Spherical Particles of Zirconia-Titania of Hexagonal Structure from a Neutral Amine Route

Through the sol–gel process, using the so-called neutral amine route, spherical particles of 1:1 zirconia–titania were synthesized from zirconium(IV) and titanium(IV) butoxides as well as 1,12-diaminododecane as precursor species. The obtained product exhibited a hexagonal structure, as determinated by X-ray diffraction data. The obtained material was also characterized by thermogravimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and surface area measurements. Despite the release of template molecules on heating, the spherical morphology was retained up to about 1200°C, at which the disruption of the spheres took place.     

Effects of Adsorbed Polyaniline on Redox Process on MoO3 Surface

The effects exhibited by adsorbed conducting polyaniline on the redox process on a molybdenum oxide surface were studied. Thermogravimetric results indicate a 4% polyaniline deposition. Cyclic voltammograms of the adsorbed polymer on MoO3 show that polyaniline exerts remarkable effects on the molybdenum blue oxidation-reduction process, with oxidation and reduction potentials of 0.33 and 0.18 V, respectively. This effect strongly enhances the electrode response, and can be used as an important tool in qualitative and/or quantitative determinations of molybdenum in solution as well as in any substrate. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.     

Transition‐Metal‐Free Formal Sonogashira Coupling and α‐Carbonyl Arylation Reactions

Transition‐metal‐free formal Sonogashira coupling and α‐carbonyl arylation reactions have been developed. These transformations are based on the nucleophilic aromatic substitution (S_NAr) of β‐carbonyl sulfones to electron‐deficient aryl fluorides, producing a key intermediate that, depending on the reaction conditions, gives the aromatic alkynes or α‐aryl carbonyl compounds. The development of these reactions is presented and, based on investigations under basic and acidic conditions, mechanisms have been proposed. To develop the formal Sonogashira coupling further, a milder, two‐step protocol is also disclosed that expands the reaction concept. The scope of these reactions is demonstrated for the synthesis of Sonogashira and α‐carbonyl arylated products from a range of electron‐deficient aryl fluorides with a variety of functional groups and aryl‐, heteroaryl‐, alkyl‐, and alkoxy‐substituted sulfone nucleophiles. These transition‐metal‐free reactions complement the metal‐catalyzed versions in terms of substitution patterns, simplicity, and reaction conditions.     

Design and synthesis of a potential SH2 domain inhibitor bearing a stereodiversified 1,4-cis-enediol scaffold

Synthesis of a potential Src family SH2 domain inhibitor incorporating a 1,4-cis-enediol scaffold is reported. The synthetic route offers straightforward and highly selective access to the enediol and its associated chiral centers. Key steps include stereocontrolled syn-aldol coupling, amide alkynylation, and asymmetric ketone reduction.     

Light scattering by helical fiber structures: Experimental models

Samples of two helically wound monofilaments were used as experimental models to check the theoretical expression for light scattering from helixes. A method of estimating the pitch and tilt of the helixes was outlined and the results were compared with measurements from microscopy. The agreement was satisfactory. Layer line streaking and splitting was observed and explained in terms of irregularity of the helical parameters. Samples of several helically wound monofilaments were also prepared and their scattering patterns were compared with those from native and regenerated cellulosic fibers.     

Interrelationships between cellulase activity and cellulose particle morphology

It is well documented that the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose follows a reaction pattern where an initial phase of relatively high activity is followed by a gradual slow-down over the entire course of the reaction. This phenomenon is not readily explained by conventional factors like substrate depletion, product inhibition or enzyme instability. It has been suggested that the underlying reason for the loss of enzyme activity is connected to the heterogeneous structure of cellulose, but so far attempts to establish quantitative measures of such a correlation remain speculative. Here, we have carried out an extensive microscopy study of Avicel particles during extended hydrolysis with Hypocrea jecorina cellobiohydrolase 1 (CBH1) and endoglucanase 1 and 3 (EG1 and EG3) alone and in mixtures. We have used differential interference contrast microscopy and transmission electron microscopy to observe and quantify structural features at μm and nm resolution, respectively. We implemented a semi-automatic image analysis protocol, which allowed us to analyze almost 3000 individual micrographs comprising a total of more than 300,000 particles. From this analysis we estimated the temporal development of the accessible surface area throughout the reaction. We found that the number of particles and their size as well as the surface roughness contributed to surface area, and that within the investigated degree of conversion (<30 %) this measure correlated linearly with the rate of reaction. Based on this observation we argue that cellulose structure, specifically surface area and roughness, plays a major role in the ubiquitous rate loss observed for cellulases.     

Kinetics of Enzymatic High-Solid Hydrolysis of Lignocellulosic Biomass Studied by Calorimetry

Enzymatic hydrolysis of high-solid biomass (>10% w/w dry mass) has become increasingly important as a key step in the production of second-generation bioethanol. To this end, development of quantitative real-time assays is desirable both for empirical optimization and for detailed kinetic analysis. In the current work, we have investigated the application of isothermal calorimetry to study the kinetics of enzymatic hydrolysis of two substrates (pretreated corn stover and Avicel) at high-solid contents (up to 29% w/w). It was found that the calorimetric heat flow provided a true measure of the hydrolysis rate with a detection limit of about 500 pmol glucose s⁻¹. Hence, calorimetry is shown to be a highly sensitive real-time method, applicable for high solids, and independent on the complexity of the substrate. Dose–response experiments with a typical cellulase cocktail enabled a multidimensional analysis of the interrelationships of enzyme load and the rate, time, and extent of the reaction. The results suggest that the hydrolysis rate of pretreated corn stover is limited initially by available attack points on the substrate surface (<10% conversion) but becomes proportional to enzyme dosage (excess of attack points) at later stages (>10% conversion). This kinetic profile is interpreted as an increase in polymer end concentration (substrate for CBH) as the hydrolysis progresses, probably due to EG activity in the enzyme cocktail. Finally, irreversible enzyme inactivation did not appear to be the source of reduced hydrolysis rate over time.     

Asymmetric Organocatalysis with Sulfones

Asymmetric organocatalysis has become a powerful tool for the synthesis of optically active compounds. Whereas early research mainly focused on combining simple reagents as a proof‐of‐concept for asymmetric organocatalysis, recent investigations are directed towards extending the concept to more target‐ and diversity‐oriented synthesis. As a result of the many transformation possibilities and their ability to generate both nucleophilic and electrophilic reaction partners, sulfones have become especially important substrates in the field of organocatalysis.