Electrical properties of Ta(Si)N films prepared by atomic layer deposition from tert-butylimido-tris-diethylamido tantalum, silane and hydrogen plasma.

Ta(Si)N films were prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD) from tert-butylimido-tris-diethylamido tantalum (TBTDET), triethylsilane, and activated hydrogen. Triethylsilane was used as an ancillary reducing agent and as a silicon precursor. The effects of the addition of the triethylsilane at different hydrogen plasma pulse times and power on the electrical properties, particularly stability in air, were investigated.

Glucosylation of the flavonoid, astragalin by Leuconostoc mesenteroides B-512FMCM dextransucrase acceptor reactions and characterization of the products.

Astragalin (kaempferol-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, Ast) glucosides were synthesized by the acceptor reaction of a dextransucrase produced by Leuconostoc mesenteroides B-512FMCM with astragalin and sucrose. Each glucoside was purified and their structures were assigned as kaempferol-3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→3)-O-α-D-glucopyranoside (or kaempferol-3-O-β-D-nigeroside, Ast-G1') and kaempferol-3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→6)-O-α-D-glucopyranoside (or kaempferol-3-O-β-D-isomaltoside, Ast-G1) for one glucose transferred, and kaempferol-3-O-β-D-isomaltooligosacharide (Ast-IMO or Ast-Gn; n=2-8). The astragalin glucosides exhibited 8.

Immobilization of cellulase from newly isolated strain Bacillus subtilis TD6 using calcium alginate as a support material.

Bacillus subtilis TD6 was isolated from Takifugu rubripes, also known as puffer fish. Cellulase from this strain was partially purified by ammonium sulphate precipitation up to 80% saturation, entrapped in calcium alginate beads, and finally characterized using CMC as the substrate. For optimization, various parameters were observed, including pH maximum, temperature maximum, sodium alginate, and calcium chloride concentration.

Pretreatment of rapeseed straw by soaking in aqueous ammonia.

Pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass has gained attention for production of biofuels. In this study, pretreatment by soaking in aqueous ammonia was adopted for pretreatment of biomass for ethanol production. A central composite design of response surface methodology was used for optimization of the pretreatment condition of rapeseed straw, with respect to catalyst concentration, pretreatment time, and pretreatment temperature.

Synthesis of poly(sorbitan methacrylate) hydrogel by free-radical polymerization.

Hydrogels are materials with the ability to swell in water through the retention of significant fractions of water within their structures. Owing to their relatively high degree of biocompatibility, hydrogels have been utilized in a host of biomedical applications. In an attempt to determine the optimum conditions for hydrogel synthesis by the free-radical polymerization of sorbitan methacrylate (SMA), the hydrogel used in this study was well polymerized under the following conditions: 50% (w/v) SMA as monomer, 1% (w/w) alpha, alpha'-azo-bis(isobutyro-nitrile) as thermal initiator, and 1% (w/w) ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as cross-liking agent.

Pretreatment of corn stover by low-liquid ammonia recycle percolation process.

A pretreatment method using aqueous ammonia was investigated with the intent of minimizing the liquid throughput. This process uses a flowthrough packed column reactor (or percolation reactor). In comparison to the ammonia recycle percolation (ARP) process developed previously in our laboratory, this process significantly reduces the liquid throughput to one reactor void volume in packed bed (2.

Production of biodiesel fuel by transesterification of rapeseed oil.

Fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) show large potential applications as diesel substitutes, also known as biodiesel fuel. Biodiesel fuel as renewable energy is an alternative that can reduce energy dependence on petroleum as well as air pollution. Several processes for the production of biodiesel fuel have been developed.

Pretreatment of corn stover by aqueous ammonia.

Corn stover was pretreated with aqueous ammonia in a flow-through column reactor, a process termed ammonia recycled percolation (ARP). This method was highly effective in delignifying of the biomass, reducing the lignin content by 70-85%. Most lignin removal occurred within the first 20 min of the process.