Simultaneous measurement of glucose and glutamine in aqueous solutions by near infrared spectroscopy

A method is described for measuring the concentrations of both glucose and glutamine in binary mixtures from near infrared (NIR) absorption spectra. Spectra are collected over the range from 5000–4000/cm (2.0–2.5μm) with a 1-mm optical path length. Glucose absorbance features at 4710, 4400, and 4300/cm and glutamine features at 4700, 4580, and 4390/cm provide the analytical information required for the measurement. Multivariate calibration models are generated by using partial least squares (PLS) regression alone and PLS regression combined with a preprocessing digital Fourier filtering step. The ideal number of PLS factors and spectral range are identified separately for each analyte. In addition, the optimum Fourier filter parameters are established for both compounds. The best overall analytical performance is obtained by combining Fourier filtering and PLS regression. Glucose measurements are established over the concentration range from 1.66–59.91 mM, with a standard error of prediction (SEP) of 0.32 mM and a mean percent error of 1.84%. Glutamine can be measured over the concentration range from 1.10–30.65 mM with a SEP of 0.75 mM and a mean percent error of 6.67%. These results demonstrate the analytical utility of NIR spectroscopy for monitoring glucose and glutamine levels in mammalian and insect cell cultures.     

A sequence and structural study of transmembrane helices

A comparison is made between the distribution of residue preferences, three dimensional nearest neighbour contacts, preferred rotamers, helix-helix crossover angles and peptide bond angles in three sets of proteins: a non-redundant set of accurately determined globular protein structures, a set of four-helix bundle structures and a set of membrane protein structures. Residue preferences for the latter two sets may reflect overall helix stabilising propensities but may also highlight differences arising out of the contrasting nature of the solvent environments in these two cases. The results bear out the expectation that there may be differences between residue type preferences in membrane proteins and in water soluble globular proteins. For example, the -branched residue types valine and isoleucine are considerably more frequently encountered in membrane helices. Likewise, glycine and proline, residue types normally associated with `helix-breaking' propensity are found to be relatively more common in membrane helices. Three dimensional nearest neighbour contacts along the helix, preferred rotamers, and peptide bond angles are very similar in the three sets of proteins as far as can be ascertained within the limits of the relatively low resolution of the membrane proteins dataset. Crossing angles for helices in the membrane protein set resemble the four helix bundle set more than the general non-redundant set, but in contrast to both sets they have smaller crossing angles consistent with the dual requirements for the helices to form a compact structure while having to span the membrane. In addition to the pairwise packing of helices we investigate their global packing and consider the question of helix supercoiling in helix bundle proteins.     

Copper-exchanged LTA zeolite membranes with enhanced water flux for ethanol dehydration

Phase-pure and well-intergrown Cu-LTA membranes are developed through copper ions exchange of sodium ions in Na-LTA framework. For pervaporation of 90.0 wt% ethanol/10.0 wt% water mixtures, the Cu-LTA membrane shows much higher water flux than Na-LTA membranes due to the enhancement of the pore size after ions exchange.     

TiO2/P(VdF-HFP)杂化纤维微孔膜的制备及其电化学性能

用电纺法制备了TiO₂/P(VdF-HFP)(聚偏氟乙烯-六氟丙烯共聚物)杂化纤维微孔膜, 用SEM观察了杂化纤维微孔膜的形貌, 并测算了这类由超细纤维相互搭接而形成的微孔膜的孔隙率. 这种微孔膜吸附LiPF₆/EC-DMC-EMC(碳酸乙烯酯-二甲基碳酸酯-碳酸甲乙酯)电解质溶液后得到凝胶聚合物电解质膜. 用电化学方法测试了聚合物电解质膜的离子电导率、锂离子迁移数等参数, 并研究了TiO₂纳米晶的掺入对聚合物电解质电化学性能的影响. 结果表明, TiO₂的掺入降低了P(VdF-HFP)聚合物基体的结晶度, 改善了凝胶聚合物电解质的低温电化学性能.     

Studies of the Methane Steam Reforming Reaction at High Pressure in a Ceramic Membrane Reactor

The effects of temperature and pressure on the steam reforming of methane 3H2+CO) were investigated in a membrane reactor (MR) with a hydrogen permeable membrane. The studies used a novel silica-based membrane prepared by using the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique with a permeance for H2 of 6.0×l0-8 mol·m-2·s-1·Pa-1 at 923 K. The results in a packed-bed reactor (PBR) were compared to those of the membrane reactor at various temperatures (773-923 K) and pressures (1-20 atm, 101.3-2026.5 kPa) using a commercial Ni/MgAl2O4 catalyst. The conversion of methane was improved significantly in the MR by the countercurrent removal of hydrogen at all temperatures and allowed product yields higher than the equilibrium to be obtained. Pressure had a positive effect on the hydrogen yield because of the increase in driving force for the permeance of hydrogen. The yield of hydrogen increased with pressure and reached a value of 73×10-6 mol·g-1·s-1 at 2026.5 kPa and 923 K which was higher by 108% than the value of 35×10-6 mol·g-1·s-1 obtained for the equilibrium yield. The results obtained with the silica-based membrane were similar to those obtained with various other membranes as reported in the literature.     

基于芘的荧光熄灭的单质碘荧光敏感膜的研究

单质碘熄灭固定于增塑的ＰＶＣ膜中的芘的荧光，且这种熄灭作用可逆。本据此研制了用于测定单质碘浓度的荧光敏感膜，最佳膜组成为２～４ｍｇ芘、５０ｍｇＰＶＣ粉、１００ｍｇ邻苯二甲酸二异辛酯，测定碘的浓度范围为２．２６×１０＾－５～１．０４×１０＾－３ｍｏｌ／Ｌ。此膜测定单质碘的重现性好，响应时间小于４０ｓ。除Ｆｅ＾３＋、Ｂｉ＾３＋外，其它常见离子均无干扰。将此膜用于食盐中碘的测定，结果令人满意。     

溴代及胺交联聚苯醚（PPO）膜的气体透过行为

对聚苯醚(PPO)进行了苯环溴代、甲基溴代以及胺交联,发现苯环溴代可提高O_2、N_2透过率(P),而选择性(α)基本不变。甲基溴代则相反,P降低、α有明显提高。调节两者比例可得到P、α兼优的O_2、N_2分离膜。甲基溴代后进一步胺交联可得到α更高、耐溶剂的膜材料。     

Development of an optical membrane for humidity

4-(N,N-dioctylamino)-4-trifluoroacetyl-azobenzene (ETH^T 4001), together with the catalyst tridodecylmethylammonium chloride, is dissolved in the hydrophilic polymer polyurethane Tecoflex. The resulting membrane layers show high sensitivity toward water vapour and allow the application of the membranes for humidity measurements. Upon exposure to humid air, the membrane exhibits a decrease in absorbance at a wavelength around 490 nm and an increase at around 430 nm. This signal change is caused by the conversion of the trifluoroacetyl group of the reactand into a diol, thus changing the electron delocalisation of the reactand. The sensor layer exhibits a dynamic range from 1% to 100% RH with highest sensitivity in the 5%–40% RH range. The limit of detection is 0.5% RH. The amount of added catalyst enables the sensitive range to be tailored. The selectivity over ethanol and carbonate is sufficient for the membrane to be used for long-term measurements of air. The change in colour of the humidity-sensitive membrane from red to yellow also means it can be used as an optical test strip.     

Improving the properties of the proton exchange membranes by introducing α-methylstyrene in the pre-irradiation induced graft polymerization

New proton exchange membranes (PEMs) were prepared by pre-irradiation induced grafting of α-methylstyrene (AMS)/styrene (STY)/divinylbenzene (DVB) into the crosslinked polytetrafluoroethylene (RX-PTFE) films and successively sulfonated. The new PEMs showed the improved glass transition temperature and chemical stability as compared with the PEMs prepared by pre-irradiation induced grafting of STY/DVB. The balance of the cost, grafting kinetic, thermal properties and the properties of the resulted proton exchange membrane is the key point of this work.     

Effect of Thiourea on the Kinetics of the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction at Iron and the Transport of Hydrogen through a Steel Membrane in Solutions of C<Subscript>2</Subscript>H<Subscript>4</Subscript>(OH)<Subscript>2</Subscript>-H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O-HCl

The effect of thiourea (0.5–10 mM) on the kinetics of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at iron and the hydrogen transport through a steel membrane out of ethylene glycol (containing 2 and 10 wt % H₂O) and aqueous solutions containing HCl (0.1–0.99 M) with a constant ionic strength equal to unity is studied in parallel experiments. The presence of 0.5 mM of thiourea in the solutions raises the overvoltage of hydrogen evolution, while a subsequent increase in its concentration does not effect the HER kinetics. The dependence of the flux of hydrogen diffusion through the membrane on the thiourea content passes through a maximum.