Supramolecular Structure - A Key Parameter for Cellulose Biodegradation

Summary: Three different cellulosic substrata, like microcrystalline cellulose, cotton cellulose and spruce dissolving pulp, were chosen for biodegradation. The kinetics of the enzymatic hydrolysis of these celluloses by Trichoderma reesei, has been investigated. The experiments proved the fact that both the morphological structure and the crystalline one are crucial to the process and the ratio of the reactions. In addition, in order to obtain the most accessible cellulose substratum it was studied the biodegradation of cellulose allomorphs of spruce dissolving pulp. The insoluble cellulose fraction remaining after enzymatic hydrolysis was examined by X-ray diffraction method and it was established the degree of crystallinity and the average crystallite size. The enzymatic degradation is also proved by the decrease in the degree of polymerization of hydrolyzed samples.     

Research Advances in Ion Channel-based Electrochemical Sensing Techniques

During the past few years, the electrochemical sensing techniques based on ion channels have attracted considerable attention. Nowadays, these techniques have been widely used in DNA sequencing, measurement of molecular interactions, and detection of inorganic ions and biological species. Hence, in this review, the research progresses of the ion channel-based electrochemical techniques including amperometry, conductometry and potentiometry in chemical and biological sensing are addressed from the perspective of different electrochemical methods. The sensing mechanism and fabrication process of these sensing methods are mainly introduced. In addition, the further research orientations of the electrochemical sensing based on ion channels are prospected.     

不同氧化程度氧化石墨烯的制备及湿敏性能研究

基于氧化石墨烯具有多种含氧官能团和极大的比表面积,研究了不同氧化程度氧化石墨烯的湿敏性能。采用改进的Hummers法制备不同氧化程度的氧化石墨,经过超声分散制备氧化石墨烯水相分散液后,制成氧化石墨烯薄膜湿敏元件。采用X射线衍射、原子力显微镜、红外光谱、拉曼光谱和X射线光电子能谱对实验样品的结构和谱学特性进行表征。结果表明:石墨经氧化后,底面间距增大为0.9 nm左右;随氧化剂用量的增加,氧化石墨中石墨的衍射峰逐渐消失,石墨相微晶尺寸逐渐减小,O/C原子比逐渐增大,氧化程度逐渐升高;氧化石墨烯在水相分散液中可达单层分散,单层氧化石墨烯厚度约为1.3 nm;氧化石墨烯表面接有-OH、C-O-C、C=O和COOH官能团,且官能团含量随氧化程度的升高而增大;氧化石墨烯薄膜元件在室温下对湿度的响应时间约3 s,灵敏度达99%;在11.3%-93.6%相对湿度范围内,元件的电阻随湿度升高显著减小,较高氧化程度的氧化石墨烯薄膜的电阻对数与相对湿度呈线性变化;氧化程度越高,元件灵敏度越高,响应时间越短。     

非原位拉曼光谱区分富锂层状氧化物的集成结构:一种预测Li2MnO3活化程度的有效方法

采用5种方法,即溶胶-凝胶法、高温固相法、共沉淀法、水热法和溶剂热法合成了富锂材料Li_1.2Mn_0.6Ni_0.2O₂。拉曼光谱研究发现共沉淀法制备的样品是固溶体结构,而其他4个样品是以不同尺度共生形成的复合物结构。电化学性能测试结果表明这5个富锂材料性能存在明显差异,尤其是在首次充电过程中5个样品位于4.5 V以上由Li₂MnO₃组分活化所贡献的容量明显不同,共沉淀法制备的具有固溶体结构的样品中由Li₂MnO₃组分活化贡献的容量最多。因此我们建立起电化学性能与两相集成方式的联系,不同的集成方式使得Li₂MnO₃组分活化所贡献的容量不同,进而影响了最终的电化学性能。     

Nonstationarity and related measures for time‐dependent hartree–fock and multiconfigurational models

Based on an earlier article (Eberly and Singh, Phys. Rev. D 1973 , 7, 359) and related works on short‐time evolution, this article proposes a many‐electron formulation for the nonstationarity degree which can be assigned to quantum system at each time point. The key measure introduced, , is a nonstationarity index that can be thought of as an inverse nominal lifetime at each instance of time. The index is directly computed from the time derivative of one‐electron density matrix and is a size‐consistent quantity. In this article, the approach is developed for the time‐dependent Hartree–Fock (TDHF), single‐excitation (TDCIS), and time‐dependent full configuration interaction (TDFCI) models. As a rule, nonstationarity effects are more pronounced in correlated electron systems, and a joint analysis of and the multiconfigurational character of wave functions apparently provide a deeper insight into dynamical molecular processes. The performed calculations on small molecules in laser fields show a preference for the TDCIS model when comparing TDCIS and TDHF with the “exact” TDFCI model. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Conventional radical polymerization and iodine‐transfer polymerization of 4′‐nonafluorobutyl styrene: Surface and thermal characterizations of the resulting poly(fluorostyrene)s

4′‐Nonafluorobutylstyrene (3) was synthesized and polymerized by conventional and controlled radical polymerization (iodine transfer polymerization (ITP)). Such an aromatic fluoromonomer was prepared from Ullmann coupling between 1‐iodoperfluorobutane and 4‐bromoacetophenone followed by a reduction and a dehydration in 50% overall yield. Two radical polymerizations of (3) were initiated by AIBN either under conventional or controlled conditions, with 1‐iodoperfluorohexane in 84% monomer conversion and in 50% yield. ITP of (3) featured a fast monomer conversion and a linear evolution of the ln([M]₀/[M]) versus time. The kinetics of radical homopolymerization of (3) enabled one to assess its square of the propagation rate to the termination rate (k_p²/k_t) in ITP conditions (36.2·10^?2 l·mol^?2·sec^?2 at 80 °C) from the Tobolsky's kinetic law. Polydispersity index (?) of the fluoropolymer achieved by conventional polymerization was 1.30 while it worthed 1.15 when synthesized by ITP. Thermal stabilities of these oligomers were satisfactory (10% weight loss under air occurred from 305 °C) whereas the melting point was 47 °C. Contact angles and surface energies assessed from spin‐coated poly(3) films obtained by conventional (hysteresis = 18°, surface energy 18 mN.m^?1) and ITP (hysteresis = 47°, surface energy 15 mN.m^?1) evidenced ? values' influence onto surface properties of the synthesized polymers. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013, 51, 3202–3212     

Atmospheric degradation mechanisms of a simulant organophosphorus pesticide isopropyl methyl methylphosphonate: A theoretical consideration

Calculations using density functional theory were performed to explore the mechanisms for atmospheric degradation of isopropyl methyl methylphosphonate (IMMP). The potential energy surface profiles for OH‐initiated reaction of IMMP were constructed, and all possible degradation channels were considered. Rate constants were further calculated using transition state theory. It was established from these calculations that H‐abstractions from alkyl groups have much lower energy barriers than substitutions of alkoxyl groups, and four possible H‐abstraction channels are competitive. Investigations into the secondary reactions under the presence of O₂/NO were also performed. It is shown that O₂ addition, reaction of peroxide radicals with NO to form RO radicals, and removal of ·RO are the major degradation pathways for alkyl radicals. Four selected products, CH₃OP(O)(CH₃)OC(O)CH₃, CH₃OP(O)(O)CH₃, (CH₃)₂CHOP(O)(CH₃)OH, and (CH₃)₂CHOP(O)(CH₃)OCH?O, are predicted to be the major products in this study. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Spectroscopic characterization and preparation of low molecular,water‐soluble chitosan with free‐amine group by novel method

Low molecular, water‐soluble chitosan (LMWSC) with a free amine group was prepared by the novel salts‐removal method described in this study. A weight‐average molecular weight and degree of deacetylation (DDA) of LMWSC were determined by viscometry and Kina titration, resulting in 18,579 Da and 93% DDA, respectively. In the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic, ¹H NMR, and ¹³C NMR spectra the absorption band by the carboxyl group derived from lactic acid and the impurities formed in the enzymatic process disappeared or were significantly lower than that of the control chitosan. Also, from the ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR spectra the empirical value for the area ratio of the proton and carbon corresponds nearly to its theoretical values. The matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrum identified the difference in the two adjacent peaks as 161. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 3796–3803, 2002