Thermal analysis of anhydrous and hydrated Cholesterol

Cholesterol constitutes the major component of most gallstones. It was identified and determined, in gallstones, issued from eleven patients, by thermal analysis: differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), with the use of the melting temperature and enthalpy, thermogravimetry (TG), with the mass loss of water. Anhydrous cholesterol (ChA) was characterized by two endothermic peaks (polymorphic, melting) and cholesterol monohydrate (ChH) by two endothermic peaks (dehydration, melting), too. Cha needle and Chh plate crystals were observed under polarizing light microscopy. The numerous stones obtained from nine patients were cholesterol stones: the ChA was higher 45 and lower 96%. ChH was present in stones of three patients. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A supported gold catalyst for the elimination of hydrogen from CO2 feed gas in the production of urea

Supported gold catalyst for eliminating hydrogen from CO₂ feed gas in the production of urea is found to be superior to other industrial catalysts (e.g. Pt/Al₂O₃ and PdPt/Al₂O₃) in catalytic activity and resistance to sulfur poisoning.     

Memory effects in isothermal crystallization II. Isotactic polypropylene

The effects of temperature and duration of melting on the rate of isothermal crystallization of isotactic polypropylene were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Crystallization rates were found to decrease with increasing melt temperature and melting time. The results were discussed in the framework of the theoretical model of transient isothermal crystallization developed by the present authors [1]. The results suggest gradual destruction of predetermined nuclei with activation energyE _a=89±7 kJ/mole as a main mechanism of the observed effects.This work and Part I of this research [1] have been supported in part by Research Grant Number PB 1291/52/93/04 from State Committee for Scientific Research (KBN), Poland, and by 40% MURST founds, Italy.     

Comparison of the Dynamics of Water Molecules in Crystals of Proton-Ordered Ice IX and Its Proton-Disordered Analog III

A computer simulation of proton-ordered ice IX and its proton-disordered analog III (768 molecules, 90 K) was carried out by the molecular dynamics method using Poltev–Malenkov's potential. For ice IX, the differences in the dynamic characteristics of molecules with O(1) and O(2) are much wider than those in the case of ice III. The libration spectrum of ice IX has a number of distinct acute peaks, and the spectrum of ice III is strongly smoothed. These peculiarities are explained by the proton ordering of ice IX and disordering of ice III. The latter is responsible for the great differences in the short- and especially long-range environment of water molecules in ice crystals and hence for the presence of many molecules with different dynamic characteristics. Thus averaging over a large number of different vibrational spectra of molecules leads to a smoothed total spectrum in the case of the proton-disordered crystal modification of ice.     

Densification and crystallisation of celsian glass derived from alkoxide gel

High density (98% of theoretical) was achieved at 900°C for an all-alkoxide derived bulk celsian gel prior to crystallisation. TEM indicated that crystallisation was dominated by volume nucleation and growth of hexagonal disc shaped hexacelsian. Kinetic studies using SEM indicate a maximum nucleation rate at 980°C and an activation energy for crystal growth of 566 KJ/mol. The high rates of densification and of nucleation are attributed to the high OH content in the gel-derived glass.     

Direct melting polycondensation and characterization of poly(ɛ-caprolactone-co-lactic acid)

A kind of biodegradable material, poly(ɛ-caprolactone-co-lactic acid) [P(CL-co-LA)] was synthesized via the direct melting polycondensation of lactic acid (LA) and ɛ-caprolactone (CL). The influences of the polycondensation time, and the catalyst type on the intrinsic viscosity of P(CL-co-LA) were also investigated. The results indicate that P(CL-co-dl-LA), with an intrinsic viscosity of 0.4733 dL/g, can be prepared by direct melting polycondensation with the molar ratio LA/CL = 3:7 at 180°C and 70 Pa for 12 h, using 0.5% (mass fraction) of SnCl₂ as the catalyst. Compared with lactide ring-opening polycondensation (ROP), the direct melting polycondensation of LA and CL is more practicable and simple. Translated from Journal of South China University of Technology, 2006, 34(7): 7–11 (in Chinese)     

The thermal properties of complex, nanophase-separated macromolecules as revealed by temperature-modulated calorimetry

Linear, flexible macromolecules are long recognized as phase structures limited to micrometer and nanometer dimensions with covalent bonds crossing the interfaces. This special, usually non-equilibrium structure leads to unique properties and a multitude of changes for different thermal and mechanical histories. Analyses that enable the study of these properties are temperature-modulated calorimetry and related techniques which allow the separation of equilibrium and non-equilibrium responses. Research on these topics is reviewed and combined to a model for the nanophases. The new approach to the complex nanophase systems yields a better understanding of the relationship between structure and thermodynamic properties. Special emphasis is placed on the size and surface effects on the glass and melting transitions, the development of rigid-amorphous phases, and the reversible melting within the globally metastable structure.     

精制煤液化中油加氢裂化制取喷气燃料的研究

在实验室固定床反应装置上,选用Mo-Ni-P/Si-Al工业催化剂,对精煤液化中油进行了加氢裂化制取喷气燃料的实验。考察了反应温度、空速对芳烃加氢转化及产品馏分分布的影响。通过加氢裂化,降低了油品芳烃含量,提高了喷气燃料馏分的收率。在总压为15MPa,反应温度为350—360℃,空速为0.8—1.0h~(-1)条件下,获得了芳烃含量低于10w%的低结晶点的优质喷气燃料产品。并对煤液化中油制取的喷气燃料的组成和性质进行了分析和评价。     

New stage in living cationic polymerization: An array of effective Lewis acid catalysts and fast living polymerization in seconds

Our recent extensive research on Lewis acid catalysts with a weak base for the cationic polymerization of vinyl ethers led to unprecedented living reaction systems: fast living polymerization within 1–3 s; a wide choice of metal halides containing Al, Sn, Fe, Ti, Zr, Hf, Zn, Ga, In, Si, Ge, and Bi; and heterogeneously catalyzed living polymerization with Fe₂O₃. The use of added bases for the stabilization of the propagating carbocation and the appropriate selection of Lewis acid catalysts were crucial to the success of such new types of living polymerizations. In addition, the base‐stabilized living polymerization allowed the quantitative synthesis of star‐shaped polymers with a narrow molecular weight distribution via polymer‐linking reactions and the precision synthesis and self‐assembly of stimuli‐responsive block copolymers. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 1801–1813, 2007.     

Investigation of Tomato Plant Defence Response to Tobacco Mosaic Virus by Determination of Methyl Salicylate with SPME-Capillary GC-MS

Headspace SPME was applied to investigation of tomato plant defence response to tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) by determination of compounds emitted from tomato plants at the extraction conditions of 25 °C and 15 min. It was found that TMV-inoculated tomato plant released large amount of methyl salicylate (MeSA) as response to TMV and MeSA concentration changed dramatically with time after inoculation. Gaseous MeSA as a signaling compound could induce in surrounding tomato plants to produce salicylic acid (SA) and synthesize and release MeSA. These results show that MeSA might be an airborne plant-signalling molecule in tomato plant response to TMV. The present method provided low detection limit of 2.0 ng L^–1 and needed little sample preparation time (15 min), so the method makes it easy to find the critical times of tomato plant response to TMV by fast determination of MeSA released from tomato plant.