Spectrophotometric Determination of Phenols and Cyanides After Distillation from Natural Waters

Abstract

Total phenols were determined by molecular spectrophotometry, after distillation, complexation with 4-aminoantipyrine and extraction into chloroform. Cyanides were also determined spectrophotometrically after distillation from the acidified samples, and complexation in moderate acidic solution with barbituric acid. The dynamic ranges were 0 – 100 μg L^?1 for total phenols and 0 – 30 μg L^?1 for cyanides. The above methods were applied in the analysis of river, lake and stream waters collected from Northern Greece. The seasonal and spatial variation of concentrations was evaluated by two-way ANOVA. Background levels (4 – 12 μg L^?1 for total phenols and 0.3 – 3 μg L^?1 for cyanides), were found in almost all surface waters, with some exceptions.     

Vacuum Ultraviolet Free-Electron Laser Photoionization Mass Spectrometry of Alpha-pinene Ozonolysis

\begin{document}$\alpha$\end{document}-pinene is the most abundant monoterpene that represents an important family of volatile organic compounds. Molecular identification of key transient compounds during the \begin{document}$\alpha$\end{document}-pinene ozonolysis has been proven to be a challenging experimental target because of a large number of intermediates and products involved. Here we exploit the recently developed hybrid instruments that integrate aerosol mass spectrometry with a vacuum ultraviolet free-electron laser to study the \begin{document}$\alpha$\end{document}-pinene ozonolysis. The experiments of \begin{document}$\alpha$\end{document}-pinene ozonolysis are performed in an indoor smog chamber, with reactor having a volume of 2 m\begin{document}$^3$\end{document} which is made of fluorinated ethylene propylene film. Distinct mass spectral peaks provide direct experimental signatures of previously unseen compounds produced from the reaction of \begin{document}$\alpha$\end{document}-pinene with O\begin{document}$_3$\end{document}. With the aid of quantum chemical calculations, plausible mechanisms for the formation of these new compounds are proposed. These findings provide crucial information on fundamental understanding of the initial steps of \begin{document}$\alpha$\end{document}-pinene oxidation and the subsequent processes of new particle formation.     

Chemical Composition of a Novel Distillate from Fermented Mixture of Nine Anti-Inflammatory Herbs and Its UVB-Protective Efficacy in Mouse Dorsal Skin via Attenuating Collagen Disruption and Inflammation

Since ancient times, various herbs have been used in Asia, including Korea, China, and Japan, for wound healing and antiaging of the skin. In this study, we manufactured and chemically analyzed a novel distillate obtained from a fermented mixture of nine anti-inflammatory herbs (Angelica gigas, Lonicera japonica, Dictamnus dasycarpus Turcz., D. opposita Thunb., Ulmus davidiana var. japonica, Hordeum vulgare var. hexastichon Aschers., Xanthium strumarium L., Cnidium officinale, and Houttuynia cordata Thunb.). The fermentation of natural plants possesses beneficial effects in living systems. These activities are attributed to the chemical conversion of the parent plants to functional constituents which show more potent biological activities. In our current study, the distillate has been manufactured after fermenting the nine oriental medical plants with Lactobacillus fermentum, followed by distilling. We analyzed the chemical ingredients involved in the distillate and evaluated the effects of topical application of the distillate on ultraviolet B (UVB)-induced skin damage in Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice. Topical application of the distillate significantly ameliorated the macroscopic and microscopic morphology of the dorsal skin against photodamage induced by UVB radiation. Additionally, our current results showed that topical application of the distillate alleviated collagen disruption and reduced levels of proinflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin 1 β expressions) in the dorsal skin against UVB radiation. Taken together, our current findings suggest that the distillate has a potential to be used as a material to develop a photoprotective adjuvant.     

Impact of thermal annealing on physical properties of vacuum evaporated polycrystalline CdTe thin films for solar cell applications

A study on impact of post-deposition thermal annealing on the physical properties of CdTe thin films is undertaken in this paper. The thin films of thickness 500 nm were grown on ITO and glass substrates employing thermal vacuum evaporation followed by post-deposition thermal annealing in air atmosphere within low temperature range 150–350 °C. These films were subjected to the XRD, UV‐Vis NIR spectrophotometer, source meter, SEM coupled with EDS and AFM for structural, optical, electrical and surface topographical analysis respectively. The diffraction patterns reveal that the films are having zinc-blende cubic structure with preferred orientation along (111) and polycrystalline in nature. The crystallographic parameters are calculated and discussed in detail. The optical band gap is found in the range 1.48–1.64 eV and observed to decrease with thermal annealing. The current–voltage characteristics show that the CdTe films exhibit linear ohmic behavior. The SEM studies show that the as-grown films are homogeneous, uniform and free from defects. The AFM studies reveal that the surface roughness of films is observed to increase with annealing. The experimental results reveal that the thermal annealing has significant impact on the physical properties of CdTe thin films and may be used as absorber layer to the CdTe/CdS thin films solar cells.     

Measurability of vacuum fluctuations and dark energy

Vacuum fluctuations of the electromagnetic field induce current fluctuations in resistively shunted Josephson junctions that are measurable in terms of a physically relevant power spectrum. In this paper we investigate under which conditions vacuum fluctuations can be gravitationally active, thus contributing to the dark energy density of the universe. Our central hypothesis is that vacuum fluctuations are gravitationally active if and only if they are measurable   in terms of a physical power spectrum in a suitable macroscopic or mesoscopic detector. This hypothesis is consistent with the observed dark energy density in the universe and offers a resolution of the cosmological constant problem. Using this hypothesis we show that the observable vacuum energy density _ρvac${\rho }_{\mathit{vac}}$ in the universe is related to the largest possible critical temperature _Tc$T_c$ of superconductors through _ρvac=σ·(_kTc)⁴/?³c³${\rho }_{\mathit{vac}}=\sigma ·({\mathit{kT}}_c{)}^4/{?}^3{c}^3$, where σ$\sigma$ is a small constant of the order 10^-3${10}^{-3}$. This relation can be regarded as an analog of the Stefan–Boltzmann law for dark energy. Our hypothesis is testable in Josephson junctions where we predict there should be a cutoff in the measured spectrum at 1.7 THz if the hypothesis is true.     

Three-dimensional porous photo-thermal fiber felt with salt-resistant property for high efficient solar distillation

The urgent need for fresh water resource is a public issue facing the world. Solar distillation for seawater desalination is a promising freshwater production method. Interfacial solar evaporation systems based on 2D photo-thermal membranes have been widely studied, but salt pollution is one of the main challenges for solar distillation. In order to solve this problem, a hydrophilic three-dimensional (3D) porous photo-thermal fiber felt (PFF) was obtained by one-step method, through a simple polydopamine (PDA) coating method with hydrophobic graphite felt as a substrate. The PFF had a good evaporation rate of 1.48 kg m^?2 h^-1 and its corresponding light-vapor conversion efficiency reached 87.4%. In addition, the PFF exhibited an excellent salt-resistant ability when applied to photo-thermal evaporation of high-salinity seawater with 10 wt% NaCl, owing to its intrinsic 3D macroporous structure for the migration circulation of salt ions. The development of the PFF offers a new route for the exploration of salt-resistant photo-thermal materials and is promising for the practical application of solar distillation.     

分布式航天器真空热试验测控系统设计

针对航天器真空热试验对数据采集、温度控制及系统功能的要求,设计开发了一套基于LXI总线的分布式测控系统。针对目前控制系统对于温度控制系统大滞后、非线性的控制性能不佳的缺点,采用模糊自整定PID算法提升了当前控制系统的控制品质,实现了对航天器的外热流模拟与温度控制。实际运行结果表明,该系统具有可靠性高、扩展性强、控制精度高等优点,并且试验准备时间比原有系统减少一半以上,提高了试验人员的工作效率。     

Dehydration kinetics of salmon and trout fillets using ultrasonic vacuum drying as a novel technique

In this study, a novel ultrasonic vacuum (USV) drying technique was used to shorten the drying time of fish fillets. For this purpose, ultrasonic treatment and vacuum-drying were simultaneously performed to dehydrate salmon and trout fillets at 55 °C, 65 °C, and 75 °C. In addition, the USV technique was compared with vacuum-drying and oven-drying techniques. The dehydration kinetics of the fillets was successfully described by seven thin-layer drying models with R² range between 0.944 and 1.000. Depending on drying temperatures and fish species, the drying times could be shortened using the USV technique between 7.4% and 27.4% compared with vacuum-drying. The highest effective moisture diffusivity was determined in the fillets dried with the USV technique and they increased with increasing drying temperatures. Ultrasonic treatment accelerated the vacuum drying process for the fillets; therefore, this technique could be used to improve the efficiency of vacuum-drying for the fillets.     

SnO_2/TiO_2纳米管复合光催化剂的性能及失活再生

基于微波水热法和微乳液法合成SnO2/TiO2纳米管复合光催化剂.通过X射线衍射(XRD)、配有能量色散X射线光谱仪(EDX)的透射电镜(TEM)和电化学手段对光催化剂进行表征.以甲苯为模型污染物,考察光催化剂在紫外光(UV)和真空远紫外光(VUV)下的性能及失活再生.结果表明,SnO2/TiO2纳米管复合光催化剂形成三元异质结(锐钛矿相TiO2(A-TiO2)/金红石相TiO2(R-TiO2)、A-TiO2/SnO2和R-TiO2/SnO2异质结),促使光生电子-空穴对的有效分离,提高光催化活性.SnO2/TiO2表现出最佳的光催化性能,UV和VUV条件下的甲苯降解率均达100%,CO2生成速率(k2)均为P25的3倍左右.但由于UV光照矿化能力不足,中间产物易在催化剂表面累积.随着UV光照时间的增加,SnO2/TiO2逐渐失活,20 h后k2由138.5 mg·m-3·h-1下降到76.1 mg·m-3·h-1.利用VUV再生失活的SnO2/TiO2,过程中产生的·OH、O2-·、O(1D)、O(3P)、O3等活性物质可氧化吸附于催化剂活性位的难降解中间产物,使催化剂得以再生,12 h后k2恢复到143.6 mg·m-3·h-1.UV和VUV的协同效应使UV降解耦合VUV再生成为一种可持续的光催化降解污染物模式.     

真空离心浓缩/气相色谱-质谱联用法测定白酒中6种邻苯二甲酸酯类增塑剂

建立了测定白酒中6种邻苯二甲酸酯类增塑剂的真空离心浓缩/气相色谱-质谱联用(GC-MS)分析方法。样品经真空离心浓缩,正己烷提取,取上层正己烷,4000r/min离心5min,采用GC-MS测定,外标法定量。在0.10～5.00μg/mL范围内,相关系数r20.992,样品在0.10～2.00 mg/kg范围内加标,平均回收率在88.83%～111.67%之间,相对标准偏差(RSD)为4.85%～11.35%,检出限(LOD)在0.02～0.05 mg/kg之间。采用该方法对16个白酒样品进行测定,结果表明该法简便、快速、结果准确可靠、灵敏度高,能够满足白酒中6种邻苯二甲酸酯增塑剂检测需求。