Purification and characterization of a laccase from the white-rot fungus Trametes multicolor

The wood-degrading fungus Trametes multicolor secretes several laccase isoforms when grown on a simple medium containing copper in the millimolar range for stimulating laccase synthesis. The main isoenzyme laccase II was purified to apparent homogeneity from the culture supernatant by using anion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration. Laccase II is a monomeric glycoprotein with a molecular mass of 63 kDa as determined by sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, contains 18% glycosylation, and has a pI of 3.0. It oxidizes a variety of phenolic substrates as well as ferrocyanide and iodide. The pH optimum depends on the substrate employed and shows a bell-shaped pH activity profile with an optimum of 4.0 to 5.0 for the phenolic substrates, while the nonphenolic substrates ferrocyanide and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonate) show a monotonic pH profile with a rate decreasing with increasing pH.     

XPS characterization of wood chemical composition after heat‐treatment

XPS was used to characterize the chemical changes occurring after drying or applying a heat‐treatment to beech wood samples. Our results indicate that the surface of this air‐exposed material could be strongly affected either by the ambient atmosphere during storage or by the complex atmosphere in the oven during drying or heat‐treatment. However, the O/C ratio measured after removal of a thin slice of a few millimetres of an untreated sample is in reasonable agreement with that calculated from the well‐established chemical composition of beech. Through this methodology (equivalent to scraping for hard materials) it is expected to get a realistic characterization of the wood. The reliability and repeatability of the XPS measurements have been checked and the method applied to the study of the chemical changes of the beech samples subjected to heat‐treatment. Heating at 240 °C induces a significant decrease of the O/C ratio from 0.55 before to 0.44 after the treatment. Heat‐treatment induces also a decrease of the C₂ carbon contribution (carbon atom bound to a single non‐carbonyl oxygen) associated with an increase of the C₁ carbon contribution (carbon atoms bound only to carbon or hydrogen atoms), in agreement with chemical modifications reported previously in the literature. Thanks to the small analysed area of the equipment used in this study, different spots were analysed to demonstrate the presence or absence of a gradient of chemical composition due to thermal degradation or migration of extractives from within the wood structure to its surface. At the scale of our observations, the different wood samples investigated (dried or heat treated) appear to be homogeneous. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and in vitro degradation of poly(N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone)‐based graft copolymers for biomedical applications

This work is devoted to the design of a novel family of hydrosoluble biomaterials: poly(N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone) (PVP)‐based graft copolymers. A synthesis route has been elaborated in which ω‐functionalized PVP is prepared via chain‐transfer radical polymerization, end‐group modified, and subsequently grafted onto a polyhydroxylated backbone, typically dextran or poly(vinyl alcohol). The resulting graft copolymer biomaterials are designed for use in various biomedical applications, particularly as materials with a stronger potential for plasma expansion than already existing products have. The graft copolymers are potentially degradable because the PVP grafts are connected to the polyol backbone via a hydrolytically labile carbonate or ester linkage. The degradation of the graft copolymers was performed in vitro over a period of 6 weeks. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 3652–3661, 2002     

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) copolymers containing nitroterephthalic units. III. Methanolytic degradation

The methanolytic degradation of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) copolymers containing nitroterephthalic units was investigated. Random poly(ethylene terephthalate‐co‐nitroterephthalate) copolyesters (PETNT) containing 15 and 30 mol % nitrated units were prepared from ethylene glycol and a mixture of dimethyl terephthalate and dimethyl nitroterephthalate. A detailed study of the influence of the nitro group on the methanolytic degradation rate of the nitrated bis(2‐hydroxyethyl) nitroterephthalate (BHENT) model compound in comparison with the nonnitrated bis(2‐hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (BHET) model compound was carried out. The kinetics of the methanolysis of BHENT and BHET were evaluated with high‐performance liquid chromatography and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. BHENT appeared to be much more reactive than BHET. The methanolytic degradation of PET and PETNT copolyesters at 80 °C was followed by changes in the weight and viscosity, gel permeation chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy, and ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. The copolyesters degraded faster than PET, and the degradation increased with the content of nitrated units and occurred preferentially by cleavage of the ester groups placed at the meta position of the nitro group in the nitrated units. For both PET and PETNT copolyesters, an increase in crystallinity accompanied methanolysis. A surface degradation mechanism entailing solubilization of the fragmented polymer and consequent loss of mass was found to operate in the methanolysis of the copolyesters. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 2276–2285, 2002     

Determination of C1−C4 fatty acids as p-bromophenacyl esters using glass-capillary gas chromatography and electron-capture detection

Summary A method for the determination of low relative molecular mass carboxylic acids (C₁–C₄) in water is reported. The acids are converted to p-bromophenacyl esters prior to a glass-capillary gas chromatographic separation. By utilizing electron-caputre detection the detectability is substantially improved compared to flame-ionization detection. A comparison of three different ways to treat the water samples and to produce the derivatives is made. It is shown that the , p-dibromoacetophenone reagent decomposes to a small extent which limits the utility of the reagent. Nevertheless a detection limit for formic acid of approximately 2.5 mgl^–1 is obtained. The method is applied to the determination of formic and acetic acids in a paper kraft water sample.     

The thermal degradation of poly(diethyl fumarate)

The kinetics and mechanism of the thermal degradation of poly(diethyl fumarate) (PDEF) were studied by thermogravimetry, as well as by analysis of the thermolysis volatiles and polymer residue. The characteristic mass loss temperatures were determined, as were the overall thermal degradation activation energies of three PDEF samples of varying molar mass. Ethylene and ethanol were present in the thermolysis volatiles at degradation temperatures below 300 °C, while diethyl fumarate was also evidenced at higher degradation temperatures. The amount of monomer increased with increasing degradation temperature. The dependence of the molar mass of the residual polymer on the degradation time and temperature was established and the number of main-chain scissions per monomer unit, s/P₀, calculated. A thermal degradation mechanism including de-esterification and random main-chain scission is proposed. The thermal degradation of PDEF was compared to the thermolysis of poly(ethyl methacrylate) (PEMA), poly(diethyl itaconate) (PDEI) and poly(ethyl acrylate) (PEA).     

Synthesis and characterization of silica-supported Preyssler nano particles and its catalytic activity for photodegradation of methyl orange

Abstract

Heteropolyacid (H₁₄ [NaP₅W₃₀O₁₁₀])/SiO₂ nano particles were synthesized by a micro emulsion technique. The morphology and size of these nano particles were characterized using, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. In a designed photo reactor, the photo degradation of methyl orange as common azo dye pollutants in the environment was selected as a test reaction to estimate the catalytic activity of the synthesized nano particles and found to be excellent.     

Anaerobic Degradation of PCB in Soils

Abstract

The anaerobic degradation of PCB in loamy and clayey soils containing indigeneous microflora was studied. The anaerobic conditions were created by an argon atmosphere in the flasks containing soil flooded by a liquid medium with glucose. GC-ECD analysis of soil extracts after 40 day incubation showed, in addition to the concentration changes of the less chlorinated PCB congeners, a significant decrease in the concentration of highly chlorinated congeners in both soils. The results indicate that in both soil types reductive dehalogenation of PCB congeners was encountered.     

Dissipation of the plant growth regulator hexanoic acid 2-(diethylamino) ethyl ester in pakchoi and soil

A rapid and simple method for determining the plant growth regulator hexanoic acid 2-(diethylamino) ethyl ester (DA-6) in pakchoi and soil using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) has been developed. For this purpose, a single step was used to extract DA-6 with dichloromethane from aqueous-acetone extracts of vegetables and soil. Average recoveries of DA-6 in pakchoi and soil were between 85% and 104% at both spiking levels 0.01 and 0.1 mg kg^?1. Relative standard deviations (RSD) were less than 11% for all of the recovery tests. The degradation of DA-6 in pakchoi and soil was studied. The results showed that DA-6 degradation in pakchoi and soil coincided with C = 3.9903 e^{?0.0516 t} , C = 0.3476 e^{?0.0224 t} , respectively; the half-lives were 13.43 h and 30.94 h in pakchoi and soil in Beijing, respectively.