Hydroxyethylcellulose-graft-poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) as physically adsorbed coating for protein separation by CE

Effect of the Influent Substrate Concentration on Nitrogen Removal from Summer to Winter in Field Pilot-Scale Multistage Constructed Wetland–Pond Systems for Treating Low-C/N River Water

The quality of micropolluted water is unstable and its substrate concentration fluctuates greatly. The goal is to predict the concentration effect on the treatment of nitrogen in a river with an actual low C/N ratio for the proposed full-scale Xiaoyi River estuary wetland, so that the wetland project can operate stably and perform the water purification function effectively in the long term. Two pilot-scale multistage constructed wetland–pond (MCWP) systems (S1 and S2, respectively) based on actual engineering with the same “front ecological oxidation ponds, two-stage horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands and surface flow constructed wetlands (SFCWs) as the core and postsubmerged plant ponds” as the planned process were constructed to investigate the effect of different influent permanganate indexes (CODMn) and total nitrogen (TN) contents on nitrogen removal from micropolluted river water with a fixed C/N ratio from summer to winter in the field. The results indicate that the TN removal rate in the S1 and S2 systems was significant (19.56% and 34.84%, respectively). During the process of treating this micropolluted water with a fixed C/N ratio, the influent of S2 with a higher CODMn concentration was conducive to the removal of TN. The TN removal rate in S2 was significantly affected by the daily highest temperature. There was significant nitrogen removal efficiency in the SFCWs. The C/N ratio was a major determinant influencing the nitrogen removal rate in the SFCWs. The organic matter release phenomenon in SFCWs with high-density planting played an essential role in alleviating the lack of carbon sources in the influent. This research strongly supports the rule that there is seasonal nitrogen removal in the MCWPs under different influent substrate concentrations, which is of guiding significance for practical engineering.

A review on grafting of hydroxyethylcellulose for versatile applications

Hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC) is a biocompatible, biodegradable, nontoxic, hydrophilic, non- ionic water soluble derivative of cellulose. It is broadly used in biomedical field, paint industry, as a soil amendment in agriculture, coal dewatering, cosmetics, absorbent pads, wastewater treatment and gel electrolyte membranes. Industrial uses of HEC can be extended by the its grafting with different polymers including poly acrylic acid, polyacrylamide, polylactic acid, polyethyleneglycol, polydimethyleamide, polycaprolactone, polylactic acid and dimethylamino ethylmethacrylate. This permits the formation of new biomaterials with improved properties and versatile applications. In this article, a comprehensive overview of graft copolymers of HEC with other polymers/compounds and their applications in drug delivery, stimuli sensitive hydrogels, super absorbents, personal hygiene products and coal dewatering is presented.

Photosensitive diazotized poly(ethylene glycol) covalent capillary coatings for analysis of proteins by capillary electrophoresis

A new method for the fabrication of covalently cross-linked capillary coatings of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is described using diazotized PEG (diazo-PEG) as a new photosensitive coating agent. The film of diazo-PEG depends on ionic bonding and was first prepared on the inner surface of capillary by self-assembly, and ionic bonding was converted into covalent bonding after reaction of ultraviolet light with diazo groups through unique photochemical reaction. The covalently bonded coating impedance adsorption of protein on the central surface of capillary and hence the four proteins ribonuclease A, cytochrome c, bovine serum albumin, and lysosome can be baseline separated by using capillary electrophoresis (CE). The covalently cross-linked diazo-PEG capillary column coatings not only improved the CE separation performance for proteins compared to non-covalently cross-linked coatings or bare capillary but also showed a remarkable chemical solidity and repeatability. Because photosensitive diazo-PEG took the place of the highly noxious and silane moisture-sensitive coating reagents in the fabrication of covalent coating, this technique shows the advantage of being environment-friendly and having a high efficiency for CE to make the covalently bonded capillaries.

Self-assembled and covalently linked capillary coating of diazoresin and cyclodextrin-derived dendrimer for analysis of proteins by capillary electrophoresis

Self-assembled and covalently linked capillary coatings of cyclodextrin-derived (CD) dendrimer were prepared using photosensitive diazoresin (DR) as a coupling agent. Layer by layer (LBL) self-assembled DR/CD-dendrimer coatings based on ionic bonding was fabricated first on the inner surface of capillary, and subsequently converted into covalent bonding after treatment with UV light through a unique photochemistry reaction of DR. Protein adsorption on the inner surface of capillary was suppressed by the DR/CD-dendrimer coating, and thus a baseline separation of lysozyme (Lys), myoglobin (Mb), bovine serum albumin (BSA) and ribonuclease A (RNase A) was achieved using capillary electrophoresis (CE). Compared with the bare capillary, the DR/CD-dendrimer covalently linked capillary coatings showed excellent protein separation performance with good stability and repeatability. Because of the replacement of highly toxic and moisture sensitive silane coupling agent by DR in the covalent coating preparation, this method may provide an environmentally friendly and simple way to prepare the covalently coated capillaries for CE.

Recent advances in the analysis of therapeutic proteins by capillary and microchip electrophoresis

The development of therapeutic proteins and peptides is an expensive and time-intensive process. Biologics, which have become a multi-billion dollar industry, are chemically complex products that require constant observation during each stage of development and production. Post-translational modifications along with chemical and physical degradation from oxidation, deamidation, and aggregation, lead to high levels of heterogeneity that affect drug quality and efficacy. The various separation modes of capillary electrophoresis (CE) are commonly utilized to perform quality control and assess protein heterogeneity. This review attempts to highlight the most recent developments and applications of CE separation techniques for the characterization of protein and peptide therapeutics by focusing on papers accepted for publication in the in the two-year period between January 2012 and December 2013. The separation principles and technological advances of CE, capillary gel electrophoresis, capillary isoelectric focusing, capillary electrochromatography and CE-mass spectrometry are discussed, along with exciting new applications of these techniques to relevant pharmaceutical issues. Also included is a small selection of papers on microchip electrophoresis to show the direction this field is moving with regards to the development of inexpensive and portable analysis systems for on-site, high-throughput analysis.

A novel diazoresin/poly(N-vinyl aminobutyric acid) covalent capillary coating for the analysis of proteins by capillary electrophoresis

A novel method for the preparation of covalently linked capillary coatings of poly(N-vinyl aminobutyric acid) (PVAA) obtained from hydrolyzed polyvinylpyrrolidone was demonstrated using photosensitive diazoresin (DR) as a coupling agent. A layer-by-layer self-assembled film of DR and PVAA based on ionic bonding was first fabricated on the inner wall of capillary, then ionic bonding was converted into covalent bonding after treatment with UV light through a unique photochemical reaction of DR. The covalently bonded coatings suppressed protein adsorption on the inner surface of the capillary, and thus a baseline separation of lysozyme, cytochrome c, BSA, amyloglucosidase, and myoglobin was achieved using CE. Compared with bare capillary or noncovalently bonded DR/PVAA coatings, the covalently linked DR/PVAA capillary coatings not only improved the CE separation performance for proteins, but also exhibited good stability and repeatability. Due to the replacement of the highly toxic and moisture-sensitive silane coupling agent by DR in the covalent coating preparation, this method may provide a green and easy way to make covalently coated capillaries for CE.

Recent developments in capillary and microchip electroseparations of peptides (2011-2013)

The review presents a comprehensive survey of recent developments and applications of capillary and microchip electroseparation methods (zone electrophoresis, ITP, IEF, affinity electrophoresis, EKC, and electrochromatography) for analysis, isolation, purification, and physicochemical and biochemical characterization of peptides. Advances in the investigation of electromigration properties of peptides, in the methodology of their analysis, including sample preseparation, preconcentration and derivatization, adsorption suppression and EOF control, as well as in detection of peptides, are presented. New developments in particular CE and CEC modes are reported and several types of their applications to peptide analysis are described: conventional qualitative and quantitative analysis, determination in complex (bio)matrices, monitoring of chemical and enzymatical reactions and physical changes, amino acid, sequence and chiral analysis, and peptide mapping of proteins. Some micropreparative peptide separations are shown and capabilities of CE and CEC techniques to provide relevant physicochemical characteristics of peptides are demonstrated.

Capillary electrophoresis/mass spectrometry relevant to pharmaceutical and biotechnological applications

Advanced analytical techniques play a crucial role in the pharmaceutical and biotechnological field. In this context, capillary electrophoresis/mass spectrometry (CE/MS) has attracted attention due to efficient and selective separation in combination with powerful detection allowing identification and detailed characterization. Method developments and applications of CE/MS have been focused on questions not easily accessible by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) as the analysis of intact proteins, carbohydrates, and various small molecules, including peptides. Here, recent approaches and applications of CE/MS relevant to (bio)pharmaceuticals are reviewed and discussed to show actual developments and future prospects. Based on other reviews on related subjects covering large parts of previous works, the paper is focused on general ideas and contributions of the last 2 years; for the analysis of glycans, the period is extended back to 2006.

Novel covalently coated diazoresin/polyvinyl alcohol capillary column for the analysis of proteins by capillary electrophoresis

A novel method for the preparation of covalently linked capillary coatings of PVA was demonstrated using photosensitive diazoresin (DR) as coupling agents. Layer-by-layer self-assembly film of DR and PVA based on hydrogen bonding was first fabricated on the inner wall of capillary, then the hydrogen bonding was converted into covalent bonding after treatment with UV light through the unique photochemistry reaction of DR. The covalently bonded coatings suppressed basic protein adsorption on the inner surface of capillary, and thus a baseline separation of lysozyme, cytochrome c and BSA was achieved using CE. Compared with bare capillary or noncovalently bonded DR/PVA coatings, the covalently linked DR/PVA capillary coatings not only improved the CE separation performance for proteins, but also exhibited good stability and repeatability. Due to the replacement of highly toxic and moisture-sensitive silane coupling agent by DR in the covalent coating preparation, this method may provide a green and easy way to make the covalently coated capillaries for CE.