Crystallization Behavior of Molecular Compound in Binary Mixture System of 1,3‐Dioleoyl‐2‐Palmitoyl‐sn‐Glycerol and 1,3‐Dipalmitoyl‐2‐Oleoyl‐sn‐Glycerol

Previous studies showed that the stable β‐form of molecular compound (MC) crystals having a double‐chain‐length structure is formed in a binary mixture system of 1,3‐dioleoyl‐2‐palmitoyl‐sn‐glycerol (OPO) and 1,3‐dipalmitoyl‐2‐oleoyl‐sn‐glycerol (POP) with a 1:1 concentration ratio of OPO and POP. The use of MC crystals made of POP and OPO for edible applications, such as margarine, is advantageous due to no‐trans, low‐saturated, and high‐oleic fats. Industrial manufacturing technology involves rapid cooling processes, and the kinetic properties of crystallization of MC of OPO and POP are required. In this study, we clarified the crystallization of MC of OPO and POP under rapid cooling at rates of 1–150 °C min^?1, using synchrotron radiation time‐resolved X‐ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry methods. The main results are as follows: (1) POP and OPO crystallized in separate manners without the formation of MC crystals under rapid cooling (>40 °C min^?1), while MC crystals started to form with decreasing rates of cooling in addition to the POP and OPO crystals (<30 °C min^?1); (2) metastable and stable forms sub‐α, α, β′, and β of POP and OPO were formed, whereas the MC crystals of β were formed during the cooling processes; and (3) the heating processes after crystallization by rapid cooling caused separate melting of the metastable and stable forms of POP and OPO crystals and the formation of MC crystals of β made of POP and OPO, as well as melting of the MC crystals alone.     

Structure evolution and bloom formation in tempered cocoa butter during long‐term storage

Structural evolution in tempered cocoa butter (CB) and CB mixed with a cocoa butter equivalent (CBE) was examined during 26 wk of storage (at 25 °C) using atomic force microscopy, X‐ray powder diffraction, colorimetry and pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance. The form V‐to‐VI polymorphic transition in CB started after 1 week of storage. However, fat bloom was not detected until week 3 when large crystals started to appear on the CB surface. Changes in surface topography coincided with an increase in the surface whiteness index. Addition of CBE delayed bloom development by 1–2 wk. The solid fat content (SFC) of both CB and CB + CBE increased gradually during the early wk of storage before reaching a summit and then decreasing slowly with time (at 25 °C). Concurrently, the surface roughened and the whiteness index increased for both CB and CB + CBE. We postulate that, upon bloom formation, parallel phenomena took place: (i) There was exclusion of triglyceride molecules from the CB and CB + CBE fat crystal networks due to continued contraction, and (ii) less stable crystals melted due to the heat release from the (re)crystallization of liquid fat onto existing surface crystals and from the ongoing form V → VI polymorphic transition. These events resulted in the gradual decrease in SFC seen at longer storage times. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that kinetic and thermodynamic phenomena take place in CB long after it has been tempered.     

Crystallization behavior of 1,3‐dipalmitoyl‐2‐oleoyl‐glycerol and 1‐palmitoyl‐2,3‐dioleoyl‐glycerol

A model margarine was stored under a temperature fluctuation cycle of 5—20 °C until granular crystals were observed. Using information obtained from the granular crystals, the crystallization behaviors of major triacylglycerols of palm oil, 1,3‐dipalmitoyl‐2‐oleoyl‐glycerol (POP), 1‐palmitoyl‐2,3‐dioleoyl‐glycerol (POO), and their mixtures were then investigated. It was shown that in the model margarine, the POP content in the granular crystals was higher than in their surrounding materials, and the X‐ray diffraction pattern of the granular crystals revealed that they were the most stable polymorph, β. 99% pure POP, POO, and their mixtures were then stored under the above‐mentioned temperature cycle. POP was found to form the unstable polymorph, α, when cooled rapidly from the melt. Within 24 hours transformation into the γ polymorph and then into the β polymorph was observed. POO was shown to transform into the β' polymorph from α. When POP and POO were mixed, the β polymorph did not emerge, instead it was shown that POP and POO were both agglomerated in the mixtures, giving rise to the formation of granular crystals.     

Biotransformation of glycerol into 1,3‐propanediol

Today, glycerol is mainly a by‐product of fat splitting and biodiesel production. Further growth of the biodiesel market would result in a fall in the price of glycerol. Particularly glycerol‐water from rapeseed oil methyl ester production, for example, would be an interesting raw material if it could be utilised in fermentation without further pretreatment. Under anaerobic conditions, bacteria can transform glycerol into 1,3‐propanediol (PDO), which can be used as a monomer in the chemical industry. PDO can be produced biotechnologically from glycerol with the aid of bacteria. Another way would be the utilization of glucose instead of glycerol, which would provide independence from the fluctuating glycerol market. However, under certain conditions, the classic technique based on glycerol can be quite interesting with regard to technical and economic aspects: A concerted, extensive search for new microorganisms (screening) and improved process design (fed‐batch with pH‐controlled substrate dosage) allowed the product concentrations, which were relatively low at a maximum of 70–80 g/L as a result of product inhibition, to be raised to more than 100 g/L. An additional advantage of the new technique and the newly isolated strains is the utilisation of low‐priced crude glycerol or glycerol‐water. This is a factor which should not be underestimated and has a direct effect on the product costs. Further on, the use of immobilised cells compared to freely suspended cells enables an increase of productivity from about 2 up to 30 g /Lh.     

Capillary GLC: a robust method to characterise the triglyceride profile of cocoa butter — results of an intercomparison study

The results of a method intercomparison study, in which 13 laboratories applied high‐temperature capillary GLC on fused‐silica columns coated with medium‐polarity stationary phases to determine the triglyceride profile of cocoa butter, are reported. The participants did not apply a uniform GLC procedure based on a standard method, but were requested to use their own methodology. However, certain requirements relating to the separation efficiency and the accuracy, had to be fulfilled. The relative standard deviation of the reproducibility was less than 5% for the major triglyceride components of cocoa butter. The results of the present study indicate that neither the type of capillary column employed nor sample injection techniques or other chromatographic conditions influenced to a measurable degree the agreement of results between the participating laboratories. Therefore, we conclude that high‐temperature capillary GLC is a robust and reliable technique for the characterisation of cocoa butter by determining its triglyceride pattern.     

Production of specific‐structured triacylglycerols by lipase‐catalyzed reactions: a review

Regiospecificity is one of the major advantages of using lipase technology for the modification of oils and fats to produce high‐value added products, such as cocoa butter equivalents, human milk fat substitutes, and other specific‐structured lipids. Due to the high cost of biocatalysts, the mainstream applications of lipases for normal oils and fats are still limited. Therefore, positional specificity of lipases has the priority and will be the target property to be exploited for commercial and industrial developments, because no chemical method has such a specificity and is promising or possible for this task. In this paper, encouraging products resulting from this regiospecificity are reviewed together with the critical evaluation of their reaction schemes, side reactions and by‐products, sources of substrate oils and acyl donors, and production processes.     

Over‐expression of glycerol dehydrogenase and 1,3‐propanediol oxidoreductase in Klebsiella pneumoniae and their effects on conversion of glycerol into 1,3‐propanediol in resting cell system

BACKGROUND: Glycerol dehydrogenase [EC.1.1.1.6] and 1,3‐propanediol oxidoreductase [EC.1.1.1.202] were proved to be two of the key enzymes for glycerol conversion to 1,3‐propanediol in Klebsiella pneumoniae under anaerobic conditions. For insight into their significance on 1,3‐propanediol production under micro‐aerobic conditions, these two enzymes were over‐expressed in K. pneumoniae individually, and their effects on conversion of glycerol into 1,3‐propanediol in a resting cell system under micro‐aerobic conditions were investigated. RESULTS: In the resting cell system, over‐expression of 1,3‐propanediol oxidoreductase led to faster glycerol conversion and 1,3‐propanediol production. After a 12 h conversion process, it improved the yield of 1,3‐propanediol by 20.4% (222.1 mmol L⁻¹ versus 184.4 mmol L⁻¹) and enhanced the conversion ratio of glycerol into 1,3‐propanediol from 50.8% to 59.8% (mol mol⁻¹). Over‐expression of glycerol dehydrogenase in K. pneumoniae had no significant influence both on 1,3‐propanediol yield and on the conversion ratio of glycerol into 1,3‐propanediol in the resting cell system. CONCLUSION: The results were important for an understanding of the significance of glycerol dehydrogenase and 1,3‐propanediol oxidoreductase in 1,3‐proanediol production under micro‐aerobic conditions, and for developing better strategies to improve 1,3‐propanediol yield. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

Preparation of 1,3‐Diazido‐2‐Nitro‐2‐Azapropane from Urea

An alternative method to prepare 1,3‐diazido‐2‐nitro‐2‐azapropane (DANP), a promising liquid component for high‐energy condensed systems, is suggested and involves the following stages: (i) nitration of urea, (ii) condensation of the nitration product with formaldehyde, (iii) acylation (chlorination) of 1,3‐dihydroxy‐2‐nitro‐2‐azapropane, (iv) chlorination of 1,3‐diacetoxy‐2‐nitro‐2‐azapropane, and (v) azidation of the dichloro derivative to DANP. This synthesis method is selective and enables isolation of 1,3‐diazido‐2‐nitrazapropane devoid of impurities.     

Cycloaddition Reactions of 1,3‐Diaza‐2‐azoniaallene Salts and Glycals

The 1,3‐diaza‐2‐azoniaallene salt 3a reacts stereoselectively with glycals ( 5a—e ) to afford pyrano[2,3‐d]‐1,2,3‐ triazolium salts 6a—e . In contrast to other 1,3‐dipolar cycloadditions of glycals reported so far, the stereoselectivity of compounds 6 is not determined by the substituent on C‐3 of the glycal. Both cis ( 6a,b ) and trans ( 6d,e ) substitutions on C‐7 and C‐7a were found for bicyclic compounds 6 (crystal structure of 6a ). Under the influence of acid 6e opens the pyran ring to give the triazolium salt 9 . Addition of antimony pentachloride to a solution of the glycal 5e and the chlorotriazene 2a results in the formation of the pyranotriazene 12 containing two triazene units. In the presence of acid the pyranotriazene 6c reacts with alcohols to afford 2‐hydrazino glycosides 13a,b, 15 , which with zinc dust in acetic acid are reduced to 2‐amino glycosides 14a,b .     

Poly(1,3‐disila‐1,3‐diphenyl‐2‐oxaindane)– poly(dimethylsiloxane) block copolymers

The hydrolytic condensation of 1,3‐dichloro‐1,3‐disila‐1,3‐diphenyl‐2‐oxaindane under neutral conditions produced α'ω‐dihydroxy‐1,3‐disila‐1,3‐diphenyl‐2‐oxaindane (polymerization degree ≈ 4). The homofunctional condensation of α'ω‐dihydroxy‐1,3‐disila‐1,3‐diphenyl‐2‐oxaindane in a toluene solution and in the presence of activated carbon was performed, and dihydroxy‐containing oligomers with various degrees of condensation were obtained. Through the heterofunctional condensation of dihydroxy‐containing oligomers with α'ω‐dichlorodimethylsiloxanes in the presence of amines, corresponding block copolymers were obtained. Gel permeation chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry, thermomechanical analysis, thermogravimetry, and wide‐angle roentgenography investigations were carried out. Differential scanning calorimetry and roentgenography studies of the block copolymers showed that their properties were determined by the ratio of the lengths of the flexible and linear poly(dimethylsiloxane) and rigid poly(1,3‐disila‐1,3‐diphenyl‐2‐oxaindane) fragments in the macromolecular chain. At definite values of the lengths of the flexible and rigid fragments, a microheterogeneous structure was observed in the synthesized block copolymers. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 84: 1409–1417, 2002; DOI 10.1002/app.10335     

Poly(1,3‐disila‐1,3‐diphenyl‐2‐oxaindane)‐diphenylsiloxane‐poly(dimethylsiloxane) block copolymers

The heterofunctional condensation of 1,3‐dichloro‐1,3‐disila‐1,3‐diphenyl‐2‐oxaindane with dihydroxydiphenylsilane at various ratios of initial compounds in the presence of amines was carried out, and α,ω‐dihydroxy(1,3‐disila‐1,3‐diphenyl‐2‐oxaindane)‐diphenylsiloxane oligomers with various degrees of condensation were obtained. Corresponding block copolymers were obtained by heterofunctional polycondensation of synthesized α,ω‐dihydroxy(1,3‐disila‐1,3‐diphenyl‐2‐oxaindane)‐diphenylsiloxane oligomers with α,ω‐dichlorodimethylsiloxanes in the presence of amines. Thermogravimetry, gel permeation chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry, and wide‐angle X‐ray analysis were carried out on the synthesized block coplymers. Differential scanning calorimetry and wide‐angle X‐ray studies of these copolymers showed that their properties were determined by the ratio of the lengths of the flexible linear poly(dimethylsiloxane) and rigid poly(1,3‐disila‐1,3‐diphenyl‐2‐oxaindane)‐diphenylsiloxane fragments in the main macromolecular chain. Two‐phase systems were obtained with specific flexible and rigid fragment length values in synthesized block copolymers. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 101: 3462–3467, 2006     

Synthesis and characterization of novel polyurethanes based on 1,3‐bis(hydroxymethyl) benzimidazolin‐2‐one and 1,3‐bis(hydroxymethyl) benzimidazolin‐2‐thione hard segments

Novel polyurethanes (PUs) based on 1,3‐bis(hydroxymethyl) benzimidazolin‐2‐one and 1,3‐bis(hydroxymethyl) benzimidazolin‐2‐thione as hard segments with two aromatic diisocyanates, viz., 4,4′‐diphenylmethane diisocyanate and toluene 2,4‐diisocyanate, were prepared. Polymer structures were established by Fourier transform infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Morphology of the PUs was studied by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetry. All PUs contain domains of crystalline and amorphous structures as indicated by X‐ray diffraction experiments. Furthermore, polymers were insoluble in the majority of organic solvents and, hence, their solution characterization was not possible. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 98: 2236–2244, 2005     

Polymerization of 1,3‐dienes containing functional groups: 8. Free‐radical polymerization of 2‐triethoxysilyl‐ 1,3‐butadiene

The presence of a bulky substituent at the 2‐position of 1,3‐butadiene derivatives is known to affect the polymerization behavior and microstructure of the resulting polymers. Free‐radical polymerization of 2‐triethoxysilyl‐1,3‐butadiene ( 1 ) was carried out under various conditions, and its polymerization behavior was compared with that of 2‐triethoxymethyl‐ and other silyl‐substituted butadienes. A sticky polymer of high 1,4‐structure ( ) was obtained in moderate yield by 2,2′‐azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN)‐initiated polymerization. A smaller amount of Diels–Alder dimer was formed compared with the case of other silyl‐substituted butadienes. The rate of polymerization (R_p) was found to be R_p = k[AIBN]^0.5[ 1 ]^1.2, and the overall activation energy for polymerization was determined to be 117 kJ mol^?1. The monomer reactivity ratios in copolymerization with styrene were r ₁ = 2.65 and r_st = 0.26. The glass transition temperature of the polymer of 1 was found to be ?78 °C. Free‐radical polymerization of 1 proceeded smoothly to give the corresponding 1,4‐polydiene. The 1,4‐E content of the polymer was less compared with that of poly(2‐triethoxymethyl‐1,3‐butadiene) and poly(2‐triisopropoxysilyl‐1,3‐butadiene) prepared under similar conditions. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis and biodegradability evaluation of 2‐methylene‐1,3‐dioxepane and styrene copolymers

Biodegradable copolymers of 2‐methylene‐1,3‐dioxepane (MDO) and styrene (ST) were synthesized by free‐radical copolymerization using di‐t‐butyl peroxide (DTBP) as the initiator. The copolymers containing ester units were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), ¹H‐NMR, and ¹³C‐NMR spectroscopy. Their molecular weight and polydispersity index were determined by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). In vitro enzymatic degradation of poly(MDO‐co‐ST) was performed at 37°C in phosphate buffer solution (PBS, pH = 7.4) in the presence of Pseudomonas lipase or crude enzyme extracted from earthworm. The experiment showed that incorporating ester units into C? C backbone chain of polystyrene would result in a biodegradable copolymer. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 1146–1151, 2007     

An experimental and theoretical study of glycerol oxidation to 1,3‐dihydroxyacetone over bimetallic Pt‐Bi catalysts

It is important to utilize glycerol, the main by‐product of biodiesel, to manufacture value‐added chemicals such as 1,3‐dihydroxyacetone (DHA). In the present work, the performance of five different catalysts (Pt‐Bi/AC, Pt‐Bi/ZSM‐5, Pt/MCM‐41, Pt‐Bi/MCM‐41, and Pt/Bi‐doped‐MCM‐41) was investigated experimentally, where Pt‐Bi/MCM‐41 was found to exhibit the highest DHA yield. To better understand the experimental results and to obtain insight into the reaction mechanism, density functional theory (DFT) computations were conducted to provide energy barriers of elementary steps. Both experimental and calculated results show that for high DHA selectivity, Bi should be located in an adatom‐like configuration Pt, rather than inside Pt. A favorable pathway and catalytic cycle of DHA formation were proposed based on the DFT results. A cooperative effect, between Pt as the primary component and Bi as a promoter, was identified for DHA formation. Both experimental and theoretical considerations demonstrate that Pt‐Bi is efficient to convert glycerol to DHA selectively. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 63: 705–715, 2017