Polymerization in lyotropic liquid crystals. I. Change of structure during polymerization

Polymerization was made at 60°C in a lyotropic liquid crystal of sodium undecenoate and water. The liquid crystalline structure prior to polymerization was identified by optical microscopy and low-angle x-ray diffraction as an array of hexagonal closely packed cylinders with the hydrophobic part of the soap in the center of the cylinders. During polymerization the structure became isotropic at 60°C. Cooling to 20°C transformed the structure to a lamellar liquid crystal–a reversible transition. The structure of the lamellar phase was interpreted as a polyethylene backbone from which deformed decanoate chains reached toward the aqueous layer. Molecular models showed the model to accept head-tail, head-head, and tail-tail configurations in cis and trans conformations with the exception of the cis tail-tail configuration.     

Microanalysis of catecholamines in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography with amperometric detection as compared with a radioenzymatic method

A high-performance liquid chromatographic procedure is described for the quantitative determination of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine in human plasma. The method, which is based on adsorption of the catecholamines to alumina and, after liberation, separation on a microparticulate bonded strong cation-exchange resin and amperometric detection, has been optimized to give complete baseline separation of the substances of interest. Dihydroxybenzylamine, a nonendogenous catecholamine, is used as the internal standard. The detection limit is about 0.1 pmol for dopamine. Analysis of data obtained for norepinephrine and epinephrine from a total of 59 plasma samples showed a good correlation to the corresponding values obtained with a radioenzymatic method. Some results from normal and pathological conditions are compared.     

A neutron powder diffraction study of the κ phase in the FeWC system

The crystal structure of the κ-carbide in the FeWC system has been refined from neutron powder diffraction data using the Rietveld profile analysis method. κ-(FeWC) is isostructural with κ-(CoWC); space group $\text{P6}{}_3\text{mmc}$; unit cell dimensions a = 7.7982(2)Å, c = 7.8298(4) Å. The structure refinement indicates $\text{Fe}\text{W}$ substitution at two of the tungsten sites, and 46% vacancies at one of the carbon sites. The composition corresponds to the formula Fe_3+xW_10?xC_4?y, with x = 0.57(3) and y = 0.46(1).     

Hydrolysis and Condensation of Alkyltrimethoxysilanes in Monomolecular Films

Hydrolysis and condensation of monomolecular alkyloxysilane films by the Langmuir technique is presented. Octadecyltrimethoxysilane formed monolayers on aqueous subphases with different properties depending on the bulk pH. At pH 1 a solid condensed film was directly formed with a molecular area of 23 Ų and a surface pressure/surface area variation similar to that on non-ionized stearic acid. At pH 5.6 and 11 several phase transitions were observed during the compression of the monolayer with a final collapse at a molecular area of 20 Ų. Relaxation measurements confirmed the stability of the films for longer than 12 hours at different surface pressures below a critical value.     

WATER UPTAKE INTO STRATUM CORNEUM; PARTITION BETWEEN LIPIDS AND PROTEINS

Water uptake in natural and reaggregated stratum corneum was determined by weight difference after storage in an atmosphere of controlled relative humidity.

Interlayer spacing in separated lipids as a function of their water content was determined by low-angle X-ray diffractometry. These values were used as a calibration curve to determine the water content of the lipid bilayers in reaggregated stratum corneum.

The results revealed different behavior of the lipid models compared to natural lipids of the stratum corneum. The additional water taken up after reaggregation of equilibrated lipids and proteins, was equally partitioned between the protein and the natural lipid fraction, while the models gave a proportionally higher water uptake into the lipids at high relative humidity. It is obvious that the models, so far, do not mimic all the properties of the natural stratum corneum lipids.     

Explanation of Ionic Sequences in Various Phenomena. III. Salting-in and -out of Amino Acids

Abstract

Previous developed theories were applied in explaining the mechanism for the salting-in and -out of various amino acids. Glycine is salted-in according to the cationic sequences Li⁺ > Na⁺ > K⁺ > Rb⁺ and Ca²⁺ > Ba²⁺ > Sr²⁺. The ability of a cation to increase the solubility of an amino acid therefore corresponds to the destruction of the ion-ion bond between the - CO-₂and the -NH_{+ 2}group of the amino acid by forming an insoluble ion-ion bond between the added cation and the - CO?² group. This insolubilizing effect produces a positive charge on the amino acid. If, however, the anion of the added salt forms a relatively insoluble ion-ion bond with the -NH₊₂ group of the amino acid, then the effect is minimized because now both charges on the amino acid are reduced. Consequently, the more insoluble the cation amino acid salt and the more soluble the anion amino acid salt (or vice versa), the greater will be the salting-in effect. Titration of either charged group on the amino acid zwitterion has the same effect, since now the ion-ion bond of the amino acid is again destroyed. Aliphatic and carboxylic acid groups also effect the salting-in sequence, since these groups are salted-out by addition of salt when D^± < D_H2o. These mechanisms explain how leucine is first salted-out, then salted-in (at 4 M) and finally salted-out again (at 9 M) in LiCl solutions. Urea salts-in hydrophobic amino acids by increasing the dielectric constant and salts-out polar amino acids by increasing the interaction between the two charge groups on the amino acid. Glycine reverses the salting-in effect of NaCl on asparagine by competing for the Na⁺ ion.     

Equilibrium Topology and Partial Inversion of Janus Drops: A Numerical Analysis

The equilibrium topology of an aqueous Janus emulsion of two oils, O1 and O2, with water, W, [(O1+O2)/W], is numerically evaluated with the following realistic interfacial tensions (γ): γ_O2/W=5 mN m⁻¹, γ_O1/O2=1 mN m⁻¹, and γ_O1/W varies within the range 4–5 mN m⁻¹, which is the limiting range for stable Janus drop topology. The relative significance of the two independently pivotal factors for the topology is evaluated, that is, the local equilibrium at the line of contact between the three liquids and the volume fraction of the two dispersed liquids within the drop. The results reveal a dominant effect of the local equilibrium on the fraction of the O2 drop surface that is covered by O1. In contrast, for a constant volume of O2, the impact of the interfacial tension balance on the limit of the coverage is modest for an infinite volume of O1. Interestingly, when the O1 volume exceeds this value, an emulsion inversion occurs, and the O1 portion of the (O1+O2)/W topology becomes a continuous phase, generating a (W+O2)/O1 Janus configuration.     

Evaporation/Precipitation from a W/O Microemulsion Base

The evaporation path in a microemulsion base of water, sodium dodecylsulfate, and pentanol was extended to include the subsequent precipitation stage caused by the restriction of the surfactant solubility. The results revealed the surfactant to be the only compound to precipitate during the evaporation/precipitation stage; the relative content of the two volatile compounds in the liquid phase was adjusted to the required level by the evaporation.