A novel approach to modelling counter-current chromatography

Literature lists a number of counter-current chromatography (CCC) models that can predict the retention time and to a certain extent the peak width of a solute eluting from a CCC column. The approach described in this paper distinguishes itself from previous reports by relating all model parameters directly to column dimensions and experimental settings. Most importantly, this model can predict a chromatogram from scratch without resorting to traditional calibration using empirical values. The model validation with experimental results obtained across a range of CCC instruments demonstrated that the solute retention time, peak width, and peak resolution could be predicted within reasonable accuracy. Additionally, the effect of several process parameters, such as mobile phase flow rate, rotational speed of the column or β-value, showed that the model is robust and applicable to a wide range of CCC instruments. Overall, this model proved to be a useful tool for parameter estimation and, most significantly, separation optimisation.     

Solubility of Solid 2,3-Dimethylbutane and Cyclopentane in Liquid Argon and Nitrogen at the Standard Boiling Points of the Solvents

The solubilities of solid 2,3-dimethylbutane and cyclopentene in liquid argon at a temperature of 87.3 K and in liquid nitrogen at 77.4 K have been measured by the filtration method. The hydrocarbon contents in solutions were determined using gas chromatography. GC–MS was used to identify impurities in solutes. The experimental value of the mole fraction solubility of solid 2,3-dimethyl-butane in liquid argon at 87.3 K is (8.26 ± 1.60) × 10^–6 and (2.77 ± 0.94) × 10^–8 in liquid nitrogen at 77.4 K. The experimental value of the mole fraction solubility of solid cyclopentene in liquid argon at 87.3 K is (5.11 ± 0.44) × 10^–6 and (4.60 ± 0.76) × 10^–8 in liquid nitrogen at 77.4 K. The Preston–Prausnitz method was used for calculation of the solubilities of solid hydrocarbons in liquid argon in the temperature range 84.0–110.0 K and in liquid nitrogen from 64.0 to 90.0 K. The solvent–solute interaction parameters l ₁₂ were also calculated. At 90.0 K liquid argon is a better solvent for investigated solid hydrocarbons than is liquid nitrogen.     

Effect of temperature and volume on the tensile and adhesive properties of photocurable resins

Knowing the mechanical properties of UV‐curable resins at cryogenic conditions is important to ongoing fusion‐energy research and to emerging aerospace applications. The tensile and interfacial shear strengths of two commercially available UV‐curable resins were measured at room‐temperature and cryogenic conditions for both bulk and reduced (subnanoliter) specimen volumes. The tensile properties of cured specimens are remarkably sensitive to both testing temperature and specimen size. For one type of resin, the cold (?150 °C) tensile strength of subnanoliter specimens is ～9× larger (179 ± 19 MPa) than bulk values at room temperature. The interfacial shear strength between SiC fibers and small volumes of resin volumes is comparable to the bulk, room‐temperature tensile strength, but it varies over a wide range at ?150 °C (15–53 MPa). All resins were fully cured, and an analysis of fractured surfaces revealed microstructural features. The enhanced strength in microscopic specimens may be related to inhomogeneous stress fields that develop during cure. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2014 , 52, 936–945     

青霉素对乳酸-丙酮-溴酸钾-硫酸锰-硫酸开放化学振荡体系的扰动

在连续搅拌反应器(CSTR)中,利用分析物脉冲微扰技术(APP)研究了青霉素对锰离子催化Belousov-Zhabotinsky(B-Z)开放化学振荡体系的影响。结果表明,青霉素浓度在2.97×10-7～5.50×10-5mol/L范围内,周期和振幅的变化率与所加入青霉素浓度的负对数呈良好的线性关系,相关系数分别为0.9981和0.9985;检出限为5.9×10-8mol/L。所建立的方法简便易行,每小时可进样15次。对可能的反应机理也进行了讨论。锰属于生命元素,在体内参与生物酶的合成与转化,研究青霉素对锰催化振荡反应体系的扰动对于理解生命运动更为有利。     

Highly Sensitive Upconverting Nanoplatform for Luminescent Thermometry from Ambient to Cryogenic Temperature

Precise assessment of temperature is crucial in many physical, technological, and biological applications where optical thermometry has attracted considerable attention primarily due to fast response, contactless measurement route, and electromagnetic passivity. Rare-earth-doped thermographic phosphors that rely on ratiometric sensing are very efficient near and above room temperature. However, being dependent on the thermally-assisted migration of carriers to higher excited states, they are largely limited by the quenching of the activation mechanism at low temperatures. In this paper, we demonstrate a strategy to pass through this bottleneck by designing a linear colorimetric thermometer by which we could estimate down to 4 K. The change in perceptual color fidelity metric provides an accurate measure for the sensitivity of the thermometer that attains a maximum value of 0.86 K⁻¹. Thermally coupled states in Er³⁺ are also used as a ratiometric sensor from room temperature to ∼140 K. The results obtained in this work clearly show that Yb³⁺−Er³⁺ co-doped NaGdF₄ microcrystals are a promising system that enables reliable bimodal thermometry in a very wide temperature range from ultralow (4 K) to ambient (290 K) conditions.     

A Luminescent Metal–Organic Framework Thermometer with Intrinsic Dual Emission from Organic Lumophores

A new mixed‐ligand metal–organic framework (MOF), ZnATZ‐BTB, has been constructed as a luminescent ratiometric thermometer by making use of the intrinsic dual emission at cryogenic temperatures. Its twofold interpenetrated network promotes the Dexter energy transfer (DET) between the mixed organic lumophores. The temperature‐dependent luminescent behavior arises from the thermal equilibrium between two separated excited states coupled by DET, which is confirmed by Boltzmann distribution fitting. The small excited‐state energy gap allows ZnATZ‐BTB to measure and visualize cryogenic temperatures (30–130 K) with significantly high relative sensitivity (up to 5.29 % K^?1 at 30 K). Moreover, it is the first example of a ratiometric MOF thermometer the dual emitting sources of which are widely applicable mixed organic ligands, opening up new opportunities for designing such devices.     

Catalytically Active Rh Sub‐Nanoclusters on TiO2 for CO Oxidation at Cryogenic Temperatures

The discovery that gold catalysts could be active for CO oxidation at cryogenic temperatures has ignited much excitement in nanocatalysis. Whether the alternative Pt group metal (PGM) catalysts can exhibit such high performance is an interesting research issue. So far, no PGM catalyst shows activity for CO oxidation at cryogenic temperatures. In this work, we report a sub‐nano Rh/TiO₂ catalyst that can completely convert CO at 223 K. This catalyst exhibits at least three orders of magnitude higher turnover frequency (TOF) than the best Rh‐based catalysts and comparable to the well‐known Au/TiO₂ for CO oxidation. The specific size range of 0.4–0.8 nm Rh clusters is critical to the facile activation of O₂ over the Rh–TiO₂ interface in a form of Rh?O?O?Ti (superoxide). This superoxide is ready to react with the CO adsorbed on TiO₂ sites at cryogenic temperatures.     

Production of Raw Starch-Saccharifying Thermostable and Neutral Glucoamylase by the Thermophilic Mold <Emphasis Type="Italic">Thermomucor indicae-seudaticae</Emphasis> in Submerged Fermentation

Among physical and nutritional parameters optimized by “one variable at a time” approach, four cultural variables (sucrose, MgSO₄ ^.7H₂O, inoculum size, and incubation period) significantly affected glucoamylase production. These variables were, therefore, selected for optimization using response surface methodology. The p-values of the coefficients for linear effect of sucrose and inoculum size were less than 0.0001, suggesting them to be the key experimental variables in glucoamylase production. The enzyme production (34 U/ml) attained under optimized conditions (sucrose, 2%; MgSO₄ ^.7H₂O, 0.13%; yeast extract, 0.1%; inoculum size, 5 × 10⁶ spores per 50 ml production medium; incubation time, 48 h; temperature, 40°C; and pH 7.0) was comparable with the value predicted by polynomial model (34.2 U/ml). An over all 3.1-fold higher enzyme titers were attained due to response surface optimization. The experimental model was validated by carrying out glucoamylase production in shake flasks of increasing capacity (0.25–2.0 l) and 22-l laboratory bioreactors (stirred tank and airlift), where the enzyme production was sustainable. Furthermore, the fermentation time was reduced from 48 h in shake flasks to 32 h in bioreactors.     

Finite element simulations of fully non‐linear interaction between vertical cylinders and steep waves. Part 2: numerical results and validation

In Ma, Wu, Eatock Taylor [Finite element simulation of fully non‐linear interaction between vertical cylinders and steep waves. Part 1: methodology and numerical procedure. International Journal for Numerical Methods in Fluids 2001], designated Part 1 hereafter, we have developed the methodology and solution procedure for simulating the three‐dimensional interaction between fixed bodies and steep waves based on a finite element method (FEM). This paper provides extensive numerical results and validation. The effectiveness of the radiation condition is investigated by comparing the results from short and long tanks; the accuracy of the computed data is confirmed through comparison with analytical solutions. The adopted mathematical model is also validated by comparing the obtained numerical results with experimental data. Various test cases, including non‐linear bichromatic and irregular waves and the interactions between waves and one or two cylinders, are analysed. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

舷侧水对船舶抗碰撞性能的影响

为了评估舷侧液舱在大型撞击物下的抗碰撞特性,采用有限元法和简化理论法对典型球鼻艏在不同撞击速度和液舱水线工况下的舷侧外板和内板的抗破坏性能进行了分析。结果表明:舷侧水效应可以显著提升双舷侧结构的抗破坏性能,但是提升的幅度是有限的,而且水效应对外板的破坏作用力影响较小,对舷侧内板的破坏作用力影响较大;当球鼻艏撞击速度逐渐增高时,舷侧外板和内板的破坏作用力也逐渐增大,但增大速率逐渐降低,其中舷侧外板较舷侧内板的增大速率更快趋于平缓。对不同液舱水线的分析表明:舷侧液舱水线在受撞击的强框架以上时,对抗碰撞性能影响较小;当舷侧液舱水线在受撞击的强框架以下时,对舷侧外板的抗碰撞特性影响较小,但对舷侧内板的抗碰撞特性影响很大,并且随着球鼻艏碰撞速度的增高,不同水线位置对船舶抗碰撞性能的影响也随之增大。