Effects of sintering atmospheres on sintering behavior, electrical conductivity and oxygen permeability of mixed-conducting membranes

Effects of sintering atmospheres on properties of SrCo_0.4Fe_0.5Zr_0.1O_3−δ mixed-conducting membranes were in detail studied in terms of sintering behavior, electrical conductivity and oxygen permeability. The sintering atmospheres were 100% N₂, 79% N₂–21% O₂, 60% N₂–40% O₂, 40% N₂–60% O₂, 20% N₂–80% O₂ and 100% O₂ (in vol.%), and the prepared membranes were correspondingly denoted as S-0, S-21, S-40, S-60, S-80 and S-100, respectively. It was found that the properties of membranes were strongly dependent on the sintering atmosphere. As the oxygen partial pressure in the sintering atmosphere (P_O2) increased, sintering ability, electrical conductivity and oxygen permeability decreased at first, which was in the order of S-0 > S-21 > S-40. However, as P_O2 increased further, sintering ability, electrical conductivity and oxygen permeability increased gradually: S-40 < S-60 < S-80 < S-100. And the S-100 membrane had the best sintering ability, electrical conductivity and oxygen permeability in all membranes.     

Comparative study for the analysis of parabens by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography with and without large-volume sample stacking technique

The separation and determination of four parabens (methyl, ethyl, propyl, and butyl p-hydroxybenzoate) which are commonly used as preservatives in cosmetic products, by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MEKC) with and without large-volume sample stacking (LVSS) technique were compared. As an effective on-line concentration technique, LVSS was successfully combined with MEKC to determine neutral parabens in an acidic media. The effects of some typical parameters such as sample volume, buffer pH, temperature, and concentration of surfactant were examined. The detection limits for this LVSS-MEKC method were found to be 3.0 × 10⁻⁷ M for each of the parabens based on the signal-to-noise ratio of 3, which were around 300 times lower than normal MEKC technique. The curves of peak response versus concentration were linear from 1.0 × 10⁻⁶ to 5.0 × 10⁻⁵ M with regression coefficients of 0.9987, 0.9960, 0.9925 and 0.9864, respectively. A simple and easy-manipulative sample preparation method was developed and validated by analyzing commercially available cosmetic samples. It was found that with current sample preparation process and instrumentation system, 0.5 g of sample is enough for the analysis of parabens preservatives in cosmetic product with satisfactory results.     

Development of liposomal immunosensor for the measurement of insulin with femtomole detection

The monitoring of insulin is of great relevance for the management of diabetes, the detection of pancreatic islet-cell malfunction, the definition of hypoglycemia, and the diagnosis of insulinoma. A liposomal immunosensing system for the determination of insulin was developed in this study. The insulin sensor was constructed by the immobilization of anti-insulin antibodies on the inner wall of the microcapillary immunoseparator. Liposomes tagged with anti-insulin and encapsulating a fluorescent dye were used as the detectable label. In the presence of insulin, sandwich immunocomplexes were formed between the immobilized antibodies in the column, the sample of insulin, and the antibody-tagged sulforhodamine B-dye-loaded liposomes. Signals generated by lysing the bound liposomes with 30 mM n-octyl-β-d-glucopyranoside were measured by a fluorescence detector. The detected signal was directly proportional to the amount of insulin in the test sample. The liposomal immunosensing system successfully detected as low as 136 attomole. MeOH (30%) was used for the regeneration of antibody-binding sites in the microcapillary after each measurement, which allowed the immunoseparator to be used for at least 70 repeated assays. The antibody activity in this proposed microcapillary immunoseparator could be well maintained for at least 1 week. The calibration curve for insulin in Tris-buffered saline had a linear dynamic range of 10 pM-10 nM, and the total assay time was less than 30 min. The coefficient of variation for triplicate measurements was <5.00%, which indicated that well-reproducible results can be obtained by this newly developed method.     

Resonance Rayleigh scattering study on the interaction of gold nanoparticles with berberine hydrochloride and its analytical application

A heavy metals enzymatic-based assay using papain was developed. Papain was assayed using the Casein-coomassie-dye-binding assay. The assay is sensitive to several heavy metals. The IC₅₀ (concentration of toxicant giving 50% inhibition) of Hg²⁺, Ag²⁺, Pb², Zn²⁺ is 0.39, 0.40, 2.16, 2.11 mg l⁻¹, respectively. For Cu²⁺ and Cd²⁺ the LOQ (limits of quantitation) is 0.004 and 0.1 mg l⁻¹, respectively. The IC₅₀ and LOQ values were found to be generally comparable to several other enzymatic and bioassays tests such as: immobilized urease, 15-min Microtox™, 48 h Daphnia magna, and 96 h Rainbow trout. The papain assay is xenobiotics tolerant, has a wide pH for optimum activity, is temperature stable, and has a relatively quick assay time. The papain assay was used to identify polluted water samples from industrial sources in Penang, Malaysia. We found one site where the assay gave a positive toxic response. The toxicity of the site was confirmed using Atomic Emission Spectrometry analysis.     

Synthesis and characterization of organotin(IV) compounds with Schiff base of o-vanillin-2-thiophenoylhydrazone

Seven Schiff base adducts of organotin(IV), RSnLCl₂, which L is o-vanillin-2-thiophenoylhydrazone, and R is n-C₄H₉ (1), Me (2), Ph (3), and [R₂SnL], which L is o-vanillin-2-thiophenoylhydrazone, R is n-C₄H₉ (4), Me (5), Ph (6), PhCH₂ (7) have been synthesized. Those products were characterized by elemental analysis, IR, ¹H, ¹³C and ¹¹⁹Sn NMR spectra. The crystal and molecular structures of compounds 1, 4, and 6 have been determined by X-ray single crystal diffraction. In the crystal of compound 1 the tin atom is rendered six-coordinate in a distorted octahedral configuration by coordinating with the N atom of the Schiff base ligand, in compounds 4 and 6 the central tin atoms are five-coordinate in distorted trigonal-bipyramidal geometry and the comparison of the IR spectra reveal that disappearance of the bands assigned to carboxyl unambiguously conforms the ligand coordinate with the tin atom in enol form.     

Stripping of photoresist on silicon wafer by CO(2) supercritical fluid

Supercritical CO₂-based fluid is not only being considered as environmentally benign medium for photoresist (PR) removal in electronic device manufacture, but also capable of challenging feature dimensions. Despite many attractive properties, clear supercritical CO₂ has little solvating power for PR. Here, two acetate modifiers were selective to add in the CO₂ and evaluated individual contribution to the overall stripping rate by factorial experiment design, which included four other factors with four level ranges for each one and concluded the best 90% extraction efficiency would be obtained under the optimized parameters: 2.5 min static time, 35 min dynamic time, 1.25 ml ethylacetate spiked, 125 °C oven temperature and 480 atm CO₂ pressure. As analyzing the variances of these contributors to this system, it disclosed that dynamics controlled the stripping mechanism before near 35 min purging but thermodynamics took over after then; and that increasing pressure was more competent for removing PR than increasing temperature. All supercritical extracts were from two commercial PR coated on two substrates and analyzed by UV absorption spectrometry. Removing PR coated on silicon oxide layer was easier than that on Al-Cu alloy one.     

Facile preparation of new unsymmetrical curcumin derivatives by solid-phase synthesis strategy

Seventeen unsymmetrical curcumin derivatives were synthesized in good yield and purity by a facile solid phase synthesis strategy.     

吡咯和呋喃气相质子化过程的密度泛函理论研究

Density functional theory and ab initio calculations have been used to determine structures and stabilities of the protonated aromatics species AH^＋ and AH2^2＋ （A=pyrrole, furan）. Possible mechanisms and relative energetics for protonation of pyrrole and furan by H3O^＋ and AH^＋ in the gas phase have been explored. Calculations show that the Cα-protonated species was the most stable structure for AH^＋, and the protonated AH^＋ might accommodate the second proton to yield AH2^2＋ if the free proton was available. The gas-phase H3O^＋ could protonate pyrrole and furan with significant exothermiCity and almost without barrier. The proton transfer from AH4^＋ to pyrrole and furan has a barrier ranging from 33.5 to 39.3 kJ/mol in the gas phase.     

A new anthraquinone from Galium verum L

A new anthraquinone (4) and three known anthraquinones (1-3) were isolated from Galium verum L. Their structures were identified as 1,3-dihydroxy-2-methylanthraquinone (1), physcion (2), 2-hydroxy-1,3-dimethoxyanthraquinone (3), 2,5-dihydroxy-1,3-dimethoxyanthraquinone (4) by means of chemical and spectroscopic analysis. Compound 2 was isolated from the genus Galium for the first time. In addition, compound 4 was assayed for antimicrobial activity in vitro.     

Gold-catalyzed low-temperature growth of cadmium oxide nanowires by vapor transport

Ultralong cadmium oxide nanowires were synthesized in high yield on gold-coated silicon substrates by using a vapor transport process. Cadmium vapor generated by the carbothermal reduction of CdO powder in a tube furnace heated to 500 degrees C was carried to the substrate zone by an argon flow with a trace amount of oxygen. The CdO nanowires grew via a vapor-liquid-solid growth mechanism. The diameters of the nanowires are approximately 40-80 nm, and can reach lengths of 30-50 mum. Because the nanowire formation was gold particle catalyzed, patterned nanowire growth on substrates can be achieved. These nanowires grew along the [111] direction and have slightly rough surfaces due to the presence of crystalline CdO shells formed via a physical vapor deposition process. Interesting CdO nanowires with a necklace-like morphology were also observed in a small region of the substrate, where the oxygen supply may be ample to facilitate the lateral growth of rhombohedron-shaped crystals over the straight wires. Electron diffraction and high-resolution TEM results suggest that these side crystals should grow epitaxially on the wire surfaces. The band gap of the CdO nanowires with smoother surfaces was determined to be approximately 2.53 eV. These nanowires exhibit a relatively weak emission band centered at approximately 550 nm.