Determination of phosphorus in biological material using electrothermal atomisation atomic absorption spectrometry with a molybdenum tube atomiser

Phosphorus has been determined by electrothermal atomisation atomic absorption spectrometry with a molybdenum tube atomiser. The effects of interferents on the phosphorus signal have been investigated. Chemical interferences were eliminated by high-temperature pyrolysis. The detection limit for the molybdenum tube system was 2.3 ng (corresponding to 2.3 micrograms ml-1 when 1 microliter was injected into the atomiser) and the characteristic mass was 1.9 ng of phosphorus. A calibration graph method combined with high-temperature pyrolysis has been evaluated through the determination of phosphorus in biological materials. The sensitivity, accuracy and precision of the method were superior to or nearly equal to those of graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. The advantages of the high-temperature pyrolysis method are its simplicity and low cost.     

DNA cleavage reaction of antitumour antibiotic, kapurimycin A3, with deoxytetranucleotide d(CGCG)2

Kapurimycin A3 (kap A3, 1 ), an antitumour antibiotic, alkylates N7 of guanine₂ (G₂) and G₄ of d(C₁G₂C₃G₄)₂ to produce their covalent adducts 2 (64 %) and 3 (7.0 %), respectively. Heating at 90 °C for 5 min degraded both adducts to kap A3 - G adduct (5) with the concurrent release of their respective abasic-site containing oligomers 4 and 6.     

Characterization of tension and normally lignified wood cellulose inPopulus maximowiczii

We have investigated unlignified tension wood and normally lignified wood celluloses inPopulus maximowiczii with particular reference to the composition of two crystalline phases I/I (triclinic/ monoclinic). Four independent techniques, which enable us to detect the two phases, CP/MAS¹³C NMR, Fourier transform infrared microscopy, selected-area electron diffraction, and X-ray diffraction were applied. Because of the low crystallinity of wood celluloses, particularly in the case of celluloses in the lignified cell wall, no single method was decisive enough to be able to determine the composition of the two phases as one can with highly crystalline materials. The I dominant structure (monoclinic crystal type) was, however, preferred for both tension and normal wood celluloses.     

Mössbauer spectroscopic study of ferrocene derivatives in the adsorption and liquid-crystalline states

Mössbauer spectra of ferrocene derivatives in the solid, adsorption and liquidcrystalline states were measured at temperatures ranging from 78 to 423 K. The peak intensities of the Mössbauer spectra of ferrocene derivatives adsorbed on silica gel decreased markedly with an increase in temperature. The Mössbauer absorption of [4-(4-methoxyphenoxycarbonyl)-phenoxycarbonyl]alkyl 4-ferrocenylbenzoate at 295 K during the cooling process was observed in what was assumed to be the liquid-crystalline state.     

Synthesis of porphyrin-introduced silica gels by sol-gel process

Using a hydroxyl group appended free base porphyrin derivative (HP), porphyrin-introduced silica gels were synthesized by a sol-gel process. The HP content in the materials linearly increased with increasing the HP concentration. Meanwhile, free base tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP) with no hydroxyl groups were almost not incorporated into the silica gels. These facts suggested that the interaction between hydroxyl groups of the HP molecules and silica network is considerably strong. The UV-vis characters of HP-introduced materials were almost the same as pure HP molecules. The Beer's plot indicated that the HP molecules in the materials are dispersed.     

Method of kinetic analysis of photodegradation: nifedipine in solutions

A rate equation for photodegradation was derived from Lambert-Beer's law and Grotthus-Draper's law: -dc/dt=k1(1-exp(-(k2c+k3(c0-c))))k2c/(k2c+k3(c0-c)) where c is the concentration of reactant, c0 is the initial concentration of reactant, t is time, k1 is the rate constant, and k2 and k3 are the absorption coefficient of reactant and its photodegradation product, respectively. In a case where the photodegradation products have no photoabsorption, k3 assumes the value of zero in the above general equation. In a case where the photodegradation products have the same spectrum and molar absorptivity as that of the reactant, k3 assumes the value of k2, and hence the photodegradation is not a first-order reaction; however, the equation itself gives the pseudo-first-order reaction rate equation. In a case where the concentration of reactant is high enough, the equation approaches a zero-order reaction rate equation. The photodegradation rate of nifedipine in solutions under a germicidal lamp, near an ultraviolet fluorescent lamp and a fluorescent lamp was analyzed using the above equation. The photodegradation rate was directly proportional to the amount of light absorbed, and fitted well with the equation. The above theoretical equation was substantiated by the photodegradation of nifedipine, and hence is expected to apply to other photosensitive drugs.     

New chemosensor for larger guests based on modified cyclodextrin bearing seven hydrophobic chains each with a hydrophilic end group

A new chemosensor for larger guests was prepared. The new chemosensor bears hydrophobic units at the primary hydroxy side and a dansyl unit at the secondary hydroxy side of β-cyclodextrin. Due to the hydrophobic units, the new chemosensor is sensitive to large or slender guests such as SDS and insensitive to 1-adamantanol, which is a good guest for the natural β-CD.