Modified silver staining in 2DE improves protein detection even at extremely low sample concentration

The typical concentration of protein loaded varies from 0.13 to 1.40 μg/μL for a classical silver staining method in 2DE gel. Here, we present a simple modified classical silver staining method by modifying the silver impregnation and development reaction steps. This modified method detects the protein spots at extremely low loaded concentrations, ranging from 0.0048 to 0.0480 μg/μL. We recommend this modified silver staining as an excellent method for the limited biological samples used for silver‐stained 2DE analysis. Altogether, the protocol takes close to two days from first dimension separation to second dimension separation, followed by silver staining, scanning, and analysis.     

pH-Sensitive Dye-Polyether Derivatives as Dispersants for Its Parent Dye. Part 1: Synthesis and Hydrolysis Behavior

A series of dye-polyether derivatives, supposedly to be used as dispersants for parent dye, were synthesized by grafting poly(oxyalkylene)-amines based on differing both molecular weights and degrees of hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity, onto C.I. disperse red 60 via a stable urea linkage. The structures of the dye-polyether derivatives were characterized by FTIR, ¹H NMR, and SEC. The influence of pH on the hydrolysis behaviors of the dye-polyether derivatives were studied in buffered aqueous solutions within the pH range of 4 to 10. The hydrolysis of dye-polyether derivatives was pH dependent and relatively faster in mild alkaline buffer solution than in acidic one. The influence of poly(oxyalkylene)-amine structure on the hydrolysis behavior was also investigated; it was found that the hydrolysis rate is affected little by the molecular weight and increases with the increasing hydrophilicity of the poly(oxyalkylene)-amine.     

Ni基催化剂催化燃油重整耦合选择性催化还原NOx反应

分别以La₂O₂CO₃, CeO₂, ZrO₂和Al₂O₃为载体, 采用浸渍法制备了Ni基重整催化剂, 并以正十二烷模拟车载燃油进行催化重整反应以同时制备小分子碳氢化合物(HCs)和H₂, 考察了其在4wt%Ag/Al₂O₃上选择性催化还原(HC-SCR)氮氧化物(NO_x)的性能. 采用N₂吸附-脱附、X射线粉末衍射、H₂程序升温还原和热重等手段对Ni基催化剂进行了表征. 结果表明, 随着重整催化剂氧化还原性能增强, 产物中H₂浓度增加, 可参与SCR反应的HCs含量减少, 从而导致重整-SCR耦合体系上NO_x净化活性温度窗口向低温移动, NO_x最高转化率降低. Ni/ZrO₂+Ag/Al₂O₃耦合体系中H₂/HCs符合SCR反应所需的最优比例, 在柴油车典型排气温度范围内表现出良好的NO_x净化能力. 同时, 在Ni/ZrO₂+Ag/Al₂O₃耦合体系上考察了其燃油重整-SCR的活性稳定性. 结果显示, 重整催化剂的耐久性有待进一步提高.     

钙钛矿型氧化物负载纳米金属催化剂结构的动态调变及其催化氧化CO反应性能

研究了钛酸钡和钛酸钙担载的Ag和Pt纳米催化剂的表面结构随氧化-还原处理过程的动态变化及其对CO完全氧化反应性能的影响.发现氧化物担载的Ag催化剂在氧化处理后其催化活性较还原处理的高; X射线衍射(XRD)和X射线光电子能谱(XPS)表征结果表明,氧化处理能够提高载体表面Ag颗粒的分散度,而还原处理导致Ag颗粒的聚集,从而降低了催化氧化CO反应的活性.氧化-还原处理改变了担载Ag纳米粒子的尺寸并影响其CO氧化反应活性.与此相反,氧化物担载的Pt催化剂在还原处理后所表现出的CO氧化反应活性较氧化处理的高; 对比研究发现,氧化和还原处理后Pt纳米粒子的尺寸基本相同,但是氧化处理的样品中Pt表面物种以氧化态为主,而还原处理后Pt表面物种主要为金属态.Pt纳米粒子表面化学状态随氧化-还原处理的调变是导致表面催化活性差异的主要原因.     

Syntheses and Crystal Structures of Two New Macrocyclic Compounds

Two new macrocyclic compounds, [Cu2(L)2](ClO4)4·2CH3OH (1) and [Cu(L)](ClO4)2·2H2O (2) (L = 1,3,10,12,15,18-hexaazatetracyclodocosane) were synthesized by condensation reactions involving amines and formaldehyde in the presence of copper anion. Compound 1 crystallizes in triclinic, space group Pí with a = 10.442(2), b = 14.197(3), c = 17.388(4), α = 91.218(4), β = 90.69(3), γ = 93.756(4)o, V = 2520.4(9)3, Z = 2, F(000) = 1260, Dc = 1.589 Mg/m3, Mr = 1205.92, μ = 1.137 mm-1, λ = 0.71073, the final R = 0.0668 and wR = 0.1573 for 9703 observed reflections with I > 2σ(I). Compound 2 crystallizes in monoclinic, space group C2/c with a = 16.911(2), b = 11.4172(15), c = 27.059(4), β = 107.787(2)o, V = 4974.7(12)3, Z = 8, F(000) = 2504, Dc = 1.610 Mg/m3, Mr = 602.92, μ = 1.155 mm-1, λ = 0.71073 , the final R = 0.0419 and wR = 0.1131 for 4374 observed reflections with I > 2σ(I).     

Synthesis and thermotropic studies of a novel series of nematogenic liquid crystals 2-(6-alkoxynaphthalen-2-yl)-5-cyanopyridines

A novel series of highly birefringent liquid crystalline compounds, 2-(6-alkoxynaphthalen-2-yl)-5-cyanopyridines (nO-NpPyCN, n?=?2–8) that have potential as commercially useful, were synthesised using a short two-step reaction with overall yields between 55% and 85%. Spectral analyses were in accordance with the expected structures. Their thermotropic behaviours were investigated by polarising optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. It was found that the desymmetrised core results in a nematic phase with a broad mesophase range.     

Mesophase behaviour of laterally di-fluoro-substituted four-ring compounds

Four new groups of the di-fluoro-substituted 4-(2′-(or 3′)-fluoro phenylazo)-2-(or 3-) fluoro phenyl-4″-alkoxyphenylazo benzoates (In–IVn) were prepared and investigated for their mesophase behaviour. An alkoxy group of variable chain length (n = 6, 10 and 14 carbons) is attached to the terminal phenylazo benzoate moiety, and two lateral fluoro substituents are attached individually with different orientations to the other two adjacent rings. The molecular structures of the prepared compounds were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The study aims to investigate the steric effect of the spatial orientation and relative positions of the two lateral fluorine atoms on the mesomorphic properties in their pure states. The mesophase behaviour was investigated via differential scanning calorimetry and mesophases were identified by polarised light microscopy. The investigation shows that these compounds exhibit high enantiotropic mesophases (SmC and N) and broad mesophase temperature range. The type and stability of the mesophase depends on the length of the terminal alkoxy chain and the position the two fluoro substituents. A comparison between these investigated compounds with their corresponding three-ring analogues was discussed.     

Comparison of membrane assisted liquid–liquid microextraction devices applied to a series of volatile organic compounds in aqueous environmental matrices

An extraction device has been investigated for the separation and preconcentration of a series of volatile organic compounds (CHCl₃, CHCl₂Br, CHClBr₂ and CHBr₃) in aqueous matrices. The device consisted of a microporous membrane system utilising a hollow fibre tube filled with organic solvent directly immersed into the sample solution. The hollow fibre containing 160 µL organic solvent was immersed in a glass vial with 10 mL capacity, and the extraction took place through diffusive transport between the aqueous sample and the small amount of solvent. For validation of the method, some operational conditions, such as extraction solvent, temperature, stirring rate and separation time, were optimised. Limit of detection was at low ppb levels, with GC-MS analysis under selected ion monitoring (SIM), whereas enrichment factors between 22 and 35 were obtained. Good reproducibility with RSDs between 7.2% and 9.8% and large linear dynamic ranges with R ² between 0.996 and 0.998 were also achieved. In addition, the performance of the membrane assisted solvent extraction (MASE) system was compared with two existing configurations: a non-porous membrane separation device, as well as with a comparable microporous configuration. The comparison considered the extraction mechanism and the underlying transport processes. The application to real samples showed a good concordance with classical analytical methods.     

Preparation,characterization and applications of polyurethane foam functionalized with resorcinol for quantitative separation and determination of silver(I) and mercury(II) from tap and wastewater

A stable chelating resin matrix was prepared by covalently linking resorcinol with polyurethane foam matrix through a –N=N– group. Preconcentration and determination of trace Ag⁺ and Hg²⁺ ions from samples of different origin, using Res-PUF, were studied. Various conditions influencing the sorption of these metal ions onto Res-PUF were optimized. The kinetics of sorption of the Ag⁺ and Hg²⁺ by Res-PUF were found to be fast, reached equilibrium in few minutes (5–10?min) and followed a first-order rate equation with an overall rate constant k in 0.102 and 0.267/min, respectively. Study of the variation of the sorption of the tested metal ions with temperature yielded average values for ΔG, ΔH and ΔS of ?3.94, ?22.02 and ?58.37, respectively. The mean free sorption energy (E) computed from the Dubinin–Radushkevich (D–R) isotherm was found to be equal to 8.91 kJ/mol, which reflects the chelation sorption process. The capacities of the foam material were 0.15 and 0.07?mmol/g for Ag⁺ and Hg²⁺, respectively. Preconcentration factors of?>?50 were achieved (RSD?≈?5.99). The proposed preconcentration procedure was applied successfully to the determination of trace metal ions in natural and wastewater samples.     

Reflection–absorption infrared sensing device for detection of semivolatile aromatic compounds in soils

In this article, a new IR-sensing device is described for the examination of chlorinated aromatic compounds in soils. To prepare this sensing device, a 20-mL glass vial was modified for use in the analysis of soil samples by conventional Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. In this sampling device, an aluminium plate coated with a hydrophobic film was placed on top of the cap of the sample vial to absorb the analytes that evaporated from the soil matrix. After this absorption process was complete, the cap was placed in an FT-IR spectrometer, and the absorbed analytes were detected in the reflection–absorption (RA) mode. To accelerate the rate of evaporation of the analytes, the soil samples were heated to various temperatures. Meanwhile, other factors, such as the moisture content, sampling time, thickness of the hydrophobic film, and the volatilities and concentrations of the analytes, were also examined to optimize the analytical conditions. The results indicated that the time required to reach equilibrium conditions was short, and evaporation/absorption could be achieved within 10?min. With a water content of 10% (v/w) or less, the intensities of the analytical signals were increased greatly when compared with those of dry samples; when the water content was above 10% (v/w), these intensities decreased, partially as a result of the heating efficiency. After examining the compounds that had different vapour pressures, the analytical results indicated that this method was applicable to the examination of compounds that had vapour pressures below 1.0?Torr. Using the optimal conditions determined in this study, the detection limits for semivolatile aromatic compounds were lower than 100?ng/g, and the regression coefficients of the standard curves for compounds that had a vapour pressure lower than 1.0?Torr were larger than 0.99 in the concentration range of 1–100?µg/g.