Thermodynamic properties of the system NH4NO3 + (NH4)2SO4 + H2O at 298.15 K

In this investigation, the mixed aqueous electrolyte system of nitrate and sulfate with common ammonium cation has been studied with the hygrometric method at the temperature 298.15 K. The water activities of the system [yNH₄NO₃ + (1 − y)(NH₄)₂SO₄](aq) are measured at total molalities from 0.4 mol kg⁻¹ up to saturation for different ionic-strength fractions y of NH₄NO₃ with y = 0.2, 0.5 and 0.8. The obtained data allow the deduction of osmotic coefficients. The experimental results are compared with the predictions of the Zdanovskii–Stokes–Robinson (ZSR), Leitzke and Stoughton (LSII), Kusik and Meissner (KM), and Pitzer models. From these measurements, new Pitzer mixing ionic parameters are determined and used to predict the solute activity coefficients in the mixture. The obtained results are used to calculate the excess Gibbs energy at total molalities for different ionic-strength fractions y.     

Ethylenic acyl cyanides I.: conjugate addition of allyl and allenylsilanes to ethylenic acyl cyanides.

δ,ε-Ethylenic (or acetylenic) acyl cyanides, or δ,ε-ethylenic (or acetylenic) acids and their methyl esters, can be obtained by a conjugate addition of allyl (or allenyl) silanes to α,β-ethylenic acyl cyanides.     

Protein-triggered instant disassembly of biomimetic Layer-by-Layer films

Layer-by-Layer (LbL) coatings are promising tools for the biofunctionalization of biomaterials, as they allow stress-free immobilization of proteins. Here, we explore the possibility to immobilize phosvitin, a highly phosphorylated protein viewed as a model of bone phosphoproteins and, as such, a potential promotive agent of surface-directed biomineralization, into biomimetic LbL architectures. Two immobilization protocols are attempted, first, using phosvitin as the polyanionic component of phosvitin/poly-(L-lysine) films and, second, adsorbing it onto preformed chondroitin sulfate/poly-(L-lysine) films. Surprisingly, it is neither possible to embed phosvitin as the constitutive polyanion of the LbL architectures nor to adsorb it atop preformed films. Instead, phosvitin triggers instant massive film disassembly. This unexpected, incidentally detected behavior constitutes the first example of destructive interactions between LbL films and a third polyelectrolyte, a fortiori a protein, which might open a route toward new stimuli-responsive films for biosensing or drug delivery applications. Interestingly, additional preliminary results still indicate a promotive effect of phosvitin-containing remnant films on calcium phosphate deposition.