Controlling thermomechanical behavior of semicrystalline hydrogenated polynorbornene through the cis- to trans-cyclopentylene ratio

Though polynorbornene synthesized by ring-opening metathesis polymerization has an intrinsically all-cis configuration of the cyclopentylene backbone rings, a fraction of these rings can be epimerized to the trans configuration during hydrogenation over suitable catalysts. By varying the method of hydrogenation, semicrystalline hydrogenated polynorbornenes (hPNs) with trans levels between 0 and 36% were obtained. With increasing trans content, the glass transition temperature, melting point, and enthalpy of melting decrease modestly. By contrast, the temperature at which the hPN crystal transitions into a rotationally disordered polymorph varies strongly with trans content, ranging from 126 °C (all-cis) to 71 °C at 27% trans; at trans contents of 34% and above, no rotationally-ordered phase is observed at any temperature. The room-temperature Young's modulus shows no dependence on trans content, while the yield stress drops by 20% at 1% trans content and slowly decreases further with additional epimerization. The temperature dependence of the Young's modulus differs for trans-containing versus all-cis polymers, while the temperature dependence of the yield stress is set by the polymorph type (rotationally ordered vs. disordered).     

Rational hydrothermal synthesis of graphene quantum dots with optimized luminescent properties for sensing applications

Hydrothermal synthesis using graphene oxide (GO) as a precursor has been used to produce luminescent graphene quantum dots (GQDs). However, such a method usually requires many reagents and multistep pretreatments, while can give rise to GQDs with low quantum yield (QY). Here, we investigated the concentration, the temperature of synthesis, and the pH of the GO solution used in the hydrothermal method through factorial design experiments aiming to optimize the QY of GQDs to reach a better control of their luminescent properties. The best synthesis condition (2 mg/mL, 175 °C, and pH = 8.0) yielded GQDs with a relatively high QY (8.9%) without the need of using laborious steps or dopants. GQDs synthesized under different conditions were characterized to understand the role of each synthesis parameter in the materials' structure and luminescence properties. It was found that the control of the synthesis parameters enables the tailoring of the amount of specific oxygen functionalities onto the surface of the GQDs. By changing the synthesis' conditions, it was possible to prioritize the production of GQDs with more hydroxyl or carboxyl groups, which influence their luminescent properties. The as-developed GQDs with tailored composition were used as luminescent probes to detect Fe³⁺. The lowest limit of detection (0.136 μM) was achieved using GQDs with higher amounts of carboxylic groups, while wider linear range was obtained by GQDs with superior QY. Thus, our findings contribute to rationally produce GQDs with tailored properties for varied applications by simply adjusting the synthesis conditions and suggest a pathway to understand the mechanism of detection of GQDs-based optical sensors.     

Effects of steric and hydrophobic forces on the rheological properties of ZrO2 suspensions

 The effect of pH on the flow behavior of ZrO₂ suspensions containing polyacrylic and octanoic acids was evaluated. In the flocculated pH regime, the flow behavior is highly shearthinning and can be described by a power-law model. The shear-thinning behavior increases with increasing degree of flocculation. Maximum shearthinning was observed at the zero zeta potential condition. Hydrophobic interaction arising from adsorbed octanoic acid was found to enhance the shear-thinning behavior. No such enhancement was observed for adsorbed polyacrylic acid. It was also illustrated that the viscosity–pH behavior is a mirror image of the yield stress–pH behavior. A quantitative particle-pair interactions model incorporating steric and hydrophobic interactions was proposed to explain the effects of polyacrylic and octanoic acids on the maximum yield stress. Received: 23 May 1997 Accepted: 4 June 1997     

Preprocessed barley,rye, and triticale as a feedstock for an integrated fuel ethanol-feedlot plant

Rye, triticale, and barley were evaluated as starch feedstock to replace wheat for ethanol production. Preprocessing of grain by abrasion on a Satake mill reduced fiber and increased starch concentrations in feedstock for fermentations. Higher concentrations of starch in flours from preprocessed cereal grains would increase plant throughput by 8–23% since more starch is processed in the same weight of feedstock. Increased concentrations of starch for fermentation resulted in higher concentrations of ethanol in beer. Energy requirements to produce one L of ethanol from preprocessed grains were reduced, the natural gas by 3.5–11.4%, whereas power consumption was reduced by 5.2–15.6%.     

1,3,5-三芳基-2-吡唑啉化合物光物理行为的研究

合成了一组带不同取代基的三芳基吡唑啉化合物,对它们在不同极性溶剂中的光物理行为(如荧光量子产率,荧光寿命等)进行了测定指出:这类化合物在光的激发下除存在有分子内共轭条件下的电荷转移行为外,还存在着分子内非共轭条件下的电子转移,本工作还以三芳基吡唑啉化合物为猝灭剂对氧鎓盐的荧光猝灭能力进行了研究,并对所得结果作了讨论。     

Drying Effects on Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Lippia thymoides Essential Oil,a Natural Source of Thymol

Leaves of Lippia thymoides (Verbenaceae) were dried in an oven at 40, 50 and 60 °C and the kinetic of drying and the influence of the drying process on the chemical composition, yield, and DPPH radical scavenging activity of the obtained essential oils were evaluated. The composition of the essential oils was determined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-flame ionization detection analyses. The influence of drying on the chemical composition of the essential oils of L. thymoides was evaluated by multivariate analysis, and their antioxidant activity was investigated via the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The Midilli model was the most appropriate to describe the behavior of drying kinetic data of L. thymoides leaves. Thymol was the major compound for all analyzed conditions; the maximum content was obtained from fresh leaves (62.78 ± 0.63%). The essential oils showed DPPH radical scavenging activity with an average of 73.10 ± 12.08%, and the fresh leaves showed higher inhibition (89.97 ± 0.31%). This is the first study to evaluate the influence of drying on the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of L. thymoides essential oils rich in thymol.     

Selenium Alleviates the Adverse Effect of Drought in Oilseed Crops Camelina (Camelina sativa L.) and Canola (Brassica napus L.)

Drought poses a serious threat to oilseed crops by lowering yield and crop failures under prolonged spells. A multi-year field investigation was conducted to enhance the drought tolerance in four genotypes of Camelina and canola by selenium (Se) application. The principal aim of the research was to optimize the crop yield by eliciting the physio-biochemical attributes by alleviating the adverse effects of drought stress. Both crops were cultivated under control (normal irrigation) and drought stress (skipping irrigation at stages i.e., vegetative and reproductive) conditions. Four different treatments of Se viz., seed priming with Se (75 μM), foliar application of Se (7.06 μM), foliar application of Se + Seed priming with Se (7.06 μM and 75 μM, respectively) and control (without Se), were implemented at the vegetative and reproductive stages of both crops. Sodium selenite (Na₂SeO₃), an inorganic compound was used as Se sources for both seed priming and foliar application. Data regarding physiochemical, antioxidants, and yield components were recorded as response variables at crop maturity. Results indicated that WP, OP, TP, proline, TSS, TFAA, TPr, TS, total chlorophyll contents, osmoprotectant (GB, anthocyanin, TPC, and flavonoids), antioxidants (APX, SOD, POD, and CAT), and yield components (number of branches per plant, thousand seed weight, seed, and biological yields were significantly improved by foliar Se + priming Se in both crops under drought stress. Moreover, this treatment was also helpful in boosting yield attributes under irrigated (non-stress) conditions. Camelina genotypes responded better to Se application as seed priming and foliar spray than canola for both years. It has concluded that Se application (either foliar or priming) can potentially alleviate adverse effects of drought stress in camelina and canola by eliciting various physio-biochemicals attributes under drought stress. Furthermore, Se application was also helpful for crop health under irrigated condition.     

Effect of Botanical Extracts on the Growth and Nutritional Quality of Field-Grown White Head Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata)

Nutraceuticals and functional foods are gaining more attention amongst consumers interested in nutritious food. The consumption of foodstuffs with a high content of phytochemicals has been proven to provide various health benefits. The application of biostimulants is a potential strategy to fortify cultivated plants with beneficial bioactive compounds. Nevertheless, it has not yet been established whether the proposed higher plants (St. John’s wort, giant goldenrod, common dandelion, red clover, nettle, and valerian) are appropriate for the production of potential bio-products enhancing the nutritional value of white cabbage. Therefore, this research examines the impact of botanical extracts on the growth and nutritional quality of cabbage grown under field conditions. Two extraction methods were used for the production of water-based bio-products, namely: ultrasound-assisted extraction and mechanical homogenisation. Bio-products were applied as foliar sprays to evaluate their impact on total yield, dry weight, photosynthetic pigments, polyphenols, antioxidant activity, vitamin C, nitrates, micro- and macroelements, volatile compounds, fatty acids, sterols, and sugars. Botanical extracts showed different effects on the examined parameters. The best results in terms of physiological and biochemical properties of cabbage were obtained for extracts from common dandelion, valerian, nettle, and giant goldenrod. When enriched with nutrients, vegetables can constitute a valuable component of functional food.     

Quantitative assessment of rhodamine spectra

With the development of single-molecule detection and super-resolution fluorescence imaging, rhodamine dyes gain new life. Through the modification of the N-substituents and the replacement of the oxygen atom in xanthene, the wavelength and brightness can be effectively changed. However, the spectra of rhodamine, especially due to the balance between ring-closed non-fluorescent lactone and ring-opened fluorescent zwitterion/cation, are sensitive to interference from various environmental factors. In this way, the spectral data of various rhodamines reported by different research groups under different test conditions lacked comparability, sometimes even lacked accuracy. In order to meet the requirements for the accuracy and uniformity of spectral data in the research of single molecule imaging and dye structure-fluorescence relationship study, we have tested the spectra of fifteen rhodamine dyes that cover the visible and near-infrared regions under exactly the same conditions. By studying the dependence of the spectra on dye concentrations, it was confirmed that 1 μmol/L was ideal for detection less from the interference of dye molecule aggregation. We provide comprehensive and reliable spectral data of these fifteen dyes, which are expected to be used as references for future research. And the direct comparison of different rhodamine spectra would help to understand the structure-fluorescence relationship of rhodamines.     

Biocatalytic process intensification via efficient biocatalyst immobilization,miniaturization, and process integration

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