Mössbauer study of new vanadate glass with large charge-discharge capacity

Charge-discharge capacity and cyclicity of lithium ion battery (LIB) was evaluated in which 15Li₂O·10Fe₂O₃·xSnO₂·5P₂O₅·(70–x)V₂O₅ glass (x?=?0 and 20 in mol%, abbreviated as xLFSPV) was used as a cathode. A local structure of xLFSPV glass before and after charging was investigated by ⁵⁷Fe- and ¹¹⁹Sn-Mössbauer spectroscopies. ⁵⁷Fe-Mössbauer spectrum of xLFSPV glass with ‘x’ of 20 was composed of a doublet with isomer shift (δ) of 0.35_±0.02 mm s^???1 and quadrupole splitting (Δ) of 0.88_±0.03 mm s^???1 due to distorted Fe^IIIO₄ tetrahedra. ¹¹⁹Sn-Mössbauer spectrum of this glass consisted of a doublet with δ of 0.08_±0.01 and Δ of 0.52_±0.01 mms^???1 due to distorted Sn^VIO₆ octahedra. After discharging the battery from 4.5 to 1.0 V, larger δ of 0.40_±0.03 mm s^???1 and Δ of 0.94_±0.04 mm s^???1 were obtained, indicating that both iconicity of Fe-O bonds and local distortion of Fe^IIIO₄ tetrahedra were increased. On the contrary, identical δ of 0.09_±0.01 mm s^???1 and Δ of 0.50_±0.01 mm s^???1 were observed in the ¹¹⁹Sn-Mössbauer spectrum of 20LFSPV glass after the discharge, indicating that chemical environment of Sn^IVO₆ octahedra was not affected after the discharge. Charge-discharge curve of LIB containing 20LFSPV glass as a cathode active material recorded under the current density of 8.3 mA g^???1 (0.011 mA cm^???2) between 1.0 and 4.5 V showed a large initial charge capacity of 431.1 mAh g^???1 and discharge capacity of 382.3 mAh g^???1, respectively. These results indicate that 20LFSPV glass could be a new cathode active material for LIB.     

Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Typing with a Surface Plasmon Resonance-Based Sensor Using Hybridization Enhancement Blockers

We constructed a simple method for discrimination of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) with a surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based sensor by determining the binding volume (BV) between a target SNP allele and a probe complementary to the target. In the method, a novel additive termed “blocker,” which is a short single-stranded DNA complementary to the target, was used. The blocker enhanced the BV of the target only to the full-match probe 10-fold or more, so the SNP alleles could be discriminated readily. The effect of the blocker concentration was also examined. The BV to only a full-match probe increased with increasing the blocker concentration and reached a plateau at the concentration of 300–500 nM. To assess the effectiveness of this method, the SNP associated with progressive rod-cone degeneration in dog was determined. The results of genotyping with the method were in good agreement with those obtained by direct sequencing.     

Mechanically strengthened new Hagi porcelain developed by controlling the chemical environment of iron

In order to enhance the mechanical strength of Hagi Porcelain (Hagiyaki), one of the oldest and famous potteries in Japan, new preparation condition was examined. Tempered Hagi porcelain, denominated as ‘Hagi Porcelain B’, was prepared with the Porcelain clay originating from Daido district, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. Structural change of ‘Hagi Porcelain B’ was investigated by means of ⁵⁷Fe-Mössbauer spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and three-point bending test. Mechanical strength of the ‘original Hagi Porcelain B’ was estimated to be 43.1 MPa by means of the three-point bending test, while much larger value of 104.5 MPa could be achieved when tempered by a chemical modification. Mössbauer spectrum of the ‘original Hagi porcelain B’ was composed of a paramagnetic doublet and a magnetic sextet due to Fe(III) of γ-Fe₂O₃(maghemite), while only one paramagnetic doublet due to to octahedral Fe(II)O₆ was observed for the ‘tempered Hagi Porcelain B’ with isomer shift and quadrupole splitting values of 1.13 and 2.15 mm s^?1, respectively. It is considered that the absence of magnetic phase causes an increase of the mechanical strength because the maghemite phase has a defect spinel structure. These results indicate that mechanical strength of the ‘Hagi porcelain B’ could be enhanced by controlling the sintering condition.     

Chemical Synthesis of Native-Type Cellulose and Its Analogues via Enzymatic Polymerization

Abstract

The first successful chemical synthesis of cellulose was achieved by a polycondensation of β-cellobiosyl fluoride monomer catalyzed with cellulase, an extracellular hydrolytic enzyme of cellulose, in a mixed solvent of acetonitrile and acetate buffer. The product, synthetic cellulose, was the crystalline allomorph cellulose II, a thermodynamically more stable form. More detailed examinations of the polymerization conditions led to the formation of the native cellulose I, a metastable allomorph, for the first time. The key to the success was to use partially purified cellulase and an appropriate mixed solvent of acetonitrile/buffer. The formation of the two allomorphs of cellulose implies that the polarity of the glucan chain ordering can be controlled in a test tube. Based on these findings, a new concept “choroselectivity,” meaning spacial control in ordering the macromolecular chain, has been proposed. Cellulose analogues, 6-O-methylated cellulose and xylan, have been synthesized regio- and stereoselectively by using the enzymatic polymerization technique.     

Synthesis and Polymerization of Spiro Oxyphosphoranes

Novel methods of synthesis of spiro acyloxyphosphoranes are described emphasizing the significance of the first isolated instance of these new species. Then, the no-catalyst alternating copolymerizations of the combinations of cyclic phosphorus(III) compounds (serving as nucleophilic monomer, M_N) with acrylic acid derivatives and with α-keto acids (electrophilic monomer, M_E) are mentioned. These copolymerizations proceed without added initiator. Spiro oxyphosphoranes play an important role in the copolymerization scheme in the equilibrium with the ⁺M_N - M_E ^? zwitterion, the key intermediate of the copolymerization. Finally, new reactions of spiro acyloxyphosphoranes with nucleophiles, alcoholysis and aminolysis polymerizations are presented.     

Helicity Control in the Preparation of Chiral Co-crystals from Tryptamine and Achiral Carboxylic Acids by Pseudo-seeding

Abstract

Chiral crystals of tryptamine and achiral carboxylic acids such as p-chlorobenzoic acid, cinnamic acid, p-chlorocinnarnic acid and p-methylcinnamic acid were prepared by crystallization from the solutions of both components. All the crystals belonged to typical chiral space group P2₁2₁2₁. The crystal chirality is generated through the formation of a unidirectional twofold helix between the two components through quaternary ammonium salt interaction and hydrogen bonding in the lattice. This kind of spontaneous crystallization necessarily gives crystals of both clockwise and counterclockwise helicites. Here, pseudo-seeding based on utilizing these crystals as seed crystals was examined, resulting in successful helicity control in crystallization from solutions of tryptamine and different carboxylic acids.     

Effects of Bis(aromatic) Pendants on Recognition of Nucleobase Thymine by Zn2+ -1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane (Zn2+ -cyclen)

We have previously shown that the nucleobase thymine binding to Zn²⁺ -cyclen (cyclen=1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane) complex became stronger by appending acridine, naphthalene, or quinoline rings to the cyclen. Amongst these, the pendant bis((1-naphthyl)methyl) or bis((4-quinolyl)methyl) groups yielded the most effective thymine-recognizing Zn²⁺ -cyclen complexes [J. Am. Chem. Soc., 121 (1999) 5426]. The present study was undertaken to find causes of the bis(aromatic) ring effect by X-ray crystal structure analysis and NMR studies. The crystal structure of the Zn²⁺ -bis((1-naphthyl)methyl)-cyclen complex with a deprotonated 1-methylthymine (1-MeT) failed to show the anticipated evidence for the double ~ - ~ stacking interactions between the two naphthalenes and the Zn 2+ -bound 1-MeT m (1-MeT m =N(3')-deprotonated 1-MeT). Crystal data: formula C₃₆ H₄₇ N₇ O₇ Zn, M r =755.19, monoclinic, space group P2₁/ c (No. 14), a =15.438(2) Å, b =14.093(3) Å, c =16.726(2) Å, g =90.53(1) V =3638.7(8) Å 3 Z =4, R =0.035, R _w =0.049. However, the ¹H NMR studies of Zn²⁼ -bis((4-quinolyl)methyl)-cyclen with 1-MeT in varying H₂O/CH₃ CN solution showed increasing upfield shifts of Me(5') and H(6') of the Zn²⁺ -bound 1-MeT in more aqueous media, indicating that the double intercalation with the two quinolines became more significant in more protic environments. We conclude that the double ~ - ~ stacking effect accounts for the enhanced recognition of thymine base by the appended bis((1-naphthyl)methyl) or bis((4-quinolinyl)methyl) groups.     

New Preparation of Cyclic Acyloxyphosphorane by Reaction of Glyoxylic Acid with Phosphorus(III) Compounds

We have recently found that the reaction of α-keto acids (1) with phosphorus (III) compounds (3) yielded cyclic acyloxyphosphoranes(C-AOPs, 4), a new class of pentacovalent phosphorus species having a P-OC(O) group.^{1, 2)} The present paper deals with a new reaction of glyoxylic acid (2) with 3 to give C-AOPs (5) having no substituent at the C-3 position. 1 is an α-keto acid whereas 2 can be taken as an α-formyl acid. Although it is well known in the field of organic chemistry that the formyl group often behaves differently from a keto group, the reaction of 2 with 3 provides an example in which both groups behave in a similar manner.