High-yield synthesis of millimetre-long, semiconducting carbon nitride nanotubes with intense photoluminescence emission and reproducible photoconductivity

High-yield synthesis of millimetre-long, semiconducting nanotubular g-C(3)N(4) with aspect ratio higher than 10,000 and strong photoluminscence emission was reported. The formation process of the nanotube was based on one-dimensional fibrous self-assembly of the protonated melamine in glycol mediated with nitric acid aqueous solution, which was subsequently thermalyzed into tubular carbon nitride through a rolling-up mechanism. The synthesized carbon nitride nanotube exhibits intense luminescent emission, fast photoresponse, and reproducible photoconductivity.

Ambient measurements of 2,2,4-trimethyl, 1,3-pentanediol monoisobutyrate in Southern California

2,2,4-trimethyl, 1,3-pentanediol monoisobutyrate (TPM) is a widely used solvent found in water-based coatings. Ambient measurements of TPM are reported here for the first time. Although this compound has been previously measured in indoor air, this study illustrates successful detection and quantification of TPM in ambient air at three locations in Southern California: Pico Rivera, Azusa, and Riverside. TPM was detected in every sample collected, with concentrations ranging from 0.7 to 49.5 parts per trillion (ppt). Collections took place during summer 2009, fall 2009, winter 2009/2010, and spring 2010, for 5-7 days during each season. The highest mean concentrations were observed during the summer months for each city, when coating activities are typically at their highest.

Increased stability of glycol-terminated self-assembled monolayers for long-term patterned cell culture

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) are widely used to confine proteins and cells to a pattern to study cellular processes and behavior. To fully explore some of these phenomena, it is necessary to control cell growth and confinement for several weeks. Here, we present a simple method by which protein and cellular confinement to a pattern can be maintained for more than 35 days. This represents a significant increase in pattern stability compared to previous monolayer systems and is achieved using an amide-linked glycol monomer on 50 Å titanium/100 Å gold-coated glass coverslips. In addition, this study provides insight into the method of SAM degradation and excludes interfacial mixing of the monomers and blooming of the adlayer as major mechanisms for SAM degradation.

Elevated anti-inflammatory effects of eicosapentaenoic acid based self-aggregated glycol chitosan nanoparticles

The formation of nanoparticles from eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is crucial to improving EPA's bioavailability and pharmacological properties, and widening its use in biomedical fields. In this study, we report EPA-conjugated glycol chitosan (GC) that can self-aggregate into core-shell nanoparticles. The EPA-GC nanoparticles were internalized into the cytosol of RAW 264.7 cells by endocytosis, which results in effective delivery of EPA to the cells. There were no differences in the cell viability after the treatment with EPA-GC nanoparticles. In the anti-inflammatory studies, the EPA-GC nanoparticles significantly inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated nitric oxide (NO) production and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) secretion in RAW 264.7 cells. The anti-inflammatory effects of the EPA-GC nanoparticles were far better than those seen for EPA only. Given their excellent bio-physicochemical properties, it is expected that EPA-GC nanoparticles may have a potential for widening the use of EPA in biomedical fields and, in particular, the treatment of inflammatory diseases.

Oligoethylene-glycol-functionalized polyoxythiophenes for cell engineering: syntheses, characterizations, and cell compatibilities

A series of methyl- or benzyl-capped oligoethylene glycol functionalized 2,5-dibromo-3-oxythiophenes are synthesized and successfully polymerized by either Grignard metathesis (GRIM) polymerization or reductive coupling polymerization to yield the corresponding polymers in reasonable yields and molecular weights with narrow molecular weight distribution. These synthesized polyoxythiophenes exhibit high electroactivity and stability in aqueous solution when a potential is applied. Polyoxythiophenes from different polymerization approaches display different colors after purification and spectroelectrochemical studies confirm that the difference of color is from the difference of doping state. Little cytotoxicity is observed for the polymers by in vitro cell compatibility assay. NIH3T3 fibroblast cells are well attached and proliferate on spin-coated films. These results indicate that oligoethylene-glycol-functionalized polyoxythiophenes are promising candidates as conducting biomatierals for biomedical and bioengineering applications.

Kinetics of monomer biodegradation in soil

In modern intensive agriculture, plastics are used in several applications (i.e. mulch films, drip irrigation tubes, string, clips, pots, etc.). Interest towards applying biodegradable plastics to replace the conventional plastics is promising. Ten monomers, which can be applied in the synthesis of potentially biodegradable polyesters, were tested according to ASTM 5988-96 (standard respirometric test to evaluate aerobic biodegradation in soil by measuring the carbon dioxide evolution): adipic acid, azelaic acid, 1,4-butanediol, 1,2-ethanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, lactic acid, glucose, sebacic acid, succinic acid and terephthalic acid. Eight replicates were carried out for each monomer for 27-45 days. The numerical code AQUASIM was applied to process the CO₂ experimental data in order to estimate values for the parameters describing the different mechanisms occurring to the monomers in soil: i) the first order solubilization kinetic constant, K(sol) (d⁻¹); ii) the first order biodegradation kinetic constant, K(b) (d⁻¹); iii) the lag time in biodegradation, t(lag) (d); and iv) the carbon fraction biodegraded but not transformed into CO₂, Y (-). The following range of values were obtained: [0.006 d⁻¹, 6.9 d⁻¹] for K(sol), [0.1 d⁻¹, 1.2 d⁻¹] for K(b), and [0.32-0.58] for Y; t(lag) was observed for azelaic acid, 1,2-ethanediol, and terephthalic acid, with estimated values between 3.0 e 4.9 d.

Tandem mass spectrometric analysis of a mixture of isobars using the survival yield technique

Collision induced dissociation tandem mass spectrometry experiments were performed to unequivocally separate compounds from an isobaric mixture of two products. The Survival Yield curve was obtained and is shown to consist in a linear combination of the curves corresponding to the two components separately. For such a mixture, a plateau appears on the diagram in lieu of the continuous decrease expected allowing for the structural study of the two components separately. The width of the plateau critically relates to the fragmentation parameters of the two molecular ions, which need to be sufficiently different structurally for the plateau to be observed. However, at constant fragmentation parameters, we have observed the width significantly increases at large m/z. This makes the separation more and more efficient as isobars have larger m/z and the technique complementary to those applicable at low m/z only. We have observed that the vertical position of the plateau relates linearly to the relative concentration of the two compounds that may be useful for quantification. Repeatability was estimated at 2% on a quadrupole ion trap. An advantage of using survival yield curves only, is that a priori knowledge of the respective fragmentation patterns of the two isobars becomes unnecessary. Consequently, similar performances are obtained if fragments are isobaric, which is also demonstrated in our study. The critical case of reverse peptides, at low m/z and similar fragmentation parameters, is also presented as a limitation of the method.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometric analysis of aliphatic biodegradable photoluminescent polymers using new ionic liquid matrices

In this study, two novel ionic liquid matrices (ILMs), N,N-diisopropylethylammonium 3-oxocoumarate and N,N-diisopropylethylammonium dihydroxymonooxoacetophenoate, were tested for the structural elucidation of recently developed aliphatic biodegradable polymers by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS). The polymers, formed by a condensation reaction of three components, citric acid, octane diol, and an amino acid, are fluorescent, but the exact mechanism behind their luminescent properties has not been fully elucidated. In the original studies, which introduced the polymer class (J. Yang et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2009, 106, 10086-10091), a hyper-conjugated cyclic structure was proposed as the source for the photoluminescent behavior. With the use of the two new ILMs, we present evidence that supports the presence of the proposed cyclization product. In addition, the new ILMs, when compared with a previously established ILM, N,N-diisopropylethylammonium α-cyano-3-hydroxycinnimate, provided similar signal intensities and maintained similar spectral profiles. This research also established that the new ILMs provided good spot-to-spot reproducibility and high ionization efficiency compared with corresponding crystalline matrix preparations. Many polymer features revealed through the use of the ILMs could not be observed with crystalline matrices. Ultimately, the new ILMs highlighted the composition of the synthetic polymers, as well as the loss of water that was expected for the formation of the proposed cyclic structure on the polymer backbone.

The Stability of Antibacterials in Polyethylene Glycol Mixtures

The antibacterial activity of penicillin and bacitracin is rapidly destroyed in polyethylene glycol bases. Aminoacridine, neomycin, oxytetracycline and streptomycin are affected less. Attempts to improve the stability of incorporated penicillin by modifications to the base, such as reformulation, adjustment of pH to neutrality and heat treatment, were unsuccessful. Commercially available polyethylene glycols, particularly the lower molecular weight polymers, showed oxidising activity thought to be due to peroxides. Catalase and horse blood destroyed the oxidising activity of polyethylene glycol bases and prevented the destruction of added penicillin during a test period of 10 days. The addition of reducing agents, although apparently removing the oxidising activity when tested chemically, did not improve the stability of penicillin mixed with the treated bases. Since catalase did not completely protect aminoacridine, neomycin and oxytetracycline from inactivation by polyethylene glycol bases, it was concluded that other inactivating factors were operative

The size control of silver nanocrystals with different polyols and its application to low-reflection coating materials

The size of silver nanocrystals in polyol synthesis can be simply controlled by tuning the viscosity of the reaction medium such as ethylene glycol, 1,2-propanediol, 1,4-butanediol and 1,5-pentanediol. We found that a higher viscose medium (1,5-pentanediol) led to monodispersed smaller particles thanks to the slow addition of silver atoms into the nuclei. Size-controlled silver nanocrystals of 30 nm were obtained in a viscosity controlled medium of 1,5-pentanediol to synthesize a low refractive index filler by coating with silica and subsequent etching of the silver core. The coated low-reflection layer from the hollow silica nanoparticles on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film can greatly reduce the reflection of the PET film from 10% to 2% over the entire visible region.

Maltose-neopentyl glycol (MNG) amphiphiles for solubilization, stabilization and crystallization of membrane proteins

The understanding of integral membrane protein (IMP) structure and function is hampered by the difficulty of handling these proteins. Aqueous solubilization, necessary for many types of biophysical analysis, generally requires a detergent to shield the large lipophilic surfaces of native IMPs. Many proteins remain difficult to study owing to a lack of suitable detergents. We introduce a class of amphiphiles, each built around a central quaternary carbon atom derived from neopentyl glycol, with hydrophilic groups derived from maltose. Representatives of this maltose-neopentyl glycol (MNG) amphiphile family show favorable behavior relative to conventional detergents, as manifested in multiple membrane protein systems, leading to enhanced structural stability and successful crystallization. MNG amphiphiles are promising tools for membrane protein science because of the ease with which they may be prepared and the facility with which their structures may be varied.

Preparation and evaluation of fexofenadine microemulsions for intranasal delivery

To enhance the solubility and bioavailability of poorly absorbable fexofenadine, microemulsion system composed of oil, surfactant and co-surfactant was developed for intranasal delivery. Phase behavior, particle size, viscosity and solubilization capacity of the microemulsion system were characterized. Histopathology and in vivo nasal absorption of the optimized microemulsion formulations were also investigated in rats. A single isotropic region was found in the pseudo-ternary phase diagrams developed at various ratios with Lauroglycol 90 as oil, Labrasol as surfactant and Plurol Oleique CC49 or its mixture with PEG-400 (1:1) as cosurfactant. An increase in the microemulsion region in pseudo-ternary phase systems was observed with increased surfactant concentration. The optimized microemulsion formulations showed higher solubulization of fexofenadine, i.e., F1 (22.64 mg/mL) and F2 (22.98 mg/mL), compared to its intrinsic water solubility (1.51 mg/mL). Nasal absorption of fexofenadine from these microemulsions was found to be fairly rapid. Tmax was observed within 5 min after intranasal administration at 1.0 mg/kg dose, and the absolute bioavailability (0-4 h) was about 68% compared to the intravenous administration in rats. Our results suggested that these microemulsion formulations could be used as an effective intranasal dosage form for the rapid-onset delivery of fexofenadine

In vitro apatite formation on organic-inorganic hybrids in the CaO-SiO(2)-PO (5/2)-poly(tetramethylene oxide) system

The osteoconduction potential of artificial materials is usually evaluated in vitro by apatite formation in a simulated body fluid (SBF) proposed by Kokubo and his colleagues. This paper reports the compositional dependence of apatite formation on organic-inorganic hybrids in the CaO-SiO(2)-PO(5/2)-poly(tetramethylene oxide) system, initiated from tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), triethyl phosphate (OP(OEt)(3)), calcium chloride (CaCl(2)) and poly(tetramethylene oxide)(PTMO) modified with alkoxysilane. Formation of an apatite layer was observed on the surface of the organic-inorganic hybrids with molar ratios of TEOS/OP(OEt)(3) ranging from 100/0 to 20/80. The rate of apatite formation remarkably decreased when the hybrids were synthesized with TEOS/OP(OEt)(3) ratios of 40/60 or less. Hybrids without TEOS showed no apatite formation in SBF for up to 14 days. Addition of small amounts of OP(OEt)(3) to TEOS in the hybrids led to the high dissolution of calcium and silicate, while addition of large amounts of OP(OEt)(3) decreased the dissolution of calcium and silicate ions and resulted in reduced apatite formation regardless of the dissolution of phosphate ions from the hybrids.

Microwave driven wood liquefaction with glycols

Wood liquefaction with glycols using p-toluenesulfonic acid as the catalyst was carried out under microwave heating. With rapid heating and temperatures in the 190-210 degrees C range complete liquefaction was achieved in 7 min. Liquefaction efficiency was dependent on the choice of glycol. Simple glycols such as ethylene glycol and propylene glycol were more effective than higher analogues. The use of glycerol in mixtures with glycols showed a synergistic effect. Size exclusion chromatography was used to follow the gradual emergence of liquefaction products in solution as well as the recondensation products that start forming early in the reaction and precipitate from solution when molar masses of approx. 1x10(4) g/mol are reached.

Efficient and selective telomerization of 1,3-butadiene with diols catalyzed by palladium-carbene complexes

The selective telomerization of 1,3-butadiene with seven different linear and cyclic diols proceeds in the presence of in situ generated palladium carbene catalysts. By applying optimized reaction conditions, including very low metal loadings (2-10 ppm), excellent catalyst turnover numbers (>250,000) and good chemoselectivities are observed with respect to the mono-octadienyl ether derivatives. This protocol allows the efficient preparation of unsaturated alcohols, which are useful for various applications.

Telomerization of butadiene with glycerol: reaction control through process engineering, solvents, and additives

Owing to the large amount of glycerol that is formed as a by-product during biodiesel production, there have been great efforts to develop new reactions and processes based on glycerol as a renewable feedstock. One example is the telomerization of butadiene with glycerol which provides an atom-economic route to amphiphilic molecules. The reaction is catalyzed by homogeneous palladium catalysts which necessitates efficient catalyst recycling. By employing an aqueous biphasic system, an increased selectivity towards the desired mono-ethers was observed in the telomerization reaction. The performance of the reaction and separation and recycling of the catalyst were optimized by the addition of organic solvents as well as cyclodextrins. By adding cyclodextrins, the conversion of glycerol could be increased and the leaching of palladium could be reduced. Leaching of palladium into the organic phase could be lowered also by using 2-octanol or 2-propanol as additional solvents. Furthermore, the catalyst system could be stabilized by adding nitriles or phosphonium salts, and radical polymerization, which leads to fouling, could be inhibited successfully.

Composition-explicit distillation curves of diesel fuel with glycol ether and glycol ester oxygenates: fuel analysis metrology to enable decreased particulate emissions

We recently introduced several important improvements in the measurement of distillation curves of complex fluids. The modifications to the classical measurement provide for (1) a composition-explicit data channel for each distillate fraction (for both qualitative and quantitative analysis), (2) temperature measurements that are true thermodynamic state points that can be modeled with an equation of state, (3) temperature, volume, and pressure measurements of low uncertainty suitable for equation of state development, (4) consistency with a century of historical data, (5) an assessment of the energy content of each distillate fraction, (6) trace chemical analysis of each distillate fraction, and (7) corrosivity assessment of each distillate fraction. We have applied the new method to the measurement of rocket propellant, gasolines, jet fuels, and hydrocarbon crude oils. In this paper we presentthe application of the technique to representative diesel fuel and mixtures of diesel fuel with some of the more promising oxygenating agents; namely, the glycol ethers and glycol esters: tri(propylene glycol) methyl ether (TPM), dibutyl maleate (DBM), and an 80/ 20 (vol/vol) mixture of diethylene glycol methyl ether (DGME) + 1,2-dimethoxyethane (DME) a mixture often referred to as Cetaner. We present not only the distillation curves but also a chemical characterization of each fraction, and discuss the contrasts between the various mixtures. The measurements are significant as an environmental design tool for decreased particulate emissions.

Quantum dot fluorescence as a function of alkyl chain length in aqueous environments

In this work, we examine the dependence of the fluorescence quantum yield of water-soluble CdSe/ZnS quantum dots on the local environment. The hydrophobicity of the local environment was modified by using different alkyl chain lengths in a set of oligo-ethylene glycols. Our results show that the quantum yield of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots is highest for the longest alkyl chain length, suggesting that a more hydrophobic environment is beneficial for generating bright, water-soluble quantum dots.

In vivo monitoring of intravenously injected gold nanorods using near-infrared light

Gold nanorods showing surface plasmon (SP) bands in the near-IR region are used as bioimaging probes that respond to near-IR light in mice. The SP bands of intravenously injected polyethylene glycol-modified gold nanorods are directly monitored from the mouse abdomen by using a spectrophotometer equipped with an integrating sphere. The absorbance at 900 nm from the gold nanorods immediately increases after injection and reaches a plateau. The injection of phosphatidylcholine-modified gold nanorods also increases the absorbance at 900 nm, but the absorbance decreases single exponentially with a 1.3-min half-life. In vivo spectral changes of gold nanorods depend on the surface characteristics, and can be observed in real time using simple spectroscopic measurements.

Epoxidation of cottonseed oil by aqueous hydrogen peroxide catalysed by liquid inorganic acids

The kinetics of epoxidation of cottonseed oil by peroxyacetic acid generated in situ from hydrogen peroxide and glacial acetic acid in the presence of liquid inorganic acid catalysts were studied. It was possible to obtain up to 78% relative conversion to oxirane with very less oxirane cleavage by in situ technique. The rate constants for sulphuric acid catalysed epoxidation of cottonseed oil were in the range 0.39-5.4 x 10(-6)L mol(-1)s(-1) and the activation energy was found to be 11.7 kcal mol(-1). Some thermodynamic parameters such as enthalpy, entropy, and free energy of activation were determined to be of 11.0 kcal mol(-1), -51.4 cal mol(-1)K(-1) and 28.1 kcal mol(-1), respectively. The order of effectiveness of catalysts was found to be sulphuric acid>phosphoric acid>nitric acid>hydrochloric acid. Acetic acid was found to be superior to formic acid for the in situ cottonseed oil epoxidation.

Efficient low-power heteronuclear decoupling in 13C high-resolution solid-state NMR under fast magic angle spinning

The use of a low-power two-pulse phase modulation (TPPM) sequence is proposed for efficient (1)H radio frequency (rf) decoupling in high-resolution (13)C solid-state NMR (SSNMR) under fast MAS conditions. Decoupling efficiency for different low-power decoupling sequences such as continuous-wave (cw), TPPM, XiX, and π-pulse (PIPS) train decoupling has been investigated at a spinning speed of 40 kHz for (13)C CPMAS spectra of uniformly (13)C- and (15)N-labeled L-alanine. It was found that the TPPM decoupling sequence, which was originally designed for high-power decoupling, provides the best decoupling efficiency at low power among all the low-power decoupling sequences examined here. Optimum performance of the low-power TPPM sequence was found to be obtained at a decoupling field intensity (ω(1)) of ~ω(R)/4 with a pulse flip angle of ~π and a phase alternation between ± [Symbol: see text]([Symbol: see text] = 20° ), where ω(R)/2π is the spinning speed. The sensitivity obtained for (13) CO(2)(-), (13)CH, and (13)CH(3) in L-alanine under low-power TPPM at ω(1)/2π of 10 kHz was only 5-15% less than that under high-power TPPM at ω(1) /2π of 200 kHz, despite the fact that only 0.25% of the rf power was required in low-power TPPM. Analysis of the (13)CH(2) signals for uniformly (13) C- and (15) N-labeled L-isoleucine under various low-power decoupling sequences also confirmed superior performance of the low-power TPPM sequence, although the intensity obtained by low-power TPPM was 61% of that obtained by high-power TPPM. (13)C CPMAS spectra of (13)C-labeled ubiquitin micro crystals obtained by low-power TPPM demonstrates that the low-power TPPM sequence is a practical option that provides excellent resolution and sensitivity in (13)C SSNMR for hydrated proteins.

High-resolution solid-state MAS NMR of proteins-Crh as an example

Solid-state NMR spectroscopy provides unique possibilities for the structural investigation of insoluble molecules at the atomic level. Recent efforts aim at solving the complete structures of biological macromolecules using high-resolution magic angle spinning NMR. Structurally homogenous samples of [(13)C,(15)N]-labeled proteins have to be used in this type of studies. Microcrystalline model proteins present valuable tools for the developments of methods towards this goal. This review discusses recent progress in the field, using the Crh protein as an illustrative example. We discuss strategies for resonance assignments and for the determination of structure and dynamics, as well as techniques for the detection of protein interaction partners and folding mechanisms by solid-state NMR methods.

Use of glycol ethers for selective release of periplasmic proteins from Gram-negative bacteria

Genetic modification of Gram-negative bacteria to express a desired protein within the cell's periplasmic space, located between the inner cytoplasmic membrane and the outer cell wall, can offer an attractive strategy for commercial production of therapeutic proteins and industrial enzymes. In certain applications, the product expression rate is high, and the ability to isolate the product from the cell mass is greatly enhanced because of the product's compartmentalized location within the cell. Protein release methods that increase the permeability of the outer cell wall for primary recovery, but avoid rupturing the inner cell membrane, reduce contamination of the recovered product with other host cell components and simplify final purification. This article reports representative data for a new release method employing glycol ether solvents. The example involves the use of 2-butoxyethanol (commonly called ethylene glycol n-butyl ether or EB) for selective release of a proprietary biopharmaceutical protein produced in the periplasmic space of Pseudomonas fluorescens. In this example, glycol ether treatment yielded approximately 65% primary recovery with approximately 80% purity on a protein-only basis. Compared with other methods including heat treatment, osmotic shock, and the use of surfactants, the glycol ether treatment yielded significantly reduced concentrations of other host cell proteins, lipopolysaccharide endotoxin, and DNA in the recovered protein solution. The use of glycol ethers also allowed exploitation of temperature-change-induced phase splitting behavior to concentrate the desired product. Heating the aqueous EB extract solution to 55 degrees C formed two liquid phases: a glycol ether-rich phase and an aqueous product phase containing the great majority of the product protein. This phase-splitting step yielded an approximate 10-fold reduction in the volume of the initial product solution and a corresponding increase in the product's concentration.

Biodegradation of dibromoneopentyl glycol by a bacterial consortium

Dibromoneopentyl glycol (DBNPG) is a brominated flame retardant that is used as an additive during the manufacture of plastic polymers and as a chemical intermediate for other flame retardants. It is classified as not readily biodegradable and based on experimental studies in animals is believed to be a carcinogen. We have demonstrated, to the best of our knowledge for the first time, the complete biodegradation of DBNPG under aerobic conditions. Total organic carbon (TOC) analysis indicates the complete mineralization of DBNPG. DBNPG biodegradation was accompanied by the release of bromide into the medium, probably due to a biological debromination reaction by bacterial consortia. A denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis of PCR amplified 16S rRNA gene was used, to characterize the bacterial consortia involved in DBNPG biodegradation. At least seven bacterial species were found to be involved in this process, among them species with similarity to strains that are known for their dehalogenating ability.