Direct conversion of fructose-based carbohydrates to 5-ethoxymethylfurfural catalyzed by AlCl3·6H2O/BF3·(Et)2O in ethanol

Direct conversion of fructose-based carbohydrates to 5-ethoxymethylfurfural (EMF) catalyzed by Lewis acid in ethanol was investigated. It was found that BF₃·(Et)₂O was favorable for 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) etherification to EMF. BF₃·(Et)₂O combination with AlCl₃·6H₂O with the molar ratio of 1 was an effective catalyst system for synthesis of EMF from fructose-based carbohydrates. 55.0%, 45.4% and 23.9% of EMF yields were obtained from fructose, inulin and sucrose under optimized conditions, respectively.     

3，5-二硝基水杨酸和菲咯啉构筑的两个镧配合物的合成、晶体结构及荧光性质

以3,5-二硝基水杨酸（H₂dns）和菲咯啉（phen）为配体合成了2个新的镧配合物[La₂（dns）₂（Hdns）₂（phen）₄]（1）和[La₄（dns）₆（phen）₆]（2）,并对它们进行了红外分析、元素分析、热重分析和单晶结构分析。单晶衍射结果表明,配合物1和2均为三斜晶系,P1空间群。配合物1和2中La（Ⅲ）通过配体H₂dns桥联分别形成双核结构和四核结构。热重和荧光分析表明：2热稳定性高于1,1和2均在467 nm处有最强荧光发射强度。     

Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction of phenolic compounds using solidified floating organic droplets, and their determination by HPLC

We have developed a simple and efficient method for dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction of 4-nitrophenol, 2-naphthol and bisphenol A in real water samples. It is making use of solidified floating organic droplets of 1-dodecanol which has low density and a proper melting point. The type and volume of extraction solvent and dispersive solvent, the effect of salts, pH value and extraction time were optimized and resulted in enrichment factors of 84 for 4-nitrophenol, 123 for 2-naphthol, and 97 for bisphenol A. The limits of detection by HPLC are 1.50, 0.10 and 1.02 ng · mL^?1, respectively. Excellent linearity is observed in the concentration range from 10 to 800 ng · mL^?1, with coefficients of correlation ranging from 0.9988 to 0.9999. The relative standard deviations (for n?=?5) are from 3.2 to 5.3 %, and relative recoveries for the three phenols in tap, river and spring water range from 85.0 to 105.0 %, 98.3 to 110.0 %, and 98.6 to 109.0 %, respectively.

Recombinant Expression and Characterization of an Organic-Solvent-Tolerant α-Amylase from Exiguobacterium sp. DAU5

The enzyme from halophilic microorganisms often has unique properties such as organic-solvent-tolerance. In this study, a novel organic-solvent-tolerant α-amylase gene was cloned from the mild halophile Exiguobacterium sp. DAU5. The open reading frame (ORF) of the enzyme consisted of 1,545 bp and encoded 514 amino acids, the primary sequence revealed that it belongs to the glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 13. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) showed an AmyH monomer of 57 kDa. The enzyme exhibited maximal activity at 40 °C in pH?8.5 glycine–NaOH buffer, and the activity was strongly inhibited by Zn²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Fe²⁺. The α-amylase AmyH exhibited high hydrolysis activity toward soluble starch, and the major hydrolysis products were maltose, maltotriose, and maltopentaose; the AmyH could not efficiently hydrolyze oligosaccharides smaller than maltoheptaose, nor could it act on the β-1,4 or α-1,6 glucosidic bonds in xylan or pullulan, respectively. In addition, the α-amylase exhibited better tolerance to organic solvents, as it was stable in the presence of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), methanol, ethanol, and acetone. Base on all of these results, the enzyme could be useful for practical application in the bakery industry and in biotechnological processes that occur in the presence of organic solvents.     

Cloning, Expression, and Characterization of β-mannanase from Bacillus subtilis MAFIC-S11 in Pichia pastoris

The β-mannanase gene (1,029 nucleotide) from Bacillus subtilis MAFIC-S11, encoding a polypeptide of 342 amino acids, was cloned and expressed in Pichia pastoris. To increase its expression, the β-mannanase gene was optimized for codon usage (mannS) and fused downstream to a sequence-encoding modified α-factor signal peptide. The expression level was improved by 2-fold. This recombinant enzyme (mannS) showed its highest activity of 24,600 U/mL after 144-h fermentation. The optimal temperature and pH of mannS were 50 °C and 6.0, respectively, and its specific activity was 3,706 U/mg. The kinetic parameters V _max and K _m were determined as 20,000 U/mg and 8 mg/mL, respectively, representing the highest ever expression level of β-mannanase reported in P. pastoris. In addition, the enzyme exhibited much higher binding activity to chitin, chitosan, Avicel, and mannan. The superior catalytic properties of mannS suggested great potential as an effective additive in animal feed industry.     

A molecularly imprinted polymer for solid phase extraction of allantoin

We describe a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) for the solid-phase extraction of the skin protectant allantoin. The MIP was deposited on the surface of monodisperse silica microspheres possessing acroyl groups on the surface (MH-SiO₂). The resulting MIP microspheres (MH-SiO₂@MIP) showed a 3.4-fold higher adsorption capacity and a 1.9-fold better selectivity for allantoin than the respective non-imprinted polymer (MH-SiO₂@NIP). The monolayer adsorption capacities of the MH-SiO₂@MIP and the MH-SiO₂@NIP were calculated with the help of the Langmuir model and found to be 6.8 and 1.9 mg?g^?1, respectively. Adsorption kinetics fit a pseudo-second order rate mechanism, with an initial adsorption rate of 1.44 for the MH-SiO₂@MIP, and of 0.07 mg?g^?1?min^?1 for the MH-SiO₂@NIP. The material can be regenerated, and its adsorption capacity for allantoin remains stable for at least five regeneration cycles. It was successfully used as a sorbent for the selective solid-phase extraction of allantoin from Rhizoma dioscoreae.

硫化镉/二氧化硅复合材料的合成

结合亲核取代反应与硅氧烷水解和硅羟基缩合反应,制备了羧酸镉/二氧化硅复合材料。通过硫化反应,实现了立方结构和六方结构硫化镉纳米粒子在复合材料中的原位制备。复合材料中硫化镉纳米粒子的发射峰位在617 nm,属于红色荧光(三元色之一)。硫化镉/二氧化硅复合材料在光学器件方面具有潜在的应用前景。     

Mass Spectrometry Study of Multiply Negatively Charged, Gas-Phase NaAOT Micelles: How Does Charge State Affect Micellar Structure and Encapsulation?

We report the formation and characterization of multiply negatively charged sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (NaAOT) aggregates in the gas phase, by electrospray ionization of methanol/water solution of NaAOT followed by detection using a guided-ion-beam tandem mass spectrometer. Singly and doubly charged aggregates dominate the mass spectra with the compositions of [Na_n-zAOT_n]^z– (n?=?1–18 and z?=?1–2). Solvation by water was detected only for small aggregates [Na_n-1AOT_nH₂O]^– of n?=?3–9. Incorporation of glycine and tryptophan into [Na_n-zAOT_n]^z– aggregates was achieved, aimed at identifying effects of guest molecule hydrophobicity on micellar solubilization. Only one glycine molecule could be incorporated into each [Na_n-zAOT_n]^z– of n?≥?7, and at most two glycine molecules could be hosted in that of n?≥?13. In contrast to glycine, up to four tryptophan molecules could be accommodated within single aggregates of n?≥?6. However, deprotonation of tryptophan significantly decrease its affinity towards aggregates. Collision-induced dissociation (CID) was carried out for mass-selected aggregate ions, including measurements of product ion mass spectra for both empty and amino acid-containing aggregates. CID results provide a probe for aggregate structures, surfactant-solute interactions, and incorporation sites of amino acids. The present data was compared with mass spectrometry results of positively charged [Na_n+zAOT_n]^z+ aggregates. Contrary to their positive analogues, which form reverse micelles, negatively charged aggregates may adopt a direct micelle-like structure with AOT polar heads exposed and amino acids being adsorbed near the micellar outer surface.      

Facile Synthesis of Ultra-Small Few-Layer Nanostructured MoSe2 Embedded on N,P Co-Doped Bio-Carbon for High-Performance Half/Full Sodium-Ion and Potassium-Ion Batteries

Sodium/potassium-ion batteries (SIBs/PIBs) arouse intensive interest on account of the natural abundance of sodium/potassium resources, the competitive cost and appropriate redox potential. Nevertheless, the huge challenge for SIBs/PIBs lies in the scarcity of an anode material with high capacity and stable structure, which are capable of accommodating large-size ions during cycling. Furthermore, using sustainable natural biomass to fabricate electrodes for energy storage applications is a hot topic. Herein, an ultra-small few-layer nanostructured MoSe₂ embedded on N, P co-doped bio-carbon is reported, which is synthesized by using chlorella as the adsorbent and precursor. As a consequence, the MoSe₂/NP-C-2 composite represents exceedingly impressive electrochemical performance for both sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) and potassium-ion batteries (PIBs). It displays a promising reversible capacity (523 mAh g⁻¹ at 100 mA g⁻¹ after 100 cycles) and impressive long-term cycling performance (192 mAh g⁻¹ at 5 A g⁻¹ even after 1000 cycles) in SIBs, which are some of the best properties of MoSe₂-based anode materials for SIBs to date. To further probe the great potential applications, full SIBs pairing the MoSe₂/NP-C-2 composite anode with a Na₃V₂(PO₄)₃ cathode also exhibits a satisfactory capacity of 215 mAh g⁻¹ at 500 mA g⁻¹ after 100 cycles. Moreover, it also delivers a decent reversible capacity of 131 mAh g⁻¹ at 1 A g⁻¹ even after 250 cycles for PIBs.     

The Role of Polarization in Photocatalysis

Semiconductor photocatalysis as a desirable technology shows great potential in environmental remediation and renewable energy generation, but its efficiency is severely restricted by the rapid recombination of charge carriers in the bulk phase and on the surface of photocatalysts. Polarization has emerged as one of the most effective strategies for addressing the above‐mentioned issues, thus effectively promoting photocatalysis. This review summarizes the recent advances on improvements of photocatalytic activity by polarization‐promoted bulk and surface charge separation. Highlighted is the recent progress in charge separation advanced by different types of polarization, such as macroscopic polarization, piezoelectric polarization, ferroelectric polarization, and surface polarization, and the related mechanisms. Finally, the strategies and challenges for polarization enhancement to further enhance charge separation and photocatalysis are discussed.