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Now showing 1 - 10 of 11
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    The molecular structure of 1,2:5,6-Di-O-isopropylidene-3-otoluenesulfonyl- α-D-glucofuranose
    (Basel : MDPI AG, 2012) Mamat, C.; Peppel, T.; Köckerling, M.
    The crystal and molecular structure of 1,2:5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-3-Otoluenesulfonyl- α-D-glucofuranose is reported. This compound crystallizes from a petroleum ether/ethyl acetate mixture with the chiral orthorhombic space group P212121 with four molecules in the unit cell. The unit cell parameters are: a = 9.7945(7) Å, b = 10.1945(7) Å, c = 21.306(1) Å, and V = 2127.4(2) Å3. No classical hydrogen bonds were found. Bond lengths and angles of this tosylated glucofuranose derivative are typical.
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    Influence of MoS2 on activity and stability of carbon nitride in photocatalytic hydrogen production
    (Basel : MDPI AG, 2019) Sivasankaran, R.P.; Rockstroh, N.; Kreyenschulte, C.R.; Bartling, S.; Lund, H.; Acharjya, A.; Junge, H.; Thomas, A.; Brückner, A.
    MoS2/C3N4 (MS-CN) composite photocatalysts have been synthesized by three different methods, i.e., in situ-photodeposition, sonochemical, and thermal decomposition. The crystal structure, optical properties, chemical composition, microstructure, and electron transfer properties were investigated by X-ray diffraction, UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroyscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, electron microscopy, photoluminescence, and in situ electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. During photodeposition, the 2H MoS2 phase was formed upon reduction of [MoS4]2− by photogenerated conduction band electrons and then deposited on the surface of CN. A thin crystalline layer of 2H MoS2 formed an intimate interfacial contact with CN that favors charge separation and enhances the photocatalytic activity. The 2H MS-CN phase showed the highest photocatalytic H2 evolution rate (2342 µmol h−1 g−1, 25 mg catalyst/reaction) under UV-vis light irradiation in the presence of lactic acid as sacrificial reagent and Pt as cocatalyst.
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    Electron beam-induced immobilization of laccase on porous supports for waste water treatment applications
    (Basel : MDPI AG, 2014) Jahangiri, E.; Reichelt, S.; Thomas, I.; Hausmann, K.; Schlosser, D.; Schulze, A.
    The versatile oxidase enzyme laccase was immobilized on porous supports such as polymer membranes and cryogels with a view of using such biocatalysts in bioreactors aiming at the degradation of environmental pollutants in wastewater. Besides a large surface area for supporting the biocatalyst, the aforementioned porous systems also offer the possibility for simultaneous filtration applications in wastewater treatment. Herein a "green" water-based, initiator-free, and straightforward route to highly reactive membrane and cryogel-based bioreactors is presented, where laccase was immobilized onto the porous polymer supports using a water-based electron beam-initiated grafting reaction. In a second approach, the laccase redox mediators 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) and syringaldehyde were cross-linked instead of the enzyme via electron irradiation in a frozen aqueous poly(acrylate) mixture in a one pot set-up, yielding a mechanical stable macroporous cryogel with interconnected pores ranging from 10 to 50 μm in size. The membranes as well as the cryogels were characterized regarding their morphology, chemical composition, and catalytic activity. The reactivity towards waste-water pollutants was demonstrated by the degradation of the model compound bisphenol A (BPA). Both membrane- and cryogel-immobilized laccase remained highly active after electron beam irradiation. Apparent specific BPA removal rates were higher for cryogel-than for membrane-immobilized and free laccase, whereas membrane-immobilized laccase was more stable with respect to maintenance of enzymatic activity and prevention of enzyme leakage from the carrier than cryogel-immobilized laccase. Cryogel-immobilized redox mediators remained functional in accelerating the laccase-catalyzed BPA degradation, and especially ABTS was found to act more efficiently in immobilized than in freely dissolved state.
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    Relevance of interactions between starch-based coatings and plum fruit surfaces: A physical-chemical analysis
    (Basel : MDPI AG, 2019) Basiak, Ewelina; Geyer, Martin; Debeaufort, Frédéric; Lenart, Andrzej; Linke, Manfred
    In order to extend the shelf life of the fruit, improve appearance, and to keep all nutrition properties of the plum from diminishing, edible coatings comprised of wheat starch and wheat starch–whey protein isolate (in ratio 80/20) were created. Stand-alone films were produced to assess properties which helped to understand the phenomena occurring on the surface level of coated plums. The properties of coatings based on starch are similar to starch coatings containing oil because the natural epicuticular wax layer of plums merges with coating materials. Adding oil doubled the contact angle value and the dispersive component of the surface tension. The workings of adhesion and cohesion, spreading coefficient, water absorption, water content, and solubility in water of the films decreased. Similar processes were observed on the fruits’ surface. In appearance, the coating process is similar to polishing the plum surface for removing crystalline wax. The color parameters of coated fruits did not significantly change. Newly formed bonds or interactions established between starch, whey proteins, water, glycerol, and oil are displayed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. This work revealed how the interactions between the epicuticular wax on the fruit’s surface and the hydrocolloid-based coatings affect the efficiency of the coatings. © 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
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    Out of the lab and into the bathroom: Evening short-term exposure to conventional light suppresses melatonin and increases alertness perception
    (Basel : MDPI AG, 2013) Wahnschaffe, A.; Haedel, S.; Rodenbeck, A.; Stoll, C.; Rudolph, H.; Kozakov, R.; Schoepp, H.; Kunz, D.
    Life in 24-h society relies on the use of artificial light at night that might disrupt synchronization of the endogenous circadian timing system to the solar day. This could have a negative impact on sleep-wake patterns and psychiatric symptoms. The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of evening light emitted by domestic and work place lamps in a naturalistic setting on melatonin levels and alertness in humans. Healthy subjects (6 male, 3 female, 22-33 years) were exposed to constant dim light (<10 lx) for six evenings from 7:00 p.m. to midnight. On evenings 2 through 6, 1 h before habitual bedtime, they were also exposed to light emitted by 5 different conventional lamps for 30 min. Exposure to yellow light did not alter the increase of melatonin in saliva compared to dim light baseline during (38 ± 27 pg/mL vs. 39 ± 23 pg/mL) and after light exposure (39 ± 22 pg/mL vs. 44 ± 26 pg/mL). In contrast, lighting conditions including blue components reduced melatonin increase significantly both during (office daylight white: 25 ± 16 pg/mL, bathroom daylight white: 24 ± 10 pg/mL, Planon warm white: 26 ± 14 pg/mL, hall daylight white: 22 ± 14 pg/mL) and after light exposure (office daylight white: 25 ± 15 pg/mL, bathroom daylight white: 23 ± 9 pg/mL, Planon warm white: 24 ± 13 pg/mL, hall daylight white: 22 ± 26 pg/mL). Subjective alertness was significantly increased after exposure to three of the lighting conditions which included blue spectral components in their spectra. Evening exposure to conventional lamps in an everyday setting influences melatonin excretion and alertness perception within 30 min.
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    Preparation and cycling performance of iron or iron oxide containing amorphous Al-Li alloys as electrodes
    (Basel : MDPI AG, 2014) Thoss, F.; Giebeler, L.; Weißer, K.; Feller, J.; Eckert, J.
    Crystalline phase transitions cause volume changes, which entails a fast destroying of the electrode. Non-crystalline states may avoid this circumstance. Herein we present structural and electrochemical investigations of pre-lithiated, amorphous Al39Li43Fe13Si5-powders, to be used as electrode material for Li-ion batteries. Powders of master alloys with the compositions Al39Li43Fe13Si5 and Al39Li43Fe13Si5 + 5 mass-% FeO were prepared via ball milling and achieved amorphous/nanocrystalline states after 56 and 21.6 h, respectively. In contrast to their Li-free amorphous pendant Al78Fe13Si9, both powders showed specific capacities of about 400 and 700 Ah/kgAl, respectively, after the third cycle.
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    Structure formation of ultrathin PEO films at solid interfaces-complex pattern formation by dewetting and crystallization
    (Basel : MDPI AG, 2013) Braun, H.-G.; Meyer, E.
    The direct contact of ultrathin polymer films with a solid substrate may result in thin film rupture caused by dewetting. With crystallisable polymers such as polyethyleneoxide (PEO), molecular self-assembly into partial ordered lamella structures is studied as an additional source of pattern formation. Morphological features in ultrathin PEO films (thickness < 10 nm) result from an interplay between dewetting patterns and diffusion limited growth pattern of ordered lamella growing within the dewetting areas. Besides structure formation of hydrophilic PEO molecules, n-alkylterminated (hydrophobic) PEO oligomers are investigated with respect to self-organization in ultrathin films. Morphological features characteristic for pure PEO are not changed by the presence of the n-alkylgroups.
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    Evaluation of osseointegration of titanium alloyed implants modified by plasma polymerization
    (Basel : MDPI AG, 2014) Gabler, C.; Zietz, C.; Göhler, R.; Fritsche, A.; Lindner, T.; Haenle, M.; Finke, B.; Meichsner, J.; Lenz, S.; Frerich, B.; Lüthen, F.; Nebe, J.B.; Bader, R.
    By means of plasma polymerization, positively charged, nanometre-thin coatings can be applied to implant surfaces. The aim of the present study was to quantify the adhesion of human bone cells in vitro and to evaluate the bone ongrowth in vivo, on titanium surfaces modified by plasma polymer coatings. Different implant surface configurations were examined: titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) coated with plasma-polymerized allylamine (PPAAm) and plasma-polymerized ethylenediamine (PPEDA) versus uncoated. Shear stress on human osteoblast-like MG-63 cells was investigated in vitro using a spinning disc device. Furthermore, bone-to-implant contact (BIC) was evaluated in vivo. Custom-made conical titanium implants were inserted at the medial tibia of female Sprague-Dawley rats. After a follow-up of six weeks, the BIC was determined by means of histomorphometry. The quantification of cell adhesion showed a significantly higher shear stress for MG-63 cells on PPAAm and PPEDA compared to uncoated Ti6Al4V. Uncoated titanium alloyed implants showed the lowest BIC (40.4%). Implants with PPAAm coating revealed a clear but not significant increase of the BIC (58.5%) and implants with PPEDA a significantly increased BIC (63.7%). In conclusion, plasma polymer coatings demonstrate enhanced cell adhesion and bone ongrowth compared to uncoated titanium surfaces.
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    The dynamical behavior of the s-trioxane radical cation - A low-temperature EPR and theoretical study
    (Basel : MDPI AG, 2014) Naumov, S.S.; Knolle, W.; Naumov, S.P.; Pöppl, A.; Janovský, I.
    The radical cation of s-trioxane, radiolytically generated in a freon (CF3CCl3) matrix, was studied in the 10-140 K temperature region. Reversible changes of the EPR spectra were observed, arising from both ring puckering and ring inversion through the molecular plane. The ESREXN program based on the Liouville density matrix equation, allowing the treatment of dynamical exchange, has been used to analyze the experimental results. Two limiting conformer structures of the s-trioxane radical cation were taken into account, namely "rigid" half-boat and averaged planar ones, differing strongly in their electron distribution. The spectrum due to the "rigid" half-boat conformer can be observed only at very low (<60 K) temperatures, when the exchange of conformers is very slow. Two transition states for interconversion by puckering and ring-inversion were identified, close in activation energy (2.3 and 3.0 kJ/mol calculated). Since the energy difference is very small, both processes set on at a comparable temperature. In the case of nearly complete equilibration (fast exchange) between six energetically equivalent structures at T > 120 K in CF3CCl3, a septet due to six equivalent protons (hfs splitting constant 5.9 mT) is observed, characteristic of the dynamically averaged planar geometry of the radical cation. DFT quantum chemical calculations and spectral simulation including intramolecular dynamical exchange support the interpretation.
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    Amorphous Li-Al-based compounds: A novel approach for designing high performance electrode materials for Li-ion batteries
    (Basel : MDPI AG, 2013) Thoss, F.; Giebeler, L.; Thomas, J.; Oswald, S.; Potzger, K.; Reuther, H.; Ehrenberg, H.; Eckert, J.
    A new amorphous compound with the initial atomic composition Al43Li43Y6Ni8 applied as electrode material for Li-ion batteries is investigated. Unlike other amorphous compounds so-far investigated as anode materials, it already contains Li as a base element in the uncycled state. The amorphous compound powder is prepared by high energy ball milling of a master alloy. It shows a strongly enhanced specific capacity in contrast to amorphous alloys without Li in the initial state. Therewith, by enabling a reversible (de)lithiation of metallic electrodes without the phase transition caused volume changes it offers the possibility of much increased specific capacities than conventional graphite anodes. According to the charge rate (C-rate), the specific capacity is reversible over 20 cycles at minimum in contrast to conventional crystalline intermetallic phases failing by volume changes. The delithiation process occurs quasi-continuously over a voltage range of nearly 4 V, while the lithiation is mainly observed between 0.1 V and 1.5 V. That way, the electrode is applicable for different potential needs. The electrode stays amorphous during cycling, thus avoiding volume changes. The cycling performance is further enhanced by a significant amount of Fe introduced as wear debris from the milling tools, which acts as a promoting element.