Development of a Genus-Universal Nucleotide Signature for the Identification and Supervision of Ephedra-Containing Products

Ephedra plants generally contain ephedrine alkaloids, which are the critical precursor compounds of methamphetamine (METH). METH could cause serious physical and mental damage, and therefore Ephedra materials are strictly in supervision internationally. However, unlawful utilization of Ephedra herbs and its products still exist. Thus, it is imperative to establish a universal method for monitoring Ephedra ingredients in complex mixtures and processed products. In this study, 224 ITS2 sequences representing 59 taxa within Ephedra were collected, and a 23-bp genus-level nucleotide signature (GTCCGGTCCGCCTCGGCGGTGCG) was developed for the identification of the whole genus. The specific primers MH-1F/1R were designed, and 125 individuals of twelve Ephedra species/varieties were gathered for applicability verification of the nucleotide signature. Additionally, seven batches of Chinese patent medicines containing Ephedra herbs were used to test the application of the nucleotide signature in complex and highly processed materials. The results demonstrated that the 23-bp molecular marker was unique to Ephedra and conserved within the genus. It can be successfully utilized for the detection of Ephedra components in complex preparations and processed products with severe DNA degradation. The method developed in this study could undoubtedly serve as a strong support for the supervision of illegal circulation of Ephedra-containing products.     

ML／Y分子筛复合材料的制备,表征及其催化性能研究

采用沸石合成法制备了ＭＬ／Ｙ（Ｍ＝ Ｆｅ,Ｃｏ,Ｃｒ;Ｌ＝ ８－ ｑｕｉｎｏｌｉｎｏｌａｎｄ ｓａｌｉｃｙｌｉｃ ａｃｉｄ （ｄｅｎｏｔｅｄ ａｓＱｘ ａｎｄ ＳＡｒｅｓｐｅｃｔｉｖｅｌｙ）） 复合材料,并通过ＸＲＤ、ＦＴＩＲ、ＩＣＰ、ＵＶ－ ｖｉｓ 及催化反应等手段对其进行了表征。ＦＴＩＲ和ＵＶ－ ｖｉｓ 测试结果表明： 合成体系中含有的金属配合物经过水热晶化后封装或固定在分子筛的空腔中。通过Ｘ射线衍射原位跟踪Ｙ型分子筛的晶化过程,发现合成体系中含有金属配合物的性质及其量的多少不仅对Ｙ型分子筛的晶化有很大影响,而且使其封装或固定在分子筛中的量也有所差异。另外,以环己烷氧化为探针反应考察了ＭＬ／Ｙ的催化性能,结果表明ＭＬ／Ｙ的氧化能力来自于所封装或固定的金属配合物,其氧化能力主要取决于配合物中心离子的性质     

Heat capacity and thermodynamic properties of 1-hexadecanol

Three different nitrocellulose (NC) samples produced from linters were investigated. DSC studies on the NC+sym-diethyldiphenylurea (C1) mixtures were carried out. The influence of storage time on their pore structures was examined using thermoporometry. The results led to conclusion that large pores are multiples of small ones. The parameter n was used to characterize the number of C1 molecules equivalent to NC ring. Its value for short storage time was about 9 but for longer time reached the value of 3. The influence of thermal history on the phase transition and porosity of the different nitrocellulose samples was different.     

Oxidative transformation of azides to aryl nitriles using DIB/TBHP: scope and mechanistic insights

Bis(tert-butylperoxy)iodobenzene, generated in situ by the reaction between diacetoxyl iodobenzene (DIB) and tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP), was used in the oxidative transformation of primary azides to nitriles, and secondary azides to ketones.     

Pretreatment of wastepaper and pulp mill sludge by aqueous ammonia and hydrogen peroxide

Pretreatment of two different softwood-based lignocellulosic wastes (newsprint and Kraft pulp mill sludge) was investigated. Pretreatment was done by aqueous ammonia and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), two delignifying reagents that are environmentally benign. Three different treatment schemes were employed: aqueous ammonia alone (ammonia recycled percolation [ARP]), mixed stream of aqueous ammonia and H₂O₂ and successive treatment with H₂O₂ and aqueous ammonia. In all cases there was a substantial degree of delignification ranging from 30 to 50%. About half of the hemicellulose sugars were dissolved into the process effluent. Retention of cellulose after pretreatment varied from 85 to 100% for newspaper feedstock and from 77 to 85% for the pulp mill sludge. After treatment with aqueous ammonia alone (ARP), the digestibility of newspaper and the pulp mill sludge was improved only by 5% (from 40 to 45% for the former and from 68 to 73% for the latter), despite a substantial degree of delignification occurring after the ARP process. The lign in content thus did not correlate with the digestibility for these substrates. Simultaneous treatment with H₂O₂ and aqueous ammonia did not bring about any significant improvement in the digestibility over that of the ARP. A succcessive treatment by H₂O₂ and ARP showed the most promise because it improved the digestibility of the newspaper from 41 to 75%, a level comparable to that of α-cellulose.     

Separation and purification of isoflavones from Pueraria lobata by high-speed counter-current chromatography.

High-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) was applied to the semipreparative separation and purification of puerarin and related isoflavones from a crude extract of Pueraria lobata. Analytical HSCCC was used for the preliminary selection of a suitable solvent system composed of ethyl acetate-n-butanol-water (2:1:3, v/v/v). Using the above solvent system the preparative HSCCC was successfully performed yielding six relatively pure isoflavones including puerarin from 80 mg of the crude extract in one-step separation.     

Perovskite-sensitized solar cell utilizing TiO2 nanograss: Effect of dipping time of CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite

Organic perovskite has potential to replace organic dye as light absorber in solar cell since it possesses better optical absorption in visible region than organic dye. This work is concerned with the investigation of the influence of CH₃NH₃PbI₃ perovskite dipping time on the performance of perovskite-sensitized solar cell (PSSC). The effect of the dipping time on the morphology and photoluminescence of the sample has also been investigated. It was found that the device achieved a power conversion efficiency (PCE) as high as 5.57 ± 0.4% at the optimum dipping time of 4 h. The highest PCE is due to the highest IPCE, lowest R_ct and the longest carrier lifetime (τ).