Phase behavior and properties of salt-free cationic/anionic surfactant mixtures of oleic acid and stearic acid

Cationic base surfactant, tetradecyltrimethylammonium hydroxide （TTAOH）, can be obtained through anion exchange from tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide （TTABr）. Salt-free cationic and anionic （catanionic） surfactant mixtures were studied by mixing TTAOH with oleic acid （OA） or stearic acid （SA） in water. The phase behavior of TTAOH/OA/H2O is compared with that of TTAOH/SA/H2O. It was found that the phase behavior of TTAOH/OA/H2O and TTAOH/SA/H2O system differs from each other due to the existence of the unsaturated double carbon bond （C=C） in OA. At fixed total surfactant concentration （25 mg/mL） of TTAOH/ONH2O system at 25℃, one can observe an isotropic L1 phase, and a L1/Lα two-phase region with increasing OA content. The volume of top turbid Lα phase increases while the bottom phase changes gradually from transparently clear to a bit turbid until a single Lα-phase is reached. Finally at high OA concentration, excess OA is separated from the bulk aqueous solutions. TTAOH/SA/H2O system usually forms white precipitating at 25℃ due to the high chain melting temperature of SA. When heated to 60℃, however, the state of samples changes. At fixed total surfactant concentration of 25 mg/mL, an isotropic Lα phase and a milk-white or bluish Lα-phase are observed with increasing SA concentration. Transparent thin layers which are strongly birefringent form at the tops of some samples within the Lα-phase region. Finally, at high SA concentration, excess SA is separated from the bulk aqueous solutions. In addition to phase behavior study, we also measured the conductivity of TTAOH/OA/H2O system at 25℃ and TTAOH/SA/H2O system at 60℃, respectively. Surface tension and rheological measurements were also performed on typical samples.     

Surfactant-decorated graphite nanoplatelets(GNPs) reinforced aluminum nanocomposites: sintering effects on hardness and wear

The exceptional properties of graphene make it ideal as a reinforcement to enhance the properties of aluminum matrices and this critically depends on uniform dispersion. In this study, the dispersion issue was addressed by sonication and non-covalent surface functionalization of graphite nanoplatelets(GNPs) using two types of surfactant: anionic(sodium dodecyl benzene sulfate(SDBS)) and non-ionic polymeric(ethyl cellulose(EC)). After colloidal mixing with Al powder, consolidation was performed at two sintering temperatures(550 and 620°C). The structure, density, mechanical and wear properties of the nanocomposite samples were investigated and compared with a pure Al and a pure GNPs/Al nanocomposite sample. Noticeably, EC-based 0.5 wt% GNPs/Al samples showed the highest increment of 31% increase in hardness with reduced wear rate of 98.25% at 620°C, while a 22% increase in hardness with reduced wear rate of 96.98% at 550°C was observed, as compared to pure Al. Microstructural analysis and the overall results validate the use of EC-based GNPs/Al nanocomposites as they performed better than pure Al and pure GNPs/Al nanocomposite at both sintering temperatures.     

Colorimetric detection of glucose and an assay for acetylcholinesterase with amine-terminated polydiacetylene vesicles

The colorimetric response of amine-terminated polydiacetylene (PDA) vesicles was initially demonstrated by varying the pH of the solution. Convenient colorimetric methods to detect glucose and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity were successfully established using amine-terminated PDA vesicles by taking advantage of the following features: (1) the amine-terminated PDA vesicles undergo a colorimetric transition as the pH of the solution changes; (2) glucose can be oxidized to gluconic acid in the presence of glucose oxidase; and (3) AChE catalyzes the hydrolysis of acetylcholine to acetic acid. The visual detection of glucose levels and AChE activity showed good selectivity and acceptable sensitivity. The detection limit of glucose was ~2.5 μmol/L and the level of AChE activity was assayed as low as 10.0 mU/mL. Moreover, the amine-terminated PDA vesicles can be used for screening the activity of inhibitors against AChE.     

Surfactant-decorated graphite nanoplatelets (GNPs) reinforced aluminum nanocomposites: sintering effects on hardness and wear

The exceptional properties of graphene make it ideal as a reinforcement to enhance the properties of aluminum matrices and this critically depends on uniform dispersion. In this study, the dispersion issue was addressed by sonication and non-covalent surface functionalization of graphite nanoplatelets (GNPs) using two types of surfactant: anionic (sodium dodecyl benzene sulfate (SDBS)) and non-ionic polymeric (ethyl cellulose (EC)). After colloidal mixing with Al powder, consolidation was performed at two sintering temperatures (550 and 620℃). The structure, density, mechanical and wear properties of the nanocomposite samples were investigated and compared with a pure Al and a pure GNPs/Al nanocomposite sample. Noticeably, EC-based 0.5wt% GNPs/Al samples showed the highest increment of 31% increase in hardness with reduced wear rate of 98.25% at 620℃, while a 22% increase in hardness with reduced wear rate of 96.98% at 550℃ was observed, as compared to pure Al. Microstructural analysis and the overall results validate the use of EC-based GNPs/Al nanocomposites as they performed better than pure Al and pure GNPs/Al nanocomposite at both sintering temperatures.     

Microstructures and mechanical properties of a new titanium alloy for surgical implant application

A new titanium alloy Ti12.5Zr2.5Nb2.5Ta (TZNT) for surgical implant application was synthesized and fully annealed at 700℃ for 45 min. The microstructure and the mechanical properties such as tensile properties and fatigue properties were investigated. The results show that TZNT mainly consists of a lot of lamella α-phase clusters with different orientations distributed in the original β-phase grain boundaries and a small amount of β phases between the lamella α phases. The alloy exhibits better ductility, lower modulus of elasticity, and lower admission strain in comparison with Ti6Al4V and Ti6Al7Nb, indicating that it has better biomechanical compatibility with human bones. The fatigue limit of TZNT is 333 MPa, at which the specimen has not failed at 107 cycles. A large number of striations present in the stable fatigue crack propagation area, and many dimples in the fast fatigue crack propagation area are observed, indicating the ductile fracture of the new alloy.     

Synthesis of aluminum nitride in a coke – calcium reduction bed using nitrogen in air

An experimental study on the heating of a mixture of aluminum and lithium hydroxide(LiOH) powders in a reductive bed under air atmosphere is reported. The formation of aluminum nitride(AlN) during this process was the focus of this study. The formation of Al N was achieved using LiOH as an additive and heating the sample in a resistance furnace in a specially designed double crucible within a bed of a mixture of coke and filamentous calcium. The temperature range of the reaction was between 700°C and 1100°C. The optimum temperature of 1100°C and the optimum Li OH amount(5wt%) required to achieve maximum yield were determined by powder X-ray diffraction(XRD) analysis. Scanning electron microscopy(SEM) micrographs clearly indicated the transformation of grain structures from rods(700°C) to cauliflower shapes(1100°C).     

Reduction of chromium oxides in stainless steel dust

The recovery of metal oxides from stainless steel dust using C (graphite), SiFe, and Al as reductants was investigated under various conditions. The apparent distribution ratio of Cr (L'_Crm/s) in the recovered metal and residual slag phases was defined as the major performance metric. The results show that the recovery ratio of metals increases as the ratio of CaO:SiO₂ by mass in the residual slag increases to 1.17. The residual content of metals in the slag decreases as the Al₂O₃ content of the slag is increased from approximately 8wt% to 10wt%. The recovery ratio of Cr increases with increasing L'_Crm/s, and a linear relationship between L'_Crm/s and the activity coefficient ratio of CrO in the slag and the recovered metal phase is observed. The combination of C and SiFe or Al as the reducing agents reveals that Si is the more effective coreductant.     

HPLC Determination of Ascorbic Acid Using Luminol-Cu(Ⅱ) Chemiluminescence-Application to the Analysis of Juice Beverage

The chemiluminescence (CL) of luminol-Cu(Ⅱ) was applied to HPLC determination of ascorbic acid, which was separated by a C18 reverse-phase column with a mobile phase of 0.25 mol/L HAc. The eluted ascorbic acid was mixed with 0.3 mmol/L luminol and 0.05 mol/L CuSO4. The light emission from the reaction of Cu(Ⅱ) oxidized ascorbic acid and luminol was detected by a modified luminometer. The detection limit was 3.6×10-6 mol/L for ascorbic acid at a S/N ratio of 3, and the linear calibration range was 2×10-4- 2×10-3 mol/L. The relative standard deviation for 5 replicate injections of 1×10-3 mol/L ascorbic acid was calculated as 4.3 %. The method was successfully applied to determination of ascorbic acid in juice beverage.     

2,3-Dihydroxybiphenyl dioxygenase gene was first discovered in Arthrobacter sp. strain PJ3

Bacterium strain PJ3,isolated from wastewater and identified as Arthrobacter sp. bacterium based on its 16S rDNA gene,could use carbazole as the sole carbon,nitrogen and energy source. The genomic library of strain PJ3 was constructed and a positive clone JM109(pUCW402) was screened out for the expression of dioxygenase by the ability to form yellow ring-fission product. A 2,3-dihydroxybiphenyl dioxygenase(23DHBD) gene of 933 bp was found in the 3360 bp exogenous fragment of pUCW402 by GenSCAN software and BLAST analysis. The phylogenetic analysis showed that 23DHBD from strain PJ3 formed a deep branch separate from a cluster containing most known 23DHBD in GenBank. Southern hybridization confirmed for the first time that the 23DHBD gene was from the genomic DNA of Arthrobacter sp. PJ3. In order to test the gene function,recombinant bacterium BL21(pETW-8) was constructed to express 23DHBD. The expression level in BL21(pETW-8) was highest compared with the recombinant bacteria JM109(pUCW402) and strain PJ3. We observed that 23DHBD was not absolute specific. The enzyme activity was higher with 2,3-dihydroxybiphenyl as a substrate than with catechol. The substrate specificity assay suggested that 23DHBD was essential for cleavage of bi-cyclic aromatic compounds during the course of aromatic compound biodegradation in Arthrobacter sp. strain PJ3.     

Synthesis and properties of novel gemini surfactant with short spacer

Cationic gemini surfactant dimethylene-1,2-bis(dodecyldiethylammonium bromide), referred to as C12C2C12(Et) was synthesized, and its surface property and aggregation behavior in aqueous solution were studied. The value of γ at the critical micelle concentration (γcmc) is much smaller than that of the surfactant homologues with longer spacer. Spherical and elongated micelles were formed in the aqueous solution of this gemini surfactant,and the spherical micelles were absolutely dominant compared to the elongated micelles at our studied concentration quantitatively.     

Near-infrared to visible up-conversion emissions of Er^3＋ doped Al2O3 powders derived from the sol-gel method

The Er3 doped Al2O3 powders were prepared by the sol-gel method using the aluminium isopropoxide [Al(OC3H7)3]-derived Al2O3 sols with addition of the erbium nitrate [Er(NO3)3.5H2O]. The different phase structure, including three crystalline types of (Al,Er)2O3 phases, γ, θ, α, and two Er-Al-O phases, ErAlO3 and Al10Er6O24, was obtained with the 1 mol% Er3 doped Al2O3 powders at the different sintering temperatures of 600―1200℃. The green and red up-conversion emissions centered at about 523, 545 and 660 nm, corresponding respectively to the 2H11/2, 4S3/2→4I15/2 and 4F9/2→4I15/2 transitions of Er3 , were detected by a 978 nm semiconductor laser diodes excitation. The phase structure and OH content had evident influence on the up-conversion emissions intensity. The maximum intensities of both the green and red emissions were obtained respectively for the Er3 doped Al2O3 powders sintered at 1200 ℃, which was composed mainly of α-(Al,Er)2O3, less of ErAlO3 and Al10Er6O24 phases, and with the least OH content. The two-photon absorption up-conversion process was involved in the green and red up-conversion emissions of the Er3 doped Al2O3 powders.     

Analysis of active sites for N2 and H^＋ reduction on FeMo-cofactor of nitrogenase

Dinitrogen (N2) and proton (H ),which act as physiological substrates of nitrogenase,are reduced on FeMo-co of the MoFe protein. However,researchers have different opinions about their exact reduction sites. Nitrogenases were purified from the wild type (WT) and five mutants of Azotobacter vinelandii (Av),including Qα191K,Hα195Q,nifV-,Qα191K/nifV- and Hα195Q/nifV-; and the activities of these en-zymes for N2 and H reduction were analyzed. Our results suggest that the Fe2 and Fe6,atoms closed to the central sulfur atom (S2B) within FeMo-co,are sites for N2 binding and reduction and the Mo atom of FeMo-co is the site for H reduction. Combining these data with further bioinformatical analysis,we propose that two parallel electron channels may exist between the 8Fe7S cluster and FeMo-co.     

Effect of surfactant on the catalyzed oxidation of 2,6-dimethylphenol by rhus vernicifera laccase

Rhus vernicifera laccase-catalyzed oxidation of 2,6-dimethylphenol (DMP) was studied in the presence of 12 surfactant (Sf). C₁₆H₃₃N⁺ (CH₃)₃ Br⁻ (CTAB) etc 5 cationic Sf and C₁₂H₂₃SO₄Na (SDS) etc 3 anionic Sf can promote the reaction in the different extent. The promotion of CTAB is the largest among them. The affected factors of the reaction—concentration of CTAB and DMP, pH, temperature, laccase quantity and reaction kinetics are inverstigated further. The nonionic Sf-Tween-20, Tween-60, Tween-80 and Triton X-100 have not promotion to the reaction. Ji Licai: born in 1945, Associate professor     

Up-conversion luminescence of Er^3＋ doped and Er^3＋/Yb^3＋ co-doped YTaO4

The synthesis and up-conversion luminescent properties of YTaO4：Er^3＋ and YTaO4：Er^3＋/Yb^3＋ are reported for the first time. According to the measurement results of up-conversion spectra, Yb^3＋ co-doping can remarkably enhance the green （^2H11/2/^4S3/2→^4I15/2） and red （^4F9/2→^4I15/2） emissions, but depress the infrared emission （^4I9/2→^4I15/2）. With the increase of the Yb^3＋ concentration, the intensity of green emission increases, after that, when the Yb^3＋ concentration increases continuously, the intensity of green emission decreases, while those of the red and infrared emissions increase and decrease alternately. In addition, the up-conversion mechanisms of Er^3＋ doped and Er^3＋/Yb^3＋ co-doped YTaO4 are also discussed. It is found that the transform of up-conversion mechanism from two-step energy transfer to cooperating sensitization takes place when Yb^3＋ concentration is increased up to 12 mol%. With the further increase of Yb^3＋ concentration, the energy-back-transfer gradually becomes the dominant up-conversion mechanism, which results in the quenching of the green emission and slight increasing of the red and infrared emissions.     

Effects of Yb^3＋ codoping on visible and near infrared emissions of Er^3＋-Yb^3＋ codoped Al2O3 powders by the sol-gel method

The 0.1 mol% Er^3＋ and 0-2 mol% Yb^3＋ codoped Al2O3 powders were prepared by the sol-gel method, and the phase structure, including only two crystalline types of doped Al2O3 phase, γ-（Al,Er, Yb）2O3 and θ-（Al,Er, Yb）2O3, was detected at the sintering temperature of 1000℃. The visible and near infrared emissions properties depended strongly on the Yb^3＋ codoping, and the corresponding maximal peak intensities centered at about 523, 545, 660 and 1533 nm were obtained respectively for the 0.1 mol% Er^3＋ and 0.5 mol% Yb^3＋ codoped Al2O3 powders, which were composed of θ-（Al,Er,Yb）2O3 and a small amount of γ-（Al,Er, Yb）2O3 phases. The two-photon absorption process was responsible for the visible up-conversion emissions, and the one-photon absorption process was involved in the near infrared emissions of the Er^3＋-yb^3＋ codoped Al2O3 powders.     

Mutagenesis of Ser24 of Cytochrome b559 α Subunit Affects PSII Acitivies in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

In order to study the functions of cytochrome b559 (Cyt b559) in photosystem two (PSII) activity, mutant S24F of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was constructed using site directed mutagenesis, in which Serine24 (Ser24) locating downstream of Histidine23 (His23) in α subunit of Cyt b559 was replaced by Phenylalanine (Phe). Physiological and biochemical analysis showed that mutant S24F could be grown photoautotrophically or photoheterotrophically. However, their growth rate was slower either on HSM or TAP medium than that of the control; Analysis of PSII activity revealed that its oxygen evolution was about 71% of wild type (WT); The Photochemical efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm) of S24F was reduced 0.23 compared with WT; S24F was more sensitive to strong light irradiance than the wild type; Furthermore, SDS-PAGE and Western-blotting analysis indicated that the expression levels of α subunit of Cyt b559, LHCII and PsbO of S24F were a little less than those of the wild type. Overall, these data suggests that Ser24 plays a significant role in making Cyt b559 structure maintain PSII complex activity of oxygen evolution although it is not directly bound to heme group.     

Kinetics of C2(a3Πu) radical reactions with NO, N2O, O2, H2 and NH3

Pulsed laser photolysis/laser-induced fluorescence (LP-LIF) is utilized to measure rate constants for C₂(a³Π_u) reactions with NO, N₂O, O₂, H₂ and NH₃. Multiphoton dissociation of C₂Cl₄ at 266 nm is employed for the generation of C₂(a³Π_u) radicals. The C₂(a³Π_u) concentration is monitored by the fluorescence of the (0, 0) band of the (d³Π_g&#8596;a³Π_u) transition at 516.5 nm. C₂(a³Π_u) removal rate constants for the reactions are determined as k_NO = (5.46 ± 0.10) × 10^-11 cm³ molecule^-1 s^-1 , k_N2O = (1.63 ± 0.20) × 10^-13 cm³ molecule^-1 s^-1 , k_N2O = (1.58 ± 0.16) × 10^-11 cm³ molecule^-1 s^-1, k_O2 = (5.92 ± 1.00) × 10^-14 cm³ molecule^-1 s^-1, k_H2< 1.0× 10^-14 cm³ molecule^-1 s^-1. Based on the data analysis and theoretical calculation, we suggest that the C₂(a³Π_u) reactions with H₂ and NH₃ proceed via the hydrogen abstraction mechanism, barriers exist at the entrance channel of the reactions of C₂(a³Π_u) with H₂ and NH₃.     

Effect of fatty acids on polyamine contents and Na+/H+ antiport activity in PM vesicles isolated from roots of barley under salt stress

With 200 mmol/L NaCl treatment on barley cultivar “Jian 4” (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. J4) seedlings for 6 d, the contents of covalently and noncovalently conjugated polyamines (PAs) and activities of H⁺-ATPase in plasma membrane (PM) vesicles isolated from the roots decreased remarkably. Moreover, the activity of Na⁺/H⁺ antiport was detected first in PM vesicles. The results showed that the decrease in the contents of membrane phospholipid, noncovalently conjugated PAs and activity of H⁺-ATPase caused by NaCl could be restored partially by application of 1 mmol/L stearie acid (C_16:0) and linoleic acid (C_18:2), and C_18:2 was more effective than C_16:0 In addition, a reduction in the contents of covalently conjugated PAs was only reversed partially in the presence of C_18:2 Furthermore, Na⁺/H⁺ antiport activity was strengthened by exogenous C_16:0 and C_18:2 and C_18:2 was more effective than C_16:0. The correlative analysis suggested that, after application of C_16:0 and C_18:2 under salt stress, there was a significant positive correlation existing among phospholipid content, noncovalently conjugated PA levels, H⁺-ATPase activities and Na⁺/H⁺ antiport activities, indicating that one of the mitigative mechanisms of exogenous fatty acids on salt injury was to improve membrane phospholipid and PA contents, leading to an enhance in membrane integrity and a change in charge status of PM vesicles, so the activity of membrane-associated enzyme H⁺-ATPase was increased and synthesis of Na⁺/H⁺ antiport protein was activated.     

The short C-terminal hydrophilic domain of NhaH Na^＋/H^＋ antiporter from Halobacillus dabanensis with roles in resistance to salt and in pH sensing

The Na^＋/H^＋ antiporter plays key roles in maintaining low cytoplasmic NaNa^＋ level and pH homeostasis, while little is known about the Carboxyl-terminal hydrophilic tails of prokaryotic antiporters. In our previous study, the first Na^＋/H^＋ antiporter gene nhaH from moderate halophiles was cloned from Halobacillus dabanensis D-8 by functional complementation. A topological model suggested that only nine amino acid residues （^395PLIKKLGMI403） existed in the hydrophilic C-terminal domain of NhaH. The C-terminal truncated mutant of NhaH was constructed by PCR strategy and designated as nhaH△C. Salt tolerance experiment demonstrated that the deletion of hydrophilic C-terminal nine amino acid residues significantly inhibited the complementation ability of E. coil KNabc, in which three main Na^＋/H^＋ antiporters nhaA, nhaB and chaA were deleted. Everted membrane vesicles prepared from E. coil KNabc/nhaHAC decreased both Na^＋/H^＋ and Li^＋/H^＋ exchange activities of NhaH, and also resulted in an acidic shift of its pH profile for Na^＋, indicating a critical role of the short C-terminal domain of NhaH antiporter in alkali cation binding/translocation and pH sensing.