Imaging of enzyme activity by scanning electrochemical microscope equipped with a feedback control for substrate-probe distance

The enzymatic activity of diaphorase (Dp) immobilized on a solid substrate was characterized using a scanning electrochemical microscope (SECM) with shear force feedback to control the substrate-probe distance. The shear force between the substrate and the probe was monitored with a tuning fork-type quartz crystal and used as the feedback control to set the microelectrode probe close to the substrate surface. The sensitivity and the contrast of the SECM image were improved in the constant distance mode (distance, 50 nm) with the shear force feedback compared to the image in the constant height mode without the feedback. By using this system, the SECM and topographic images of the immobilized diaphorase were simultaneously measured. The microelectrode tip used in this study was ground aslant like a syringe needle in order to obtain the shaper topographic images. This shape was also effective for avoiding the interference during the diffusion of the enzyme substrates.     

Synthesis, structure and thermal stability of fully hydrophobic porphyrin-DNA conjugates

The DNAs modified with tetraphenyl porphyrin at the center of 13mer oligonucleotide were synthesized using phosphoramidite chemistry and automated DNA synthesis. When the porphyrin modified oligonucleotide was annealed with its complementary strand, they formed a standard B-form duplex. The porphyrin moiety intercalated in the duplex, and moderately lowered the thermal stability.     

Janus particles with a functional gold surface for control of surface plasmon resonance

We report in this study the presence of Janus particles, which are candidates for use with electronic color papers. We used negatively charged polystyrene particles (370 nm) as the core particles, and gold was then sputtered onto their packed monolayer under several conditions. The sputtered particles were next redispersed into the aqueous medium by gentle sonication. Gold nanoparticles localized on one side of the cores could also serve as seeds for subsequent shell growth by electroless gold plating. Through these treatments, a series of well-dispersed Janus particles were obtained with gold nanostructures of different size and shape only on one side. Their dispersions showed different colors originating from the surface plasmon resonance absorption of gold nanoparticles localized on the hemisphere. The particles obtained by this approach have potential applications such as in sensors and electronic color paper.     

Chiral recognition in NMR spectroscopy using crown ethers and their ytterbium(III) complexes

Chiral crown ethers 1 and 5 are useful enantiomeric discriminating agents in ¹H NMR spectroscopy for neutral and protonated primary amines, amino acids, and amino alcohols. The presence of the carboxylic acid groups in 1 and 5 provide sites at which ytterbium(III) can bind. Adding ytterbium(III) nitrate to crown–substrate mixtures in methanol-d₄ causes shifts in the spectra of substrates and often enhances the chiral discrimination in the ¹H NMR spectrum. The enhancement in enantiomeric discrimination that occurs in the presence of ytterbium(III) allows lower concentrations of the crown ether to be used in chiral recognition studies. Several amide derivatives of 1 were prepared and evaluated as chiral NMR discriminating agents, although except for 1e, these were less effective than 1.     

Geochemical studies on the Chernobyl radioactivity in environmental samples

Artificial radionuclides in deposition and airborne dust samples in 1986 were measured at Tsukuba and 11 stations in Japan. In May 1986, the Chernobyl radioactivity was observed in rain and air samples in Japan. The Chernobyl-derived Pu isotopes, which are characterized by higher²³⁸Pu/^239,240Pu (85) and²⁴¹Pu/²³⁸Pu (0.5) activity ratios than those of the nuclear test-derived Pu and⁹⁰Sr, were detected in deposition and airborne dust samples in Japan, as well as volatile radionuclides such as¹³¹I and¹³⁷Cs. However, the activities of Pu isotopes and⁹⁰Sr observed in Japan were about two and three orders of magnitude lower than those expected from the activity ratios in the total release at Chernobyl, which means that the residence time of Pu in the air was shorter than that of¹³⁷Cs. In order to understand the fractionation between the Chernobyl radionuclides we studied about individual wet and dry deposition. The results suggest that this cause is due to the difference of the particle size of radionuclide-bearing particles, which may be related to the release process of Chernobyl radionuclides.     

Ni-complex-catalysed addition polymerisation of 2-phenyl-1-methylenecylopropane to afford a polymer with cyclopropylidene groups

pi-Allyl-nickel complexes initiated addition polymerisation of 2-phenyl-1-methylenecyclopropane to give a polymer with three-membered rings; the formed polymer showed a high Tg and negligible thermal decomposition up to 300 degrees C.     

Saccharide-branched Cyclodextrins as Targeting Drug Carriers

A synthetic series of heptakis-galactose-branched cyclodextrins (termed CDs) having a longer spacer arm using two amino-caproic acids as an enlarging unit were prepared. Starting with heptakis-amino-β-CD or heptakis-amino-caproic-amide-β-CD, treated with galactosyl-glucono-amide-caproic acid, the new compounds heptakis (Gal-cap1)-CD (4) or heptakis (Gal-cap2)-CD (5) were obtained. The longer galactose spacer arm extremely favors the PNA association. The effect of branch length on K with PNA was enhanced up to 138-fold 3 as well as with DXR enhanced up to 81-fold. Hexakis (Gal-cap2)-CD (6) was prepared and the association constants with rat liver cells were observed to be 2.5 × 10¹⁰ M⁻¹. A multi-high mannose type oligosaccharide branched CD (7) showed a large association constant with DXR up to 1.1 × 10⁹ M⁻¹. The two-dimensional map for the association constants of newly synthesized oligosaccharide-branched CDs toward lectin or liver cells versus the association constants toward a drug (doxorubicin) suggested a method of finding a better targeting drug carrier. The structural effect of the oligosaccharide-CDs showed that the number and length of the branch were dominant factors in designing for enhanced dual recognition.     

Effect of omega-hydrogenation on the adsorption of fluorononanols at the hexane/water interface: pressure effect on the adsorption of fluorononanols

The interfacial tension gamma of the hexane solution of 1H,1H-perfluorononanol (FDFC(9)OH) and its omega-hydrogenated analogue, 1H,1H,9H-perfluorononanol (HDFC(9)OH), against water was measured as a function of pressure and concentration at 298.15 K in order to clarify the effect of omega-dipole on the orientation of fluorononanol molecules from the viewpoint of volume. The adsorbed films of both alcohols exhibit two kinds of phase transitions among three different states: the gaseous, expanded, and condensed states. The partial molar volume changes of adsorption - in the expanded and condensed states were evaluated and compared between the two systems. The - values of both alcohols are negative, and thus the alcohol molecules have smaller volume in the adsorbed film than in the bulk solution. Furthermore, the value was obtained through the evaluation of by the density measurement of the bulk hexane solution. It was found that the value of HDFC(9)OH is smaller than that of FDFC(9)OH in the condensed state. On the basis of three matters concerning the molecular structure of alcohols, the occupied area at the interface, and the orientation of FDFC(9)OH in the adsorbed film deduced from the earlier results of X-ray reflectivity measurement, the mean tilt angle of HDFC(9)OH from the interface normal in the condensed film was estimated to be 15 degrees . The thermodynamic estimation demonstrated here is highly valuable one to provide structure information on an adsorbed film.     

Unprecedented double nucleophilic addition of a hydride at a central carbon of an eta3-allyl ligand

Treatment of eta(3)-allyl compound [Cp(2)Mo(eta(3)-C(3)H(5))](+)(1; Cp =eta(5)-C(5)H(5)) with MH (M = Li, Na) resulted in reduction of the allyl ligand to give propane. Deuterium-labeling studies were used to trace the origins and fates of the hydrogen atoms. The mechanism is discussed in light of the HSAB principle. The studies showed that the formation of propane can be explained by 1,2-hydrogen migration from the central to the terminal carbon of the allyl ligand, and the subsequent double nucleophilic addition of the hydride at the central carbon.     

ZINC TETRAPHENYLPORPHYRIN-SENSITIZED PHOTOREDUCTION OF ANTHRAQUINONESULFONATE IN AQUEOUS MICELLAR SOLUTIONS*

Abstract— Zn-tetraphenylporphyrin (ZnTPP), solubilized in non-ionic surfactant micelles, was found to sensitize photoreductions of some sodium anthraquinonesulfonatesz in the presence of ascorbic acid under anaerobic conditions. The reaction rate was increased by the addition of an anionic surfactant, while retardation was observed with a cationic surfactant. The pH-reaction rate profiles showed maxima located in the order corresponding to pK_a-values for the semiquinone of each anthraquinone-sulfonate. A reaction scheme involving the formation of ZnTPP⁺ at the primary step, followed by back-reduction with ascorbic acid, is proposed. The reaction scheme is in good agreement with the results of flash photolysis. The surfactant micelles are suggested to aid the charge-separation between the ionic species just after the redox reaction involving the photoexcited ZnTPP and anthraquinonesulfonates.