Dicopper-dioxygen complex supported by asymmetric pentapyridine dinucleating ligand

A dicopper(I) complex supported by a novel asymmetric pentapyridine dinucleating ligand, consisting of tetradentate and tridentate metal-binding sites, has been synthesized and characterized. The dicopper(I) complex reacted with molecular oxygen at a low temperature to give an unprecedented mu-peroxo dicopper(II) complex presumably having a mu-eta1:eta2 binding mode, the spectroscopic features and the reactivity of which have been explored in detail.     

Production and utilization of amino acids.

The amino acid industry has been steadily expanding since monosodium glutamate was first marketed as a flavoring material in 1909. Its production has recently reached almost the 1 billion dollar level. Amino acids are produced by extraction from protein hydrolyzates, by fermentation with the aid of microorganisms, by enzymatic processes, and by chemical synthesis. To obtain natural L-amino acid, chemical synthesis generally requires two additional steps, i.e. optical resolution and racemization of the D isomer. The most important applications of amino acids include the fortification of plant food and feeds by supplementation of the deficient essential amino acid(s). Apart from their uses in the food industry, medical applications of amino acids (nutritional preparations and therapeutic agents) are becoming increasingly important.     

Determination of selenium in sediments by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry. Elimination of interferences

Summary The hydride generation/atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) with an automated flow system is useful for the routine analysis of selenium in environmental samples. This method is, however, subject to interferences from transition metal ions and other hydride forming ions. The conditions to minimize the interferences were established: the concentration of hydrochloric acid 6 mol/l; the concentration of tetrahydroborate 0.5%. Iron(III) chloride released the depression of selenium signals by metal ions such as copper(II) and bismuth(III). Selenium in several standard reference materials including sediment samples was determined by the present method and by fluorimetry with 2,3-diaminonaphthalene. The results obtained by the two methods agreed with an acceptable precision. This means that hydride generation/AAS offers good precision and accuracy in the determination of selenium in sediment samples as well as DAN fluorimetry. However, the former is much simpler in operation. The method was applied to the determination of selenium in estuarine sediments collected in Nagoya harbor and Ise Bay. The results can be used to assess the pollution state of these places.

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Selenbestimmung in Sedimenten durch AAS mit Hydriderzeugung. Eliminierung von Störungen

     

Application of DEM modified with enlarged particle model to simulation of bead motion in a bead mill

We applied the discrete element method （DEM） of simulation modified by an enlarged particle model to simulate bead motion in a large bead mill. The stainless-steel bead mill has inner diameter of 102 mm and mill length of 198 mm. The bead diameter and filling ratio were fixed respectively at 0.5 mm and 85%. The agitator rotational speed was changed from 1863 to 3261 rpm. The bead motion was monitored experimentally using a high-speed video camera through a transparent mill body. For the simulation, enlarged particle sizes were set as 3-6 mm in diameter. With the DEM modified by the enlarged particle model, the motion of enlarged particles in a mill was simulated.The velocity data of the simulated enlarged particles were compared with those obtained in the experiment. The simulated velocity of the enlarged particles depends on the virtual frictional coefficient in the DEM model. The optimized value of the virtual frictional coefficient can be determined by considering the accumulated mean value. Results show that the velocity of the enlarged particles simulated increases with an increase in the optimum virtual frictional coefficient, but the simulated velocity agrees well with that determined experimentally by optimizing the virtual frictional coefficient in the simulation. The computing time in the simulation decreases with increased particle size.     

Efficient biocatalysis for the production of enantiopure (S)-epoxides using a styrene monooxygenase (SMO) and Leifsonia alcohol dehydrogenase (LSADH) system

Herein we report the production of enantiopure epoxides through biocatalysis using recombinant Escherichia coli cells expressing Rhodococcus sp. ST-10 styrene monooxygenase (SMO) and Leifsonia sp. S749 alcohol dehydrogenase (LSADH) genes are described. Rhodococcus sp. ST-10 SMO catalyzed the epoxidation of various alkenes, including styrene derivatives, vinyl pyridines, and linear alkenes, to give (S)-epoxides. NADH was regenerated by the reduction of NAD⁺ by LSADH with 2-propanol. The E. coli biocatalyst was used in an aqueous/organic biphasic reaction system and the reaction conditions were optimized. Under the optimized conditions, 170 mM of (S)-styrene oxide was obtained from styrene in the organic phase with excellent enantiomeric excess (99.8%). This biocatalytic process was used to synthesize various (S)-epoxides.     

Cholesteric induction power of β-galactose derivatives

Galactose derivatives were explored as chiral dopants, effective for inducing chiral nematic liquid crystal (LC) phases. Galactose bearing O-isopropylidene substituents at the C3 and C4 and butoxybiphenyl substituents at the C2 and C6 positions exhibits a high helical twisting power (HTP) value of ?74.4 μm^?1. Such a high HTP value for the galactose derivative is attributed to (1) linkage of the C3 and C4 carbons with the O-isopropylidene substituent, which places the C2 and C6 substitutes in a skew arrangement at a large angle and (2) enhancement of the affinity with the host nematic LCs by incorporating aromatic substituents at the C2 and C6 positions that are similar to those in the host.     

Liquid-crystalline fork-like dendrons

ABSTRACT

Dendritic molecules having several rigid-rod moieties can be applied to induce liquid crystallinity for a variety of non-mesomorphic functional molecules such as metal complexes, nanoparticles, fullerenes and π-conjugated molecules when these dendritic molecules are covalently bonded to those non-mesomorphic molecules. These complex molecules are called supermolecular liquid crystals. Due to the cooperation of several mesogenic moieties, these dendritic molecules exhibit very stable liquid-crystalline (LC) phases. We have used fork-shaped LC dendrons having two or three rigid-rod moieties to induce liquid crystallinity for functional molecules such as interlocked molecules and π-conjugated molecules. In these fork-like molecules, the rigid-rod cores are attached to the 3,4,5-position of the phenyl moieties through flexible spacer, and these molecules are bonded to functional molecules through the 1-position. They basically form smectic LC phases, which induce the layered arrangement of functional moieties. Here we report on a new family of fork-like mesogens containing a hydrogen bonding moiety or an ionic group. They are designed to build supramolecular materials.     

Color centers in irradiated MgF2

Abstract

Color centers in rutile-structured MgF₂ single crystals irradiated at 20K/360K by reactor neutrons are investigated spectroscopically at LNT. Four different types of the F-F vacancy bond in MgF₂ are possibly identified to the observed absorption bands as due to the F₂ centers; instead of previous assignments, the 300nm band to the F₂(D_2h), the 325nm band to the F₂(C₁), the 355nm band to the F₂(C_2v), and the 400nm band to the F₂(C_2h) centers.