• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.62 no.5
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• pp.358-363
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to show the possibility of using Cu catalyst in removal of $NO_x$ from automobile exhaust which is regarded as the primary source of fine dust PM2.5. The energy and the bond lengths of the three possible structures of Cu-NO complex, which is formed by binding NO molecule to Cu, and the changes in IR and Raman spectra are calculated using MPW1PW91 method on the level of 6-311(+)G(d,p) of basis sets with Gaussian 09 program. As a result, the enthalpy of formation of the Cu-NO complexes are obtained as ${\Delta}H=104.89$, 91.98, -127.48 kJ/mol for the linear, bent, and bridging forms of them, respectively. And the bond lengths between N and O in NO complexes, which becomes longer than NO molecule, indicates that O is easily reduced from Cu-NO. In addition, the Cu-NO complexes using Cu catalyst can be easily measured by infrared or Raman spectroscopy because in the IR and Raman spectra of the NO and Cu-NO complexes the positon and the intensity of bands are definitely different in each vibration mode.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.42-50
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• 2011

Potential risk of heavy metals to various receptors including humans depends on the bioavailability of the heavy metals in soil. In this study, the heavy metal extraction methods using 0.1N HCl and aqua regia were compared with the Tessier's sequential extraction method to assess whether these two methods can be used to determine the plant-available heavy metal concentrations. The contamination characteristics of copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and arsenic (As) found in soils collected from 75 sites around the closed Janghang smelter were analyzed by extracting heavy metals using 0.1 N HCl, aqua regia, and the Tessier's sequential extraction method. The portion of metals bioavailable to plants is considered as the sum of the fraction 1 (exchangeable) and the fraction 2 (carbonates binding) of the Tessier's 5-step sequential extraction method, which were determined to be 3.1 ${\pm}$ 3.82, 0.6 ${\pm}$ 0.15, 20.6 ${\pm}$ 18.78, and 7.0 ${\pm}$ 6.48 mg/kg for Cu, Cd, Pb, and As, respectively, in this study. When the extraction using aqua regia and the Tessier's extraction method were compared, the extracted Cu and Pb concentrations did not show significant differences, whereas the extracted Cd and As concentrations showed significant differences. These results indicate that the portion of Cd and As in the fraction 5 of the Tessier's sequential extraction can not be extracted using aqua regia. Using aqua regia, which is the official test method, higher concentrations of Cu, Cd, Pb and As were extracted than the sum of the fraction 1 and 2. The results show that only 9, 40, 39 and 10% of Cu, Cd, Pb and As using aqua regia can be uptaken by plants (i.e., plant-available). Using 0.1N HCl, the portion of Cd equivalent to about 66% the fraction 1 could be extracted, while, with Pb, the portion of the fraction 1 and about 90% of the fraction 2 could be extracted. With As, the portion equivalent to the fraction 1, 2 and 79% of the fraction 3 was extracted, while with Cu, the portion equivalent to the fraction 1, 2, 3 and 20% of the fraction 4 was extracted using 0.1N HCl.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.504-509
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• 1989

The effect of oxygen-deficiency on the charge distributions and orbital energies for small copper oxide clusters representing the superconducting materials $YBa_2Cu_3O_x (6{\leq}x{\leq}7)$ were investigated by the extended Huckel molecular orbital (EHMO) method with the tight-binding model. Our calculations show +3 oxidation state of Cu(1) in the $CuO_3$ chain and +2 or +1 of Cu(2) in the $CuO_2$ layers for $YBa_2Cu_3O_7$ with the nominal charge of $Cu_3$ = +7 (or +5), while for $YBa_2Cu_3O_6$ +1 oxidation state of Cu(1) and +3 (or +2) of Cu(2) in the $CuO_2$ layers with the nominal charge of $Cu_3$ = +7 (or +5). For $Cu_3O_{12}$ cluster representing $YBa_2Cu_3O_7$ with the nominal charge of $Cu_3$ = +7 the Cu(2) $d_{{x^2}-{y^2}}$ orbitals in the $CuO_2$ layers is a typical Jahn-Teller $d^9$ system with the partial hole and the Cu(1) $d_{{_z2}-{_y2}}$ orbital in the $CuO_3$ chain contains hole occupancy. For $Cu_3O_{10}$ cluster representing $YBa_2Cu_3O_6$ with the nominal charge of Cu = +5 the orbital character of the highest partially occupied MO (HPOMO) and the lowest completely unoccupied MO (LCUMO) of $Cu_3O_{12}$ representing $YBa_2Cu_3O_7$ with the nominal charge of $Cu_3$ = +7 is reversed, and the character of Cu(1) $d{{x^2}-{y^2}}$ orbital of LCUMO of the $Cu_3O_{12} $cluster is vanished. It is suggested that the local crystal field environment of Cu(1) by the oxygens in the Cu(1) chain may play a vital role in conductivity and superconductivity, either alone or through cooperative electronic coupling with the Cu(2) layers in $YBa_2Cu_3O_7.$.

• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.285-293
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• 2021

The purpose of this study was to identify and characterize the laccase genes of Flammulina velutipes var. lupinicola. Five laccase genes (g1934, g1937, g2415, g2539, g5858) were selected based on the copper binding site and signal peptide analysis results using the laccase gene selected from the F. velutipes var. lupinicola genome. The size of the laccase genes of F. velutipes var. lupinicola were 1,488 bp~1,662 bp. As a result of cDNA sequence analysis, 14 to 17 introns were identified in the laccase genes. The cleavage site predicted as the signal peptide of the laccase gene was found to be located between 20 bp and 34 bp from the N-terminus. In addition, separation and purification were performed to characterize the F. velutipes var. lupinicola laccases, and the optimal activity of the separated and purified proteins were analyzed by pH, temperature and time. Five bands with laccase activity were found from zymogram analysis. The optimal pH of the reaction was 5.5, the optimal temperature was found to be 40℃. Therefore, characterization of the laccase genes identified in this study should help in better understanding the biomass decomposition of F. velutipes var. lupinicola.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.83-88
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• 2005

This study was conducted to estimate the contents of heavy metals including lead, cadmium, zinc, copper as well as iron status(serum iron, total iron binding capacity, feritin etc)in blood samples of middle school students(n=300). The contents of heavy metals were determined using the GF-AAS (Graphite furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer). The microwave digestion method and dilution method were compared. The dilution method showed the better recovery and detection limit than microwave digestion method. The values of toxic metals in whloe blood of boys & girls were 3.46 & 3.05 for Pb,0.063 & 0.065 for Cd respectively (ug/dL). Also the values of trace metals in serum of boys & girls were 105.9 & 92.6 for Zn, 98.3 & 99.0 for Cu respectively (ug/dL). The prevalence of iron deficiency was $7.5\%$ in 146 boys and $14.3\%$ in 156 girls. The mean values of lead in girls were higher in iron deficiency, iron deficiency anemia and anemia groups than normal group. The mean values of lead and zinc were higher in boys compared to those in girls(P<0.05), the mean values of cadmium and copper in boys were similar to those in girls. Our results of toxic metals such as Pb & Cd showed lower to CDC's(Centers for Disease Control) blood lead levels of concern for children, 10 ug/dL.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Sciences Society Conference
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• 1998.10a
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• pp.2-4
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• 1998

Proliferation of Nocardia amarae cells in activated sludge has often been associated with the generation of nuisance foams. Despite intense research activities in recent years to examine the causes and control of Nocardia foaming in activated sludge, the foaming continued to persist throughout the activated sludge treatment plants in United States. In addition to causing various operational problems to treatment processes, the presence of Nocardia may have secondary effects on the fate of heavy metals that are not well known. For example, for treatment plants facing more stringent metal removal requirements, potential metal removal by Nocardia cells in foaming activated sludge would be a welcome secondary effect. In contrast, with new viosolid disposal regulations in place (Code o( Federal Regulation No. 503), higher concentration of metals in biosolids from foaming activated sludge could create management problems. The goal of this research was to investigate the metal sorption property of Nocardia amarae cells grown in batch reactors and in chemostat reactors. Specific surface area and metal sorption characteristics of N. amarae cells harvested at various growth stages were compared. Three metals examined in this study were copper, cadmium and nickel. Nocardia amarae strain (SRWTP isolate) used in this study was obtained from the University of California at Berkeley. The pure culture was grown in 4L batch reactor containing mineral salt medium with sodium acetate as the sole carbon source. In order to quantify the sorption of heavy metal ions to N amarae cell surfaces, cells from the batch reactor were harvested, washed, and suspended in 30mL centrifuge tubes. Metal sorption studies were conducted at pH 7.0 and ionlc strength of 10-2M. The sorption Isotherm showed that the cells harvested from the stationary and endogenous growth phase exhibited significantly higher metal sorption capacity than the cells from the exponential phase. The sequence of preferential uptake of metals by N. amarae cells was Cu>Cd>Ni. The specific surFace area of Nocardia cells was determined by a dye adsorption method. N.amarae cells growing at ewponential phase had significantly less specific surface area than that of stationary phase, indicating that the lower metal sorption capacity of Nocardia cells growing at exponential phase may be due to the lower specific surface area. The growth conditions of Nocardia cells in continuous culture affect their cell surface properties, thereby governing the adsorption capacity of heavy metal. The comparison of dye sorption isotherms for Nocardia cells growing at various growth rates revealed that the cell surface area increased with increasing sludge age, indicating that the cell surface area is highly dependent on the steady-state growth rate. The highest specific surface area of 199m21g was obtained from N.amarae cell harvested at 0.33 day-1 of growth rate. This result suggests that growth condition not only alters the structure of Nocardia cell wall but also affects the surface area, thus yielding more binding sites of metal removal. After reaching the steady-state condition at dilution rate, metal adsorption isotherms were used to determine the equilibrium distributions of metals between aqueous and Nocardia cell surfaces. The metal sorption capacity of Nocardia biomass harvested from 0.33 day-1 of growth rate was significantly higher than that of cells harvested from 0.5- and 1-day-1 operation, indicatng that N.amarae cells with a lower growth rate have higher sorpion capacity. This result was in close agreement with the trend observed from the batch study. To evaluate the effect of Nocardia cells on the metal binding capacity of activated sludge, specific surface area and metal sorption capacity of the mixture of Nocardia pure cultures and activated sludge biomass were determined by a series of batch experiments. The higher levels of Nocardia cells in the Nocardia-activated sludge samples resulted in the higher specific surface area, explaining the higher metal sorption sites by the mixed luquor samples containing greater amounts on Nocardia cells. The effect of Nocardia cells on the metal sorption capacity of activated sludge was evaluated by spiking an activated sludge sample with various amounts of pre culture Nocardia cells. The results of the Langmuir isotherm model fitted to the metal sorption by various mixtures of Nocardia and activated sludge indicated that the mixture containing higher Nocardia levels had higher metal adsorption capacity than the mixture containing lower Nocardia levels. At Nocardia levels above 100mg/g VSS, the metal sorption capacity of activate sludge increased proportionally with the amount of Noeardia cells present in the mixed liquor, indicating that the presence of Nocardia may increase the viosorption capacity of activated sludge.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.719-728
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• 2021

Melanin pigments are abundantly distributed in mammalian skin, hair, eyes, and nervous system. Under normal physiological conditions, melanin protects the skin against various environmental stresses and acts as a physiological redox buffer to maintain homeostasis. However, abnormal melanin accumulation results in various hyperpigmentation conditions, such as chloasma, freckles, senile lentigo, and inflammatory pigmentation. Tyrosinase, a copper-containing enzyme, plays an important role in the regulation of the melanin pigment biosynthetic pathway. Although several whitening agents based on tyrosinase inhibition have been developed, their side effects, such as allergies, DNA damage, mutagenesis, and cytotoxicity of melanocytes, limit their applications. In this study, we synthesized 4-chromanone derivatives (MHY compounds) and investigated their ability to inhibit tyrosinase activity. Of these compounds, (E)-3-(4-hydroxybenzylidene)chroman-4-one (MHY1294) more potently inhibited the enzymatic activity of tyrosinase (IC₅₀ = 5.1±0.86 μM) than kojic acid (14.3±1.43 μM), a representative tyrosinase inhibitor. In addition, MHY1294 showed competitive inhibitory action at the catalytic site of tyrosinase and had greater binding affinity at this site than kojic acid. Furthermore, MHY1294 effectively inhibited α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH)-induced melanin synthesis and intracellular tyrosinase activity in B16F10 melanoma cells. The results of the present study indicate that MHY1294 may be considered as a candidate pharmacological agent and cosmetic whitening ingredient.