The effect of tourmaline on cell membrane of nitrosomonas europaea and biodegradation of micropollutant

As a kind of ammonia‐oxidizing bacteria, Nitrosomonas europaea (N. europaea) was chosen as a research model to study the alteration of cell membrane in the presence of tourmaline and biodegradation of acetochlor. atomic force microscopy images reveal that the presence of tourmaline substantially changes the structure of the outer membrane of the cell responsible for the cell permeability. SEM images show that the introduction of tourmaline makes the cell lose its ability to resist lysozyme owing to the damages. The fluorescence polarization has shown a significant decrease in membrane fluidity and the increase of permeability of cell membrane. Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ was measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and was found in the supernatant from the cells treated by tourmaline. Tourmaline can improve the efficiency of biodegradation of acetochlor for N. europaea. It is proposed that the cell permeability is slightly increased, and the absorbability of nutrition from the medium becomes easier. As a result, N. europaea grows faster in the presence of tourmaline than the native cells. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Total synthesis of Daphnodorin A

A total synthesis of Daphnodorin A, a member of the Daphnodorins, was accomplished. Key features of the synthetic strategy include construction of 2-substituted-3-functionalized benzofuran via intramolecular Heck reaction and a mild Barton–McCombie deoxygenation process mediated by triethylborane. The total synthesis provided Daphnodorin A in 19.7% or 5.6% overall yield over 7 or 15 steps.     

Ultraviolet light absorber with low surface energy: synthesis and characterization

Novel fluorine-containing ultraviolet absorbers (FBPs) with low surface energy were successfully synthesized based on 2,4-dihydroxy benzophenone (BP-1), and their structures were characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, FTIR, and HRMS. UV absorption of FBPs was studied in 10⁻⁴ M dichloromethane (CH₂Cl₂), which demonstrated the superior UV absorption capability of FBPs (ca. ?=1.7×10⁴ to 2.2×10⁴ at λ_max) over the matrix (?=1.7×10⁴ at λ_max). Quantum chemistry calculation was performed to investigate the stable structure and UV electronic absorption bands of FBPs. The surface chemistry information of high-chlorinated polyethylene (HCPE) coating films embedded with ultraviolet absorbers (UVAs) was given by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and contact angle measurement. The results show that the surface enrichment capability of FBPs is remarkably better than traditional UVAs (including BP-1, BP-3, BP-12) because of the low surface energy properties of FBPs.     

Extraction of coal-tar pitch using NMP/ILs mixed solvents

Coal-tar pitch(CP)is a promising carbon raw material for producing needle coke,carbon fiber etc.During processing,the H/C ratio,ash content,and quinoline insoluble(QI)in the CP are the key factors that influence the material preparation.In this study,NMP was selected to extract CP first;then[BMIM]Cl/NMP mixed solvent was used;and finally a series of ionic liquids(ILs)mixtures with NMP were developed for the extraction of CP to obtain the refined pitch.The extracts were analyzed via elemental analysis,TGA,FT-IR,and 13C-NMR.Results indicate that different NMP/IL mass ratios or different kinds of ILs have impact on the extraction yield.The relationship of the hydrogen to carbon(H/C)ratio changed with different solvents and QI extracts were obtained.Results showed that the H/C ratios changed little between NMP extracts and could be adjusted by changing the NMP/ILs mass ratio or using different ILs.The extracts are suitable for preparation mesophase pitch because of no ash content,low QI,and appropriate H/C ratios.As a result,NMP can be used to refine pitch.In addition,[BMIM]Cl is good mixed with NMP for CP extraction,because it can obtain a relatively high yield under the same extraction conditions.     

石墨烯玻璃透明薄膜加热特性

Graphene has become a research focus in recent years owing to its excellent characteristics, and glass is a commonly used material with high transparency and low cost. Graphene glass combines the excellent properties of both graphene and glass; graphene glass has not only high thermal conductivity, high electrical conductivity, and good surface hydrophobicity but also exhibits superior electrothermal conversion and wide-spectrum high-light-transmittance characteristics. Therefore, the study of graphene glass films is of theoretical value and practical significance. In this study, a high-purity glass-based (JGS1 quartz glass) multilayer graphene film was developed based on an atmospheric-pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD) method, and its electrical characteristics, light transmittance, and electrical heating characteristics were experimentally investigated in detail. The results show that graphene glass with different surface resistance values obtained through direct growth on a high-purity quartz glass substrate using the APCVD method, not only has excellent uniformity and quality, but also has considerably flat and high transmittance across the entire visible light region and exhibits excellent heating performance and fast response time. For graphene glass with a surface resistance of 1500 Ω·sq^-1, the light transmittance can reach 74%, and the saturation temperature can rise to 185 ℃ by applying a bias voltage of 40 V. In addition, when the resistance value of the graphene glass is 420 Ω·sq^-1, the graphene glass reaches a high saturation temperature of 325 ℃ in 40 s, and the corresponding heating rate can exceed 18 ℃·s^-1, achieving a significantly higher heating rate than other heating films at the same voltage. Compared with the polyethylene-terephthalate- (PET-) based and silicon-based graphene films obtained by the transfer, graphene glass has a higher saturation temperature, shorter thermal response time, and faster heating rate. Furthermore, graphene glass exhibits better heating cycle stability and longer-term heating stability at a constant voltage. In addition, an experiment using the graphene glass to thermally tune the wavelength of a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser was conducted and gave good results. The position of the laser peak controlled by the graphene glass was red-shifted by 1.78 nm by applying a voltage of 20 V, and the wavelength tuning efficiency reached 0.059 nm·℃^-1. Compared with PET-based and silicon-based graphene films, the actual electrical heating capacity of graphene glass increased by 195%. These experimental findings demonstrate that graphene glass transparent films with excellent electric heating characteristics can be used in various transparent electric heating fields and have relatively wide application prospects.     

多相催化生物甘油选择性氧化制取1,3-二羟基丙酮的研究进展北大核心CSCD

1,3-二羟基丙酮(DHA)是一种重要的化工原料,广泛应用于医药、化妆品及食品等领域.通过催化选择性氧化甘油制备DHA是一条高效、经济的工艺路线,而催化剂的种类及反应方式被证明对DHA的产率有较大影响.因此,结合近些年来相关文献,系统阐述了热、光和电这3种催化反应方式在甘油氧化制取DHA上的研究进展,并重点介绍了热催化路径中所选用的催化剂、相关研究实例及反应机理.最后,对甘油制备DHA的多路径选择性氧化的研究前景进行了展望.     

Numerical analysis of dual variable of conductivity in bioconvection flow of Carreau–Yasuda nanofluid containing gyrotactic motile microorganisms over a porous medium

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - The increasing need of the modern era of technology for better ways to increase the heat transfer performance of thermal systems has made nanoliquids...     

Blocking Effect of Demethylzeylasteral on the Interaction between Human ACE2 Protein and SARS-CoV-2 RBD Protein Discovered Using SPR Technology

The novel coronavirus disease (2019-nCoV) has been affecting global health since the end of 2019, and there is no sign that the epidemic is abating. Targeting the interaction between the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein and the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor is a promising therapeutic strategy. In this study, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) was used as the primary method to screen a library of 960 compounds. A compound 02B05 (demethylzeylasteral, CAS number: 107316-88-1) that had high affinities for S-RBD and ACE2 was discovered, and binding affinities (K_D, μM) of 02B05-ACE2 and 02B05-S-RBD were 1.736 and 1.039 μM, respectively. The results of a competition experiment showed that 02B05 could effectively block the binding of S-RBD to ACE2 protein. Furthermore, pseudovirus infection assay revealed that 02B05 could inhibit entry of SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus into 293T cells to a certain extent at nontoxic concentration. The compoundobtained in this study serve as references for the design of drugs which have potential in the treatment of COVID-19 and can thus accelerate the process of developing effective drugs to treat SARS-CoV-2 infections.     

Upgrading Solid Digestate from Anaerobic Digestion of Agricultural Waste as Performance Enhancer for Starch-Based Mulching Biofilm

Developing a green and sustainable method to upgrade biogas wastes into high value-added products is attracting more and more public attention. The application of solid residues as a performance enhancer in the manufacture of biofilms is a prospective way to replace conventional plastic based on fossil fuel. In this work, solid digestates from the anaerobic digestion of agricultural wastes, such as straw, cattle and chicken manures, were pretreated by an ultrasonic thermo-alkaline treatment to remove the nonfunctional compositions and then incorporated in plasticized starch paste to prepare mulching biofilms by the solution casting method. The results indicated that solid digestate particles dispersed homogenously in the starch matrix and gradually aggregated under the action of a hydrogen bond, leading to a transformation of the composites to a high crystalline structure. Consequently, the composite biofilm showed a higher tensile strength, elastic modulus, glass transition temperature and degradation temperature compared to the pure starch-based film. The light, water and GHG (greenhouse gas) barrier properties of the biofilm were also reinforced by the addition of solid digestates, performing well in sustaining the soil quality and minimizing N₂O or CH₄ emissions. As such, recycling solid digestates into a biodegradable plastic substitute not only creates a new business opportunity by producing high-performance biofilms but also reduces the environmental risk caused by biogas waste and plastics pollution.