Effect of pH-Regulation on the Capture of Lipopolysaccharides from E. coli EH100 by Four-Antennary Oligoglycines in Aqueous Medium.

Bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS) are designated as endotoxins, because they cause fever and a wide range of pathologies in humans. It is important to develop effective methodologies to detect trace quantities of LPS in aqueous systems. The present study develops a fine-tuning procedure for the entrapment of trace quantities of LPS from E. coli EH100. The capture agents are self-assemblies (tectomers) formed by synthetic four-antennary oligoglycine (C-(CH2-NH-Gly7)4, T4). Based on previously performed investigations of bulk and adsorption-layer properties of aqueous solutions containing T4 and LPS, the optimal conditions for the entrapment interactions are further fine-tuned by the pH regulation of aqueous systems. A combined investigation protocol is developed, including dynamic light scattering, profile analysis tensiometry, microscopic thin-liquid-film techniques, and transmission electron microscopy. The key results are: (1) two types of complexes between T4 and LPS are generated-amphiphilic species and "sandwich-like" hydrophilic entities; the complexes are smaller at lower pH, and larger at higher pH; (2) an optimum range of pH values is established within which the whole quantity of the LPS is entrapped by the tectomers, namely pH = 5.04-6.30. The obtained data substantiate the notion that T4 may be used for an effective capture and the removal of traces of endotoxins in aqueous systems.

Entrapment efficiencies of hydrodynamic boundary layers on rising bubbles.

Flotation and separation practice shows that fine hydrophilic solids are often drawn into the froth product. The occurrence of this unwanted event in the classical froth flotation has led to the idea of using it for the separation by size of ground materials. Thus, a method for the extraction of hydrophilic fines by foaming of a suspension was proposed. The aim of the present study is to relate this phenomenon to the residence time of the particles in the vicinities of the rising bubbles. Dynamic interactions of fine solids with rising bubbles cause perturbations in the background flow field. A procedure for the mathematical modeling of these disturbance effects is proposed. The initial idea is that the particles lag behind the background bubble-driven flows. A key point is the possibility of classifying fine entities according to a general criterion, containing only parameters of the outer flow. The basic result is that there exists a range of particle and bubble dimensions for which this entrapment is optimal. The proposed model investigation gives a concise explanation for the observed capture of fine solids in many flotation and separation processes.