after agroinfection, the recombinant hFGF21 had accumulated to levels as high as 450 μg g⁻¹ fresh weight in leaves of agroinfected plants. The recombinant hFGF21 was purified from plant tissues by Ni–NTA affinity chromatography, and the purified hFGF21 stimulated glucose uptake in 3T3/L1 cells. This indicated that the recombinant hFGF21 expressed via the PVX viral vector in N. benthamiana was biologically active.