Ellagic Acid Suppresses ApoB Secretion and Enhances ApoA-1 Secretion from Human Hepatoma Cells,HepG2

The effect of ellagic acid (EA), a naturally occurring polyphenolic compound, on the secretion of apolipoproteins from human hepatocytes, HepG2, was investigated. The levels of apoB and apoA-1 secreted in the cell culture medium were determined by sandwich ELISA. EA did not affect cell viability at the tested concentrations (up to 50 µM). EA suppressed the secretion of apoB and enhanced that of apoA-1 from HepG2 cells. However, cellular apoB levels were increased, suggesting that EA inhibited the trafficking of apoB during the process of secretion. In contrast, the increase in the cellular levels of apoA-1 was consistent with its secreted levels. These results indicate that EA inhibits the secretion of apoB from hepatocytes and increases the secretion of apoA-1. Both of these effects are beneficial for lipoprotein metabolism in the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases. The detailed mechanism underlying these effects of EA on lipoprotein metabolism should be elucidated in the future, but this naturally occurring polyphenolic compound might be antihyperlipidemic. Based on these results, EA is suggested as a candidate food-derived compound for the prevention of hyperlipidemia.     

不同结构扩孔分子筛催化MTP反应行为及表面积炭物种表征

采用TEAOH溶液处理MFI结构ZSM-5分子筛、MWW结构MCM-22分子筛,NaOH溶液处理TON结构ZSM-22分子筛、CHA结构SSZ-13分子筛得到四种结构的扩孔分子筛。在反应温度480℃、反应压力0.1 MPa、甲醇与水质量比1∶1、甲醇质量空速1.5 h~(-1)的条件下,考察了四种扩孔分子筛的甲醇制丙烯(MTP)催化性能,并采用XRD、N_2吸附-脱附、NH_3-TPD、TG、UV-Raman和GC-M S等方法表征催化剂的物化性质及M TP反应2 h后的分子筛积炭性质。结果表明,四种分子筛扩孔改性后均出现介孔,其中,T-ZSM-5分子筛在MTP反应中寿命最长;T-MCM-22分子筛寿命次之且失活速率慢;而一维孔道结构N-ZSM-22分子筛和八元环尺寸较小的N-SSZ-13分子筛均失活迅速。受拓扑结构和孔道扩散的影响,MTP反应2 h后,分子筛积炭量增加的顺序为T-ZSM-5N-ZSM-22T-MCM-22N-SSZ-13且可溶焦分子质量随积炭量增加而增重,即从五甲基苯增重到菲、芘等多环芳烃。     

Thermodynamic-Controlled Gas Phase Process for the Synthesis of Nickel Nanoparticles of Adjustable Size and Morphology

Gas phase processes are a successful route for the synthesis of nano materials. Nickel particles are used in applications ranging from catalysis to nano electronics and energy storage. The application field defines the required particle size, morphology, crystallinity and purity. Nickel tetracarbonyl is the most promising precursor for the synthesis of high purity nickel particles. Due to the toxicity of this precursor and to obtain an optimal process control we developed a two-step flow type process. Nickel carbonyl and nickel particles are synthesized in a sequence of reactions. The particles are formed in a hot wall reactor at temperatures below 400°C in different gas compositions. Varying the process conditions enables the adjustment of the particle size in a range from 3 to 140 nm. The controllable crystalline habits are polycrystalline, single crystals or multiple twinned particles (MTP). Spectroscopic investigations show an excellent purity. We report about the process and first investigations of the properties of the synthesized nickel nanomaterial.     

P-HZSM-5分子筛的一步法直接合成及其MTP催化性能的研究

以正硅酸乙酯、偏铝酸钠、磷酸、四丙基氢氧化铵为原料,采用水热法,一步直接合成了P-HZSM-5分子筛,着重考察了磷酸对其结构、酸性、粒径和甲醇转化制烯烃(MTO)催化性能的影响。结果表明,随着磷酸用量的增加,其晶体对称性由正交晶系转变为单斜晶系,合成的P-HZSM-5分子筛的结晶度降低;同时,进入分子筛骨架的铝含量减小,分子筛酸性降低,粒径逐渐变大,形貌由球形变为长条形。这些变化显著影响甲醇转化制烯烃反应的选择性。n(H3PO4)/n(Al2O3)投料比分别为2和4时,乙烯与丙烯总的收率相近(分别为52.30%和52.63%);然而产物的丙烯/乙烯比(P/E)有明显差异(分别为7.02和4.12);通过调节磷酸用量,可以调控丙烯(或乙烯)的选择性。     

Effects of ammonium exchange and Si/Al ratio on the conversion of methanol to propylene over a novel and large partical size ZSM-5

One type of ZSM-5 zeolite with large partical size was prepared and characterized by XRD, SEM, N2 adsorption-desorption, XRF, Py-IR and NH3-TPD techniques. Effects of ammonium exchange and SiO2/Al2O3 molar ratios on the reaction of methanol to propylene (MTP) over Na-ZSM-5 and H-ZSM-5 zeolites have been studied in a fixed-bed flow reactor under the operating conditions of T = 500 °C, P = 1 atm, and WHSV = 6 h-1. Ammonium exchange led to a rapid decrease in Na content for Na-ZSM-5 zeolite. The reaction results indicated that Na-ZSM-5 and H-ZSM-5 with different SiO2/Al2O3 molar ratios all exhibited high activity for methanol conversion. Ammonium exchange and the decreased SiO2/Al2O3 molar ratio of ZSM-5 zeolite led to an increase both in strong acid sites and weak acid sites. Na-ZSM-5 with high SiO2/Al2O3 molar ratio was favorable for the formation of propylene. The highest propylene selectivity (45.9%) was obtained over Na-ZSM-5 zeolite catalyst with SiO2/Al2O3 molar ratio of 220.     

Methane—the Promising Career of a Humble Molecule

Methane, CH4, here represents natural gas (NG) of which it is the main constituent. Routes ofchemical utilisation of NG — as opposed to energy usage — are discussed. A main step is the conversion of NG to synthesis gas, a mixture of CO and H2. Simple molecules derived from synthesis gas, like methanol,can be further reacted to longer-chained hydrocarbons like propylene and other olefins and even to gasoline and diesel.     

A Cationic Oligomer as an Organic Template for Direct Synthesis of Aluminosilicate ITH Zeolite

There are a large number of zeolites, such as ITH, that cannot be prepared in the aluminosilicate form. Now, the successful synthesis of aluminosilicate ITH zeolite using a simple cationic oligomer as an organic template is presented. Key to the success is that the cationic oligomer has a strong complexation ability with aluminum species combined with a structural directing ability for the ITH structure similar to that of the conventional organic template. The aluminosilicate ITH zeolite has very high crystallinity, nanosheet‐like crystal morphology, large surface area, fully four‐coordinated Al species, and abundant acidic sites. Methanol‐to‐propylene (MTP) tests reveal that the Al‐ITH zeolite shows much higher selectivity for propylene and longer lifetime than commercial ZSM‐5. FCC tests show that Al‐ITH zeolite is a good candidate as a shape‐selective FCC additive for enhancing propylene and butylene selectivity.     

PVP-SDS软模板引导常温水相一锅法合成银纳米棒

以银氨络离子为前躯体, 葡萄糖为还原剂, 在聚乙烯吡咯烷酮(PVP)和十二烷基硫酸钠(SDS)组成的软模板中反应, 首先得到形貌均一、粒径为(50±5) nm的纳米银颗粒, 随后自发生长成银纳米棒. 测试结果表明纳米银颗粒的等离子共振吸收峰在441 nm处, XRD表明其为面心立方体, 在(111)晶面有最强吸收|高分辨透射电镜(HRTEM)观察到的晶格条纹和孪晶面证实其为多重孪晶(MTP), 选区电子衍射(SAED)进一步证实了其具有五重孪晶结构. 由于孪晶结构具有很高的生长活性, 故推断上述孪晶纳米银颗粒经PVP-SDS软模板诱导, 在常温、水相且无需多元醇辅助的条件下, 仅通过受约束Ostwald熟化生长, 便可一锅法合成出各向异性的银纳米棒. 用该法替代高温有机相并加入晶种的多元醇方法, 提高了湿化学方法的实用性并可以显著降低制备一维银纳米材料的成本.     

Life Anuities with Stochastic Survival Probabilities: A Review

An insurance company selling life annuities has to use projected life tables to describe the survival of policyholders. Such life tables are generated by stochastic processes governing the future path of mortality. To fix the ideas, the standard Lee-Carter model for mortality projection is adopted here. In that context, the paper purposes to examine the consequences of working with random survival probabilities. Various stochastic inequalities are derived, showing that the risk borne by the annuity provider is increased compared to the classical independent case. Moreover, the type of dependence existing between the insured life times is carefully examined. The paper also deals with the computation of ruin probabilities and large portfolio approximations.      

不同硅铝比Al-ITQ-13分子筛的甲醇制丙烯反应催化性能

采用晶种法直接合成了硅铝比(SiO_2/Al_2O_3物质的量比)为137、224和309的三种Al-ITQ-13分子筛,并采用粉末X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电镜(SEM)、N_2吸附-脱附、固体核磁共振(MAS NMR)和NH_3-程序升温脱附(NH_3-TPD)等分析方法对不同硅铝比分子筛进行了表征,并在固定床微型反应评价装置上,考察了硅铝比对甲醇转化制丙烯反应性能的影响。结果表明,不同硅铝比Al-ITQ-13分子筛呈现出相似的织构性质,酸量及酸强度随着硅铝比的升高逐渐下降。硅铝比对甲醇转化反应的产物分布存在较大的影响;随着硅铝比的升高,氢转移反应和芳构化反应活性降低,使得乙烯选择性下降,而丙烯和丁烯的选择性升高。硅铝比由137提高到309,丙烯的选择性(质量分数)由46.04%增加到55.52%,而丙烯/乙烯比由3.39提高到6.57。