Effect of nitrogen plasma treatment on the crystallinity and self‐bonding of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) for biomedical applications

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) is a thermoplastic material with outstanding properties and high potential for biomedical applications, including hermetic encapsulation of active implantable devices. Different biomedical grade PEEK films with initial degree of crystallinity ranging from 8% to 32% (with or without mineral filling) were inspected. PEEK surfaces were treated with nitrogen RF plasma and the effects on materials crystallinity and self‐bonding were evaluated. In particular, the relationship between auto‐adhesive properties and crystalline content of PEEK before and after plasma treatment was examined. PEEK samples showed different bonding strength depending on their degree of crystallinity, with higher self‐bonding performance of mineral‐filled semi‐crystalline films. XRD did not show any modification of the PEEK microstructure as a result of plasma treatment, excluding a significant influence of crystallinity on the self‐bonding mechanisms. Nevertheless, plasma surface treatment successfully improved the self‐bonding strength of all the PEEK films tested, with larger increase in the case of semi‐crystalline unfilled materials. This could be interpreted to the increase in chain mobility that led to interfacial interpenetration of the amorphous phase.     

Mechanism of enhanced conversion of 1,2,3-trichloropropane by mutant haloalkane dehalogenase revealed by molecular modeling

1,2,3-Trichloropropane (TCP) is a highly toxic, recalcitrant byproduct of epichlorohydrin manufacture. Haloalkane dehalogenase (DhaA) from Rhodococcus sp. hydrolyses the carbon–halogen bond in various halogenated compounds including TCP, but with low efficiency (k _cat/K _m = 36 s^-1 M^-1). A Cys176Tyr-DhaA mutant with a threefold higher catalytic efficiency for TCP dehalogenation has been previously obtained by error-prone PCR. We have used molecular simulations and quantum mechanical calculations to elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved in the improved catalysis of the mutant, and enantioselectivity of DhaA toward TCP. The Cys176Tyr mutation modifies the protein access and export routes. Substitution of the Cys residue by the bulkier Tyr narrows the upper tunnel, making the second tunnel “slot” the preferred route. TCP can adopt two major orientations in the DhaA enzyme, in one of which the halide-stabilizing residue Asn41 forms a hydrogen bond with the terminal halogen atom of the TCP molecule, while in the other it bonds with the central halogen atom. The differences in these binding patterns explain the preferential formation of the (R)- over the (S)-enantiomer of 2,3-dichloropropane-1-ol in the reaction catalyzed by the enzyme.     

Quantification of measurement uncertainty in the sequential determination of <Superscript>210</Superscript>Pb and <Superscript>210</Superscript>Po by liquid scintillation counting and alpha-particle spectrometry

Methodologies for the quantification of measurement uncertainties associated with the determination of ²¹⁰Pb- and ²¹⁰Po-specific activities by liquid scintillation counting (LSC) and alpha-particle spectrometry are presented, and are demonstrated using the soil reference material IAEA-326. Major contributors to the combined uncertainty associated with the measurement result of ²¹⁰Pb were the uncertainties of net count rates in the ²¹⁰Pb energy region of the sample spectrum and in the ²¹⁰Bi energy region of the blank spectrum. The predominant sources of uncertainty in the measurement of ²¹⁰Po were the uncertainties of net count rates in the regions of interest of ²⁰⁹Po and ²¹⁰Po. The relative standard uncertainty of ²¹⁰Po exponentially increases with the time interval between the sampling date and the separation date of Po, and this effect is strongly dependent on the ²¹⁰Po/²¹⁰Pb activity ratio. When the specific activity of ²¹⁰Pb is much higher than that of ²¹⁰Po in the sample, the relative standard uncertainty of the ²¹⁰Po determination increases significantly within a short time interval between the sampling date (or reference date) and the separation date of Po in samples.     

Synthesis, photophysical and electrochemical properties and theoretical studies on three novel indolo[3,2-b]carbazole derivatives containing benzothiazole units

Three novel indolo[3,2-b]carbazoles derivatives were successfully synthesized by condensation reaction and structurally characterized by elemental analysis, mass spectrometry and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy methods, which belong to donor-π-acceptor systems comprising an indolo[3,2-b]carbazole group as an electron donor and two benzothiazole rings as electron acceptors. The thermal, electrochemical and photophysical properties of the compounds were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis combined with electrochemistry, UV-vis absorption spectroscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy. On the other hand, the geometries, molecular orbitals, charge-injection and transport properties were determined by quantum chemical calculations. The results show that the compounds synthesized exhibit good thermal stability and high fluorescence quantum yields, indicating the potential application as optoelectronic materials.     

Microchip capillary electrophoresis/electrochemistry

Microfabricated fluidic devices have generated considerable interest over the past ten years due to the fact that sample preparation, injection, separation, derivatization, and detection can be integrated into one miniaturized device. This review reports progress in the development of microfabricated analytical systems based on microchip capillary electrophoresis (CE) with electrochemical (EC) detection. Electrochemical detection has several advantages for use with microchip electrophoresis systems, for example, ease of miniaturization, sensitivity, and selectivity. In this review, the basic components necessary for microchip CEEC are described, including several examples of different detector configurations. Lastly, details of the application of this technique to the determination of catechols and phenols, amino acids, peptides, carbohydrates, nitroaromatics, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products, organophosphates, and hydrazines are described.     

Ru/CeO2催化剂催化苯乙烯氢甲氧基羰基化反应高选择性制备直链酯类化合物

酯类化合物在工业上具有广泛应用,例如可用于合成香水、调味剂(味精)、洗涤剂和表面活性剂等.其中,烯烃的氢烷氧基羰基化反应是一种合成酯类化合物的重要方法,其低消耗、100%的原子经济性和原料的易获得等优势使其在制备酯类化合物中成为一个有效且实际可行的方法.对于该反应,文献多采用Pd或Rh的络合均相催化剂,其中控制反应过程中直链酯类化合物(L)和支链酯类化合物(B)的选择性是一项颇具挑战性的课题.虽然目前可通过配体的设计和修饰来调节,但多集中在均相催化体系,因此在选择性调变方面的研究仍很欠缺.相对于均相催化,多相催化由于产物易分离和提纯、催化剂可循环使用等优势而逐渐引起了研究者的广泛关注.在多相催化体系中, Pd负载在强酸性树脂作为催化剂已被应用于苯乙烯氢甲氧基羰基化反应,但在该反应中支链酯类化合物为主要产物.因此,寻找一个可有效改善多相反应体系中选择性问题的方法是非常有意义的.在本研究工作中,我们分别以CeO2纳米颗粒(NP)、CeO2纳米棒(Rod)和CeO2纳米立方体为载体,利用浸渍法制备了Ru/CeO2、Ru/CeO2-rod和Ru/CeO2-cube三种催化剂,并进一步用于苯乙烯氢甲氧基羰基化反应.探究了CO压力、反应温度和反应时间对三种催化剂催化苯乙烯氢甲氧基羰基化反应的影响.结果表明, Ru/CeO2作为多相催化剂催化苯乙烯氢甲氧基羰基化反应时,苯乙烯选择性高于99%,直链酯选择性为83%,支链酯选择性为12%.机理研究表明,该反应为自由基机理.动力学分析表明,该反应的反应活化能为48.50 k Jmol^–1.结合三种催化剂的反应活性以及HRTEM结构表征结果可知,该反应中L/B比值与Ru的尺寸有较大关系.进一步的拉曼表征和NH3-TPD表征结果证明, Ru的尺寸与金属-载体之间的相互作用以及催化剂表面的氧空位浓度有直接关系.     

甘油氧化的光谱电化学傅里叶变换衰减全反射谱红外光谱薄膜流动池中硼酸镍层厚度的优化

在碱性甘油电氧化反应中,利用电化学傅里叶变换衰减全反射谱红外光谱法,研究了薄膜流动池中滴注硼酸镍催化剂负载量对玻碳电极性能的影响.连续操作的径向流动池包括一个位于内反射元件上方50μm的钻孔电极,可实现红外光谱分析.这是在确定条件下对电催化剂进行简便和可重复筛选的一个适合的方法,同时还提供了对复杂反应(如甘油氧化)产物选择性的检测.通过对泵送电解液进行更耗时的定量高效液相色谱分析,结果表明,衰减全反射红外光谱法可快速鉴定产物.在层流条件下,水中使用0.1 M甘油和1 M KOH,流速为5μL min-1时,甘油转化率较高.转化率和选择性取决于催化剂的负载量,负载量又决定了催化剂层的厚度和粗糙度.由于在更粗糙的膜中停留时间更长有利于再吸附和C-C键断裂,因此当负载量最高达210μg cm-2时,甘油转化率为73％且甲酸选择性接近80％.当最低负载量为13μg cm-2时,甘油转化率达到63％,甲酸选择性降至60％,相应地,C2物种(如乙醇酸盐)选择性较高,为8％.因此,只有催化剂负载量较低时才能形成几微米厚度范围内的薄膜,此时才适合进行优质催化剂的筛选.     

Hydrazones of 4-(Trifluoromethyl)benzohydrazide as New Inhibitors of Acetyl- and Butyrylcholinesterase

Based on the broad spectrum of biological activity of hydrazide–hydrazones, trifluoromethyl compounds, and clinical usage of cholinesterase inhibitors, we investigated hydrazones obtained from 4-(trifluoromethyl)benzohydrazide and various benzaldehydes or aliphatic ketones as potential inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE). They were evaluated using Ellman’s spectrophotometric method. The hydrazide–hydrazones produced a dual inhibition of both cholinesterase enzymes with IC₅₀ values of 46.8–137.7 µM and 19.1–881.1 µM for AChE and BuChE, respectively. The majority of the compounds were stronger inhibitors of AChE; four of them (2-bromobenzaldehyde, 3-(trifluoromethyl)benzaldehyde, cyclohexanone, and camphor-based 2o, 2p, 3c, and 3d, respectively) produced a balanced inhibition of the enzymes and only 2-chloro/trifluoromethyl benzylidene derivatives 2d and 2q were found to be more potent inhibitors of BuChE. 4-(Trifluoromethyl)-N’-[4-(trifluoromethyl)benzylidene]benzohydrazide 2l produced the strongest inhibition of AChE via mixed-type inhibition determined experimentally. Structure–activity relationships were identified. The compounds fit physicochemical space for targeting central nervous systems with no apparent cytotoxicity for eukaryotic cell line together. The study provides new insights into this CF₃-hydrazide–hydrazone scaffold.     

Heat‐Free Biomimetic Metal Molding on Soft Substrates

Fabrication of bio‐templated metallic structures is limited by differences in properties, processing conditions, packing, and material state(s). Herein, by using undercooled metal particles, differences in modulus and processing temperatures can be overcome. Adoption of autonomous processes such as self‐filtration, capillary pressure, and evaporative concentration leads to enhanced packing, stabilization (jamming) and point sintering with phase change to create solid metal replicas of complex bio‐based features. Differentiation of subtle differences between cultivars of the rose flower with reproduction over large areas shows that this biomimetic metal patterning (BIOMAP) is a versatile method to replicate biological features either as positive or negative reliefs irrespective of the substrate. Using rose petal patterns, we illustrate the versatility of bio‐templated mapping with undercooled metal particles at ambient conditions, and with unprecedented efficiency for metal structures.