An Effective and Convenient Esterefication of Cephalospor in Derivatives by Using Quarternary Ammonium Salts as Catalysts

A method for preparing cephalosporin derivatives by reacting cephalosporin alkaline metal salts with organic halide in the presence of quarternary ammonium salts catalyst is disclosed. Δ³ to Δ² isomerization, a side reaction commonly reported in preparation of cephalosporin derivatives, was successfully eliminated. The desired Δ³ was obtained as a sole product in the reaction.     

Electrophoretic separation of gold nanoparticles according to bifunctional molecules‐induced charge and size

Gold nanospheres modified with bifunctional molecules have been separated and characterized by using agarose gel electrophoresis as well as optical spectroscopy and electron microscopy. The electrophoretic mobility of a gold nanosphere capped with 11‐mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA) has been found to depend on the number of MUA molecules per gold nanosphere, indicating that it increases with the surface charge of the nanoparticle. The extinction spectrum of gold nanospheres capped with MUA at an MUA molecules per gold nanosphere value of 1000 and connected via 1,6‐hexanedithiol (HDT) decreases by 33% in magnitude and shifts to the red as largely as 22 nm with the increase of the molar ratio of HDT to MUA (R_HM). Gold nanospheres capped with MUA and connected via HDT have been separated successfully using gel electrophoresis and characterized by measuring reflectance spectra of discrete electrophoretic bands directly in the gel and by monitoring transmission electron microscope images of gold nanoparticles collected from the discrete bands. Electrophoretic mobility has been found to decrease substantially with the increment of HDT to MUA, indicating that the size of aggregated gold nanoparticles increases with the concentration of HDT.     

Core/Shell Structured PCM Nanocapsules Obtained by Resin Fortified Emulsion Process

Phase change material (PCM, octadecane) nanocapsules were successfully prepared by resin fortified emulsion (RFE) polymerization using the alkali soluble resin (ASR) of poly(ethylene‐co‐acrylic acid) (EAA) and poly(styrene‐co‐acrylic acid) (SAA). Stable PCM nanocapsules were obtained by resin fortified emulsion polymerization, which could be attributed to the prevention of Ostwald ripening due to PCM being hydrophobic. Analysis of online FTIR measurements throughout the reaction confirmed that the nanocapsules contained octadecane as a PCM. TEM imaging of the PCM nanocapsules showed spherical and core/shell morphology. The characteristics of PCM nanocapsules can be controlled by process parameters. As a result, the particle size and particle size distribution (i.e., polydispersity index (Dw/Dn)) of the PCM nanocapsules were created by adjusting manufacturing conditions. The PCM nanocapsules exhibited thermal energy storage (～49.8 J/g) and release (～47.9 J/g) behavior.     

Improvement of Regio-Specific Production of Myricetin-3-O-α-l-Rhamnoside in Engineered Escherichia coli

Myricetin is an important flavonol whose medically important properties include activities as an antioxidant, anticarcinogen, and antimutagen. The solubility, stability, and other biological properties of the compounds can be enhanced by conjugating aglycon with sugar moieties. The type of sugar moiety also plays a significant role in the biological and physical properties of the natural product glycosides. Reconstructed Escherichia coli containing thymidine diphosphate-α-l-rhamnose sugar gene cassette and Arabidopsis-derived glycosyltransferase were used for rhamnosylation of myricetin. Myricetin (100 μM) was exogenously supplemented to induced cultures of engineered E. coli. The formation of target product—myricetin-3-O-α-l-rhamnoside—was confirmed by chromatographic and NMR analyses. The yield of product was improved by using various mutants and methylated cyclodextrin as a molecular carrier for myricetin in combination with E. coli M3G3. The maximal yield of product is 55.6 μM (3.31-fold higher than the control E. coli MG3) and shows 55.6 % bioconversion of substrate under optimized conditions.     

Divergent Synthesis of All Possible Optically Active Regioisomers of Myo‐Inositol Mono‐ and Bisphosphates

All possible optically active regioisomers of myo‐inositol mono‐ and bisphosphates were synthesized using inositol derivatives suitably protected with various protecting groups (IR_ns) as key intermediates. A series of procedures including Novozym 435 catalyzed enzymatic resolution of (3aR,4S,7S,7aR)‐rel‐3a,4,7,7a‐tetrahydro‐2,2‐dimethyl‐1,3‐benzodioxole‐4,7‐diol diacetate, several protection and deprotection reactions, and acyl migration afforded two enantiomeric pairs of IR₅ and six enantiomeric pairs of IR₄. Phosphorylation of these key intermediates by the phosphitylation and oxidation procedure gave the target products after removal of the protecting groups.      

Production from ilmenite of TiO2-supported catalysts for selective catalytic reduction of NO with NH3

Economic production of titanium dioxide (yield >98 %) from ilmenite has been achieved by use of a modified sulfate reduction process. A series of samples were prepared by varying the concentration of titanium dioxide nuclei (0.2, 0.3, and 0.6 %) and further impregnation with antimony and vanadia. The structural and acidic properties of the samples were comprehensively studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy, BJH pore size distribution, and temperature-programmed desorption of NH₃. The XRD results revealed the presence of intense peaks from anatase titanium dioxide. Enhancement of surface area was observed for second-time filtered samples, possibly because of loss of iron from the bulk. As a result, formation of additional micropores was apparent from N₂ adsorption and desorption isotherms. Among all the antimony and vanadia-doped samples, the first-time filtered sample with the low concentration of nuclei (0.2 %) had the highest catalytic activity at low temperatures, owing to its larger pore size and abundant acidic species.     

Novel Tripod Amphiphiles for Membrane Protein Analysis

Integral membrane proteins play central roles in controlling the flow of information and molecules across membranes. Our understanding of membrane protein structures and functions, however, is seriously limited, mainly due to difficulties in handling and analysing these proteins in aqueous solution. The use of a detergent or other amphipathic agents is required to overcome the intrinsic incompatibility between the large lipophilic surfaces displayed by the membrane proteins in their native forms and the polar solvent molecules. Here, we introduce new tripod amphiphiles displaying favourable behaviours toward several membrane protein systems, leading to an enhanced protein solubilisation and stabilisation compared to both conventional detergents and previously described tripod amphiphiles.     

Preparation and characterization of cotton fabrics with antibacterial properties treated by crosslinkable benzophenone derivative in choline chloride-based deep eutectic solvents

Cotton fabrics with antibacterial properties were prepared by the treatment with 3,3′4,4′-benzophenone tetracarboxylic dianhydride (BPTCD) in a combined process of shaking immersion in dyeing machine and pad-dry-cure. Environmentally-benign choline chloride (ChCl)-based deep eutectic solvents (DESs) were mainly examined as treatment media instead of using organic solvent. The results revealed that cotton fabrics treated with BPTCD in urea-ChCl DES showed a strong ester carbonyl peak in fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis, indicating fixation of BPTCD on cotton cellulose. Detailed characterizations of the BPTCD-treated cotton were carried out by FTIR, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, dye staining, and evaluation of hydrophilicity and strength. The treated fabrics demonstrated a high level of antibacterial characteristics before and after UV irradiation. This indicated that addition of ChCl could enhance antibacterial activity of cotton before UV irradiation. Therefore, use of ChCl-based DES along with BPTCD incorporation provided environmentally-acceptable and economically-feasible treatment process for preparation of novel antibacterial cotton.