Characterization of Lignin Compounds at the Molecular Level: Mass Spectrometry Analysis and Raw Data Processing

Lignin is the second most abundant natural biopolymer, which is a potential alternative to conventional fossil fuels. It is also a promising material for the recovery of valuable chemicals such as aromatic compounds as well as an important biomarker for terrestrial organic matter. Lignin is currently produced in large quantities as a by-product of chemical pulping and cellulosic ethanol processes. Consequently, analytical methods are required to assess the content of valuable chemicals contained in these complex lignin wastes. This review is devoted to the application of mass spectrometry, including data analysis strategies, for the elemental and structural elucidation of lignin products. We describe and critically evaluate how these methods have contributed to progress and trends in the utilization of lignin in chemical synthesis, materials, energy, and geochemistry.     

Anisotropic Nanoparticles with Controllable Morphologies from Non‐Cross‐Linked Seeded Emulsion Polymerization

A simple and elegant approach to fabricate anisotropic P(VC‐co‐AAEM)/PS nanoparticles with controllable morphologies via emulsifier‐free seeded emulsion polymerization is presented. Non‐cross‐linked P(VC‐co‐AAEM) seeds with hydrophilic surface are first synthesized through copolymerization of vinyl chloride (VC) and acetoacetoxyethyl methacrylate (AAEM), which are used to prepare P(VC‐co‐AAEM)/PS NPs with multiple bulges by SEP of styrene. Electron microscopy observation indicates that the content of AAEM in seeds is crucial to control the phase separation and morphology of the composite NPs. Moreover, the thermodynamic immiscibility between PVC and PS is the driving force for the formation of PS bulges onto the P(VC‐co‐AAEM) seeds. The resultant anisotropic NPs with non‐cross‐linked feature may promisingly serve as compatibilizers for further polymer processing.

     

Synthesis and Characterization of a Novel,Mesoporous Organosilica with Additional Cyclodextrin‐Based Micropores

Summary: A novel mesoporous organosilica with additional cyclodextrin‐based micropores has been synthesized from tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and cyclodextrin‐based silane monomer precursors and triblock PEO‐PPO‐PEO (poly(ethylene oxide)‐poly(propylene oxide)‐ poly(ethylene oxide)) copolymer P123 as the structure‐directing template with the aid of sodium chloride and the supramolecular assembly of cyclodextrins with P123.

The synthesis of CD‐Si‐2%.     

100-femtosecond MeV electron source for ultrafast electron diffraction

A near-relativistic 100-fs MeV electron beam is developed by using a photocathode rf gun for revealing the hidden ultrafast dynamics of intricate molecular and atomic processes in materials through experimentation of ultrafast time-resolved electron diffraction (UED). The transverse and longitudinal dynamics of femtosecond electron beam in the rf gun were studied theoretically by particle simulation. The growths of the emittance, bunch length and energy spread due to the rf and space charge effects were investigated by changing the laser parameters, field gradient and electron charge. The theoretical studies indicate that a 100-fs MeV electron beam with the transverse emittance of 0.1 mm mrad and the relative energy spread of 10⁻³–10⁻⁴ at bunch charge of 0.1–2 pC (10⁶–10⁷ electrons per pulse) is achievable for UED, in which the intensity is three orders of magnitude higher than that produced by the conventional dc or pulsed guns.     

Pulse radiolysis study of ion-species effects on the solvated electron in alkylammonium ionic liquids

The spectra and kinetic behavior of solvated electrons (e_sol⁻) in alkyl ammonium ionic liquids (ILs), i.e. N,N-diethyl-N-methyl-N-(2-methoxyethyl)ammonium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (DEMMA-TFSI), N,N-diethyl-N-methyl-N-(2-methoxyethyl)ammonium tetrafluoroborate (DEMMA-BF₄), N,N,N-trimethyl-N-propylammonium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (TMPA-TFSI), N-methyl-N-propylpiperidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (PP13-TFSI), N-methyl-N-propylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (P13-TFSI), and N-methyl-N-butylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (P14-TFSI) were investigated by the pulse radiolysis method. The e_sol⁻ in each of the ammonium ILs has an absorption peak at 1100 nm, with molar absorption coefficients of 1.5–2.3×10⁴ dm³ mol⁻¹ cm⁻¹. The e_sol⁻ decayed by first order with a rate constant of 1.4–6.4×10⁶ s⁻¹. The reaction rate constant of the solvated electron with pyrene (Py) was 1.5–3.5×10⁸ dm³ mol⁻¹ s⁻¹ in the various ILs. These values were about one order of magnitude higher than the diffusion-controlled limits calculated from measured viscosities. The radiolytic yields (G-value) of the e_sol⁻ were 0.8–1.7×10⁻⁷ mol J⁻¹. The formation rate constant of e_sol⁻ in DEMMA-TFSI was 3.9×10¹⁰ s⁻¹. The dry electron (e_dry⁻) in DEMMA-TFSI reacts with Py with a rate constant of 7.9×10¹¹ dm³ mol⁻¹ s⁻¹, three orders of magnitude higher than that of the e_sol⁻ reactions. The G-value of the e_sol⁻ in the picosecond time region is 1.2×10⁻⁷ mol J⁻¹. The capture of e_dry⁻ by scavengers was found to be very fast in ILs.     

SMA、OMMT对PA6/ABS共混物聚集态结构及性能影响的研究

采用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)、X射线衍射(XRD)等手段研究了苯乙烯-马来酸酐共聚物(SMA)、有机蒙脱土(OMMT)对尼龙6(PA6)/丙烯腈-丁二烯-苯乙烯(ABS)共混物体系聚集态结构及性能的影响.结果表明,SMA与OMMT的加入均可提高PA6/ABS共混物体系的强度及模量,但加入OMMT后共混物的韧性有所下降,而PA6/ABS/SMA共混物的韧性随SMA含量的增加呈上升趋势.SMA、OMMT对PA6/ABS共混体系都有细化ABS分散相的作用,随SMA加入量的增加,ABS分散相尺寸逐渐减小,分布趋于均匀;当OMMT加入量在4 phr以内时,对ABS分散相粒径影响不大,超过4 phr后,随着OMMT含量的增加,ABS分散相的尺寸逐渐减小.XRD与TEM的分析结果表明,对PA6/OMMT(100/5)共混物,OMMT主要以剥离形态分布,同时也存在少量OMMT聚集体;PA6/ABS/OMMT共混物中OMMT则基本以剥离形态选择分布在PA6基体相中.     

凝胶渗透色谱-气相色谱质谱法测定：花生中6种除草剂农药残留

建立了凝胶渗透色谱一气相色谱质谱（GPC～GC=MS）法测定花生中6种除草剂（氟乐灵、异恶草酮、甲草胺、二甲戊乐灵、乙氧氟草醚、喹禾灵）农药残留的方法。样品经乙腈提取,氨基固相萃取柱和凝胶渗透色谱净化,在选择离子扫描（SIM）模式下进行气相色谱质谱法测定,外标法定量。6种除草剂浓度在0．02-1．00mg／L范围内与色谱峰面积呈良好的线性,线性相关系数为O．9949～0．9998,添加回收率为77．8％-101．6％,测定结果的相对标准偏差为4．4％～11．4％（月=5）,方法的检出限为0．1～1．3μg／kg。     

对土壤及玉米植株中均三氮苯类除草剂的残留分析

土壤或玉米植株样品用Ｖ（甲醇）∶Ｖ（乙腈）＝１∶１提取,提取液用石油醚净化后,浓缩液过Ｃ１８小柱净化,最后用Ｎｏｖａ－ＰａｋＣ１８柱进行ＨＰＬＣ分析。回收率：氰草津为８２．４％～９９．８％,莠去津为８５．６％～１０２．３％,西草净为８９．１％～１０８．４％。     

A pH-activatable and aniline-substituted photosensitizer for near-infrared cancer theranostics

This work reports a newly designed pH-activatable and aniline-substituted aza-boron-dipyrromethene as a trifunctional photosensitizer to achieve highly selective tumor imaging, efficient photodynamic therapy (PDT) and therapeutic self-monitoring through encapsulation in a cRGD-functionalized nanomicelle. The diethylaminophenyl is introduced in to the structure for pH-activatable near-infrared fluorescence and singlet oxygen (¹O₂) generation, and bromophenyl is imported to increase the ¹O₂ generation efficiency upon pH activation by virtue of its heavy atom effect. After encapsulation, the nanoprobe can target α_vβ₃ integrin-rich tumor cells via cRGD and is activated by physiologically acidic pH for cancer discrimination and PDT. The fascinating advantage of the nanoprobe is near-infrared implementation beyond 800 nm, which significantly improves the imaging sensitivity and increases the penetration depth of the PDT. By monitoring the fluorescence decrease in the tumor region after PDT, the therapeutic efficacy is demonstrated in situ and in real time, which provides a valuable and convenient self-feedback function for PDT efficacy tracking. Therefore, this rationally designed and carefully engineered nanoprobe offers a new paradigm for precise tumor theranostics and may provide novel opportunities for future clinical cancer treatment.     

Discrimination of crude and processed rhubarb products using a chemometric approach based on ultra fast liquid chromatography with ion trap/time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry

Crude rhubarb subjected to different processing procedures will produce different therapeutic effects that are possibly due to processing‐induced variation in chemical composition. In this study, a chemometric approach based on ultra fast liquid chromatography with ion trap/time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry was established to systematically investigate the chemical variations of rhubarb induced by different processing methods. The approach was validated based on pooled quality‐control samples from two perspectives: the individual properties of variables and the bulk properties of samples. Orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis was introduced to compare the differences between crude and processed rhubarb products. A total of 20 significantly different markers were screened out and unambiguously/tentatively characterized. This research proved that a chemometric method based on ultra fast liquid chromatography with ion trap/time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry can comprehensively analyze the chemical variation of herbal medicine and provide evidence for a deeper understanding of the pharmacological activities of processed rhubarb products.