Helicoidal fields and spin polarized currents in carbon nanotube-DNA hybrids

We report on theoretical studies of electronic transport in the archetypical molecular hybrid formed by DNA wrapped around single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Using a Green's function formalism in a π-orbital tight-binding representation, we investigate the role that spin-orbit interactions play on the CNT in the case of the helicoidal electric field induced by the polar nature of the adsorbed DNA molecule. We find that spin polarization of the current can take place in the absence of magnetic fields, depending strongly on the direction of the wrapping and length of the helicoidal field. These findings open new routes for using CNTs in spintronic devices.     

Nuclear Moment Studies with Polarized Radioactive Nuclear Beams

Magnetic dipole and electric quadrupole moments of nuclei in the light-mass neutron-rich region have been studied by taking advantage of spin-polarized radioactive nuclear beams that have been obtained from the projectile fragmentation reaction. Analyses of the results reveal a few interesting phenomena characteristic of nuclear structures in this region. In particular, we report in some detail the latest result on the magnetic moment of the ¹⁷C ground state. The distinctly small value of the g-factor obtained, |g(¹⁷C)|=0.5054±0.0025, clearly excludes a I ^π=1/2⁺ candidate for the spin-parity assignment of this marginally bound nucleus, providing a reasonable account of the non-halo nature reported in recent breakup reaction experiments. Finally, future plans at the upcoming radioactive beam facility presently under construction at RIKEN are briefly mentioned. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Molecular design of potent inhibitor specific for cathepsin B based on the tertiary structure prediction.

To design a potent inhibitor specific for cathepsin B (rat liver), the tertiary structure was predicted based on the crystal structure of the papain complexed with (+)-(2S,3S)-3-(1-[N-(3-methylbutyl)amino]leucylcarbonyl)oxirane-2- carbolylic acid (E-64-c), a thiol protease inhibitor. Taking advantage of the structural characteristics of the predicted active site, seventeen inhibitors were chemically synthesized by molecular modeling, and one of them, N-(L-3-trans-propylcarbamoyloxirane-2-carbonyl)-L-isoleucyl-L-p rol ine (CA-074) was shown to be the first potent inhibitor specific for cathepsin B. The relationship between the structure and inhibitory activity is discussed based on the model structure of the cathepsin B-inhibitor complex.     

A new efficient decarboxylative reduction of γ-carbamoyloxy-α,β-unsaturated esters with lithium dialkylcuprate

A new synthetically useful decarboxylative reduction of γ-carbamoyloxy-α,β-unsaturated esters with lithium dialkylcuprate under mild condition was described.     

Reaction of α-chloroketones with 1,4-dianion of acetophenone n-ethoxy-carbonylhydrazone

1,4-Dianion of acetophenone N-ethoxycarbonylhydrazone (2) reacts with α-chloroketones such as phenacyl chloride, 1-chloroacetone, 3-chloro-2-butanone, and 1,3-dichloroacetone to give pyrazoline derivatives in good yields. In the reactions of 2-chlorocyclohexanone and 3-chloro-2-norbornanone with 2, cis-chlorohydrin and exo-chlorohydrin were selectively obtained, respectively.     

Quadrupole collectivity of Ne and the boundary of the island of inversion

The excitation of the neutron-rich nucleus ²⁸Ne has been investigated via heavy-ion inelastic scattering in reversed kinematics. The value was determined to be , which is smaller than expected from the low excitation energy of the first state. A comparison with theoretical predictions suggests that the suppressed collectivity in ²⁸Ne is characteristic of nuclei lying on the boundary of the ‘island of inversion’.     

β-delayed neutron decay of drip line nuclei 11Li and 14Be

Experimental studies of β-decay measurements of the neutron drip line nuclei ¹¹Li and ¹⁴Be are presented. β- decay schemes of these nuclei are determined by measuring β-rays, delayed neutrons and γ-rays in triple coincidence. The decay schemes of both ¹¹Li and ¹⁴Be associated with single neutron emission are unambiguously determined. New levels in their daughter nuclei, ¹¹Be and ¹⁴B, are found. In addition, the deduced level scheme of 14B indicates the lowering of 2s _1/2 single neutron orbital with respect to 1p _1/2 orbital in the N=9 isotones. Such behavior is known to exist in N=7.