Experiments and Correlations of the Solubility of γ-DL-Methionine in Binary Solvent Mixtures

Antisolvents increase the supersaturation in the crystallization process which can enhance the product yield. The effect of an antisolvent on the solubility of γ-DL-methionine (γ-DL-met) in aqueous solution was investigated. The solubility of γ-DL-met was measured with various binary solvent mixtures. It improved with higher temperature but decreased with increasing the antisolvent mass fraction. Acetone showed the highest efficiency to reduce the solubility. The solubilities were correlated with the van't Hoff-Jouyban-Acree model and the modified Apelblat-Jouyban-Acree model. Both models fitted to the experimental results with high accuracy. Enthalpy, entropy, and Gibbs free energy of dissolution were determined by van't Hoff analysis. The thermodynamic properties indicated that the dissolution process is endothermic and entropy-driven.     

Monatomic Sb thin films alloyed with Sb2S3 enables superior thermal stability and resistance drift by spontaneous self-decomposition

Monatomic Sb thin films can eliminate the risks of compositional partitioning, but it normally crystallizes instantly and fails to maintain amorphous state at room temperature. Here, we prepared Sb_x (Sb₂S₃)_100-x thin films. The materials consist of pure Sb with low resistance drift and chalcogenide Sb₂S₃ with high thermal stability. It is found that the Sb_64·8(Sb₂S₃)_35.2 thin film possesses the advantages of these two compounds. The thin film showed good phase-change ability with an ultralow resistance drift coefficient of 0.006, much lower than conventional Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ (0.076). Moreover, it also exhibited a better amorphous thermal stability. These improvements are closely related to the hybrid nanostructure of Sb crystals and Sb–S phase by spontaneous self-decomposition in the Sb-rich Sb–S material. Our work thus demonstrates that the binary Sb-rich Sb–S thin film can become a promising alternative to replace the conventional Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ thin film with potential for neuromorphic synaptic devices.     

Binary phase behavior of 1,3-distearoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycerol (SOS) and 1,3-distearoyl-2-linoleoyl-sn-glycerol (SLS)

The binary phase behavior of SOS (1,3-distearoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycerol) and SLS (1,3-distearoyl-2-linoleoyl-sn-glycerol) was examined by using DSC and conventional and synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction. The solid-solution phases were observed in the metastable α and γ forms in all concentration ranges. Results indicated that the miscible γ form did not transform to the β′ form when the mixtures were subjected to simple cooling from a high-temperature liquid to a low-temperature solid phase. However, and α-melt-mediated transformation into β′ and β₂ resulted in the formation of immiscible phases in concentration ranges of SLS below 30%. By contrast, at SLS concentration ranges above 30%, the α-melt-mediated transformation caused crystallization of only the γ form, and β′ and β₂ crystals did not appear. These results show that the specific interactions between SOS and SLS are operative in the phase behavior of the mixture states of SOS and SLS.     

The removal of hydrogen sulfide with manganic sorbent in a high-temperature fluidized-bed reactor

The removal of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) from simulated gas was carried out in a batch type fluidized-bed reactor using natural manganese ore (NMO), which consists of several metal oxides (MnO_x: 51.85%, FeO_y: 3.86%, CaO: 0.11%). The H₂S breakthrough curves were obtained by changing temperature, gas velocity, initial H₂S concentration, and aspect ratio. Moreover, the effects of the particle size and the particle-mixing fraction on H₂S removal were investigated in a binary system of different particle size. From this study, H₂S removal efficiency increased with increasing temperature but decreased with increasing excess gas velocity. The breakthrough time for H₂S decreased as the gas velocity increased, which leads to reducing gas-solid contacting due to gas bypassing in a fluidized bed reactor. Improvement of H₂S removal efficiency in continuous process can be expected from the results of the binary particle system with different size in a batch experiment. The NMO could be considered as a potential sorbent in H₂S removal.     

Synthesis of binary mixed homopolymer brushes by combining atom transfer radical polymerization and nitroxide-mediated radical polymerization

This communication describes a novel strategy to synthesize binary mixed homopolymer brushes from mixed self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on silica substrates by combining atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and nitroxide-mediated radical polymerization (NMRP). Mixed SAMs terminated by ATRP and NMRP initiators were prepared by coadsorption of two corresponding organotrichlorosilanes from toluene solutions. Mixed poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/polystyrene (PS) brushes were synthesized by ATRP of MMA at 80 °C followed by NMRP of styrene at 115 °C. Corresponding ‘free’ initiators were added into the solutions to control the polymerizations. We have found that the brush thickness increases with molecular weight in a nearly linear fashion. For a series of binary brushes consisting of PMMA of molecular weight of 26,200 and PS of various molecular weights, we have observed a transition in water contact angles with increasing PS molecular weight after CH₂Cl₂ treatment. Moreover, binary mixed polymer brushes with comparable molecular weights for two grafted polymers undergo reorganization in response to environmental changes, exhibiting different wettabilities.     

Linear stability analysis of two monomer systems of frontal polymerization

Frontal polymerization is a method of manufacturing polymer via a self-propagating reaction wave. A mathematical model that describes both free-radical binary frontal polymerization and frontal copolymerization is presented. Linear stability of polymerization waves in the two monomer systems is studied. Parameters that are responsible for the loss of stability are identified, and stability boundaries in the parameter space are obtained.     

Changes in the miscibility of binary and ternary blends having the same chemical components and compositions

The phase behavior of ternary blends of dimethylpolycarbonate (DMPC), tetramethyl polycarbonate (TMPC), styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN) copolymer has been explored. The experimental phase behavior of ternary blends was compared with that of binary blends having the same chemical components and compositions except that the DMPC and TMPC were present in the form of copolycarbonates (DMPC-TMPC). Miscible region of DMPC/TMPC/SAN ternary blends is narrower than that of DMPC-TMPC/SAN binary blends. In addition, phase separation temperature of binary blend was higher than that of corresponding ternary blend. However, the entropic and energetic terms of ternary blends were more favorable for miscibility than those of binary blends. To understand the phase behavior of blends, phase stability conditions of binary and ternary blends were analyzed. Some ternary blends that have negative interaction energy were not miscible because these blends do not satisfy stability conditions. It was revealed that the addition of component, accompanied by the asymmetry in the binary interactions, results in destabilization of blend.     

Molecular-level design of binary self-assembled monolayers on polycrystalline gold electrodes

In this study, we followed up, by measuring the reductive desorption patterns, the time-dependent growth of the self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of a thiol compound (typically cysteine) formed on polycrystalline Au (poly-Au) electrode. Cysteine molecules appeared to adsorb preferentially and consecutively at the Au(1 1 0), Au(1 0 0) and then at the Au(1 1 1) surface domains of the poly-Au. A 95% surface coverage of cysteine (Γ_cysteine) was attained after 5 s, 120 s and more than 300 s for the Au(1 1 0), Au(1 0 0) and Au(1 1 1) domains, respectively, of the poly-Au electrode. The electrochemical reduction of molecular oxygen (O₂) in O₂-saturated 0.5 M KOH was utilized as a probing reaction for the extent of the compactness of the SAM. A binary SAM of two thiols (cysteine and cystamine) has been successfully designed over the poly-Au electrode at which a precise positioning of cysteine was achieved, i.e., cysteine was attached to the Au(1 1 1) domains, while cystamine to the Au(1 0 0) and Au(1 1 0) domains. SEM images for the electrodeposited Ag over the cysteine sub-SAM/Au electrode gave a possible mapping of the Au(1 1 1) domains of the poly-Au electrode.     

聚乙烯亚胺功能化Fe3O4纳米粒子的制备

以油酸包覆的Fe3O4磁性纳米粒子为原料,3,4-二羟苯基丙酸(DHCA)为表面改性剂,四氢呋喃(THF)为溶剂制备出DHCA功能化的Fe3O4纳米粒子。将制备得到的功能化Fe3O4纳米粒子偶联聚乙烯亚胺(PEI),得到稳定分散的聚乙烯亚胺功能化Fe3O4磁性复合纳米粒子。利用FTIR、TEM、VSM、Zeta电位对磁性粒子组分、形貌、粒径、磁学性能和电位性能进行表征。该法简便,反应条件温和,所制备的PEI功能化Fe3O4纳米粒子具有良好的超顺磁性和分散性。     

SORPTION DRYING OF SOYBEAN SEEDS WITH SILICA GEL. I. HYDRODYNAMICS OF A FLUIDIZED BED DRYER

ABSTRACT

Fluidization technology has been employed to mix soybean seeds and silica gel particles in aim of sorption drying of particulate agricultural products. The characteristic fluidization velocities, mixing mechanisms and fluidization quality have been studied in a 180 mm I.D. fluidized bed. Two sizes of silica gel particles (SG2 and SG3) were selected, with the mass fractions in the range of 0.33–0.75 to form a static bed with height from 100 to 280 mm (H/D = 0.56–1.56). The results show that the dispersion rate of soybean seeds is increased with addition of either SG2 or SG3, and that the frequency and the span of pressure fluctuations within the bed are increased. It is inferred that the gas–solids contacting is improved with addition of small particles in the bed of large particles. In addition, for practical design and operation of such a fluidized bed of binary mixtures, empirical correlations for characteristic fluidization velocities were developed with a wide application.