Is there a relationship between protein thermal stability and the denaturation heat capacity change?

It is shown the non-occurrence of a correlation between the values of the denaturation temperature and those of the denaturation heat capacity change for a set of 13 proteins possessing the ‘SH3-type’ fold from both mesophilic and thermophilic microorganisms. This seems to be a rather general result, because, fixed the size and the folding pattern, the denaturation heat capacity change is a nearly constant quantity, within the uncertainty limits of experimental determinations, regardless of the thermal stability of the protein. A precise definition of the thermodynamics of the hydrophobic effect is presented to clarify that the above finding does not imply that the hydrophobic effect does not play a role in the extra-thermal stability of thermophilic and hyperthermophilic proteins.     

Calorimetric study of molecular superconductor κ-(BEDT-TTF)<Subscript>2</Subscript>Ag(CN)<Subscript>2</Subscript>H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O which contains water in the anion layers

Thermodynamic investigation of an organic superconductor κ-(BEDT-TTF)₂Ag(CN)₂H₂O in which the BEDT-TTF dimers are arranged in the κ-type structure in the donor layers is performed by the relaxation calorimetric technique at low temperatures and under magnetic fields. A thermal anomaly related to the superconductive phase transition was observed at 5 K. The existence of residual γ^* in the superconductive state is about 18% of the normal state γ value, which is larger than those of κ-(BEDT-TTF)₂Cu(NCS)₂, and κ-(BEDT-TTF)₂Cu[N(CN)₂]Br salt. The lattice heat capacity reflected on the β-term in the low-temperature heat capacity was found to be affected by the cooling rate. The disorder produced in the network structure constructed by hydrogen bond in the insulating layer is considered to give low-energy phonon excitations reflected in the heat capacity.     

Industrial need for accurate thermophysical data and for reliable prediction methods

Intelligent design of chemical-process equipment requires accurate thermophysical property values for pure components and mixtures including solutions. Databases used by practicing engineers should include the best numbers available and estimated uncertainties of these numbers. Many important property values have not been measured and must be estimated. Care should be exercised in selecting the estimation method. Property values that are a function of temperature, pressure, and/or composition can be correlated using appropriate equations. Such equations and the number of adjustable parameters in these equations should be selected with care. Examples of determining uncertainties, estimation techniques used, and correlating equations are given.     

Specific thermal and thermodynamic properties of the tellurites Fe2(TeO3)3, Fe2TeO5 and Fe2Te4O11

The temperature dependence of the molar heat capacities of the tellurites Fe₂(TeO₃)₃, Fe₂TeO₅ and Fe₂Te₄O₁₁ were determined. By statistical manipulation of the values obtained, the parameters in the equations for the corresponding compounds showing this dependence were determined using the least-squares method. These equations together with the standard molar entropies were used to determine the thermodynamic functions Δ₀^T S _m⁰, Δ_T^T,H _m⁰ and (Φ_m⁰ + Δ₀^T’ H _m⁰ / T) for T’=298.15 K.     

A fully automated adiabatic calorimeter for heat capacity measurement between 80 and 400 K

A fully automated adiabatic calorimeter controlled on line by a computer used for heat capacity measurements in the temperature range from 80 to 400 K was constructed. The hardware of the calorimetric system consisted of a Data Acquisition/Switch Unit, 34970A Agilent, a 7 1/2 Digit Nano Volt /Micro Ohm Meter, 34420A Agilent, and a P4 computer. The software was developed according to modern controlling theory. The adiabatic calorimeter consisted mainly of a sample cell equipped with a miniature platinum resistance thermometer and an electric heater, two (inner and outer) adiabatic shields, two sets of six junction differential thermocouple piles and a high vacuum can. A Lake Shore 340 Temperature Controller and the two sets of differential thermocouples were used to control the adiabatic conditions between the cell and its surroundings. The reliability of the calorimeter was verified by measuring the heat capacities of synthetic sapphire (α-Al₂O₃), Standard Reference Material 720. The deviation of the data obtained by this calorimeter from those published by NIST was within ±0.1% in the temperature range from 80 to 400 K.     

Heat capacities, order-disorder transitions, and thermodynamic properties of rare-earth orthoferrites and rare-earth iron garnets

Rare-earth orthoferrites, RFeO₃, and rare-earth iron garnets (RIGs) R₃Fe₅O₁₂ (R=rare-earth elements) were prepared by citrate-nitrate gel combustion method and characterized by X-ray diffraction method. Isobaric molar heat capacities of these oxides were determined by using differential scanning calorimetry from 130 to 860 K. Order-disorder transition temperatures were determined from the heat capacity measurements. The Néel temperatures (T_N) due to antiferromagentic to paramagnetic transitions in orthoferrites and the Curie temperatures (T_C) due to ferrimagnetic to paramagnetic transitions in garnets were determined from the heat capacity data. Both T_N and T_C systematically decrease with increasing atomic number of R across the series. Lattice, electronic and magnetic contributions to the total heat capacity were calculated. Debye temperatures as a function of absolute temperature were calculated for these compounds. Thermodynamic functions like , , H^o, G^o, , , , , and have been generated for the compounds RFeO₃(s) and R₃Fe₅O₁₂(s) based on the experimental data obtained in this study and the available data in the literature.     

2-甲基-2-丁醇的低温热容和热力学性质

本文用精密自动绝热量热仪测定了2-甲基-2-丁醇在80～305 K温区的热容,从热容曲线(Cp-T) 发现三个固－固相变和一个固－液相变, 其相变温度分别为T = 146.355, 149.929, 214.395, 262.706 K。从实验热容数据用最小二乘法得到以下四个温区的热容拟合方程。在80～140K温区, Cp,m = 39.208 + 8.0724X - 1.9583X2 + 10.06X3 + 1.799X4 - 7.2778X5 + 1.4919X6, 折合温度X = (T –110) / 30; 在 155 ～ 210 K温区, Cp,m = 70.701 + 10.631X + 12.767X2 + 0.3583X3 - 22.272X4 - 0.417X5 + 12.055X6, X = (T –182.5) /27.5; 在220 ～ 250 K温区, Cp,m = 99.176 + 7.7199X - 26.138X2 + 28.949X3 + 0.7599X4 - 25.823X5 + 21.131X6, X = (T – 235)/15; 在 270～305 K温区, Cp,m =121.73 + 16.53 X- 1.0732X2 - 34.937X3 - 19.865X4 + 24.324X5 + 18.544X6, X = (T –287.5)/17.5。从实验热容计算出相变焓分别为0.9392, 1.541, 0.6646, 2.239 kJ×mol-1; 相变熵分别为6.417, 10.28, 3.100, 8.527 J×K-1×mol-1。根据热力学函数关系式计算出80～305 K温区每隔5 K的热力学函数值 [HT –H298.15]和 [ST –S298.15]。     

Effects of magnetic fluids on crystallization characterizations in a multi-component and multiphase system

In this study, experiments are carried out on the effects of magnetic fluids on the crystallization char- acterizations in a multi-component and multiphase system, which contains the liquid and the vapor of HCFC141b, water, water vapor, and gas hydrates. The mass transfer phenomena between the phase interfaces of water-HCFC141b and water-vapor are also researched. The experimental results show that in the presence of a rotary magnetic field, magnetic fluids can remarkably enhance the heat and mass transfer between phase interfaces and, therefore, improve the performance of crystallization, especially in improving the formation temperature and velocity.     

The heat kernel on H-type groups

In this paper we present an explicit calculation of the heat kernel for the sub-Laplacian on an H-type group by using irreducible unitary representations of and the heat kernel for the associated Hermite operator.

     

Vibrational Properties of LaNb0.8M0.2O4-δ (M=As,Sb, V,and Ta)

LaNb_0.8M_0.2O_4-δ (where M=As, Sb, V, and Ta) oxides with pentavalent elements of different ionic sizes were synthesized by a solid-state reaction method. The vibrational properties of these oxides have been investigated. These studies revealed that the substituent element influences both Debye temperature value as well as the Raman active vibrational modes. Additionally, the low-temperature vibrational properties of LaNb_0.8Sb_0.2O_4-δ have been determined to show the phase transition occurrence at 260 K which is lower than previously reported.