VLE of CO2 + glycerol + (ethanol or 1-propanol or 1-butanol)

Vapour-liquid equilibrium of CO₂ + [0.00871 glycerol + 0.99129 (ethanol or 1-propanol or 1-butanol)] mixtures was measured at the temperatures of 313.15 K and 333.15 K, and close to the critical line, at pressures up to 12 MPa. On the liquid side, the bubble points measured for these ternary mixtures follow closely the behaviour of VLE reported by several authors for the corresponding binary mixtures without glycerol. On the vapour side, however, dew points for the ternary mixtures deviate significantly from VLE results for the binaries. A correlation of the results obtained for the CO₂ + glycerol + ethanol mixture with the Peng-Robinson equation of state, admitting quasi-binary behaviour, equally yields good agreement on the liquid side, and significant deviations on the vapour side.     

Ambient γ-Rays-Mediated Noble-Metal Deposition on Defect-Rich Manganese Oxide for Glycerol-Assisted H2 Evolution at Industrial-Level Current Density

Developing novel synthesis technologies is crucial to expanding bifunctional electrocatalysts for energy-saving hydrogen production. Herein, we report an ambient and controllable γ-ray radiation reduction to synthesize a series of noble metal nanoparticles anchored on defect-rich manganese oxides (M@MnO_2-x, M=Ru, Pt, Pd, Ir) for glycerol-assisted H₂ evolution. Benefiting from the strong penetrability of γ-rays, nanoparticles and defect supports are formed simultaneously and bridged by metal-oxygen bonds, guaranteeing structural stability and active site exposure. The special Ru−O−Mn bonds activate the Ru and Mn sites in Ru@MnO_2-x through strong interfacial coordination, driving glycerol electrolysis at low overpotential. Furthermore, only a low cell voltage of 1.68 V is required to achieve 0.5 A cm⁻² in a continuous-flow electrolyzer system along with excellent stability. In situ spectroscopic analysis reveals that the strong interfacial coordination in Ru@MnO_2-x balances the competitive adsorption of glycerol and OH* on the catalyst surface. Theoretical calculations further demonstrate that the defect-rich MnO₂ support promotes the dissociation of H₂O, while the defect-regulated Ru sites promote deprotonation and hydrogen desorption, synergistically enhancing glycerol-assisted hydrogen production.     

Model-guided metabolic gene knockout of gnd for enhanced succinate production in Escherichia coli from glucose and glycerol substrates

The metabolic role of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (gnd) under anaerobic conditions with respect to succinate production in Escherichia coli remained largely unspecified. Herein we report what are to our knowledge the first metabolic gene knockout of gnd to have increased succinic acid production using both glucose and glycerol substrates in E. coli. Guided by a genome scale metabolic model, we engineered the E. coli host metabolism to enhance anaerobic production of succinic acid by deleting the gnd gene, considering its location in the boundary of oxidative and non-oxidative pentose phosphate pathway. This strategy induced either the activation of malic enzyme, causing up-regulation of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (ppc) and down regulation of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (ppck) and/or prevents the decarboxylation of 6 phosphogluconate to increase the pool of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (GAP) that is required for the formation of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP). This approach produced a mutant strain BMS2 with succinic acid production titers of 0.35 g l⁻¹ and 1.40 g l⁻¹ from glucose and glycerol substrates respectively. This work further clearly elucidates and informs other studies that the gnd gene, is a novel deletion target for increasing succinate production in E. coli under anaerobic condition using glucose and glycerol carbon sources. The knowledge gained in this study would help in E. coli and other microbial strains development for increasing succinate production and/or other industrial chemicals.     

Glycerol facilitates the disaggregation of recombinant adeno-associated virus serotype 2 on mica surface

Preparation of distributed virus on a solid substrate is a prerequisite for investigation of the properties and individualism of virus, while many previous studies showed that virus has a tendency to aggregate on solid substrates. In this communication, we report a novel approach by which well-separated recombinant adeno-associated virus serotype 2 (rAAV2) could be prepared on bare mica surface. The key technique in this approach is the addition of less than 3% (v/v) glycerol into the virus solution and subsequently deposition onto mica surface for the sample preparation. The possible mechanisms are also briefly discussed.     

Phosphate Assisted Proton Transfer in Water and Sugar Glasses: A Study Using Fluorescence of Pyrene-1-carboxylate and IR Spectroscopy

The role of water’s H-bond percolation network in acid-assisted proton transfer was studied in water and glycerol solutions and in sugar glasses. Proton transfer rates were determined by the fluorescence of pyrene-1-carboxylate, a compound with a higher pK in its excited state relative to the ground state. Excitation of pyrene-1-COO⁻ produces fluorescence from pyrene-1-COOH when a proton is accepted during the excited singlet state lifetime of pyrene-1-COO⁻. The presence of glycerol as an aqueous cosolvent decreases proton transfer rates from phosphoric and acetic acid in a manner that does not follow the Stokes relationship on viscosity. In sugar glass composed of trehalose and sucrose, proton transfer occurs when phosphate is incorporated in the glass. Sugar glass containing phosphate retains water and it is suggested that proton transfer requires this water. The infrared (IR) frequency of water bending mode in sugar glass and in aqueous solution is affected by the presence of phosphate and the IR spectral bands of all phosphate species in water are temperature dependent; both results are consistent with H-bonding between water and phosphate. The fluorescence results, which studied the effect of cosolvent, highlight the role of water in assisting proton transfer in reactions involving biological acids, and the IR results, which give spectroscopic evidence for H-bonding between water and phosphate, are consistent with a mechanism of proton transfer involving H-bonding. The possibility that the phosphate-rich surface of membranes assists in proton equilibration in cells is discussed.     

Experimental and predicted excess molar enthalpies of some working pairs for absorption cycles

In this work, the measured excess molar enthalpies of absorption heat pump working pairs (refrigerant + absorbent), viz. water + mono-, di- and tri-ethylene glycol, water + glycerol, and ethanol + di- and tri-ethylene glycol mixtures are presented at 298.15 K and ambient pressure using a Setaram Calvet C80 calorimeter. The experimental results are represented and correlated by a Redlich–Kister type equation. Modeling of the excess enthalpies has been performed using the UNIFAC molecular group-contribution method, and UNIQUAC Gibbs energy model. In addition, the data and results are used to predict the Gibbs energy of all binary systems. This allows a preliminary evaluation of the suitability of the binary systems as heat pump working pairs.     

甘油对酪蛋白酸钠光谱性质的影响

酪蛋白酸钠(sodium caseinate, SC)所制的可食食品包装膜能有效延缓食品中水份的迁移和扩散以及阻止氧气的氧化等从而对食品起到很好地保鲜和保护作用, 由于酪蛋白亲水性较强, 使其所制膜阻水性和机械性能均较差, 甘油(glycerol, G)作为添加剂可以增强酪蛋白酸钠膜的韧性和阻水性, 为进一步阐明G和SC之间的作用方式及对酪蛋白酸钠结构产生的影响, 本实验利用荧光光谱、傅里叶红外光谱和紫外光谱特性对它们的作用方式进行了研究。结果表明: G的加入可以使SC的荧光强度降低, 由荧光强度变化速率和甘油的浓度的双对数回归曲线得出了G和SC的结合常数为1.127×103 L·mol-1和结合位点数为1.161, 得出G和SC分子之间结合方式为弱化学键;虽然添加G前后SC的红外光谱的吸收峰几乎相同, 但吸收强度存在较大差异, 说明SC二级结构受到了影响, 使得β折叠β-转角结构减少, α螺旋、无规则卷曲、结构显著增多, 以及分子间氢键加强;分析紫外光谱得出, G的加入没有改变SC肽键的结构, 而是与SC以非共价键的方式结合形成分子质量更大的聚合物并使吸收峰值强度下降。该研究从分子的角度揭示了G和SC分子间的作用方式。