酸性金属氧化物对锰铈氧化物催化剂脱硝温度窗口的调控作用

利用溶胶-凝胶法,采用三种酸性金属氧化物（氧化铌、氧化钨和氧化钼）对锰铈复合氧化物催化剂进行了改性. 测试了催化剂的氮氧化物选择性催化还原（SCR）活性,以筛选对应不同温度窗口的合适酸性氧化物改性剂. 同时评价了催化剂的NO氧化和NH₃氧化活性. 利用X射线衍射、BET比表面积测试、H₂程序升温还原、NH₃/NO_x程序升温脱附和NH₃/NO_x吸附红外光谱等手段对催化剂进行了表征. MnO_x-CeO₂催化剂表现出良好的低温（100-150 ℃）活性. 酸性金属氧化物的添加削弱了催化剂的氧化还原特性,从而抑制了NH₃的活化和NO₂辅助的快速SCR反应. 与此同时,相对高温（250-350 ℃）区NH₃的氧化也受到了抑制,B酸和L酸上的NH₃吸附得以增强. 因此,催化剂的SCR脱硝温度窗口向高温移动,改性效果Nb₂O₅ < WO₃ < MoO₃.     

Mass Transfer Analysis of Growth and Substance Metabolism of NSCs Cultured in Collagen-Based Scaffold In Vitro

The aim of this study is to analyze the growth and substance metabolism of neural stem cells (NSCs) cultured in biological collagen-based scaffolds. Mass transfer and metabolism model of glucose, lactic acid, and dissolved oxygen (DO) were established and solved on MATLAB platform to obtain the concentration distributions of DO, glucose, and lactic acid in culture system, respectively. Calculation results showed that the DO influenced their normal growth and metabolism of NSCs mostly in the in vitro culture within collagen-based scaffolds. This study also confirmed that 2-mm thickness of collagen scaffold was capable of in vitro cultivation and growth of NSCs with an inoculating density of 1?×?10⁶ cells/mL.     

Synthesis of Star-like Polybutadienes by a Combination of Living Anionic Polymerization and “Click” Coupling Method

Three-arm and four-arm star-like polybutadienes(PBds) were synthesized via the combination of living anionic polymerization and the click coupling method. Kinetic study showed that the click reaction between the azido group terminated PBd-t-N3 and the alkyne-containing multifunctional linking reagent was fast and highly efficient. All coupling reactions were fully accomplished within 40 min at 50 °C in toluene in the presence of the reducing agent Cu(0), proven by 1H-NMR, FTIR and GPC measurements. For the coupling reactions between the PBd-t-N3 polymer and dialkyne-containing compound, the final conversion of the coupled PBd-PBd polymer was ca. 97.0%. When a PBd-t-N3 polymer was reacted with trialkyne-containing or tetraalkyne-containing compound, the conversion of three-arm or four-arm PBd was around 95.5% or 87.0%, respectively. Several factors influencing the coupling efficiency were studied, including the molecular weight of the initial PBd-t-N3, arm numbers and the molar ratio of the azido group to the alkynyl group. The results indicated that the conversion of the target products would be promoted when the molecular weight of the PBd-t-N3 was low and the molar ratio of the azido to alkynyl groups was close to 1.     

A Feruloyl Esterase (FAE) Characterized by Relatively High Thermostability from the Edible Mushroom Russula virescens

A monomeric feruloyl esterase (FAE) with a molecular mass of 62 kDa was acquired from fresh fruiting bodies of the edible mushroom Russula virescens. The isolation procedure involved ion exchange chromatography on CM-cellulose, Q-Sepharose, and SP-Sepharose and finally fast protein liquid chromatography–gel filtration on Superdex 75. Two amino acid sequences were obtained after tryptic digestion, and they both showed some homology with the esterase of some fungi. Maximal activity was observed at pH 5.0 and at 50 °C. The enzyme displayed relatively high thermostability as evidenced by over 70 % residual activity at 70 °C and about 34 % residual activity at 80 °C. The K _m and V _max for this enzyme on methyl ferulate were 0.19 mM and 1.65 U/mg proteins, respectively. The purified FAE prefers methyl ferulate over methyl caffeate and is least active on methyl p-coumarate. The FAE activity was not significantly affected by the presence of cations such as Mn²⁺, Ca²⁺, Cd²⁺, Zn²⁺, Mg²⁺, Cu²⁺, and K⁺ ions but inhibited by Al³⁺, Hg²⁺, Fe²⁺, and Pb²⁺ ions at a tested concentration of 2. 5 mM.     

A New α-Galactosidase from Thermoacidophilic Alicyclobacillus sp. A4 with Wide Acceptor Specificity for Transglycosylation

An α-galactosidase gene (gal36A4) of glycosyl hydrolase family 36 was identified in the genome of Alicyclobacillus sp. A4. It contains an ORF of 2,187 bp and encodes a polypeptide of 728 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 82.6 kDa. Deduced Gal36A4 shows the typical GH36 organization of three domains—the N-terminal β-sheets, the catalytic (β/α)₈-barrels, and the C-terminal antiparallel β-sheet. The gene product was produced in Escherichia coli and showed both hydrolysis and transglycosylation activities. The optimal pH for hydrolysis activity was 6.0, and a stable pH range of 5.0–11.0 was found. The enzyme had a temperature optimum of 60 °C. It is specific for α-1,6-glycosidic linkages and had a K _m value of 1.45 mM toward pNPGal. When using melibiose as both donor and acceptor of galactose, Gal36A4 showed the transfer ratio of 23.25 % at 96 h. With respect to acceptor specificity, all tested monosaccharides, disaccharides, and oligosaccharides except for D-xylose and L-arabinose were good acceptors for transglycosylation. Thus, Gal36A4 may find diverse applications in industrial fields, especially in the food industry.     

Production and Characterization of Iturinic Lipopeptides as Antifungal Agents and Biosurfactants Produced by a Marine Pinctada martensii-Derived Bacillus mojavensis B0621A

Bacillus mojavensis B0621A was isolated from a pearl oyster Pinctada martensii collected from South China Sea. While screening for cyclic lipopeptides potentially useful as lead compounds for biological control against soil-bone fungal plant pathogens, three lipopeptides were isolated and purified from the fermentation broth of B. mojavensis B0621A via vacuum flash chromatography coupled with reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). The structural characterization and identification of these cyclic lipopeptides were performed by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis as well as chemical degradation. These lipopeptides were finally characterized as homologues of mojavensins, which contained identical amino acids back bones of asparagine₁, tyrosine₂, asparagine₃, glutamine₄, proline₅, asparagine₆, and asparagine₇ and differed from each other by their saturated β-amino fatty acid chain residues, namely, iso-C14 mojavensin, iso-C16 mojavensin, and anteiso-C17 mojavensin, respectively. All lipopeptide isomers, especially iso-C16 mojavensin and anteiso-C17 mojavensin, displayed moderate antagonism and dose-dependent activity against several formae speciales of Fusarium oxysporum and presented surface tension activities. These properties demonstrated that the lipopeptides produced by B. mojavensis B0621A may be useful as biological control agent to fungal plant pathogens.     

Synthesis of star-shaped polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) fluorinated acrylates for hydrophobic honeycomb porous film application

Two different eight-arm star-shaped polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) fluorinated acrylates were synthesized through atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and applied for hydrophobic honeycomb-patterned porous films through the breath figure (BF) method. The structure of polymers was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and gel permeation chromatography (GPC), and surface analysis was featured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Depending on the influences of polymer architectures, solvents utilized, and solution concentrations, honeycomb-patterned porous films were obtained. It could be found that the introduction of fluorine components was a favorable condition for BF formation and chloroform (CHCl₃) utilized as solvent with an appropriate concentration of 30 mg/mL was the best condition for these hydrophobic honeycomb-patterned porous films. Meanwhile, the obtained honeycomb films could be retained after long-time preservation in an acid-base condition, which shows a great potential in filtration, cell culture, tissue engineering, and marine antifouling applications.     

Analytical protocol for investigation of zinc speciation in plant tissue

A specific procedure is proposed for investigating the chemical speciation of zinc (Zn) in plant tissues, viz., the extraction of Zn compounds from Plantago lanceolata L. followed by the chromatographic separation and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) identification of these compounds. In order to separate the Zn compounds, both size-exclusion (SEC) and ionexchange liquid chromatography (IC) were used in direct sequential and reverse sequential modes. In the direct sequential mode, the entire extract undergoes SEC separation and then the individual fractions are injected onto the ion-exchange column. The molecular size distribution is evaluated by SEC coupled on-line to the UV detector. In the reverse sequential mode, the entire extract undergoes the ion-exchange chromatographic separation and then the individual fractions are injected onto the size-exclusion column. The identification of Zn incorporated into the compounds is further performed using ICP-MS. This procedure is particularly useful in speciation studies when identification of the individual components of the element is problematic due to the lack of suitable standard substances, as is the case for Zn compounds. The proposed procedure facilitates assignment of the signals to the individual components of the fractions for both types of chromatography, thus rendering the chemical speciation of Zn possible when the lack of suitable standard substances impedes the identification of individual components.     

Influence of TiO2 impregnated with a novel copper(II) carboxylic porphyrin and its application in photocatalytic degradation of 4-Nitrophenol

A novel 5,15-di-[4-carboxylatomethoxy]phenyl-10,20-diphenylporphyrin, its copper complex and the corresponding metalloporphyrin-TiO₂ photocatalyst were synthesized and characterized by DRS, SEM, XRD, and FT–IR. The photocatalytic effects of anataseTiO₂ impregnated with this copper(II) porphyrin was investigated by photodegradation of 4-nitrophenol(4-NP) in aqueous solution under Xenon lamp irradiation. The results indicated that the photoactivity of copper(II) porphyrin-TiO₂ composite was evidently enhanced by the interaction between carboxyl of the porphyrin molecule and hydroxyls anchored on the TiO₂. Futhermore, the copper(II) carboxylic porphyrin displayed good adsorption behavior and activity of the dye-sensized TiO₂ system.     

Water-Insensitive Synthesis of Poly-β-Peptides with Defined Architecture

Biocompatible and proteolysis-resistant poly-β-peptides have broad applications and are dominantly synthesized via the harsh and water-sensitive ring-opening polymerization of β-lactams in a glovebox or using a Schlenk line, catalyzed by the strong base LiN(SiMe₃)₂. We have developed a controllable and water-insensitive ring-opening polymerization of β-amino acid N-thiocarboxyanhydrides (β-NTAs) that can be operated in open vessels to prepare poly-β-peptides in high yields, with diverse functional groups, variable chain length, narrow dispersity and defined architecture. These merits imply wide applications of β-NTA polymerization and resulting poly-β-peptides, which is validated by the finding of a HDP-mimicking poly-β-peptide with potent antimicrobial activities. The living β-NTA polymerization enables the controllable synthesis of random, block copolymers and easy tuning of both terminal groups of polypeptides, which facilitated the unravelling of the antibacterial mechanism using the fluorophore-labelled poly-β-peptide.