Small-angle X-ray scattering studies of the open and closed conformations of aspartate aminotransferase

Summary Aspartate aminotransferase was investigated by X-ray small-angle scattering. A small difference was found between the open (active) and the closed (liganded) conformation of the enzyme. The results were compared with X-ray crystallography data.

---

Untersuchungen zur Röntgenkleinwinkelstreuung der offenen und geschlossenen Konformation von Aspartat-Aminotransferase

Zusammenfassung Aspartat-Aminotransferase wurde mittels Röntgenkleinwinkelstreuung untersucht. Ein kleiner Unterschied zwischen der offenen (aktiven) und der geschlossenen (ligandierten) Konformation wurde gefunden. Die Ergebnisse wurden mit Röntgenkristallstrukturdaten verglichen.

---

Abbreviations AspAT aspartate aminotransferase     

Excess thermodynamic properties of the 2-propanol + dichloromethane system at 25°C

Densities, viscosities, enthalpies, vapor-liquid equilibria, and surface tensions were determined at 25°C for the 2-propanol+dichloromethane system. From the experimental results excess volumes, viscosities, enthalpies, Gibbs energies, and excess surface tensions were calculated. An attempt has been made to explain the observed deviations from ideal behavior on the basis of intermolecular interactions.     

New aspects of thermal analysis,Part I. Resolution of DSC and means for its optimization

The definitions of the temperature resolution, the so-called resolution of DSC instruments given in literature are discussed. A new definition of the resolution for DSC instruments is presented and outlined. The main characteristic introduced in this new definition is a minimum between two caloric events as a prerequisite of an existing resolution. Possible candidates of test substances have been evaluated. The oligomer n-hexatriacontane is revealing an interesting phenomenon, namely a lambda transition which is in the peak temperature only 2 K lower than the melting temperature of 76°C. The substance was selected as an ideal test substance for the quantification of the resolution of DSC instruments. The lambda transition is a second order process which may reach under certain conditions the saturation of the occurring molecular dislocation within 0.2 K, and after saturation the heat flow rate drops sharply down. Investigations concerning the main characteristics of n-hexatriacontane in respect to the temperatures of transition (lambda transition and melting), to the involved enthalpies, and to the resolution factors were performed as functions of the sample mass and the heating rate. The importance of relevant evaluation procedures increasing the resolution factors of DSC curves are discussed and these procedures are integrated into the testing of the resolution. The necessity for widening the experimental scope from instruments to evaluation procedures is forced by the existence of instruments with built-in signal treatments based on electronic devices and software procedures. A comparison with literature data is outlined for all of the mentioned characteristic values of n-hexatriacontane. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

超临界NaCl水溶液的分子动力学模拟

采用分子动力学模拟的方法对超临界NaCl水溶液的微观结构进行了研究.模拟发现在所研究超临界条件下,密度的变化比温度的变化对超临界NaCl水溶液的微观结构影响更大.温度及密度对Cl－ H2O径向分布函数的影响比对Na＋ H2O径向分布函数的影响要大.超临界条件下,各gNa＋－Cl－在0.261 nm处出现峰值,表明Na＋、Cl－之间发生了离子的缔合.超临界条件下,随温度增加,缔合作用增强；随密度增加,缔合作用减弱.本文工作为建立可适用于超临界条件下的电解质热力学模型提供了依据.     

Enthalpies of formation of methoxybenzoic acids and their dependence on structure

The energy of combustion of 2,5-dimethoxybenzoic acid has been determined using a static bomb calorimeter. The vapor pressures of the compound have been measured over a 18 K temperature interval by the Knudsen effusion technique. Heat capacity measurements betweenT=270 K andT=338 K were carried out by DSC. From these experimental results the standard molar enthalpies of combustion, sublimation, and formation in the crystalline and gaseous state at the temperature 298.15 K have been derived. With this compound, the series of mono- and dimethoxy-benzoic acids have been completed. Their_f H _m ^o values were expressed by an additive relationship, taking into account the number of methoxy groups and the number of all 1,2 interactions: an accuracy of 3.3 kJ·mol^–1 was achieved. In an alternative approach the substituent effect of the methoxy groups was evaluated within the framework of isodesmic reactions. The effect of disubstitution was referred to mono derivatives and the excess energy—the so-called buttressing effect—was evaluated (2–24 kJ· mol^–1 for individual bis derivatives). These values were explained in terms of the conformation of the methoxy group around the C_ar-O bond.     

Room‐Temperature Solution‐Processed PbS Quantum Dot Solar Cells

Colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) are attractive absorber materials for high‐efficiency photovoltaics because of their facile solution processing, bandgap tunability due to quantum confinement effect, and multi‐exciton generation. To date, all published performance records for PbS CQDs solar cells have been based on the conventional hot‐injection synthesis method. This method usually requires relatively strict conditions such as high temperature and the utility of expensive source material (pyrophoric bis(trimethylsilyl) sulfide (TMS‐S)), limiting the potential for large‐scale and low‐cost synthesis of PbS CQDs. Here we report a facile room‐temperature synthetic method to produce high‐quality PbS CQDs through inexpensive ionic source materials including Pb(NO₃)₂ and Na₂S in the presence of triethanolamine (TEA) as the stabilizing ligand. The PbS CQDs were successfully prepared with an average particle size of about 5 nm. Solar cells based on the as‐synthesized PbS CQDs show a preliminary power conversion efficiency of 1.82%. This room‐temperature and low‐cost synthesis of PbS CQDs will further benefit the development of solution‐processed CQD solar cells.     

后交联型St-DVB大孔吸附树脂对低级醇类的吸附性能研究

分别在静态和动态条件下研究了Friedel—Crafs后交联型聚苯乙烯-二乙烯基苯(St-DVB)大孔吸附树脂对水溶液中多种低级一元醇的吸附性能，测定静态吸附等温线和动态吸附曲线，并分别按照Langmuir和Freundlich模型进行拟合．结果显示，树脂对水中低浓度低级一元醇的吸附过程属于放热的物理吸附过程，树脂吸附能力随着一元醇碳原子数的增加，即分子内疏水基团质量的增加而增加；树脂对直链醇的吸附能力稍强于同分异构的支链醇．     

The energies of dissociation of the N—O bonds in pyridine 1-oxide derivatives

The enthalpies of combustion of some pyridine derivatives in the solid state have been measured by precision bomb calorimetry, and their enthalpies of formation have been calculated. The enthalpies of sublimation of these compounds have been determined from the experimental temperature dependences of saturated vapor pressure using the Clausius-Clapeyron equation. The enthalpies of combustion, formation, and sublimation are the following (kJ mol^–1): -3360.9±2.1, -0.5±2.1, and 79.1±1.3, respectively, for 4-methylpyridine 1-oxide; -2551.0±1.7, 11.7±1.7, and 89.1±2.5, respectively, for 4-nitropyridine 1-oxide;-2355.6±1.3, 102.1±1.3, and 106.3±2.9 for 2,4,6-trinitropyridine 1-oxide; and -2287.6±1.3, 34.3±1.3, and 101.7±2.9 for 2,4,6-trinitropyridine. The enthalpies of formation in the solid state and the enthalpies of sublimation of pyridine derivatives obtained together with the literature data allowed the energies of dissociation of the donor-acceptor N—O bonds in pyridine 1-oxides to be calculated.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 4, pp. 660–662, April, 1995.     

Excess enthalpies of solution of some primary and secondary alcohols in sodium dodecylsulfate micellar solutions

The exces enthalpies of solution of some primary and secondary alcohols in aqueous sodium dodecylsulfate micellar solutions were measured and the results were explained by considering the distribution of alcohols between aqueous and micellar phases. The distribution constant and the enthalpy of transfer (and the standard free energy and entropy of transfer) were obtained. The thermodynamic parameters for the transfer of secondary alcohols from the aqueous to the sodium dodecylsulfate (NaDS) micellar phase differ slightly from those of the corresponding primary alcohols. For both series of alcohols the additivity rule holds for free energies of transfer whereas enthalpies and entropies display convex curves. The present data are compared to those for the transfer of the same solutes from the aqueous to the dodecyldimethylamine oxide (DDAO) and dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) micellar phases. The role of the hydrophilic interactions between the OH group and the micelles' head groups is formulated. The thermodynamics of the branched methyl group were determined. Furthermore, the thermodynamics of solvation of primary alcohols in water, in NaDS micelles, and in octane have been calculated using reference states based on the assumption that the empty space around alcohols in the initial and final states is the same. It is shown that the solvation of alcohols in NaDS micellar phase is enthalpy driven and that the thermodynamic properties of solvation vs. the length of the alcohol tail is the same for water and NaDS micelles whereas it is different for octane. A possible explanation for this difference is that the alkyl chain of alcohols folds in octane.     

An Electrostatic Bond Energy Model for Enthalpies of Formation of Chloroalkanes in Gaseous States

An electrostatic bond energy model is formulated to fit the enthalpies of formation and dipole moments of the alkanes and chloroalkanes. In this model, the charge distributions are calculated by an electrostatic approach similar to the "MSE" method, and the enthalpy of formation of a molecule is the sum of the bond energy terms plus the electrostatic energy of the interactions between the charges on all atoms. All parameters of this model are obtained by parameterization. The calculated dipole moments for 13 chloroalkanes and enthalpies of formation for 19 alkanes and non-geminal chloroalkanes agree with the determined values very well. To calculate the enthalpies of formation of geminal chloroalkanes, a correction mainly attributed to the van der Waals interactions in the geminal substituted group, about 24 kJ/mol per pair of geminal chlorine atoms, is introduced.