Recent experiments have shown that short double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) fragments having six- to 20-base pairs exhibit various liquid crystalline phases. This violates the condition of minimum molecular shape anisotropy that analytical theories demand for liquid crystalline ordering. It has been hypothesized that the liquid crystalline ordering is the result of end-to-end stacking of dsDNA to form long supramolecular columns which satisfy the shape anisotropy criterion necessary for ordering. To probe the thermodynamic feasibility of this process, we perform molecular dynamics simulations on ultrashort (four base pair long) dsDNA fragments, quantify the strong end-to-end attraction between them, and demonstrate that the nematic ordering of the self-assembled stacked columns is retained for a large range of temperature and salt concentration.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.95.032702 | DOI Listing |
Soft Matter
January 2025
Department of Physics, Central University of Karnataka, Kadaganchi, Kalaburagi, Karnataka-585367, India.
The isomerization kinetics of a liquid crystalline azobenzene dimer, comprising cyanoazobenzene and naphthalene (NAZ6), were investigated at the air-water interface. The Langmuir monolayers of NAZ6 in both its and states were analyzed using surface manometry techniques. The results revealed that NAZ6 molecules in the -state displayed the coexistence of a disordered liquid-expanded phase and an ordered liquid-condensed phase, whereas no such phase transition was observed in the -state.
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January 2025
School of Ecology and Environment, Renmin University of China, No.59 Zhongguancun Street, Beijing 100872, China.
Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is a promising technology for converting wet biomass to liquid fuels. However, the biocrude yield and quality in this process are unsatisfactory without catalysts. Herein, a Ru/ZrO-SiO catalyst was prepared with the NaBH reducing method for the HTL of .
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMolecules
January 2025
Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
Optically responsive materials are applied in sensing, actuators, and optical devices. One such class of material is dye-doped liquid crystal polymers that self-assemble into cholesteric mesophases that reflect visible light. We report here the synthesis and characterization of a family of linear and mildly crosslinked terpolymers prepared by the ROMP of norbornene-based monomers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAcc Chem Res
January 2025
School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China.
ConspectusCovalent triazine frameworks (CTFs) are a novel class of nitrogen-rich conjugated porous organic materials constructed by robust and functional triazine linkages, which possess unique structures and excellent physicochemical properties. They have demonstrated broad application prospects in gas/molecular adsorption and separation, catalysis, energy conversion and storage, etc. In particular, crystalline CTFs with well-defined periodic molecular network structures and regular pore channels can maximize the utilization of the features of CTFs and promote a deep understanding of the structure-property relationship.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFood Res Int
February 2025
School of Food Science and Engineering, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Green Processing of Natural Products and Product Safety, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China; School of Chemical Engineering and Energy Technology, Dongguan University of Technology, College Road 1, Dongguan 523808, China.
Water-in-oil high internal phase emulsions (W/O-HIPEs) typically rely on large amounts of surfactants to disperse water droplets and usually use crystalline saturated triacylglycerides (TAGs) to enhance processing properties. However, these practices conflict with consumer demands for 'natural' ingredients. This study seeks to develop novel crystal fractions similar to saturated TAGs for the preparation of W/O-HIPEs as low-calorie fat mimetics, focusing on their mechanical and mouthfeel properties, which have received little attention thus far.
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