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At least 721 records · Page 40

A Metal-Organic Framework Containing Unusual Eight-Connected Zr–-Oxo Secondary Building Units and Orthogonal Carboxylic Acids for Ultra-sensitive Metal Detection

Two metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with Zr-oxo secondary building units (SBUs) were prepared by using p,p'-terphenyldicarboxylate (TPDC) bridging ligands pre-functionalized with orthogonal succinic acid (MOF-1) and maleic acid groups (MOF-2). Single-crystal X-ray structure analysis of MOF-1 provides the first direct evidence for eight-connected SBUs in UiO-type MOFs. In contrast, MOF-2 contains twelve-connected SBUs as seen in the traditional UiO MOF topology. These structural assignments were confirmed by extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) analysis. The highly porous MOF-1 is an excellent fluorescence sensor for metal ions with the detection limit of <0.5 ppb for Mn 2+ and three to four orders of magnitude greater sensitivity for metal ions than previously reported luminescent MOFs.

Carboni, Michaël↗

Copper(II)-lanthanide(III) coordination polymers constructed from pyridine-2,5-dicarboxylic acid: Preparation, crystal structure and photoluminescence

A series of 3d-4f heterometallic coordination polymers, formulated as {l_brace} [Cu{sub 3}Ln{sub 2}(pydc){sub 6}(H{sub 2}O){sub 12}]{center_dot}4H{sub 2}O{r_brace} {sub n} [Ln=Tb (1), Eu (2), Dy (3), Ho (4), Lu (5)], {l_brace} [CuNd{sub 2}(pydc){sub 4}(H{sub 2}O){sub 3}]{center_dot}H{sub 2}O{r_brace} {sub n} (6) and {l_brace} [Cu{sub 3}Pr{sub 2}(pydc){sub 6}(H{sub 2}O){sub 13}]{center_dot}4H{sub 2}O{r_brace} {sub n} (7) (where H{sub 2}pydc=pyridine-2,5-dicarboxylic acid), have been hydrothermally prepared by reactions of H{sub 2}pydc ligand with lanthanide ions in the presence of Cu(II) ion. X-ray crystal structure analysis reveals that these compounds exhibit rich structural chemistry. 1-5 are isomorphous and present a two-dimensional network constructed from Ln{sub 2}Cu{sub 2}L{sub 2}(H{sub 2}O){sub 2} SBU rings and CuL{sub 2}(H{sub 2}O) building blocks. In 6, two-dimensional ladder-like layers based on Nd(III) belts and CuL{sub 2}O{sub 2} units are assembled by H{sub 2}pydc ligands into a three-dimensional open framework. Polymer 7 displays a two-dimensional wave-like layer structure containing two distinct ring units, in which a new coordination mode of the pydc{sup 2-} ligand is observed. The results indicate that the coordination flexibility of the pydc{sup 2-} ligand and lanthanide contraction effect play cooperative roles in the formation of coordination polymers with different polymeric architectures. Compounds 1-2 exhibit intense green and red luminescence emission characteristics of Tb(III) and Eu(III), respectively. Furthermore, elemental analyses (EA), infrared spectra (IR) and thermogravimetric analyses (TGA) of these compounds were also studied. - Graphical abstract: Seven 3d-4f heterometallic coordination polymers were synthesized by reactions of H{sub 2}pydc with lanthanide metal ions in the presence of Cu{sup 2+}, the effects of Cu{sup 2+} on the structures and photoluminescent properties of Ln-pydc{sup 2-} systems were investigated. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Seven 3d-4f heterometallic compounds have been prepared and characterized. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer 1-5 and 7 are constructed from Ln{sub 2}Cu{sub 2}L{sub 2}(H{sub 2}O){sub 2} rings and CuL{sub 2}(H{sub 2}O) building blocks. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer One new coordination mode of the pydc{sup 2-} ligand is first observed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer 1-2 exhibit intense characteristic luminescence emission spectra of lanthanide ions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Progress of the enhanced Hanford single shell tank (SST) integrity project - 15497

To improve understanding of the single-shell tanks (SSTs) integrity, Washington River Protection Solutions, LLC (WRPS), the US DOE Hanford Site tank contractor, developed an enhanced Single-Shell Tank Integrity Project (SSTIP) in 2009. An expert panel on SST integrity, consisting of various subject matter experts in industry and academia, was created to provide recommendations supporting the development of the project. This panel developed 33 recommendations in four main areas of interest: structural integrity, liner degradation, leak integrity and prevention, and mitigation of contamination migration. In late 2010, seventeen of these recommendations were used to develop the basis for the M-45-10-1 Change Package for the Hanford Federal Agreement and Compliance Order, which is also known as the Tri-Party Agreement. The change package identified two phases of work for SST integrity. The initial phase was focused on efforts to envelope the integrity of the tanks. The initial phase was divided into two primary areas of investigation: structural integrity and leak integrity. If necessary, based on the outcome from the initial work, second phase would be focused on further definition of the integrity of the tanks and liners. Combined these two phases are designed to support the formal integrity assessment of the Hanford SSTs in 2018 by an Independent Qualified Registered Engineer. As the initial phase of this work completes in early 2015, this paper summarizes the project formation and status the work of the past few years associated the implementation of the Phase one recommendations. Work in the initial phase to further define the DOE's understanding of the structural integrity SSTs involved preparing a modern Analysis of Record (AOR) using finite element analysis. Structural analyses of the SSTs have been conducted since 1957, but these analyses used analog calculations, less rigorous models, or focused on individual structures. As such, an integrated understanding of all of the SSTs has not been developed to modern expectations. In support of this effort, other activities addressed the visual inspection of tank internal conditions and the collection of concrete core samples from the tanks, including a full height tank sidewall core, for analysis of current mechanics properties. The work on the liner leak integrity has examined leaks from 25 tanks with known liner failures. Individual leak assessments were developed for each tank to identify the leak cause and location and estimate historic leak rates. A common cause/failure analysis study was performed to take data from individual tanks to look for trends in the causes of failure. A separate activity is being conducted to examine the propensity for corrosion in select SSTs with aggressive waste layers. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

To study the effect of doping concentration of silver on structural and optical properties of cadmium oxide (CdO) nanostructure

The present work deals with study of structural and optical properties of Silver (Ag) doped Cadmium oxide (CdO) nanostructured synthesized by Chemical Co-precipitation Techniques followed by calcinations at small temperature. The doping concentrations were changing from 0.1 to 10 at% respectively. Structural analysis study of these calcined materials is carried out by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The optical properties of calcined samples were investigating by Fourier transformation infrared (FTIR)spectroscopy, UV-Visible Spectroscopy (UV-Vis). The structural properties analysis results revels that crystallite size are in the range of nano region and TEM results are quite in accordance with XRD results.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Mn 4 Ca cluster in photosynthetic water oxidation

In natural photosynthesis, the water oxidation reaction takes place in the oxygen evolving complex (OEC) in Photosystem II (PSII), that cycles through a series of five intermediate S-states. Mechanistic studies of this catalytic reaction have been carried out with various spectroscopic methods, structural analysis, and theoretical studies. Among them, the structural information of the metal cluster has been obtained largely from the X-ray techniques that include X-ray crystallography and X-ray spectroscopy. This chapter describes the recent studies of the OEC in PSII with X-ray spectroscopy and crystallography.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Characterization of a novel domain ‘GATE’ in the ABC protein DrrA and its role in drug efflux by the DrrAB complex

A novel domain, GATE (Glycine-loop And Transducer Element), is identified in the ABC protein DrrA. This domain shows sequence and structural conservation among close homologs of DrrA as well as distantly-related ABC proteins. Among the highly conserved residues in this domain are three glycines, G215, G221 and G231, of which G215 was found to be critical for stable expression of the DrrAB complex. Other conserved residues, including E201, G221, K227 and G231, were found to be critical for the catalytic and transport functions of the DrrAB transporter. Structural analysis of both the previously published crystal structure of the DrrA homolog MalK and the modeled structure of DrrA showed that G215 makes close contacts with residues in and around the Walker A motif, suggesting that these interactions may be critical for maintaining the integrity of the ATP binding pocket as well as the complex. It is also shown that G215A or K227R mutation diminishes some of the atomic interactions essential for ATP catalysis and overall transport function. Therefore, based on both the biochemical and structural analyses, it is proposed that the GATE domain, located outside of the previously identified ATP binding and hydrolysis motifs, is an additional element involved in ATP catalysis. - Highlights: • A novel domain ‘GATE’ is identified in the ABC protein DrrA. • GATE shows high sequence and structural conservation among diverse ABC proteins. • GATE is located outside of the previously studied ATP binding and hydrolysis motifs. • Conserved GATE residues are critical for stability of DrrAB and for ATP catalysis.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Evaluating size exclusion chromatography for nucleic acid removal in Klebsiella pneumoniae cell surface polysaccharide purification

Cell surface-associated polysaccharides in Klebsiella are major virulence determinants and crucial targets for developing vaccines. Traditionally, the purification of these cell surface polysaccharides from Klebsiella pneumoniae involves a multi-step process comprising phenol extraction, nuclease digestion, ultracentrifugation, and repeated ethanol extractions. In this study, we evaluated size exclusion chromatography for effectively eliminating nucleic acid contamination while purifying high molecular weight cell surface-associated polysaccharides. Post-initial extraction, the nucleic acid content remains significantly elevated, and kinetic analysis reveals that DNase I and RNase A digestion is neither economically viable nor effective for removing these contaminants. Employing an appropriate size exclusion resin removes over 99 % of nucleic acid contamination, as confirmed by nucleic acid content analysis and agarose gel electrophoresis. Purity and structural analysis using 1H 1D-NMR and 2D-NMR demonstrate that the cell surface-associated polysaccharide purified with this study is highly homogeneous and identified as antigenic O-polysaccharide. This approach streamlines the purification process by removing the need for nuclease digestion and additional ethanol precipitation steps.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Structure and composition of blueberry fiber pectin and xyloglucan that bind anthocyanins during fruit puree processing

Blueberry is a well-known source of antioxidants and prebiotic dietary fiber yet the fate of these health-beneficial ingredients during fruit processing it is not understood. Detailed composition and structure of blueberry pomace (PF) remaining after commercial blueberry fruit puree processing, as well as the water soluble and water insoluble fractions, were determined. The PF was comprised of dietary fiber (60.8%) that was largely insoluble (46.2% vs. 14.6% soluble dietary fiber) pectin, xyloglucan, arabinoxylan and mannan polysaccharides, fructose (11.22%) and glucose (10.37%) free sugars, protein (9%), fat (5%), and anthocyanins (6444.5 μg/g). The most abundant anthocyanins detected in PF were malvidin 3-arabinoside and peonidin 3-glucoside and the pectin was determined to be methyl-esterified and acetylated rhamnogalacturonan I with a 4,5-unsaturated function at the non-reducing end based on oligosaccharide structural analysis. Blueberry PF xyloglucan oligosaccharide side chain structures included xylose, arabinose and galactose consistent with arabino-xyloglucan structure. Additionally, microwave-assisted extraction of blueberry PF (pH 2 for 10 min at 80 °C) was performed to more clearly elucidate pectin structure, and revealed a pectin polymer with high molar mass (1072 kDa) and viscosity that was dependent upon the molar mass. A random coil shape was confirmed for both the blueberry PF and microwave extracted blueberry pectin, which agreed with previous reports that flexible blueberry pectin contributes to strong anthocyanin binding. In summary, the blueberry pomace anthocyanin content was slightly higher than that reported for fresh whole blueberry fruit, which suggests that most blueberry anthocyanins adhered to the pomace fiber, and most likely the insoluble pectin, during and after processing.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Cross-plane thermal properties of transition metal dichalcogenides

In this work, we explore the thermal properties of hexagonal transition metal dichalcogenide compounds with different average atomic masses but equivalent microstructures. Thermal conductivity values of sputtered thin films were compared to bulk crystals. The comparison revealed a >10 fold reduction in thin film thermal conductivity. Structural analysis of the films revealed a turbostratic structure with domain sizes on the order of 5-10 nm. Estimates of phonon scattering lengths at domain boundaries based on computationally derived group velocities were consistent with the observed film microstructure, and accounted for the reduction in thermal conductivity compared to values for bulk crystals.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Magnetic properties of CuFe{sub 1−x}Cr{sub x}O{sub 2} nanoparticles surrounded by amorphous SiO{sub 2}

CuFe{sub 1−x}Cr{sub x}O{sub 2} (0 ≤ x ≤ 1.0) nanoparticles surrounded by amorphous SiO{sub 2} with an average diameter of 30–50 nm were synthesized using a wet chemical method. The annealing temperatures were controlled to yield various sizes of single-phase CuFe{sub 1−x}Cr{sub x}O{sub 2} nanoparticles. CuFeO{sub 2} bulk crystal is known to have a multiferroic delafossite structure with two Néel temperatures of 11 and 14 K; however, the transition temperature shifted higher as the Cr–ion doping level increased. In addition, the lattice constants decreased in accordance with increased Cr-ion doping, which was confirmed by X-ray diffraction measurements. The magnetization curves showed weak ferromagnetic behavior and no coercivity was observed. Hence, frustration in the triangular lattice of the delafossite structure can be released by Cr–ion doping and higher magnetization can be expected. A fine structure analysis through X-ray absorption fine structure measurements was also conducted. It was found that the structure of the Cu ion is similar to that of Cu{sub 2}O, and the c axis of the CuFe{sub 1−x}Cr{sub x}O{sub 2} should be shortened by the Cr–ion doping.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Solvent-dependent complex reaction pathways of bromoform revealed by time-resolved X-ray solution scattering and X-ray transient absorption spectroscopy

The photochemical reaction pathways of CHBr3 in solution were unveiled using two complementary X-ray techniques, time-resolved X-ray solution scattering (TRXSS) and X-ray transient absorption spectroscopy, in a wide temporal range from 100 ps to tens of microseconds. By performing comparative measurements in protic (methanol) and aprotic (methylcyclohexane) solvents, we found that the reaction pathways depend significantly on the solvent properties. In methanol, the major photoproducts are CH3OCHBr2 and HBr generated by rapid solvolysis of iso-CHBr2-Br, an isomer of CHBr3. In contrast, in methylcyclohexane, iso-CHBr2-Br returns to CHBr3 without solvolysis. In both solvents, the formation of CHBr2 and Br is a competing reaction channel. From the structural analysis of TRXSS data, we determined the structures of key intermediate species, CH3OCHBr2 and iso-CHBr2-Br in methanol and methylcyclohexane, respectively, which are consistent with the structures from density functional theory calculations.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Structure and selectivity trends in crystalline urea-functionalized anion-binding capsules

A tripodal trisurea receptor (L1) persistently self-assembles with various divalent oxoanion salts M{sub n}X (M = Na, K, Mg, Ca, Cd; X = SO{sub 4}{sup 2-}, SO{sub 3}{sup 2-}, SeO{sub 4}{sup 2-}, CrO{sub 4}{sup 2-}) into isomorphous series of crystalline frameworks in three different compositions: MX(L1){sub 2}(H{sub 2}O){sub 6} (M = Mg, Ca, Cd) (1), Na{sub 2}X(L1){sub 2}(H{sub 2}O){sub 4} (2) and K{sub 2}X(L1){sub 2}(H{sub 2}O){sub 2} (3). Single-crystal X-ray structural analysis revealed that all three series of structures adopt a NaCl-type topology, consisting of alternating anionic X(L1){sub 2}{sup 2-} capsules and M(H{sub 2}O){sub 6}{sup 2+}, Na{sub 2}(H{sub 2}O){sub 4}{sup 2+} or K{sub 2}(H{sub 2}O){sub 2}{sup 2+} hydrated cations. The capsules provide a complementary environment to tetrahedral oxoanions via 12 hydrogen bonds from six urea groups lining the cavities of the capsules. The persistent formation of the capsules facilitated the investigation of structural trends and structure-selectivity relationships across series 1-3. First, it was found that the size of the capsules is relatively unresponsive to the change in the encapsulated anion, resulting in good shape and size recognition in the separation of anions by competitive crystallizations. Second, it was found that the size of the capsules varies linearly with the size of the external cation, which provides a way for tuning the anion encapsulation selectivity. However, no straightforward dependence was found between the size of the capsules and the relative selectivity for different-sized tetrahedral oxoanions in competitive crystallizations.

08 HYDROGEN↗

NMR-based Metabolomics Analysis of Liver from C57BL/6 Mouse Exposed to Ionizing Radiation

The health effects of exposing to ionizing radiation are attracting great interest in the space exploration community and patients considering radiotherapy. However, the impact to metabolism after exposure to high dose radiation has not yet been clearly defined in livers. In the present study, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) based metabolomics combined with multivariate data analysis are applied to study the changes of metabolism in the liver of C57BL/6 mouse after whole body exposure to either gamma (3.0 and 7.8 Gy) or proton (3.0 Gy) radiation. Principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal projection to latent structures analysis (OPLS) are employed for classification and identification of potential biomarkers associated with gamma and proton irradiation. The results show that the radiation exposed groups can be well separated from the control group. At the same radiation dosage, the group exposed to proton radiation is well separated from the group exposed to gamma radiation, indicating different radiation sources induce different alterations based on metabolic profiling. Common to both gamma and proton radiation at the high radiation doses studied in this work, compared with the control groups the concentrations of choline, O-phosphocholine and trimethylamine N-oxide are decreased statistically, while those of glutamine, glutathione, malate, creatinine, phosphate, betaine and 4-hydroxyphenylacetate are statistically and significantly elevated after exposure to radiation. Since these altered metabolites are associated with multiple biological pathways, the changes suggest that the exposure to radiation induce abnormality in multiple biological pathways. In particular, metabolites such as 4-hydroxyphenylacetate, betaine, glutamine, choline and trimethylamine N-oxide may be good candidates of pre-diagnose biomarkers for ionizing radiation in liver.

Xiao, Xiongjie↗

1 H NMR metabolomics study of spleen from C57BL/6 mice exposed to gamma radiation

Due to the potential risk of accidental exposure to gamma radiation, it’s critical to identify the biomarkers of radiation exposed creatures. In the present study, NMR based metabolomics combined with multivariate data analysis to evaluate the metabolites changed in the C57BL/6 mouse spleen after 4 days whole body exposure to 3.0 Gy and 7.8 Gy gamma radiations. Principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal projection to latent structures analysis (OPLS) are employed for classification and identification potential biomarkers associated with gamma irradiation. Two different strategies for NMR spectral data reduction (i.e., spectral binning and spectral deconvolution) are combined with normalize to constant sum and unit weight before multivariate data analysis, respectively. The combination of spectral deconvolution and normalization to unit weight is the best way for identifying discriminatory metabolites between the irradiation and control groups. Normalized to the constant sum may achieve some pseudo biomarkers. PCA and OPLS results shown that the exposed groups can be well separated from the control group. Leucine, 2-aminobutyrate, valine, lactate, arginine, glutathione, 2-oxoglutarate, creatine, tyrosine, phenylalanine, π-methylhistidine, taurine, myoinositol, glycerol and uracil are significantly elevated while ADP is decreased significantly. As a result, these significantly changed metabolites are associated with multiple metabolic pathways and may be potential biomarkers in the spleen exposed to gamma irradiation.

1H NMR metabolomics↗

Thermal Properties of Sodium Borosilicate Glasses as a Function of Sulfur Content

SO3 additions, up to 3.0 wt%, were systematically investigated for effects on the physical properties of sodium borosilicate glass melted in air, with a sulfur-free composition of 50SiO2-10Al2O3-12B2O3-21Na2O-7CaO (wt%). Solubility measurements, using electron microscopy chemical analysis, determined the maximum loading to be ~1.5 wt% SO3. It was found that sulfur (here as sulfate) in this glass increased the glass transition temperature, thermal diffusivity, heat capacity, and thermal conductivity, and decreased the mass density. Structural analysis, performed with Raman spectroscopy, indicated that the borosilicate network polymerized with sulfur additions, presumably due to Na2O being required to charge compensate the ionic SO42- additions, thus becoming unavailable to form non-bridging oxygen in the silicate network. It is postulated that this increased crosslinking of the borosilicate backbone lead to a structure with higher dimensionality and average bond energy. This increased the mean free paths and vibration frequency of the phonons, which resulted in the observed increase in thermal properties.

Thermal properties, Borosilicate glass, Sulfur sol↗

Advanced multimaterial shape optimization methods as applied to advanced manufacturing of wind turbine generators

Abstract Currently, many utility‐scale wind turbine generator original equipment manufacturers are dependent on imported rare earth permanent magnets, which are susceptible to market risks from cost instability. To lower the production costs of these generators and stay competitive in the market, several small wind manufacturers are pursuing continuous improvements to both generator design and manufacturing. However, traditional design and manufacturing methods have yielded marginal improvements in wind power performance. This work presents novel methods to redesign a baseline 15‐kW wind turbine generator with reduced rare‐earth permanent magnets by leveraging cutting‐edge three‐dimensional (3D) printed polymer‐bonded permanent magnets and steel. Symmetric, asymmetric, and multimaterial‐magnet parametrization methods are introduced for shape optimization. We extend the symmetric and asymmetric methods to the back iron in the stator to further investigate the impact and opportunities for performance improvements with lesser active materials. We employ a design‐of‐experiments approach with parametric computer‐aided design for shape generation and evaluate different designs by magneto‐thermal modeling and finite‐element analysis. We use adaptive sampling technique to identify better performing designs with lesser magnet mass, higher efficiency, and lower cogging torque when compared with the baseline generator. Asymmetric pole designs resulted in a magnet mass in the range of 4.77–5.37 kg, which was 27%–35% lighter than the baseline generator, suggesting that a new design freedom exists that can be enabled by advanced manufacturing, such as 3D printing. Shaping the back iron in the stator resulted in material savings in electrical steel of up to 14.62 kg, which was 20% lighter than the baseline stator. We conducted a structural analysis to evaluate an optimized asymmetric rotor design from the point of view of mechanical integrity and air‐gap stiffness. The magnetically optimal shape profile was shown as having a positive impact on the radial stiffness, and an optimal solution was discovered to reduce the structural mass by nearly 30 kg, which was 29% lighter than the baseline.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

Loop dynamics of thymidine diphosphate-rhamnose 3'-O-methyltransferase (CalS11), an enzyme in calicheamicin biosynthesis

Structure analysis and ensemble refinement of the apo-structure of thymidine diphosphate (TDP)-rhamnose 3'-O-methyltransferase reveal a gate for substrate entry and product release. TDP-rhamnose 3'-O-methyltransferase (CalS11) catalyses a 3'-O-methylation of TDP-rhamnose, an intermediate in the biosynthesis of enediyne antitumor antibiotic calicheamicin. CalS11 operates at the sugar nucleotide stage prior to glycosylation step. Here, we present the crystal structure of the apo form of CalS11 at 1.89 Å resolution. We propose that the L2 loop functions as a gate facilitating and/or providing specificity for substrate entry or promoting product release. Ensemble refinement analysis slightly improves the crystallographic refinement statistics and furthermore provides a compelling way to visualize the dynamic model of loop L2, supporting the understanding of its proposed role in catalysis.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗