CFD-PBM approach for the gas-liquid flow in a nanobubble generator with honeycomb structure

In recent years, nanobubble technologies have drawn great attention due to their wide applications in many fields of science and technology. From previous studies, a kind of honeycomb structure for high efficiency nanobubble generation has been proposed. In this paper, the numerical simulations of bubbly flow in the honeycomb structure were performed by using a computational fluid dynamics–population balance model (CFD-PBM) coupled model. The numerical model was based on the Eulerian multiphase model and the population balance model (PBM) was used to calculate the bubble size distribution. The bubble size distributions in the honeycomb structure under different work conditions were predicted. Two different drag force models (Schiller-Naumann model and Tomiyama model) and two different aggregation models (Luo model and turbulent aggregation model) were investigated. Both two drag models gave similar prediction of bubble number density distribution at the outlet. The results obtained from Luo model had better reflection of the trend of number density distribution. The turbulence dissipation rate ε can be used to evaluate the nanobubble generating ability. The water tank was not included in the CFD model in this work. The bubbles in the water tank should be studied in the future.     

A novel synthesis of (+)-biotin from L-cysteine

(+)-Biotin (1) was synthesized in 25% overall yield over 11 steps from L-cysteine. The contiguous asymmetric centers at C-3a and C-6a were formed through a novel and highly stereoselective Lewis base-catalyzed cyanosilylation of alpha-amino aldehyde 3 to provide anti-O-TMS-cyanohydrin 4 with high stereoselectivity and in high yield (anti/syn = 92:8, 96%). Treatment of 4 with a di-Grignard reagent, 1,4-bis(bromomagnesio)butane, followed by carbon dioxide, efficiently installed the 4-carboxybutyl chain at C-4 to give keto acid 5. The final cyclization to bicyclic compound 7b, a precursor to 1, was realized by a palladium-catalyzed intramolecular allylic amination of cis-allylic carbonate 6b that was elaborated from 5.     

Optimal laser control of ultrafast photodissociation of I2- in water: mixed quantum/classical molecular dynamics simulation

A linearized optimal control method in combination with mixed quantum/classical molecular dynamics simulation is used for numerically investigating the possibility of controlling photodissociation wave packets of I(2)(-) in water. Optimal pulses are designed using an ensemble of photodissociation samples, aiming at the creation of localized dissociation wave packets. Numerical results clearly show the effectiveness of the control although the control achievement is reduced with an increase in the internuclear distance associated with a target region. We introduce effective optimal pulses that are designed using a statistically averaged effective dissociation potential, and show that they semiquantitatively reproduce the control achievements calculated by using optimal pulses. The control mechanisms are interpreted from the time- and frequency-resolved spectra of the effective optimal pulses.     

SmI2-mediated reduction of gamma,gamma-difluoro-alpha,beta-enoates with application to the synthesis of functionalized (Z)-fluoroalkene-type dipeptide isosteres

A samarium diiodide (SmI(2))-mediated reduction of gamma,gamma-difluoro-alpha,beta-enoates (15, 29, and 34) was successfully applied to the synthesis of (Z)-fluoroalkene dipeptide isosteres (23, 30, and 35), which have served as potential dipeptide mimetics. Reduction of the gamma,gamma-difluoro-alpha,beta-enoates by SmI(2) proceeded via successive two-electron transfers to form dienolate species which upon kinetically controlled trapping with t-BuOH yielded Xaa-Gly-type fluoroalkene isosteres exemplified by 23, 30, and 35. Replacement of the t-BuOH kinetic trapping agent with aldehydes or ketones provided access to alpha-substituted fluoroalkene isosteres (43 and 45) through aldol reactions of Sm-dienolates with the carbonyl compounds. Of particular note, the use of the SmI(2)-HCHO reagent system with chiral enoate 34 provided D-Phe-psi[(Z)-CF[double bond]CH]-D/L-Ser isosteres (45), which could be converted to enantiomerically pure isosteres (49-52) that bore a variety of side chain functionalities at the alpha-position. This was achieved by a sequence of manipulations consisting of beta-lactone formation followed by chromatographic separation and ring-opening with soft nucleophiles. Included in the present work is the first utilization of a Rh-catalyzed Reformatsky reaction of chiral imines for the stereoselective preparation of alpha,alpha-difluoro-beta-amino acid derivatives (28 and 33). The appropriate choice of reagents (carbonyl compounds for kinetic trapping or ring-opening nucleophiles and imines for Reformatsky reactions) allows the presented methodology to yield various fluoroalkene isosteres possessing a wide range of side chain functionalities.     

Hybrid Mesoporous-Silica Materials Functionalized by Pt(II) Complexes: Correlation between the Spatial Distribution of the Active Center, Photoluminescence Emission, and Photocatalytic Activity

[Pt(tpy)Cl]Cl (tpy: terpyridine) was successfully anchored to a series of mesoporous-silica materials that were modified with (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane with the aim of developing new inorganic-organic hybrid photocatalysts. Herein, the relationship between the luminescence characteristics and photocatalytic activities of these materials is examined as a function of Pt loading to define the spatial distribution of the Pt complex in the mesoporous channel. At low Pt loading, the Pt complex is located as an isolated species and exhibits strong photoluminescence emission at room temperature owing to metal-to-ligand charge-transfer ((3) MLCT) transitions (at about 530?nm). Energy- and/or electron-transfer from (3) MLCT to O(2) generate potentially active oxygen species, which are capable of promoting the selective photooxidation of styrene derivatives. On the other hand, short Pt???Pt interactions are prominent at high loading and the metal-metal-to-ligand charge-transfer ((3) MMLCT) transition is at about 620?nm. Such Pt complexes, which are situated close to each other, efficiently catalyze H(2) -evolution reactions in aqueous media in the presence of a sacrificial electron donor (EDTA) under visible-light irradiation. This study also investigates the effect of nanoconfinement on anchored guest complexes by considering the differences between the pore dimensions and structures of mesoporous-silica materials.     

Voltammetric Determination of Boric Acid Using the Ternary Complexation System with Salicylaldehyde and H‐Acid

A square‐wave voltammetric method for the determination of boric acid in water has been described based on the new understanding of the electrochemical behavior of boric acid‐Azomethine H complexation. Salicylaldehyde and H‐acid were used as the starting materials of boric acid‐Azomethine H complex and their concentrations were optimized for boric acid determination in water. A glassy carbon electrode, instead of a conventional mercury electrode, was used in the measurement. The detection limit of the proposed method was 0.10 mg B dm^?3. The proposed method was successfully used for boric acid determination in the water from a seawater desalination RO plant.     

Universal fluorescent labeling of amplification products using locked nucleic acids

Amplification/hybridization‐based genetic analyses using primers containing locked nucleic acids (LNAs) present many benefits. Here, we developed a novel design for universal fluorescent PCR using LNAs. Universal fluorescent PCR generates intermediate nonlabeled fragments and final fluorescent fragments in a two‐step amplification process that uses locus‐specific primers with universal tails and universal fluorescent primers. In this study, a few standard nucleotides were replaced with LNAs only in the fluorescent universal primers. The sequence of the fluorescent universal primer significantly affected the amplification efficiency. For primers with three LNAs, the fluorescent primers with stable M13(‐47) sequences provided the most efficient signal (approximately tenfold higher than the primers with M13(‐21) sequences at lower Tm values). Moreover, AT‐rich LNA substitutions in the fluorescent primers produced much lower amplification efficiencies than GC‐rich substitutions. GC‐rich LNAs produced greater differences in Tm values among primers, and resulted in the preferential production of fluorescently labeled amplicons. The specificity and sensitivity of LNA‐containing fluorescent primers were assessed by genotyping eight STRs in Japanese individuals, and full STR profiles could be generated using as little as 0.25 ng of genomic DNA. The method permitted clear discrimination of alleles and represents sensitive STR genotyping at a reduced cost.     

Improved spectrophotometric determination of uranium(VI) with 4-(2-pyridylazo)resorcinol in the presence of benzyldimethylstearyltrimethylammonium chloride

An improved spectrophotometric determination of uranium(VI) is proposed using 4-(2-pyridylazo)resorcinol(PAR) in the presence of benzyldimethylstearyltrimethylammonium chloride(BSTAC) as a cationic surfactant. The calibration graph is linear in the range of 0.3-60 microg/10 ml uranium(VI), measuring the absorbance at 550 nm. The reproducibility for 19.0 microg/10 ml uranium(VI) is 0.57%. The third-derivative method using the third-derivative distance (d(3)A/dlambda(3)) among lambda(1) 530 nm, lambda(3) 594 nm and lambda(2) 565 nm was also investigated.     

Stereochemically controlled asymmetric 1,2-reduction of enones mediated by a chiral sulfoxide moiety and a lanthanum(III) ion

Enantiomerically pure (Z)-β-sulfinyl allylic alcohols of either handedness can be readily prepared from (Z)-β-sulfinyl enones using NaBH(4) or DIBAL reductants in the presence of LaCl(3) as a chelating agent. A chiral sulfoxide auxiliary induces the remote 1,2-asymmetric reduction (1,4-induction) to afford various chiral allylic alcohols in high yields with excellent stereoselectivities (up to 100% de).