Dimeric eremophilane-type sesquiterpenoids from the peeled stems of Syringa pinnatifolia.

A continued phytochemical investigation guided by 1H NMR and LC-MS data on the ethanol extract from the peeled stems of Syringa pinnatifolia Hemsl. led to the isolation of 16 undescribed dimeric eremophilane sesquiterpenoids, namely syringenes R-Z (1-9) and A1-G1 (10-16). These structures were elucidated by extensive analysis of spectroscopic data, including HRESIMS, NMR, quantum-mechanics-based computational analysis of NMR chemical shifts, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses, and a concise rule for determination of relative configuration of angular methyl was proposed. The results of the cardioprotective assay demonstrated that 3 exhibits a protective effect against hypoxia-induced injuries in H9c2 cells. This effect was observed at a concentration of 10 µM, with a protective rate of 28.43 ± 11.80%.

[Two new isoquinoline alkaloids from Corydalis hendersonii].

Corydalis hendersonii(CH) is a Tibetan folk medicine with the functions of clearing heat, detoxifying, cooling blood, checking diarrhea, and lowering blood pressure. It is often used to treat high altitude polycythemia, vasculitis, peptic ulcer, and diarrhea. Nine compounds were separated from the ethanol extract of CH by silica gel, ODS, Sephadex LH-20 chromatography and semi-preparative HPLC. Their structures were identified as hendersine H(1),hendersine I(2), dehydrocheilanthifoline(3), protopine(4), izmirine(5), 6,7-methylenedioxy-1(2H)-isoquinolinone(6), icariside D_2(7), ethyl 4-(ß-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-3-methoxybenzoate(8), 3-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzoic acid(9), respectively, by the spectroscopic data analysis and comparison with those in the literature. Among them, compounds 1 and 2 are new isoquinoline alkaloids, and compounds 7-9 are reported the first time for Corydalis. The hypoglycemic model of H9c2 cardiomyocytes and the inflammatory model of H9c2 cardiomyocytes induced by conditional supernatant were employed to determine the activities of the above compounds. The results showed that 20 µmol·L~(-1) compound 1 had a protective effect on H9c2 cardiomyocytes and 10 µmol·L~(-1) compounds 4 and 5 inhibited H9c2 cardiomyocyte inflammation induced by conditional supernatant.

Enhancement and Evaluation of Interfacial Adhesion between Active Screen Plasma Surface-Functionalised Carbon Fibres and the Epoxy Substrate.

This paper investigated the modification of the advanced active screen plasma (ASP) technology on PAN-derived carbon fibres (CFs) with gas mixtures of N2-H2 and N2-H2-Ar, separately. A more-than-30% improvement was found in the interfacial shear strength (IFSS) between the modified CFs and the epoxy substrate in the resulting composites, as disclosed by single fibre push-out tests. Based on the study of surface morphology, surface chemistry and water-sorption behaviour, the interfacial adhesion enhancement mechanisms were attributed to (1) the increased chemical bonding between the introduced functional groups on the fibre surface and the matrix; (2) the improved surface hydrophilicity of CFs; and (3) the enhanced van der Waals bonding due to the removal of surface contaminations.

Comparative Physical-Mechanical Properties Assessment of Tailored Surface-Treated Carbon Fibres.

Carbon Fibres (CFs) are widely used in textile-reinforced composites for the construction of lightweight, durable structures. Since their inert surface does not allow effective bonding with the matrix material, the surface treatment of fibres is suggested to improve the adhesion between the two. In the present study, different surface modifications are compared in terms of the mechanical enhancement that they can offer to the fibres. Two main advanced technologies have been investigated; namely, plasma treatment and electrochemical treatment. Specifically, active screen plasma and low-pressure plasma were compared. Regarding the electrochemical modification, electrochemical oxidation and electropolymerisation of monomer solutions of acrylic and methacrylic acids, acrylonitrile and N-vinyl pyrrolidine were tested for HTA-40 CFs. In order to assess the effects of the surface treatments, the morphology, the physicochemical properties, as well as the mechanical integrity of the fibres were investigated. The CF surface and polymeric matrix interphase adhesion in composites were also analysed. The improvement of the carbon fibre's physical-mechanical properties was evident for the case of the active screen plasma treatment and the electrochemical oxidation.

Plasma Surface Functionalization of Carbon Nanofibres with Silver, Palladium and Platinum Nanoparticles for Cost-Effective and High-Performance Supercapacitors.

Due to their relatively low cost, large surface area and good chemical and physical properties, carbon nanofibers (CNFs) are attractive for the fabrication of electrodes for supercapacitors (SCs). However, their relatively low electrical conductivity has impeded their practical application. To this end, a novel active-screen plasma activation and deposition technology has been developed to deposit silver, platinum and palladium nanoparticles on activated CNFs surfaces to increase their specific surface area and electrical conductivity, thus improving the specific capacitance. The functionalised CNFs were fully characterised using scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) and their electrochemical properties were evaluated using cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results showed a significant improvement in specific capacitance, as well as electrochemical impedance over the untreated CNFs. The functionalisation of CNFs via environmental-friendly active-screen plasma technology provides a promising future for cost-effective supercapacitors with high power and energy density.