Conformational changes in humic acids in aqueous solutions
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Martina Klučáková
,
Andrea Kargerová
Abstract
Conformational changes in humic acids in two different aqueous solutions (NaCl and NaOH) are studied by means of high resolution ultrasound spectrometry. The method is based on the measurement of parameters of ultrasonic waves propagating through the sample. The attenuation describes the decay of the amplitude of the ultrasonic wave with the distance travelled. The velocity is the speed of this wave and is related to the wavelength and the frequency of oscillation of the deformation. It is determined by the density and elasticity of the sample, which is strongly influenced by the molecular arrangement. The minimal velocity of ultrasound was observed at 1 g dm−3 for lignitic humic acids and at 0.5 g dm−3 for IHSS Leonardite standard. The values of compressibility as computed are almost constant up to humic acids’ content corresponding to the minimum velocity of ultrasound and then decrease with the increase in concentration. This shows that the organisation of particles in diluted and concentrated humic acids sols is different. The decrease in compressibility points to the formation of a more rigid structure, which could lead to the decrease in humic acids’ binding ability. It was confirmed that the method employed was very sensitive and could be utilised as an indicator of conformational changes in humic acids in solutions with varying concentrations.
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© 2012 Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences
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Articles in the same Issue
- 5th Meeting on Chemistry & Life 2011
- Induction of Cryptococcus laurentii α-galactosidase
- Incorporation of β-(1,6)-linked glucooligosaccharides (pustulooligosaccharides) into plant cell wall structures
- Metal-metabolomics of microalga Chlorella sorokiniana growing in selenium- and iodine-enriched media
- Metabolomic approach to Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis based on mass spectrometry
- Seasonal changes of Rubisco content and activity in Fagus sylvatica and Picea abies affected by elevated CO2 concentration
- Identification and determination of relatedness of lactobacilli using different DNA amplification methods
- Production of Geotrichum candidum polygalacturonases via solid state fermentation on grape pomace
- Monitoring of yeast population isolated during spontaneous fermentation of Moravian wine
- Biodegradable polyhydroxybutyrate as a polyol for elastomeric polyurethanes
- Conformational changes in humic acids in aqueous solutions
- Preparation and properties of cementitious composites for geothermal applications
