A facile route for creating "reverse" vesicles: insights into "reverse" self-assembly in organic liquids

Reverse vesicles are spherical containers in organic liquids (oils) consisting of an oily core surrounded by a reverse bilayer. They are the organic counterparts to vesicles in aqueous solution and could potentially find analogous uses in encapsulation and controlled release. However, few examples of robust reverse vesicles have been reported, and general guidelines for their formation do not exist. We present a new route for forming stable unilamellar reverse vesicles in nonpolar organic liquids, such as cyclohexane and n-hexane. The recipe involves mixing short- and long-chain lipids (lecithins) with a trace of a salt such as sodium chloride. The ratio of short- to long-chain lecithin controls the type and size of self-assembled structure. As this ratio is increased, a spontaneous transition from reverse micelles to reverse vesicles occurs. Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirm the presence of unilamellar vesicles in the corresponding solutions. Average vesicle diameters can be tuned from 60 to 250 nm depending on the sample composition.     

Surfactant vesicles for high-efficiency capture and separation of charged organic solutes

We demonstrate the unique ability of catanionic vesicles, formed by mixing single-tailed cationic and anionic surfactants, to capture ionic solutes with remarkable efficiency. In an initial study (Wang, X.; Danoff, E. J.; Sinkov, N. A.; Lee, J.-H.; Raghavan, S. R.; English, D. S. Langmuir 2006, 22, 6461) with vesicles formed from cetyl trimethylammonium tosylate (CTAT) and sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS), we showed that CTAT-rich (cationic) vesicles could capture the anionic solute carboxyfluorescein with high efficiency (22%) and that the solute was retained by the vesicles for very long times (t1/2 = 84 days). Here we expand on these findings by investigating the interactions of both anionic and cationic solutes, including the chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin, with both CTAT-rich and SDBS-rich vesicles. The ability of these vesicles to capture and hold dyes is extremely efficient (>20%) when the excess charge of the vesicle bilayer is opposite that of the solute (i.e., for anionic solutes in CTAT-rich vesicles and for cationic solutes in SDBS-rich vesicles). This charge-dependent effect is strong enough to enable the use of vesicles to selectively capture and separate an oppositely charged solute from a mixture of solutes. Our results suggest that catanionic surfactant vesicles could be useful for a variety of separation and drug delivery applications because of their unique properties and long-term stability.     

Baryogenesis in the early Universe

We review various attempts to create the observed baryon asymmetry of the Universe. In particular, we consider models of GUT baryogenesis, baryogenesis via leptogenesis, the Affleck-Dine mechanism, electroweak baryogenesis and baryogenesis via topological defects and primordial black holes.     

离子选择电极阵列土壤中硝态氮测定

土壤硝态氮反映土壤短期氮素供应水平,实时了解土壤硝态氮的含量为精准农业和农业面源污染防控提供支撑,因此,在线实时检测土壤硝态氮方法突破就显得十分迫切。土壤硝态氮中的硝酸根离子在土壤中的高水溶性和流动性为全固态硝酸根离子选择电极高敏感检测土壤中硝态氮提供了条件,固态硝态氮离子选择电极的离子选择膜反应硝酸根离子在被测溶液中的浓度。采用全固态硝酸根离子选择电极,且与温度电极和pH电极融合组成电极阵列对土壤饱和溶液中的硝态根离子进行检测。设计了高输入阻抗运算放大电路对电极信号进行采集,并通过微处理控制蠕动泵完成土壤硝态氮待测溶液连续流动测量及实时传输结果。实验结果表明,电极响应时间≤15 s,斜率-51.63 mV/decade,线性范围10-5-10-2.2 mol/L,最低检测限10-5.23 mol/L。相对标准差在0.78%-4.47%范围内,加标回收率均在90%-110%以内。与国家标准紫外可见分光光度法测试结果相比,相关系数（R2）为0.9952,为土壤硝态氮在现场检测奠定技术基础。     

Macroscopic model of phospholipid vesicle spreading and rupture

We present a macroscopic model for the spreading and rupture of a spherical lipid vesicle on a flat, isotropic, hydrophilic surface. Formulas for the free energy of the initial and final states are derived, and the details of spreading pathways are examined. We show that the activation barrier for vesicle rupture is too large to be overcome by thermal fluctuations at room temperature and the final configuration is more likely to consist of a deflated vesicle. In order for the vesicle to rupture into a planar bilayer, it would have to be aided by increased temperature, application of an external force, or preparation of a mixed hydrophilic/ hydrophobic surface.     

The cyclodimerisation of 3-methyl-2-butenenitrile

3-Methyl-2-butenenitrile (1) cyclodimerised on treatment with lithium diisopropylamide in dimethoxyethane at temperatures between ?78°C and 0°C to 3-amino-4-cyano-1,5,5-trimethyl-1,3-cyclohexadiene (2) the structure of which was established by acid hydrolysis to the known 4-cyano-1,5,5-trimethyl-1-cyclohexene-3-one (3).     

Hilbert functions of points on Schubert varieties in orthogonal Grassmannians

Given a point on a Schubert variety in an orthogonal Grassmannian, we compute the multiplicity, more generally the Hilbert function. We first translate the problem from geometry to combinatorics by applying standard monomial theory. The solution of the resulting combinatorial problem forms the bulk of the paper. This approach has been followed earlier to solve the same problem for Grassmannians and symplectic Grassmannians.     

Regio- and stereoselective transfer of p-toluenesulfonamido group from sulfur to carbon: preparation of aminoalcohol derivatives from allylalcohols

A novel methodology for the regio- and stereoselective synthesis of amino alcohol derivatives from allylalcohols/ethers via intramolecular nucleophilic participation by the sulfilimine moiety is disclosed. The sulfilimine moiety is stereospecifically transformed to a sulfinyl moiety with an inverted configuration. The reaction is general and affords highly functionalised products.     

Structural and electrical properties of chemical solution deposited (Bi0.9Tb0.1)(Fe0.975 TM 0.025)O3±δ (TM = Ni, Mn and Ti) thin films

Effects of Tb and transition metal (TM = Ni, Mn and Ti) ions co-doping on the structural, electrical and ferroelectric properties of the BiFeO₃ thin films prepared by using a chemical solution deposition method were reported. From X-ray diffraction and Raman scattering analyses, distorted rhombohedral perovskite structures were observed for all thin films. Improved electrical and ferroelectric properties were observed for the co-doped thin films. Among the thin films, the lowest leakage current density of 2.67 × 10^?6 A/cm² (at 100 kV/cm), large remnant polarization (2P _r ) of 82.2 μC/cm² and low coercive field (2E_c) of 680 kV/cm (at 1,036 kV/cm) were measured for the (Tb, Mn) co-doped thin film.