• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.62-69
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• 1999

In order to investigate the critical amino acid residues involved in the catalytic activities of $\beta$-cyclodextrin glucanotransferase ($\beta$-CGTase) excreted by Bacillus firmus var. alkalophilus, the amino acid residues in $\beta$-CGTase were modified by various site-specific amino acid modifying reagents. The cyclizing and amylolytic activities of $\beta$-CGTase were all seriously reduced after treatment with Woodward's reagent K (WRK) modifying aspartic/glutamic acid, N-bromosuccinimde (NBS) modifying tryptophan, and diethylpyrocarbonate (DEPC) modifying histidine residues. The roles of tryptophan and histidine residues in $\beta$-CGTase were further investigated by measuring the protection effect of various substrates during chemical modification, comparing protein mobility in native and affinity polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis containing soluble starch, and comparing the $K_m$ and $V_{max}$ values of native and modified enzymes. Tryptophan residues were identified as affecting substrate-binding ability rather than influencing catalytic activities. On the other hand, histidine residues influenced catalytic ability rather than substrate-binding ability, plus histidine modification had an effect on shifting the optimum pH and pH stability.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.35 no.7
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• pp.1951-1955
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• 2014

Catalytic pyrolysis of Geodae-Uksae 1, a kind of miscanthus found in Korea, was carried out over mesoporous MCM-48 catalysts. For rapid product analysis and catalyst evaluation, pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry was used. X-ray diffraction, nitrogen sorption, pyridine adsorbed Fourier transform infrared, and NH3 temperature programmed desorption were utilized to analyze the properties of the catalysts. Compared to non-catalytic reaction, catalytic upgrading over mesoporous Al-MCM-48 catalysts produced a higher-quality bio-oil with a high stability and low oxygen content. Al-MCM-48 exhibited higher deoxygenation ability than Si-MCM-48 due to its higher acidity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.1375-1382
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• 2019

Phenylalanine hydroxylase from Chromobacterium violaceum (CvPAH) is a monomeric enzyme that converts phenylalanine to tyrosine. It shares high amino acid identity and similar structure with a subunit of human phenylalanine hydroxylase that is a tetramer, resulting in the latent application in medications. In this study, semirational design was applied to CvPAH to improve the catalytic ability based on molecular dynamics simulation analyses. Four N-terminal truncated variants and one single point variant were constructed and characterized. The D267P variant showed a 2.1-fold increased thermal stability compared to the wild type, but lower specific activity was noted compared with the wild type. The specific activity of all truncated variants was a greater than 25% increase compared to the wild type, and these variants showed similar or slightly decreased thermostability with the exception of the $N-{\Delta}9$ variant. Notably, the $N-{\Delta}9$ variant exhibited a 1.2-fold increased specific activity, a 1.3-fold increased thermostability and considerably increased catalytic activity under the neutral environment compared with the wild type. These properties of the $N-{\Delta}9$ variant could advance medical and pharmaceutical applications of CvPAH. Our findings indicate that the N-terminus might modulate substrate binding, and are directives for further modification and functional research of PAH and other enzymes.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Visualization
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.20-24
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• 2012

Increasing the active catalyst surface area is important in improving a converter's efficiency. In addition, uniform flow is advantageous in that it produces more efficient catalytic conversion. This results in the ability to use a smaller catalytic converter with uniform flow as opposed to a larger converter requirement for non-uniform flow. Therefore, it is important to characterize the internal flow of the catalytic converter. To characterize the system's flow patterns, velocity measurements were taken at the mid and exit planes of a ceramic honeycomb catalytic converter at flow rates of 37.8 l/s and 94.4 l/s. Measurements were conducted using LDV. The profiles were measured along both the major and minor axis of the planes. Primary flow direction velocities measured along the minor axis, at both flow rates, varied greatly at the mid plane and somewhat at the exit plane. The areas of greatest air flow were seen near the edges of the walls and on the side of the converter opposite the flow's entrance region. It also appears that the high velocities opposite the intake are due to the design of the entrance region. The entrance region is possibly too small to properly redirect the vertically entering fluid into an evenly distributed flow in the primary flow direction.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.02a
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• pp.588-588
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• 2013

Nanoscale noble-metals have attracted enormous attention from researchers in various fields of study because of their unusual optical properties as well as novel chemical properties. They have possible uses in diverse applications such as devices, transistors, optoelectronics, information storages, and energy converters. It is well-known that nanoparticles of noble-metals such as silver and gold show strong absorption bands in the visible region due to their surface-plasmon oscillation modes of conductive electrons. Silver nanocubes stand out from various types of Silver nanostructures (e.g., spheres, rods, bars, belts, and wires) due to their superior performance in a range of applications involvinglocalized surface plasmon resonance, surface-enhanced Raman scattering, and biosensing. In addition, extensive efforts have been devoted to the investigation of Gold-based nanocomposites to achieve high catalytic performances and utilization efficiencies. Furthermore, as the catalytic reactivity of Silver nanostructures depends highly on their morphology, hollow Gold nanoparticles having void interiors may offer additional catalytic advantages due to their increased surface areas. Especially, hollow nanospheres possess structurally tunable features such as shell thickness, interior cavity size, and chemical composition, leading to relatively high surface areas, low densities, and reduced costs compared with their solid counterparts. Thus, hollow-structured noblemetal nanoparticles can be applied to nanometer-sized chemical reactors, efficient catalysts, energy-storage media, and small containers to encapsulate multi-functional active materials. Silver nanocubes dispersed in water have been transformed into Ag@Au nanoboxes, which show highly enhanced catalytic properties, by adding $HAuCl_4$. By using this concept, $SiO_2$-coated Ag@Au nanoboxes have been synthesized via galvanic replacement of $SiO_2$-coated Ag nanocubes. They have lower catalytic ability but more stability than Ag@Au nanoboxes do. Thus, they could be recycled. $SiO_2$-coated Ag@Au nanoboxes have been found to catalyze the degradation of 4-nitrophenol efficiently in the presence of $NaBH_4$. By changing the amount of the added noble metal salt to control the molar ratio Au to Ag, we could tune the catalytic properties of the nanostructures in the reduction of the dyes. The catalytic ability of $SiO_2$-coated Ag@Au nanoboxes has been found to be much more efficient than $SiO_2$-coated Ag nanocubes. Catalytic performances were affected noteworthily by the metals, sizes, and shapes of noble-metal nanostructures.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.79-87
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• 1989

In order to reduce the smoke emission from the in-service city bus, this study was evaluated the particulate reduction efficiency and regeneration ability of the catalitic trap oxidizer (CTO) on the city bus (D0846HM engine) equipped with it. Before the on-road CTO test, the laboratory test of CTO on engine test-bench was performed. Reduction efficiencies of smokes and particulates were 54 and 45%, and those of gaseous pollutants such as carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbons (HC) were 90 and 60%. In order to evaluate the regeneration ability of the CTO by the catalytic oxidation of trapped particulate, field test was performed on the in-service road. The regeneration temperature was 350$^\circ$ which was same with the exhaust temperature of city bus.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.322-328
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• 2013

Copper iodide was employed as a modifier for preparation of a new carbon ceramic electrode. For the first time, the catalytic oxidation of amoxicillin (AMX) was demonstrated by cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry and amperometry methods at the surface of this modified carbon ceramic electrode. The copper iodide modified sol-gel derived carbon ceramic (CIM-SGD-CC) electrode has very high catalytic ability for electrooxidation of amoxicillin. The catalytic oxidation peak current was linearly dependent on the amoxicillin concentration and the linearity range obtained was 100 to 1000 ${\mu}mol\;L^{-1}$ with a detection limit of 0.53 ${\mu}mol\;L^{-1}$. The diffusion coefficient ($D=(1.67{\pm}0.102){\times}10^{-3}\;cm^2\;s^{-1}$), and the kinetic parameter such as the electron transfer coefficient (${\alpha}$) and exchange current density ($j_0$) for the modified electrode were calculated. The advantages of the modified CCE are its good stability and reproducibility of surface renewal by simple polishing, excellent catalytic activity and simplicity of preparation.

• Proceedings of the Korea Air Pollution Research Association Conference
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• 1999.04a
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• pp.305-306
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• 1999

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.30 no.12
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• pp.2899-2904
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• 2009

Esterification is an important class of reactions in the preparation of perfumery and flavor chemicals, wherein homogeneous, solid acidic, and superacidic catalysts are normally used. Now, an efficient and selective protocol for protection of various functionalized alcohols employing carboxylic acids as protecting agents is realized through the catalytic mediation of simple heteropolyoxometallates. In this methodology, water is the only by-product and notably the aspect of effluent treatments does not arise. The advantages include the operational simplicity, recycle ability of the catalyst and mild reaction conditions. The present catalytic system may be a potential candidate not only for laboratory practice but also for commercial applications and offers an environmentally safer alternative to the existing processes.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.431-439
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• 2006

Catalytic oxidation of benzene, toluene and xylene (BTX) using regenerated metal oxide catalysts (ZnO-CuO, NiO, $Fe_2O_3$, ZnO, CrO) were investigated in a fixed bed flow reactor to evaluate their feasibility for the purpose of removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Four kinds of pre-treatment methods such as gas (air and hydrogen), acid aqueous solution, alkali aqueous solution and cleaning agent were used to find out the optimal regeneration conditions. The physico-chemical properties of the used and regenerated catalysts were characterized by BET and TPR (Temperature Programmed Reduction). The used catalysts showed high conversion ratio and the catalytic ability of toluene oxidation was in the order of ZnO-CuO>$Fe_2O_3$>NiO>ZnO>CrO. We found that the acid aqueous pre-treatment (0.1 N HNO$_3$) was the best way to enhance the catalytic activity of $Fe_2O_3$. In addition, air and hydrogen gas treatment were optimal for NiO and ZnO-CuO catalysts, respectively. Furthermore, the decomposition of BTX depends on the type of a catalyst and a gas molecule.