4.3 Degradation and modification of cellulose acetates by biological systems

A survey is given on recent findings in the enzymology of cellulose acetate degradation. Acetyl esterases have been identified as the principal enzymes, initiating cellulose acetate degradation as a prerequisite for endoglucanase-catalyzed cellulose acetate depolymerisation. Acetyl esterases are provided by nature to deacetylate naturally occurring partly acetylated polysaccharides, i.e. xylan and chitin. Accordingly they are not designed to attack high DS cellulose acetate. Under these circumstances acetyl esterases require a pretreatment of cellulose acetate, leading to some reduction in DS, in case highly substituted material should be degraded. One of these treatments is composting under the conditions of which a partial deacetylation may occur under the action of heat and high pH, facilitating the accessibility for acetyl esterases. However from the present knowledge it cannot be excluded that certain microbial specialists exist, being capable to degrade high DS cellulose acetate.     

A New Approach in the Analysis of the Substituent Distribution of Carboxymethyl Celluloses

An approach is presented for the quantitative analysis of the substituent distribution in carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). Standard substances have been isolated by preparative HPLC and characterised by ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy. The availability of these reference substances enabled a quantitative HPLC determination of glucose and its seven carboxymethyl derivatives by anion exchange chromatography and pulsed amperometric detection. A comparison of sulphuric acid and perchloric acid hydrolysis for conventional CMC samples gave higher yields for perchloric acid. The yield of the eight CMC building units decreased with increasing DS for both hydrolysis methods. Results were different, when samples from new synthesis concepts were investigated. While CMCs from induced phase separation showed increasing hydrolysis yields up to a DS of 1.9 regioselectively substituted 2,3-O-CMC gave lower yields with increasing DS. For 2,3-O-CMC samples sulphuric acid proved to be the superior hydrolysis medium.     

The virtual Compton amplitude in the generalized Bjorken region: Twist-2 contributions

A systematic derivation is presented of the twist-2 anomalous dimensions of the general quark and gluon light-ray operators in the generalized Bjorken region in leading order both for unpolarized and polarized scattering. Various representations of the anomalous dimensions are derived in the non-local and local light cone expansion and their properties are discussed in detail. Evolution equations for these operators are derived using different representations. General two- and single-variable evolution equations are presented for the expectation values of these operators for non-forward scattering. The Compton amplitude is calculated in terms of these distribution amplitudes. In the limit of forward scattering a new derivation of the integral relations between the twist-2 contributions to the structure functions is given. Special limiting cases which are derived from the general relations are discussed, as the forward case, near-forward scattering, and vacuum-meson transition. Solutions of the two-variable evolution equations for non-forward scattering are presented.     

Unsystematische Zinkchemie: zufällige Bildung und Struktur von Zn6(SC6F5)10(BPPAE)2

Non‐systematic Zinc Chemistry: Accidental Formation and Structure of Zn₆(SC₆F₅)₁₀(BPPAE)₂ The reaction between pyridine‐2‐carbaldehyde and ammonia‐contaminated zinc‐bis(pentafluorothiophenolate) yielded, beside the expected 1 : 1 adduct, small amounts of the hexanuclear cluster Zn₆(SC₆F₅)₁₀(BPPAE)₂. Its ligand BPPAE (1,2‐bis‐pyridine‐2‐yl‐2[(pyridine‐2‐ylmethylene)‐amino]‐ethenolate) results from condensation of three molecules of pyridine‐2‐carbaldehyde with one molecule of ammonia. The Zn₆ cluster consists of two centrosymmetrically arranged Zn₃ units which contain three differently coordinated zinc ions in ZnS₄, ZnS₂ON and ZnSON₃ environments.