SO2–ethanol–water (SEW) fractionation process: production of dissolving pulp from spruce

SO₂–ethanol–water (SEW) fractionation process is a highly attractive platform for future lignocellulosic Biorefineries. Its governing advantages include high flexibility in the selection of the raw material, simple and efficient recovery of fractionation chemicals, absence of carbohydrate degradation (both cellulose and hemicelluloses), and high reaction rates. The process is suitable for production of various carbohydrate- and lignin-based products including papermaking pulp, glucose, bioalcohols and lignosulfonates. The present paper addresses the possibility of producing dissolving pulp from spruce using SEW fractionation followed by ECF bleaching with and without hot caustic extraction. Comprehensive characterisation of chemical and macromolecular properties of the SEW dissolving pulps was complemented by determining the quality of viscose. The comparison with conventional viscose-grade acid sulfite pulps revealed close proximity in all properties. Therefore, considering the advantages of SEW process, it is suggested as a possible replacement for acid sulfite process in dissolving pulp manufacturing.     

Dual Description of the Superconducting Phase Transition

The dual approach to the Ginzburg-Landau theory of a Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer superconductor is reviewed. The dual theory describes a grand canonical ensemble of fluctuating closed magnetic vortices, of arbitrary length and shape, which interact with a massive vector field representing the local magnetic induction. When the critical temperature is approached from below, the magnetic vortices proliferate. This is signaled by the disorder field, which describes the loop gas, developing a non-zero expectation value in the normal conducting phase. It therby breaks a global U(1) symmetry. The ensuing Goldstone field is the magnetic scalar potential. The superconducting-to-normal phase transition is studied by applying renormalization group theory to the dual formulation. In the regime of a second-order transition, the critical exponents are given by those of a superfluid with a reversed temperature axis.     

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Marangoni Flow Driven Instabilities and Marginal Regeneration

Fingering instabilities in films moving along wetted surfaces, dimpling in horizontal liquid films, and the drainage of vertical soap films by marginal regeneration are caused by surface tension gradients along the perimeter of the thin film. These gradients lead to a mechanical instability which involves Marangoni type liquid flow. It is possible to describe the conditions for the onset of marginal regeneration with a critical number of the ratio between the driving force for the Marangoni flow and the friction of film elements that move relative to their surroundings. This ratio is called the Mysels number. A linear stability analysis leads to a scaling relation lambda approximately h(Ca)(-1/3) between the wavelength lambda of the instability and the capillary number Ca (Ca=/etaV(s)/gamma. In experiments with several Marangoni-driven instabilities this scaling relation has been found; it illustrates the general applicability in the understanding of flow phenomena of this type. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.     

The BIOREMA project—part 3: International interlaboratory comparison for bio-ethanol test methods

The main objective of the reference materials for biofuel specifications (BIOREMA) project is the development of two test materials (one bio-ethanol material and one biodiesel material) with well-established reference values. Of a series of three papers, this part describes the material preparation, homogeneity study, stability study, and characterisation of the bio-ethanol material. The test material thus obtained was used in an interlaboratory comparison (ILC) to assess current practices and comparability amongst laboratories providing bio-ethanol testing services. Only 13 participants provided data, resulting in a small dataset for evaluation. Further, it appeared that for a number of laboratories, there was not sufficient material for the determination of all requested parameters. In most cases, as far as the data permit, it can be concluded that the consensus values (based on participant’s results) are in good agreement with the reference or the BIOREMA values (obtained by NMIs participating in the project). For three parameters, namely ethanol content, water content, and density, there is good agreement between the reference and consensus values. For these parameters, the reproducibility standard deviation is close to, or even smaller than, the expanded uncertainty associated with the reference value. A number of parameters show very poor reproducibility, for example, pH_e, electrolytic conductivity, and acidity. The same applies to sodium and copper content, which are very low and therefore challenging parameters to measure accurately. The results of the ILC underpin the need for certified reference materials and demonstrate the requirement for more robust quality control to improve the precision and trueness of the results from testing laboratories.     

Highly enantioselective Cu-catalysed asymmetric 1,4-addition of diphenylzinc to cyclohexenone

Highly enantioselective Cu-catalysed 1,4-addition of diphenylzinc to cyclohexenone has been achieved for the first time using a monodentate phosphoramidite ligand.     

Low‐Transition‐Temperature Mixtures (LTTMs): A New Generation of Designer Solvents

A new generation of designer solvents emerged in the last decade as promising green media for multiple applications, including separation processes: the low‐transition‐temperature mixtures (LTTMs). They can be prepared by mixing natural high‐melting‐point starting materials, which form a liquid by hydrogen‐bond interactions. Among them, deep‐eutectic solvents (DESs) were presented as promising alternatives to conventional ionic liquids (ILs). Some limitations of ILs are overcome by LTTMs, which are cheap and easy to prepare from natural and readily available starting materials, biodegradable, and renewable.     

Indium- and zinc-mediated Barbier-type allylations of an N,N-(dimethylsulfamoyl)-protected aldimine and subsequent deprotection

Barbier-type Zn and In-mediated allylations of an N,N-(dimethylsulfamoyl)-protected aldimine with different allyl bromides were investigated for the preparation of N-homoallylic sulfamides. The desired N,N-(dimethylsulfamoyl)-protected products were obtained in moderate to high yields in THF as the optimal solvent. Their further derivatization was demonstrated by a facile preparation of a functionalized dehydropiperidine by an allylation/olefin metathesis reaction sequence. A high yielding deprotection of the N,N-dimethylsulfamoyl group was likewise demonstrated.     

Late-Stage Modification of Aminoglycoside Antibiotics Overcomes Bacterial Resistance Mediated by APH(3’) Kinases

The continuous emergence of antimicrobial resistance is causing a threat to patients infected by multidrug-resistant pathogens. In particular, the clinical use of aminoglycoside antibiotics, broad-spectrum antibacterials of last resort, is limited due to rising bacterial resistance. One of the major resistance mechanisms in Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria is phosphorylation of these amino sugars at the 3’-position by O-phosphotransferases [APH(3’)s]. Structural alteration of these antibiotics at the 3’-position would be an obvious strategy to tackle this resistance mechanism. However, the access to such derivatives requires cumbersome multi-step synthesis, which is not appealing for pharma industry in this low-return-on-investment market. To overcome this obstacle and combat bacterial resistance mediated by APH(3’)s, we introduce a novel regioselective modification of aminoglycosides in the 3’-position via palladium-catalyzed oxidation. To underline the effectiveness of our method for structural modification of aminoglycosides, we have developed two novel antibiotic candidates overcoming APH(3’)s-mediated resistance employing only four synthetic steps.