Determination of the carboxylic acids in acidic and basic process samples by capillary zone electrophoresis

Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) with indirect UV detection was used in developing a method for the simultaneous determination of inorganic anions, aliphatic and heterocyclic organic acids in various processed samples. The analytes were determined simultaneously in 10 min using an electrolyte containing 20 mM 2,3-pyrazine dicarboxylic acid, 65 mM tricine, 2 mM BaCl₂, 0.5 mM cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, and 2 M urea at pH 8.06. Linear plots for the analytes were obtained in the concentration range of 2–150 mg L⁻¹. Relative standard deviations (RSDs) of peak areas during a 3-day analysis period varied from 5.5% for glycolate to 9.5% for oxalate. RSDs of migration times varied between 0.4% and 1.1%. The detection limit (at S/N 3) was 1 mg L⁻¹ for all the analytes studied. The proposed method was successfully demonstrated for the determination of carboxylic acids in eight oxygen treated samples of commercial softwood and hardwood kraft lignin and two red wine samples of Pinot Noir grapes. In the kraft lignin samples the concentrations of carboxylic acids correspond to the oxidation time. The acid concentrations of wine varied considerable.     

New PP/PLA/cellulose composites: effect of cellulose functionalization on accelerated weathering behavior (accelerated weathering behavior of new PP/PLA/cellulose composites)

Polylactic acid (PLA) was used as partial replacement for conventional thermoplastic matrix, new composites comprising cellulose, polypropylene (PP), and PLA being realized. In order to obtain a compatible interface between cellulosic pulp and polymeric matrix, two chemical modifications of cellulose with stearoyl chloride and toluene di‐isocyanate (TDI) were performed, structural changes being evidenced by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The composite materials were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, dynamic scanning calorimetry, impact, tensile and melt rheological tests, surface tension, and dynamic vapor sorption. Because promising results for impact strength and Young modulus were recorded when replacing 15% of PP with PLA in blends of PP with the same cellulosic pulp load, the aim of our study was to assess the behavior to accelerate weathering of composites comprising PP, cellulosic pulp, and PLA. Although the slight decrease in the mechanical properties was recorded after accelerated weathering, the use of functionalized cellulose successfully prevented the deterioration of surface materials, especially for composite comprising stearoyl chloride treated cellulose pulp. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Componentwise adaptation for high dimensional MCMC

Summary  We introduce a new adaptive MCMC algorithm, based on the traditional single component Metropolis-Hastings algorithm and on our earlier adaptive Metropolis algorithm (AM). In the new algorithm the adaption is performed component by component. The chain is no more Markovian, but it remains ergodic. The algorithm is demonstrated to work well in varying test cases up to 1000 dimensions.     

The extendible cell method for closest point problems

The extendible cell method is an application of order preserving extendible hashing to multidimensional point files. We derive some of its performance characteristics and show its expected case optimality for closest point problems.     

Two levels are as good as any

The asymptotic expected efficiency of distributive sorting is studied showing that for “smooth” key distributions it suffices to consider 2-level methods. The expected cost of sorting n such keys satisfies asymptotically: C(n) ? Kn, where K does not depend on the distribution.     

Investigation of a Grey Alder Particleboard Bonded by Different Industrial Side-Stream Lignins

Mechanics of Composite Materials - Particleboards based on a mixture of grey alder (Alnus incana (L.) Moench) wood particles (sieve fraction 0.4-2 mm) and 15 or 25% of lignin powder obtained by hot...     

Novel applications of the modified polonovski reaction - VII preparation of isoquinuclidines

The first successful preparations of the biochemically important isoquinuclidine ring system by the modified Polonovski reaction are described.     

Comparison of epimeric methyl lithocholate and methyl iso-lithocholate molecules: single crystal X-ray structure of methyl lithocholate, ab initio HF/6-31G* optimized structures and experimental and calculated DFT/B3LYP C NMR chemical shifts

¹³C NMR chemical shifts have been measured and assigned for epimeric methyl 3α/β-hydroxy-5β-cholan-24-oates (methyl lithocholate [3α-OH epimer] and methyl iso-lithocholate [3β-OH epimer]). Their molecular dynamics simulations suggest that for both epimers there exists two predominant gas phase conformations, which have been further forwarded for ab initio/HF optimizations and DFT/GIAO based ¹³C NMR chemical shift calculations. Excellent linear relationships have been observed between experimental and calculated ¹³C NMR chemical shifts for both epimers. For methyl lithocholate (MeLC), the other minimum energy conformation equates very well with the single crystal X-ray structure (orthorhombic, space group P2₁2₁2₁, unit cell ). The crystalline packing of MeLC consists of continuous parallel intermolecular hydrogen bonded [3α-OH?OC24] head-to-tail polymeric chains, which are further cross-linked by many simultaneous weak C(sp³)H?O-type of interactions.     

Cellulose crystallinity and ordering of hemicelluloses in pine and birch pulps as revealed by solid-state NMR spectroscopic methods

Solid-state ¹³C NMR spectroscopy was used to determine the degree of cellulose crystallinity (CrI) in kraft, flow-through kraft and polysulphide–anthraquinone (PS–AQ) pulps of pine and birch containing various amounts of hemicelluloses. The applicability of acid hydrolysis and the purely spectroscopic proton spin-relaxation based spectral edition (PSRE) method to remove the interfering hemicellulose signals prior to the determination of CrI were also compared. For softwood pulps, the spectroscopic removal of hemicelluloses by PSRE was found to be more efficient than the removal of hemicelluloses by acid hydrolysis. In addition to that, the PSRE method also provides information on the associations between cellulose and hemicelluloses. On the basis of the incomplete removal of xylan from the cellulose subspectra by PSRE, the deposition of xylan on cellulose fibrils and therefore an ordered ultrastructure of xylan in birch pulps was suggested. The ordered structure of xylan in birch pulps was also supported by the observed change of xylan conformation after regeneration. Similarly, glucomannan in pine pulps may have an ordered structure. According to the ¹³C CPMAS measurements conducted after acid hydrolysis, the degree of cellulose crystallinity was found to be slightly lower in birch pulps than in the pine pulps. Any significant differences in cellulose crystallinity were not found between the pulps obtained by the various pulping methods. Only in pine PS–AQ pulp, the degree of cellulose crystallinity may be slightly lower than in the kraft pulps containing less hemicelluloses.