Polymerization of Acrylamide in Aqueous Solution of Poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) at Lower Critical Solution Temperature

Acrylamide (AAm) was found to polymerize in a solution of poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) in water at around its lower critical solution temperature (LCST) (32°C) without any initiators. This phenomenon was specifically observed in aqueous solutions of the polymers having LCST such as PNIPAAm and poly(methylvinylether) (PMVE). AAm polymerized only when PNIPAAm and AAm were dissolved in water below LCST of PNIPAAm and then the solution was warmed up to the polymerization temperature (40°C). On the other hand, the polymerization of AAm did not proceed when AAm was added into aqueous PNIPAAm solution during and after the phase separation above 32°C. Furthermore the polymerizability of AAm was remarkably affected by the concentration and molecular weight of the PNIPAAm additives. Under the condition of lower PNIPAAm concentration (0.30 mol/L), the increase in the molecular weight of PNIPAAm considerably increased the molecular weight of the resulting PAAm but decreased the yield of PAAm. Under the condition of higher PNIPAAm concentration (0.60 mol/L) the polymerizability was not so affected by the molecular weight of PNIPAAm, while the molecular weight of PAAm formed by using higher molecular weight PNIPAAm was higher than those of PAAm formed by using lower molecular weight PNIPAAm. Moreover, the molecular weight of PAAm formed by the PNIPAAm induced polymerization of AAm was much higher than that of the polymer obtained by the radical polymerization using AIBN in THF or VA‐ 061 in water.     

Quantitative Relationships of Structure-Activity and Volume Fraction For Selected Nonpolar and Polar Narcotic Chemicals

Abstract

The relative toxicity of selected industrial organic chemicals was secured from the literature for the static 48-h Tetrahymena pyriformis 50% population growth impairment and the flow-through 96-h Pimephales promelas 50% mortality endpoints. Chemicals were selected to represent the nonpolar narcosis (aliphatic alcohols and aliphatic ketones) and polar narcosis (anilines and phenols) mechanisms of toxic action. molar volume (MV) and 1-octanol/water partition coefficient (log K _ow) data were generated for each chemical. High-quality, log K _ow dependent quantitative structure-activity relationships were observed for each chemical class and mechanism of action for both endpoints. The volume fraction (V _t) for each chemical in the target phase was determined from the toxicant concentration in the water (toxicity data), the MV, and the target/water partition coefficient (K _tw) with K _tw considered equal to K _ow ^(1-a). Analyses of target sites, by way of “a” revealed that “a” was constant for a mechanism of action regardless of chemical class, but distinct for a given test system. Mean V _t was constant for each mechanism of action regardless of chemical class or test system. These results suggest, at least for reversible physical mechanisms, that volume fraction analyses are significant in determining the mechanism of toxic action of a chemical.     

A model validation and consensus building environment

Over half of the failures in drug development are due to problems with the absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity, or ADME/Tox properties of a candidate compound. The utilization of in silico tools to predict ADME/Tox and physicochemical properties holds great potential for reducing the attrition rate in drug research and development, as this technology can prioritize candidate compounds in the pharmaceutical R&D pipeline. However, a major concern surrounding the use of in silico ADME/Tox technology is the reliability of the property predictions. Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. has created a computational environment that addresses these concerns. This environment is referred to as KnowItAll®. Within this platform are encoded a number of ADME/Tox predictors, the ability to validate these predictors with/without in-house data and models, as well as build a ‘consensus’ model that may be a much better model than any of the individual predictive model. The KnowItAll® system can handle two types of predictions: real number and categorical classification.     

QSAR-based toxicity classification and prediction for single and mixed aromatic compounds

Quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs) based on the octanol/water partition coefficient were employed to predict acute toxicities of 36 substituted aromatic compounds and their mixtures. In this study, the model developed by Verhaar et al. was modified and used to calculate octanol/water partition coefficients of chemical mixtures. To validate the model, acute toxicities of these chemicals were measured to Vibrio fischeri in terms of EC⁵⁰. The results indicated that the obtained QSAR models could be used to predict toxicities of samples consisting of these substituted aromatic compounds, individually or in combinations. The obtained equations were proved to be robust enough by using the leave-one-out test method. By classifying these chemicals into two groups, polar and non-polar, the toxicities of chemical mixtures within each group can be predicted accurately from their calculated partition coefficients.     

Visible‐Light‐Active Elemental Photocatalysts

Seeking visible‐light‐active photocatalysts for efficient solar‐energy conversion has become an intensifying endeavor worldwide. In this concept paper, general requirements for finding new visible‐light‐active photocatalysts are briefly introduced, and recent progress in exploring elemental photocatalysts for clean‐energy generation and environmental remediation are reviewed. Finally, opportunities and challenges facing elemental photocatalysts are discussed.     

Surface Properties of Anatase TiO2 Nanowire Films Grown from a Fluoride‐Containing Solution

Controlling the surface chemistry of nucleating seeds during wet‐chemical synthesis allows for the preparation of morphologically well‐defined nanostructures. Synthesis conditions play a key role in the surface properties, which directly affect the functional properties of the material. Therefore, it is important to establish post‐synthesis treatments to facilitate the optimization of surface properties with respect to a specific application, without losing the morphological peculiarity of the nanostructure. We studied the surface properties of highly crystalline and porous anatase TiO₂ nanowire (NW) electrodes, grown by chemical‐bath deposition in fluoride‐containing solutions, using a combined electrochemical and spectroscopic approach. As‐deposited films showed low capacity for catechol adsorption and a poor photoelectrocatalytic activity for water oxidation. Mild thermal annealing at 200 °C resulted in a significant improvement of the electrode photoelectrocatalytic activity, whereas the bulk properties of the NWs (crystal structure, band‐gap energy) remained unchanged. Enhancement of the functional properties of the material is discussed on the basis of adsorption capacity and electronic properties. The temperature‐induced decrease of recombination centers, along with the concomitant increase of adsorption and reaction sites upon thermal annealing are called to be responsible for such improved performance.     

黄渤海近岸海域酚类内分泌干扰物分布特征及其来源解析

在黄渤海近岸海域采集了34个水体样品,利用HPLC-MS/MS分析了双酚A、辛基酚、壬基酚、2,4-二氯酚、对叔丁基苯酚和对特辛基苯酚等6种酚类内分泌干扰物的含量,并探讨了其分布特征及来源.结果表明,中国北部近岸海域6种酚类内分泌干扰物的含量范围在5.25～1351.20ng/mL之间.结合因子分析和层次聚类分析结果,说明渤海、黄海近岸海域中酚类化合物主要以辛基酚、壬基酚、2,4-二氯酚为主,局部海域伴有双酚A的高残留;从整个海域范围看,黄渤海近岸海域水体中酚类化合物污染状况具有区域特征,整体呈现出南高北低的特点,且酚类物质分布具有明显的地区特性,一定程度上具有聚集性;来源解析结果表明黄渤海近岸海域中酚类内分泌干扰物主要来源为生活污水和工业废水.     

氢化物发生-原子荧光光谱法同时测定水中砷和锑

建立在硝酸介质中用氢化物发生-原子荧光光谱法同时测定水中砷和锑的方法。优化了仪器工作条件、酸度、硼氢化钾及还原剂浓度。砷、锑的线性范围为0～10．0μg／L;检出限分别为0．02,0．01μg／L;测定结果的相对标准偏差分别为1．77％～3．72％,2．95％～4．87％（n=6）;加标回收率分别为98％106％,96％105％。该法操作简便,灵敏度高,快速,便于推广,适用于水中砷和锑的同时测定。