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In this study, the stable conformers of neutral anserine were searched by molecular dynamics simulations and energy minimization calculations using the MM2 force field. Thermochemical calculations at B3LYP/6-31G(d) level of theory followed these preliminary calculations. The results confirmed that neutral anserine has quite a flexible structure and many stable gauche and trans conformers at room temperature. Nevertheless, two are considerably more favourable in energy than the others and expected to dominate the gas-phase and matrix IR spectra of the molecule. The corresponding structural and vibrational spectral data for these two conformers of neutral anserine, whose relative stabilities were also examined by high-accuracy energy calculations carried out using G3MP2B3 method, and for the most stable conformer of anserine in zwitterion form were calculated at B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory. The calculated harmonic force constants were refined using the Scaled Quantum Mechanical Force Field (SQM-FF) method and then used to produce the refined wavenumbers, potential energy distributions (PEDs) and IR and Raman intensities. These refined data together with the scaled harmonic wavenumbers obtained using another method, Dual Scale factors (DS), enabled us to correctly analyse the observed IR and Raman spectra of anserine and revealed the effects of conformation and zwitterionic tautomerism on its structural and vibrational spectral data. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
The competitive extraction of Cr(III) onto Nauclea diderrichii seed epicarp doped with MnO2 nanoparticles (MnO2 nano-bioextractant (MNB)) in a single and binary batch system was studied. For validity of experimental data, chi square test, root mean square error, sum of the square errors, hybrid fractional error function, Marquart’s percent standard deviation and standard absolute error were used. Among the kinetic models used, pseudo-second-order and Langmuir equations gave the best fits for the experimental data, with qe (mg g) for the uptake of Cr(III) in single metal system onto MNB, then Cr(III) with Cd(II), Pb(II), Hg(II), KCl and CaCl2 in binary metal systems onto MNB were 2.611, then 1.989, 1.016, 2.208, 1.249 and 1.868 from kinetic standpoint, respectively. The initial sorption rates, h (mg/g/min), and half lives, t1/2 (min), for the uptake of Cr(III) in single metal system onto MNB, then Cr(III) with Cd(II), Pb(II), Hg(II), KCl and CaCl2 in binary metal system onto MNB were 3.497, then 2.311, 2.274, 0.242, 2.956, 45.568 and 0.747, then 5.769, 1.766, 12.144, 1.762, and 2.415, respectively. Physicochemical surface analyses such as pH of point of zero charge, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller single point and multi-point techniques for surface area analyses, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were done on MNB and MnO2 nanoparticles in order to understand their surface microstructures. Desorption study showed that MNB can be recycled and used for future study. Hence, MNB showed good potential to remediate Cr(III) from wastewaters and polluted water.
Toxic Cr(III) which poses environmental hazard to flora and fauna was efficiently abstracted by low-cost Nauclea diderrichii seed biomass (NDS) with good sequestral capacity for this metal was investigated in this study. The NDS surface analyses showed that it has a specific surface area of 5.36 m(2)/g and pHpzc of 4.90. Thermogravimetric analysis of NDS showed three consecutive weight losses from 50-200 degrees C (ca. 5%), 200-400 C (ca. 35%), >400 degrees C (ca. 10%), corresponding to external water molecules, structural water molecules and heat induced condensation reactions respectively. Differential thermogram of NDS presented a large endothermic peak between 20-510 degrees C suggesting bond breakage and dissociation with the ultimate release of small molecules. The experimental data showed kinetically fast biosorption with increased initial Cr(III) concentrations, indicating the role of external mass transfer mechanism as the rate controlling mechanism in this adsorption process. The Langmuir biosorption capacity of NDS was 483.81 mg/g. The use of the corrected Akaike Information Criterion tool for ranking equilibrium models suggested that the Freundlich model best described the experimental data, which is an indication of the heterogeneous nature of the active sites on the surface of NDS. N. diderrichii seed biomass is an easily sourced, cheap and environmental friendly biosorbent which will serve as a good and cost effective alternative to activated carbon for the treatment of polluted water and industrial effluents. (C) 2012 King Saud University. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Species diversity promotes the delivery of multiple ecosystem functions (multifunctionality). However, the relative functional importance of rare and common species in driving the biodiversity multifunctionality relationship remains unknown. We studied the relationship between the diversity of rare and common species (according to their local abundances and across nine different trophic groups), and multifunctionality indices derived from 14 ecosystem functions on 150 grasslands across a land use intensity (LUI) gradient. The diversity of above- and below-ground rare species had opposite effects, with rare above-ground species being associated with high levels of multifunctionality, probably because their effects on different functions did not trade off against each other. Conversely, common species were only related to average, not high, levels of multifunctionality, and their functional effects declined with LUI. Apart from the community level effects of diversity, we found significant positive associations between the abundance of individual species and multifunctionality in 6% of the species tested. Species specific functional effects were best predicted by their response to LUI: species that declined in abundance with land use intensification were those associated with higher levels of multifunctionality. Our results highlight the importance of rare species for ecosystem multifunctionality and help guiding future conservation priorities.
Watching the Vibration and Cooling of Ultrathin Gold Nanotriangles by Ultrafast X-ray Diffraction
(2016)
We study the vibrations of ultrathin gold nanotriangles upon optical excitation of the electron gas by ultrafast X-ray diffraction. We quantitatively measure the strain evolution in these highly asymmetric nano-objects, providing a direct estimation of the amplitude and phase of the excited vibrational motion. The maximal strain value is well reproduced by calculations addressing pump absorption by the nanotriangles and their resulting thermal expansion. The amplitude and phase of the out-of-plane vibration mode with 3.6 ps period dominating the observed oscillations are related to two distinct excitation mechanisms. Electronic and phonon pressures impose stresses with different time dependences. The nanosecond relaxation of the expansion yields a direct temperature sensing of the nano-object. The presence of a thin organic molecular layer at the nanotriangle/substrate interfaces drastically reduces the thermal conductance to the substrate.