This study aims to study the conformation, the hydrogen bond network, and the stabilities of all the possible intermolecular interactions in phosphorylated nata de coco membrane with water (NDCF-(H2O)n, n = 1-5). Analysis of natural bond orbital (NBO) was performed to measure the relative strength of the hydrogen bonding interactions, charge transfer, particularly the interactions of n-σ * O-H and to take into account the effect on the stabilities of the molecular structure. All calculation were performed using density functional theory (DFT) method, at B3LYP functional level of theory and 6-311 G** basis set. The charge transfer between the lone pair of a proton acceptor to the anti-bonding orbital of the proton donor provides the substantial to the stabilization of the hydrogen bonds. Interaction between NDCF and (H2O)5 was strongest with the stabilization energy of 37.73 kcal/mol, that indicate the ease of donating lone pair electrons. The contributions of each hydrogen bond to the stability of the complex have been analyzed.

Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is needed by the human body but it is already damaged by the rise in temperature due to be oxidized to L-dehydroascorbic acid. This research aims to determine the kinetics of oxidation of ascorbic acid due to an increase if temperature (40-80 °C) and to design an ascorbic acid oxidation reaction laboratory module to be applied in the senior high school reaction kinetics curriculum. The determination of the kinetics of the oxidation of ascorbic acid applies the integral and half-change time methods, while the concentration of the remained ascorbic acid in sixty minute intervals is determined by iodimetric titration method. Decomposition of ascorbic acid was measured at 40, 50, 60, 70 and 80 °C. The results of this research indicate that at 40, 50, 60, 70 and 80 °C the kinetics of the oxidation of ascorbic acid is a first-order reaction with rate constants of 4.55 x 10-4, 5.85 x 10-4, 8.4 x 10-4, 1.1 x 10-3 and 1.015 x 10-3 min-1, respectively. Pre-exponential factor or the frequency of collisions is a factor which is a measure of the collision rate. The activation energy and the pre-exponential factor for the oxidation of ascorbic acid were found to be 20.73 kJ.mol-1 and 1.372 min-1. The procedure used in this study was modified into a laboratory module will be applied in the teaching of reaction kinetics at the senior high school level.

Durian peels is a biomass waste that can be used as an alternative fuel in charcoal briquettes. Durian peels contains combustible materials, namely high cellulose (50%-60%) and lignin (5%) and low starch (5%). This study aims to determine the characteristics of charcoal briquettes from durian skin waste using adhesive from sago starch as an alternative fuel. The adhesive used is adhesive from sago flour, which is 3% of the weight of the charcoal used. In this study, 500 g of charcoal was used, so that the adhesive used was 15 g. The results of testing the quality of briquettes products made from durian peels obtained calorific value (5189.128 Cal/g), moisture content value (3.6044%), ash content value (3.5643%), volatile matter value (21.1273%), and the value of bounds carbon content (69.2279%), density (0.4778 g/cm3), combustion rate (0.22 g/second). Briquettes produced from durian skin waste using starch from sago as an adhesive can be used as an alternative fuel that is environmentally friendly

Sitti Rahmawati, Yassaroh Yassaroh, Melvina Theodora, Tahril Tahril, Afadil Afadil, Tri Santoso, Suherman Suherman, and Yuli Nurmayanti. Prev Nutr Food Sci 2024;29:210-9. https://doi.org/10.3746/pnf.2024.29.2.210

This research aims to calculate energetics parameters, hydrogen bonding, characteristics local hydration, and proton transfer in phosphorylated nata de coco (NDCF) membrane using ab initio method. The minimum energy structure of NDCF membranes and the addition of n water molecules (n = 1-10) determined at the B3LYP/6-311G** level indicates that proton dissociation requires a minimum of four water molecules. Dissociated protons stabilize with the formation of (hydronium, Zundel, Eigen) ions. Calculation of the interaction energy with n water molecules indicates an increasingly negative change in energy (ΔE) and enthalpy (ΔH), and hence an increasingly positive interaction with water molecules. This interaction facilitates the transfer of protons in the membrane matrix. Calculation of the rotational energy at the center of C-O indicates that the pyranose ring structure, with a maximum barrier energies of ~ 12.5 J/mol, is much more flexible than the aromatic backbones of sulfonated poly(phenylene) sulfone (sPSO2) and the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) backbones in perfluorosulfonic acid ionomers (PFSA). These energy calculations provide the basis that the flexibility of the pyranose ring and the hydrogen bonding between water molecules and phosphonate groups influence the transfer of protons in the membrane of NDCF.