•Asphaltenes and maltenes of bitumen before and after aging are investigated chemically.•After fractionation more wax is found in the maltenes compared to the bitumen.•Maltenes are close to the ...bitumen, but asphaltenes are more different.•Asphaltenes contain low molecular weight molecules that overlap with maltenes.•Differences in aromaticity are shown as asphaltenes > bitumen > maltenes.
Asphaltenes and maltenes of bitumen before and after aging are investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR), time of flight - secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). It has been shown that bitumen differs in terms of wax. After fractionation, more wax is found in the maltenes compared to the bitumen, and this is even more evident when bitumen is aged. For one bitumen, asphaltenes from the virgin binder do not contain carbonyls, which all fall into the maltenes. After bitumen aging, a large part of the carbonyl and sulfoxide signals is shifted to the asphaltenes. Differences in aromaticity are also evidenced as asphaltenes > bitumen > maltenes. TOF-SIMS shows that maltenes are close to the bitumen, but asphaltenes are more different. Also, maltenes are relatively unaffected by aging while larger differences are found in the asphaltenes between the virgin and aged binders. By GPC, a large molecular weight fraction of bitumen is shown as main part of the asphaltenes. However, asphaltenes also contain low molecular weight molecules that overlap with maltenes. Upon bitumen aging, some low molecular weight compounds may become part of asphaltenes, making the average molecular weight of the asphaltenes lower.
In time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), ionized molecules and molecular fragments (secondary ions) are generated in collisions of high-energy ions (primary ions) with a solid ...sample surface. Mass spectra of the emitted secondary ions are typically used to identify molecular species and to determine their spatial distribution on the sample surface. Here, we extend this application in a TOF-SIMS study of a series of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) where we focus on the fragmentation of these molecules, with the purpose of better understanding the fragmentation patterns of heavy aromatic molecules in petroleum. For all PAHs, the collision process generated (i) a series of smaller cation fragments and (ii) cations close in size to the original PAH (molecular cations). Stark differences are measured for various PAHs regarding the abundance of smaller fragments versus molecular cations. Observation of hydrogen-deficient (H-deficient) cation fragments indicates the formation of polyynes and allenes. For PAHs producing higher fractions of small cation fragments, these ions are surprisingly hydrogen rich (H-rich). The H/C ratio of fragments does not scale with the fraction of Clar sextet carbon, nor with energies of low-lying electronic transitions. Free radical cation fragments tend to be suppressed. For sufficiently large fragments, aromatic cations appear to be formed and include some free radical aromatics. There is ample production of molecular ions with loss of a single carbon atom or a methine group, which corresponds to the reduction of a 6-membered aromatic ring to a 5-membered ring. There is some enhancement of free radical molecular cations due to the corresponding formation of neutral polyynes. Fragment anions are also produced with a strong preference for very H-deficient carbon clusters, in some cases being the same as carbon cluster anions observed in space. Comparisons of PAH TOF-SIMS spectra with those of asphaltenes are discussed in detail.
The aim of this study is to characterize structures induced on bitumen surfaces under analysis by environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), and to examine possible contributing factors to ...the formation of their formation. Various bitumen samples are investigated, including soft and hard, as well as polymer modified bitumen. Chemical characterization is carried out by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), combined with principle component analysis (PCA). The study shows that, for soft bitumen, a tube pattern or worm structure is rapidly formed during ESEM analysis, but for hard bitumen, a longer exposure time is needed to develop a structure. The structures on the hard bitumen are also denser as compared to those on the soft bitumen. When sample specimens are deformed or stretched, the orientation of the created deformation is clearly reflected in the structures formed under ESEM, and for soft bitumen, the structure disappears overnight in vacuum but reappears with the same pattern upon repeated ESEM analysis. TOF-SIMS shows small but consistent chemical differences, indicating higher aliphatic and lower aromatic contents on the surface of the structured area compared to the unstructured area. Based on an estimated temperature increase on the bitumen surface due to the electron-beam irradiation, it is speculated that the ESEM-induced worm structure may be attributed to evaporation of volatiles, surface hardening and local expansion. In addition, under the electron-beam exposure, certain chemical reactions (e.g. breaking of chemical bonds, chain scission and crosslinking) may take place, possibly resulting in the observed chemical differences between the structured and unstructured areas.
•TOF-SIMS has been used successfully to characterize bitumen surfaces.•Bitumen with natural wax shows phase separation and wax-enrichment on air-cooled surfaces.•Wax-free bitumen shows homogeneous ...chemical and more aromatic structures on surfaces.•A wax-free bitumen to which isolated natural wax is added also shows phase separation.•Fracture surfaces of wax-containing bitumen reveal a different type of structure.
The chemical composition and structures of bitumen surfaces are characterised using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS). The effect of wax is considered by comparing a wax-free bitumen with a bitumen that contains natural wax and a wax-free bitumen to which a small amount of wax has been added. The results demonstrate that TOF-SIMS is a powerful method for the chemical characterisation of surface structures and phase segregation phenomena in bitumen. It is evident that the structures formed on the bitumen surface are closely related to the wax content and that these structures, as well as the surface in general, are enriched in wax-related compounds (aliphatic hydrocarbons with a high degree of saturation). For the wax-free bitumen, the surface is characterised by a homogeneous distribution without chemical variations or phase structures and by a stronger signal intensity from aromatic compounds. When adding wax to the wax-free bitumen, extensive wax segregation occurs, but differently from the natural waxy bitumen, no bee structures are observed. Furthermore, fracture surfaces of all the wax-containing samples reveal circular structures, which are distinctly different from those observed on the original surfaces. The obtained chemical knowledge on bitumen surfaces and phase structures is of fundamental importance to understand performance differences of this type of materials.
n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, namely docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and can ameliorate many of obesity-associated disorders. ...We hypothesised that the latter effect will be more pronounced when DHA/EPA is supplemented as phospholipids rather than as triglycerides.
In a 'prevention study', C57BL/6J mice were fed for 9 weeks on either a corn oil-based high-fat obesogenic diet (cHF; lipids ∼35% wt/wt), or cHF-based diets in which corn oil was partially replaced by DHA/EPA, admixed either as phospholipids or triglycerides from marine fish. The reversal of obesity was studied in mice subjected to the preceding cHF-feeding for 4 months. DHA/EPA administered as phospholipids prevented glucose intolerance and tended to reduce obesity better than triglycerides. Lipemia and hepatosteatosis were suppressed more in response to dietary phospholipids, in correlation with better bioavailability of DHA and EPA, and a higher DHA accumulation in the liver, white adipose tissue (WAT), and muscle phospholipids. In dietary obese mice, both DHA/EPA concentrates prevented a further weight gain, reduced plasma lipid levels to a similar extent, and tended to improve glucose tolerance. Importantly, only the phospholipid form reduced plasma insulin and adipocyte hypertrophy, while being more effective in reducing hepatic steatosis and low-grade inflammation of WAT. These beneficial effects were correlated with changes of endocannabinoid metabolome in WAT, where phospholipids reduced 2-arachidonoylglycerol, and were more effective in increasing anti-inflammatory lipids such as N-docosahexaenoylethanolamine.
Compared with triglycerides, dietary DHA/EPA administered as phospholipids are superior in preserving a healthy metabolic profile under obesogenic conditions, possibly reflecting better bioavalability and improved modulation of the endocannabinoid system activity in WAT.
Residual melanins have been detected in multimillion-year-old animal body fossils; however, confident identification and characterization of these natural pigments remain challenging due to loss of ...chemical signatures during diagenesis. Here, we simulate this post-burial process through artificial maturation experiments using three synthetic and one natural eumelanin exposed to mild (100 °C/100 bar) and harsh (250 °C/200 bar) environmental conditions, followed by chemical analysis employing alkaline hydrogen peroxide oxidation (AHPO) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). Our results show that AHPO is sensitive to changes in the melanin molecular structure already during mild heat and pressure treatment (resulting, e.g., in increased C-C cross-linking), whereas harsh maturation leads to extensive loss of eumelanin-specific chemical markers. In contrast, negative-ion ToF-SIMS spectra are considerably less affected by mild maturation conditions, and eumelanin-specific features remain even after harsh treatment. Detailed analysis of ToF-SIMS spectra acquired prior to experimental treatment revealed significant differences between the investigated eumelanins. However, systematic spectral changes upon maturation reduced these dissimilarities, indicating that intense heat and pressure treatment leads to the formation of a common, partially degraded, eumelanin molecular structure. Our findings elucidate the complementary nature of AHPO and ToF-SIMS during chemical characterization of eumelanin traces in fossilized organismal remains.
The barrier functions of skin against water loss, microbial invasion and penetration of xenobiotics rely, in part, on the spatial distribution of the biomolecular constituents in the skin structure, ...particularly its horny layer (stratum corneum). However, all skin layers are important to describe normal and dysfunctional skin conditions, and to develop adapted therapies or skin care products. In this work, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) combined with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to image the spatial distribution of a variety of molecular species, from stratum corneum down to dermis, in cross-section samples of human abdominal skin. The results demonstrate the expected localization of ceramide and saturated long-chain fatty acids in stratum corneum (SC) and cholesterol sulfate in the upper part of the viable epidermis. The localization of exogenous compounds is demonstrated by the detection and imaging of carvacrol (a constituent of oregano or thyme essential oil) and ceramide, after topical application onto ex vivo human skin. Carvacrol showed pronounced accumulation to triglyceride-containing structures in the deeper parts of dermis. In contrast, the exogenous ceramide was found to be localized in SC. Furthermore, the complementary character of this approach with classical ex vivo skin absorption analysis methods is demonstrated.
Time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) imaging has been used to investigate the incorporation of phospholipids into the plasma membrane of PC12 cells after incubation with ...phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE). The incubations were done at concentrations previously shown to change the rate of exocytosis in model cell lines. The use of TOF-SIMS in combination with an in situ freeze fracture device enables the acquisition of ion images from the plasma membrane in single PC12 cells. By incubating cells with deuterated phospholipids and acquiring ion images at high mass resolution, specific deuterated fragment ions were used to monitor the incorporation of lipids into the plasma membrane. The concentration of incorporated phospholipids relative to the original concentration of PC was thus determined. The observed relative amounts of phospholipid accumulation in the membrane range from 0.5 to 2% following 19 h of incubation with PC at 100–300 μM and from 1 to 9% following incubation with PE at the same concentrations. Phospholipid accumulation is therefore shown to be dependent on the concentration in the surrounding media. In combination with previous exocytosis results, the present data suggests that very small changes in the plasma membrane phospholipid concentration are sufficient to produce significant effects on important cellular processes, such as exocytosis in PC12 cells.
► Time of flight-secondary ion mass spectroscopy (TOF-SIMS) is a valuable tool for assessing the chemical aspects of the bone-implant interface. ► TOF-SIMS analysis could be done in combination with ...other techniques such as light and electron microscopy. ► Chemical and structural analysis from macro to nano could be achieved by combining different techniques. ► Sample preparation induce artifacts which has to be considered for each analysis.
Although bone-anchored implants are widely used in reconstructive medicine, the mechanism of osseointegration is still not fully understood. Novel analytical tools are needed to further understand this process, where both the chemical and structural aspects of the bone-implant interface are important. The aim of this study was to evaluate the advantages of combining time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy (TOF-SIMS) with optical (LM), scanning (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques for studying the bone-implant interface of bone-anchored implants. Laser-modified titanium implants with surrounded bone retrieved after 8 weeks healing in rabbit were dehydrated and resin embedded. Three types of sample preparation were studied to evaluate the information gained by combining TOF-SIMS, SEM, FIB and TEM. The results show that imaging TOF-SIMS can provide detailed chemical information, which in combination with structural information from microscopy methods provide a more complete characterization of anatomical structures at the bone-implant interface. By investigating various sample preparation techniques, it is shown that grinded cross section samples can be used for chemical imaging using TOF-SIMS, if careful consideration of potential preparation artifacts is taken into account. TOF-SIMS analysis of FIB-prepared bone/implant cross section samples show distinct areas corresponding to bone tissue and implant with a sharp interface, although without chemical information about the organic components.
Fossilized eyes permit inferences of the visual capacity of extinct arthropods
. However, structural and/or chemical modifications as a result of taphonomic and diagenetic processes can alter the ...original features, thereby necessitating comparisons with modern species. Here we report the detailed molecular composition and microanatomy of the eyes of 54-million-year-old crane-flies, which together provide a proxy for the interpretation of optical systems in some other ancient arthropods. These well-preserved visual organs comprise calcified corneal lenses that are separated by intervening spaces containing eumelanin pigment. We also show that eumelanin is present in the facet walls of living crane-flies, in which it forms the outermost ommatidial pigment shield in compound eyes incorporating a chitinous cornea. To our knowledge, this is the first record of melanic screening pigments in arthropods, and reveals a fossilization mode in insect eyes that involves a decay-resistant biochrome coupled with early diagenetic mineralization of the ommatidial lenses. The demonstrable secondary calcification of lens cuticle that was initially chitinous has implications for the proposed calcitic corneas of trilobites, which we posit are artefacts of preservation rather than a product of in vivo biomineralization
. Although trilobite eyes might have been partly mineralized for mechanical strength, a (more likely) organic composition would have enhanced function via gradient-index optics and increased control of lens shape.
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