Electrochemical and solid-phase synthetic modification of glassy carbon electrodes with dihydroxybenzene compounds and the electrocatalytic oxidation of NADH

We report the preparation, using electrochemical and solid-phase synthesis, and characterisation of a 26 member library of 13 dihydroxybenzene derivatives covalently attached to glassy carbon through ethylenediamine (EDA) and C₆H₄CH₂NH linkers. First, Boc-protected EDA or Boc–NHCH₂C₆H₄ were electrochemically attached to the GC surface. After Boc-deprotection, dimethoxybenzoyl chlorides were coupled to the EDA and C₆H₄CH₂NH linkers using solid-phase synthesis followed by deprotection of the methoxy groups to give the corresponding dihydroxybenzene compounds. Surface coverage and electrochemical parameters of the dihydroxybenzene modified electrodes were evaluated in parallel using cyclic voltammetry. The mid-peak potentials, E_mp, and surface coverages for the 13 dihydroxybenzene derivatives were found to be independent of the choice of linker. The mid-peak potentials of the immobilised dihydroxybenzene derivatives varied between 0.0 and 260 mV vs. SCE and their surface coverages varied between 0.07 and 1.1 nmol cm^− 2, depending on the pattern of substitution of the dihydroxybenzene ring. The electrocatalytic activities of the library were evaluated for mediation of NADH oxidation, and the ortho-dihydroxybenzene derivatives were found to have higher catalytic activity.     

Hydrothermal synthesis of MoO3 nanobelt‐graphene composites

A composite of graphene sheets decorated with molybdenum trioxide (MoO₃) nanobelts has been fabricated via a facile and efficient hydrothermal route in the presence of NaCl. The structure, morphology of these promising composites were investigated by means of field‐emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. FESEM and TEM studies suggest the presence of uniform crystalline MoO₃ nanobelts and graphene sheets in as‐prepared hybrid materials. XRD and Raman results confirm the reduction of graphite oxide (GO) sheets to graphene sheets accompanying by the formation of MoO₃ nanobelts. Moreover, thermal properties of GO and MoO₃ nanobelt‐graphene composites reveal that thermal stability of the obtained MoO₃ nanobelt‐graphene composites is obviously higher than that of GO due to the transformation of GO sheets to highly stable graphene sheets in the hybrids. This work could provide new insights into the fabrication of high quality MoO₃‐graphene hybrid nanomaterials and facilitate their potential applications in different fields. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

THREE-DIMENSIONAL NUMERICAL LOCALIZATION OF IMPERFECTIONS BASED ON A LIMIT MODEL IN ELECTRIC FIELD AND A LIMIT PERTURBATION MODEL

From a limit model in electric field obtained by letting the frequency vanish in the time-harmonic Maxwell equations, we consider a limit perturbation model in the tangential boundary trace of the curl of the electric field for localizing numerically certain small electromagnetic inhomogeneities, in a three-dimensional bounded domain. We introduce here two localization procedures resulting from the combination of this limit perturbation model with each of the following inversion processes： the Current Projection method and an Inverse Fourier method. Each localization procedure uses, as data, a finite number of boundary measurements, and is employed in the single inhomogeneity case; only the one based on an Inverse Fourier method is required in the multiple inhomogeneities case. Our localization approach is numerically suitable for the context of inhomogeneities that are not purely electric. We compare the numerical results obtained from the two localization procedures in the single inhomogeneity configuration, and describe, in various settings of multiple inhomogeneities, the results provided by the procedure based on an Inverse Fourier method.     

Modified Tikhonov regularization method for the Cauchy problem of the Helmholtz equation

In this paper, the Cauchy problem for the Helmholtz equation is investigated. By Green’s formulation, the problem can be transformed into a moment problem. Then we propose a modified Tikhonov regularization algorithm for obtaining an approximate solution to the Neumann data on the unspecified boundary. Error estimation and convergence analysis have been given. Finally, we present numerical results for several examples and show the effectiveness of the proposed method.     

Inverse gas chromatographic and chemometric tools for determination of interactions between the components of polymeric composition

Compositions of polymers (polyethylene and polyuretane) and fillers (initial silica and silicas modified with: N-2-aminoethyl-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, 3-aminopropyltriethoxy-silane, 3-merkaptopropyltrimethoxysilane, octyltriethoxysilane) were examined by inverse gas chromatography at 383 K. Small amounts of the following test solutes were injected to achieve the infinite dilution conditions: pentane, hexane, heptane, octane, nonane, dichloromethane, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride and 1,2-dichloroethane.The retention times for these test solutes were determined and Flory-Huggins parameters were calculated. Flory-Huggins parameters characterize interactions between components: - between composition and the test solute and χ^′23 - between polymer and filler in the composition.Values of both physicochemical parameters characterizing the examined materials were arranged in a matrix form: in the rows the compositions were enumerated at different temperatures whereas the columns contained the test solutes. After standardization the input matrix was subjected to principal component analysis. Three principal components explain more than 93% of the total variance in the data. Almost all test solutes carry very similar information. Therefore, it is justified to eliminate most of them from the series of test solutes.     

Modified cellulose fibres for adsorption of dissolved organic solutes

Cellulose fibres were grafted with aliphatic anhydrides having C6, C8, C12 and C16 chain length using a heterogeneous solvent exchange acylation procedure. The ensuing materials were fully characterised by FTIR, solid state ¹³C-NMR, Wide-angle X-ray scattering and contact angle measurements. These techniques showed that the chemical coupling has indeed occurred. The prepared modified fibres appeared to be efficient to trap different organic molecules dissolved in water. Recycling tests revealed that the saturated substrates could be regenerated tens of times without loosing their capacity of absorption of organic contaminants.     

Thermodynamic evaluation and optimization of the (Na2SO4 + K2SO4 + Na2S2O7 + K2S2O7) system

A complete, critical evaluation of all phase diagram and thermodynamic data was performed for all phases of the (Na₂SO₄ + K₂SO₄ + Na₂S₂O₇ + K₂S₂O₇) system and optimized model parameters were obtained. The Modified Quasichemical Model in the Quadruplet Approximation was used for modelling the liquid phase. The model evaluates first- and second-nearest-neighbour short-range ordering, where the cations (Na⁺ and K⁺) are assumed to mix on a cationic sublattice, while anions were assumed to mix on an anionic sublattice. The Compound Energy Formalism was used for modelling the solid solutions of (Na,K)₂SO₄ and (Na,K)₂S₂O₇. The models can be used to predict the thermodynamic properties and phase equilibria in multicomponent heterogeneous systems. The experimental data from the literature were reproduced within experimental error limits.     

Controlled release properties of Chitosan encapsulated volatile Citronella Oil microcapsules by thermal treatments

This research uses modified orifice method to prepare the O/W type Chitosan encapsulated volatile Citronella Oil microcapsules. In this article, we investigated the forming condition of microcapsules and the influence to sustained release effect of volatile Citronella Oil by applying thermal pretreatment to microcapsules. The results suggest that the forming of microcapsules should be processed under the fundamental conditions of: (1) the concentration of Chitosan is at least 0.2 wt%, (2) NaOH is greater than 0.1 wt%, and (3) with the additive of coconut oil as natural surfactant, so that we could obtain final product of microcapsules with better formation and dispersion. The changes in concentration of Chitosan will affect the encapsulation efficiency of the volatile Citronella Oil. When the concentrations of Chitosan are 0.5%, 1.0% and 1.5%, the encapsulation efficiencies are 98.2%, 95.8% and 94.7%, respectively. The particle size of Chitosan microcapsules would decrease as the emulsification stirring speed increases. When the stirring speeds are 400 rpm, 800 rpm, and 1500 rpm, the average particle sizes of microcapsules produced are 225 ± 24 μm, 131 ± 20 μm, and 11 ± 3 μm, respectively. If the microcapsules were thermal pretreated at 80 °C, the structure of Chitosan wall membrane would shrink and thus achieve the effect of sustained release. The sustaining effect would increase along with treatment time increases.     

Polymer Brushes via Controlled,Surface‐Initiated Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP) from Graphene Oxide

A method for growing polymers directly from the surface of graphene oxide is demonstrated. The technique involves the covalent attachment of an initiator followed by the polymerization of styrene, methyl methacrylate, or butyl acrylate using atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The resulting materials were characterized using a range of techniques and were found to significantly improve the solubility properties of graphene oxide. The surface‐grown polymers were saponified from the surface and also characterized. Based on these results, the ATRP reactions were determined to proceed in a controlled manner and were found to leave the structure of the graphene oxide largely intact.

     

基于仿生膜的功能化单纳米通道在分析化学中的应用

灵感来源于蛋白质离子通道的仿生功能化单纳米通道,已逐渐成为一种成熟的单分子检测技术和离子整流器。功能化纳米通道包括两种:基因改造的蛋白质纳米通道和固体加工的纳米通道。常用的固体纳米通道有三种:在纳米氮化硅或石墨烯上用聚焦离子束(FIB)或电子束(FEB)轰击得到的纳米通道,化学腐蚀聚合物薄膜中的重金属离子轨迹得到的锥形纳米通道和拉制毛细管或激光刻蚀得到的玻璃纳米孔。相对于蛋白质纳米通道,固态的人工纳米通道具有更优越的机械稳定性,并可用于各种功能基团的修饰。经过近十年的发展,包括蛋白质纳米通道在内的各种仿生的纳米通道已广泛用于对小分子、蛋白质和聚合物等其他一些对象的定性和定量检测。本综述详细介绍了近年来国内外该领域的发展,并对未来的发展方向作了简要的展望。