Templating the Self‐Assembly of Pristine Carbon Nanostructures in Water

The low solubility of carbon nanostructures (CNs) in water and the need of ordered architectures at the nanoscale level are two major challenges for materials chemistry. Here we report that a novel amino acid based low‐molecular‐weight gelator (LMWG) can be used to effectively disperse pristine CNs in water and to drive their ordered self‐assembly into supramolecular hydrogels. A non‐covalent mechanochemical approach has been used, so the π‐extended system of the CNs remains intact. Optical spectroscopy and electron microscopy confirmed the effective dispersion of the CNs in water. Electron microscopy of the hydrogels showed the formation of an ordered, LMWG‐assisted, self‐assembled architecture. Moreover, the very same strategy allows the solubilization and self‐assembly in water of a variety of hydrophobic molecules.     

Alcoholic Fermentation with Flocculant Saccharomyces cerevisiae in Fed-Batch Process

Studies have been conducted on selecting yeast strains for use in fermentation for ethanol production to improve the performance of industrial plants and decrease production costs. In this paper, we study alcoholic fermentation in a fed-batch process using a Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast strain with flocculant characteristics. Central composite design (CCD) was used to determine the optimal combination of the variables involved, with the sucrose concentration of 170 g/L, a cellular concentration in the inoculum of 40 % (v/v), and a filling time of 6 h, which resulted in a 92.20 % yield relative to the theoretical maximum yield, a productivity of 6.01 g/L h and a residual sucrose concentration of 44.33 g/L. With some changes in the process such as recirculation of medium during the fermentation process and increase in cellular concentration in the inoculum after use of the CCD was possible to reduce the residual sucrose concentration to 2.8 g/L in 9 h of fermentation and increase yield and productivity for 92.75 % and 9.26 g/L h, respectively. A model was developed to describe the inhibition of alcoholic fermentation kinetics by the substrate and the product. The maximum specific growth rate was 0.103 h^?1, with K _I and K _s values of 109.86 and 30.24 g/L, respectively. The experimental results from the fed-batch reactor show a good fit with the proposed model, resulting in a maximum growth rate of 0.080 h^?1.     

Nontargeted GC–MS approach for volatile profile of toasting in cherry,chestnut, false acacia,and ash wood

By using a nontargeted GC–MS approach, 153 individual volatile compounds were found in extracts from untoasted, light toasted and medium‐toasted cherry, chestnut, false acacia, as well as European and American ash wood, used in cooperage for aging wines, spirits and other beverages. In all wood types, the toasting provoked a progressive increase in carbohydrate derivatives, lactones and lignin constituents, along with a variety of other components, thus increasing the quantitative differences among species with the toasting intensity. The qualitative differences in the volatile profiles allow for identifying woods from cherry (being p‐anisylalcohol, p‐anisylaldehyde, p‐anisylacetone, methyl benzoate and benzyl salicylate detected only in this wood), chestnut (cis and trans whisky lactone) and false acacia (resorcinol, 3,4‐dimethoxyphenol, 2,4‐dihydroxy benzaldehyde, 2,4‐dihydroxyacetophenone, 2,4‐dihydroxypropiophenone and 2,4‐dihydroxy‐3‐methoxyacetophenone), but not those from ash, because of the fact that all compounds present in this wood are detected in at least one other. However, the quantitative differences can be clearly used to identify toasted ash wood, with tyrosol being most prominent, but 2‐furanmethanol, 3‐ and 4‐ethylcyclotene, α‐methylcrotonolactone, solerone, catechol, 3‐methylcatechol and 3‐hydroxybenzaldehyde as well. Regarding oak wood, its qualitative volatile profile could be enough to distinguish it from cherry and acacia woods, and the quantitative differences from chestnut (vanillyl ethyl ether, isoacetovanillone, butirovanillone, 1‐(5‐methyl‐2‐furyl)‐2‐propanone and 4‐hydroxy‐5,6‐dihydro‐(2H)‐pyran‐2‐one) and ash toasted woods. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Parameters influencing the electrodeposition of a Ni-Cu coating on Fe powders. II. Effect of particle size fraction,suspension density and rotation speed

The composition of a two-component Ni-Cu coating and the efficiency of its electrochemical deposition on Fe powder was studied by constant current electrolysis. A fluidized bed arrangement was applied. The variable parameters were: the particle size fraction, the density of the suspension of the Fe powder in the plating bath, and the intensity of the stirring of the fluidized bed. Both the Cu and Ni contents in the deposit decrease with increase in the particle size, and with decrease in the suspension density. Thus, the surface area available for the electrochemical process proved to be of high importance. Another important factor is the quality of the contacts of the powder particles with the current carrying compact electrode during which the deposition of Ni is preferred. This influence is manifested in a decrease of the Ni-Cu ratio in the deposit with an increase in the particle size and rotation speed and, consequently, with a decrease in the suspension density. The current efficiency values on the powder for optimum conditions reached 80%.     

The quest for a stable silyne, RSi ≡ CR′. The effect of bulky substituents [1]

The two major fundamental obstacles which so far have prevented theisolation of stable silynes, RSiCR (1), are: (a)the existence of more stable isomers, e.g., RRC=Si: (2) and(b) their extremely facile (exothermic) dimerication. The steric andelectronic effects of various substituents R and R (R = alkoxy,alkyl, aryl and silyl; R = alkyl and aryl groups) on the stability ofRSiCR relative to the isomeric RRC=Si:(E(1-2)), and on the energy of dimerization tothe corresponding 1,3-disilacyclobutadienes (E(D)), werestudied computationally using density functional theory (DFT) and theONIOM method. The goal was to find a combination of substituents thatwill make RSiCR more stable than RRC=Si: and whichwill also prevent its dimerization. For R = R = H,E(1-2)) = 40.7 kcal/mol (i.e., 2 islower in energy than 1), and E(D) = –104.0kcal/mol. 1, R = OH, R = m-Tbt 2,6-bis[bis(silyl)methyl]phenyl, is by 11.1 kcal/mol morestable than the isomeric silylidene 2. However, thedimerization of 1, R = OH, R = m-Tbt remains highlyexothermic (by 101 kcal/mol). 1, R = R = m-Tbt and1, R = (t-Bu)₃Si, R = m-Tbt, are by 5.8 and 2.0kcal/mol, respectively, less stable than the corresponding 2.However, the dimerization of 1, R = (t-Bu)₃Si, = m-Tbt is exothermic by only 12 kcal/mol. For1, R = (t-Bu)₃Si, and R = Tbt 2,6-bis[bis(trimethylsilyl)methyl]phenyl, the corresponding1,3-disilacyclobutadiene dimer 3, dissociates spontaneously.Thus, (t-Bu₃Si)SiCTbt is predicted to be kineticallystable towards both, isomerization to (t-Bu₃Si)TbtC=Si: anddimerization to 3, making it a viable synthetic target. Thereported energies were calculated atB3LYP/6-31G^**//B3LYP/3-21G^*; good agreement is found betweenthe DFT and the ONIOM results.     

2-Oxopiperazine-based gamma-turn conformationally constrained peptides: synthesis of CCK-4 analogues

2-Oxopiperazine derivatives 1 have been designed as mimetics of gamma-turn conformationally constrained tripeptides. The synthetic pathway devised for the preparation of both epimers of 1 at C(5) involves a reductive amination of cyanomethyleneamino pseudopeptides with amino acid derivatives, followed by regiospecific lactamization of the resulting C-backbone branched pseudopeptides. The versatility of this methodology is illustrated in the synthesis of analogues of the tetrapeptides Boc-[Nle(31)]-CCK-4 and Boc-[Lys(o-tolylaminocarbonyl)(31)]-CCK-4. The introduction of the new conformational restriction into these Boc-CCK-4 analogues led to a loss of 2 or 3 orders of magnitude in the affinity at CCK receptors. These results suggest the absence of a gamma-turn in the bioactive conformation of the C-terminal tripeptide of CCK-4.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Monodisperse Thermosensitive Dumbbell‐Shaped Microgels

Monodisperse thermosensitive dumbbell‐shaped core‐shell microgels are fabricated, which consist of a polystyrene core with a cross‐linked poly (N‐isopropylacrylamide) shell. The morphology of the microgels was investigated through cryogenic transmission electron microscopy and depolarized dynamic light scattering. The effective volume fraction and aspect ratio of the system could be adjusted through the swelling of the thermosensitive shell. We observe a phase transition of the microgels to an ordered, crystal‐like state, which is apparent through Bragg‐reflections in the visible range. These observations are further supported by rheological measurements where the shear‐melting of the crystal phase is clearly detected.     

Epidermal lignin deposition in quinoa cotyledons in response to UV-B radiations

UV-B radiation (280-320 nm) is harmful to living organisms and has detrimental effects on plant growth, development and physiology. In this work we examined some mechanisms involved in plant responses to UV-B radiation. Seedlings of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) were exposed to variable numbers of UV-B radiation doses, and the effect on cotyledons was studied. We analyzed (1) cotyledons anatomy and chloroplasts ultrastructure; (2) peroxidase activity involved in the lignification processes; and (3) content of photosynthetic pigments, phenolic compounds and carbohydrates. Exposure to two UV-B doses induced an increase in the wall thickness of epidermal cells, which was associated with lignin deposition and higher activity of the peroxidase. The chloroplast ultrastructure showed an appearance typical of plants under shade conditions, likely in response to reduced light penetration into the mesophyll cells due to the screening effect of epidermal lignin deposition. Exposure to UV-B radiation also led to (1) enhancement in the level of phenolics, which may serve a protective function; (2) strong increase in the fructose content, a fact that might be related to higher requirement of erythrose-4P as a substrate for the synthesis of lignin and phenolics; and (3) reduction in the chlorophyll concentration, evidencing alteration in the photosynthetic system. We propose that the observed lignin deposition in epidermal tissues of quinoa is a resistance mechanism against UV-B radiation, which allows growing of this species in Andean highlands.     

Resolving the structure of ligands bound to the surface of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles by high-resolution magic-angle spinning NMR spectroscopy

A major challenge in magnetic nanoparticle synthesis and (bio)functionalization concerns the precise characterization of the nanoparticle surface ligands. We report the first analytical NMR investigation of organic ligands stably anchored on the surface of superparamagnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) through the development of a new experimental application of high-resolution magic-angle spinning (HRMAS). The conceptual advance here is that the HRMAS technique, already being used for MAS NMR analysis of gels and semisolid matrixes, enables the fine-structure-resolved characterization of even complex organic molecules bound to paramagnetic nanocrystals, such as nanosized iron oxides, by strongly decreasing the effects of paramagnetic disturbances. This method led to detail-rich, well-resolved (1)H NMR spectra, often with highly structured first-order couplings, essential in the interpretation of the data. This HRMAS application was first evaluated and optimized using simple ligands widely used as surfactants in MNP synthesis and conjugation. Next, the methodology was assessed through the structure determination of complex molecular architectures, such as those involved in MNP3 and MNP4. The comparison with conventional probes evidences that HRMAS makes it possible to work with considerably higher concentrations, thus avoiding the loss of structural information. Consistent 2D homonuclear (1)H- (1)H and (1)H- (13)C heteronuclear single-quantum coherence correlation spectra were also obtained, providing reliable elements on proton signal assignments and carbon characterization and opening the way to (13)C NMR determination. Notably, combining the experimental evidence from HRMAS (1)H NMR and diffusion-ordered spectroscopy performed on the hybrid nanoparticle dispersion confirmed that the ligands were tightly bound to the particle surface when they were dispersed in a ligand-free solvent, while they rapidly exchanged when an excess of free ligand was present in solution. In addition to HRMAS NMR, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight MS analysis of modified MNPs proved very valuable in ligand mass identification, thus giving a sound support to NMR characterization achievements.