Kinetics of the demethylation of toluene in presence of excess of water over nickel catalysts

Summary With a fifty-fold excess of water in the temperature range 320–360°, there are at least two temperature ranges close to 320° and to 350° in which the demethylation of toluene with the participation of water considerably predominates over other possible transformations of toluene.     

Thermodynamic Model for the Solubility of NdF3(cr) in the Na+–NH 4 + –Nd3+–F−–H2O System at 25 °C

The major objective of this study, based on critical review and experimental studies, was to develop a reliable thermodynamic model for the Nd–F system at 25 °C. The SIT model was used to convert concentration constants reported in the literature to constants at zero ionic strengths for cross comparison and selection of reliable values. The critically evaluated thermodynamic constants for the formation of NdF²⁺ and NdF ₂ ⁺ were then used to interpret the extensive NdF₃(cr) solubility data in NaF and NH₄F solutions, ranging in concentrations from extremely low values to as high as 1.0 mol·kg^?1, equilibrated for different periods ranging up to as long as 72 days. These efforts have resulted in $ \log_{10} \beta_{n}^{0} $ log 10 β n 0 for the reaction [Nd³⁺ + nF^? ? NdF _n ^3?n ] of (3.81 ± 0.10), (5.89 ± 0.77), and <12.48 for n values of 1–3, respectively. The $ \log_{10} K_{\text{sp}}^{0} $ log 10 K sp 0 for the solubility of NdF₃(cr) (NdF₃(cr) ? Nd³⁺ + 3F^?) was determined to be (?20.49 ± 0.37). Because (1) Nd is an excellent analog for trivalent actinides—An(III) (i.e., Pu(III), Am(III), and Cm(III)), and (2) the available data for the An(III)–F system, especially the solubility products of AnF₃(cr), are of extremely poor quality, the critical literature review in combination with the experimental Nd–F system data have been used to assign thermodynamic constants for the An(III)–F reactions until good quality specific data for them becomes available.     

Regiospecific Coordination of Re3 Clusters with the Sumanene‐Type Hexagons on Endohedral Metallofullerenes and Higher Fullerenes That Provides an Efficient Separation Method

The reactions of [(μ‐H)₃Re₃(CO)₁₁(NCMe)] with Sc₂@C₈₂‐C_3v(8), Sc₂C₂@C₈₀‐C_2v(5), Sc₂O@C₈₂‐C_s(6), C₈₆‐C₂(17), and C₈₆‐C_s(16) have been carried out to produce face‐capping cluster complexes. The Re₃ triangles are found to bind to the sumanene‐type hexagons on the fullerene surface regiospecifically. In contrast, Sc₃N@C₇₈‐D_3h(5) and Sc₃N@C₈₀‐I_h show no reactivity toward [(μ‐H)₃Re₃(CO)₁₁(NCMe)], probably due to electronic and steric factors. These complexes can be easily purified by using HPLC. Carbonylation of each complex releases the corresponding higher fullerene or endohedral metallofullerene in pure form. Remarkably, the C₈₆‐C₂(17) and C₈₆‐C_s(16) isomers were successively separated through Re₃ cluster complexation/decomplexation. This unique bonding feature may provide an attractive general strategy to purify as yet unresolved fullerene mixtures.     

A preliminary investigation on the determination of lanthanoids, thorium and uranium in brine and deposit of a salt lake in China

A brine sample and two deposit samples of a salt lake in China were analyzed for their contents of lanthanoids (Ln's), thorium and uranium by neutron activation analysis. Five Ln's were determined at sub ppb levels. Th and U contents were at about the same levels as those of Ln's. The lanthanoid abundance patterns (Ln pattern) of the three samples are similar to each other, each having a negative slope in the light Ln region. There seems no substantial difference in distribution between the solution (brine) and solid (deposit) phases among Ln's.     

Site-selective guest inclusion in molecular networks of butadiyne-bridged pyridino and benzeno square macrocycles on a surface

We present here the formation of a modular 2D molecular network composed of two different types of square-shaped butadiyne-bridged macrocycles, having intrinsic molecular voids, aligned alternately at the solid-liquid interface. Site-selective inclusion of a guest cation took place at every other molecular void in the molecular network with two different recognition sites.     

Cationic polyrotaxanes effectively inhibit uptake via carnitine/organic cationic transporters without cytotoxicity

We examined the inhibitory effect of cationic polyrotaxanes, which consist of alpha-cyclodextrins threaded on a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chain, on the activity of the intestinal carnitine/organic cation transporter, OCTN2, in OCTN2 gene-transfected HEK293/PDZK1 cells. The cationic polyrotaxanes effectively inhibited the OCTN2-mediated carnitine transport. Polyrotaxanes with a longer PEG chain exhibited a greater inhibitory effect, possibly owing to multivalent interactions with binding sites on OCTN2. These cationic polyrotaxanes were far less cytotoxic than conventional polycations, and are therefore interesting candidates as low-toxicity inhibitors of cation transport at cell surfaces.     

Development of a novel two-dimensional gel electrophoresis protocol with agarose native gel electrophoresis

A new protocol for conducting two-dimensional (2D) electrophoresis was developed by combining the recently developed agarose native gel electrophoresis with either vertical sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) or flat SDS agarose gel electrophoresis. Our innovative technique utilizes His/MES buffer (pH 6.1) during the first-dimensional (1D) agarose native gel electrophoresis, which allows for the simultaneous and clear visualization of basic and acidic proteins in their native states or complex structures. Our agarose gel electrophoresis is a true native electrophoresis, unlike blue native–PAGE, which relies on the intrinsic charged states of the proteins and their complexes without the need for dye binding. In the 2D, the gel strip from the 1D agarose gel electrophoresis is soaked in SDS and placed on top of the vertical SDS–PAGE gels or the edge of the flat SDS–MetaPhor high-resolution agarose gels. This allows for customized operation using a single electrophoresis device at a low cost. This technique has been successfully applied to analyze various proteins, including five model proteins (BSA, factor Xa, ovotransferrin, IgG, and lysozyme), monoclonal antibodies with slightly different isoelectric points, polyclonal antibodies, and antigen–antibody complexes, as well as complex proteins such as IgM pentamer and β-galactosidase tetramer. Our protocol can be completed within a day, taking approximately 5–6 h, and can be expanded further into Western blot analysis, mass spectrometry analysis, and other analytical methods.     

Molecular Mobility of Polyrotaxane Surfaces Alleviates Oxidative Stress-Induced Senescence in Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Polyrotaxane is a supramolecular assembly consisting of multiple cyclic molecules threaded by a linear polymer. One of the unique properties of polyrotaxane is molecular mobility, cyclic molecules moving along the linear polymer. Molecular mobility of polyrotaxane surfaces affects cell spreading, differentiation, and other cell-related aspects through changing subcellular localization of yes-associated proteins (YAPs). Subcellular YAP localization is also related to cell senescence derived from oxidative stress, which is known to cause cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Herein, the effects of polyrotaxane surface molecular mobility on subcellular YAP localization and cell senescence following H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress are evaluated in human mesenchymal stem cells (HMSCs) cultured on polyrotaxane surfaces with different molecular mobilities. Oxidative stress promotes cytoplasmic YAP localization in HMSCs on high-mobility polyrotaxane surfaces; however, low-mobility polyrotaxane surfaces more effectively maintain nuclear YAP localization, exhibiting lower senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity and senescence-related gene expression and DNA damage than that seen with the high-mobility surfaces. These results suggest that the molecular mobility of polyrotaxane surfaces regulates subcellular YAP localization, thereby protecting HMSCs from oxidative stress-induced cell senescence. Applying the molecular mobility of polyrotaxane surfaces to implantable scaffolds can provide insights into the prevention and treatment of diseases caused by oxidative stress.     

Reversible redox processes of poly(anilines) in layered semiconductor niobate films under alternate UV-vis light illumination

The synthesis of polyaniline (PANI) with semiconducting layered niobate (NbO) to form PANI/NbO hybrid materials and their reversible color change under a unique redox process under the influence of UV and/or visible light have been investigated. The in-situ polymerization of anilinium chlorides (ANI) packed in a regular orientation in a bilayer structure within the NbO interlayers led to PANI/NbO hybrid powders by heat treatment using (NH(4))(2)S(2)O(8) as the catalyst. The resulting PANI of these hybrids showed the characteristics of a fully oxidized quinoid form, i.e., pernigranine (PG). The PANI/NbO suspension in H(2)O was cast on a glass substrate to form a PANI/NbO film after evaporation of the water with a good parallel orientation of the NbO layers against the glass substrate. Upon UV light irradiation in the presence of a reductant such as MeOH, the violet-colored PANI (PG) polymers within the NbO interlayers were reduced by the NbO-induced photocatalytic reactions and led to a colorless PANI, i.e., leucoemeraldine (LE). Moreover, the resulting colorless PANI/NbO films reverted back to a blue-colored PANI, i.e., emeraldine (EM), due to oxidation by the surrounding O(2) gas. The PANI/NbO hybrid films were able to retain repetitive and reversible photoinduced patterning for over 50 cycles under such alternate UV and visible light irradiation.