A new route for the construction of the AB-ring core of Taxol

A new method for the construction of the AB-ring core of Taxol was developed utilizing a new skeletal transformation protocol as a pivotal step. The acid-catalyzed rearrangement of the cyclopentenone-allene photoadduct gave a bridged seven-membered ketone, which was easily transformed, using the intramolecular Suzuki reaction and the oxidative cleavage of the vicinal diol, to the bicyclic diketone.     

Quantitative assessment of solid oxide electrochemical doping

Quantitative analysis of metal cation doping by solid oxide electrochemical doping (SOED) has been performed under galvanostatic doping conditions. A M–β″-Al₂O₃ (M=Ag, Na) microelectrode (contact radius: about 10 μm) was used as cation source to attain a homogeneous solid–solid contact between the β″-Al₂O₃ and doping target. In Ag doping into alkali borate glass, the measured dopant amount closely matched the theoretical value. High Faraday efficiencies of above 90% were obtained. This suggests that the dopant amount can be precisely controlled on a micromole scale by the electric charge during electrolysis. On the other hand, current efficiencies of Na doping into Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_y (BSCCO) ceramics depended on the applied constant current. Efficiencies of above 80% were achieved at a constant current of 10 μA (1.6 A cm⁻²). The relatively low efficiencies were explained by the saturation of BSCCO grain boundaries with Na. By contrast, excess Na was detected on the anodic surface of ceramics at a constant current of 100 μA (16 A cm⁻²). In the present study, we demonstrate that SOED enables micromole-scale control over dopant amount.     

Structure induced by irradiation of femtosecond laser pulse in dyed polymeric materials

We investigated the structures induced by an irradiation of a near‐infrared (NIR) femtosecond laser pulse in dye‐doped polymeric materials {poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), thermoplastic epoxy resin (Epoxy), and a block copolymer of methyl methacrylate and ethyl acrylate‐butyl acrylate [p(MMA/EA‐BA) block copolymer]}. Dyes used were classified into two types—type 1 with absorption at 400 nm and type 2 with no absorption at 400 nm. The 400‐nm wavelength corresponds to the two‐photon absorption region by the irradiated NIR laser pulse at 800 nm. Type 1 dye‐doped PMMA and p(MMA/EA‐BA) block copolymer showed a peculiar dye additive effect for the structures induced by the line irradiation of a NIR femtosecond laser pulse. On the contrary, dye‐doped Epoxy did not exhibit a dye additive effect. The different results among PMMA, p(MMA/EA‐BA) block copolymer, and Epoxy matrix polymers are supposed to be related to the difference of electron‐acceptor properties. The mechanism of this type 1 dye‐additive‐effect phenomenon for PMMA and p(MMA/EA‐BA) block copolymer is discussed on the basis of two‐photon absorption of type 1 dye at 400 nm by the irradiation of a femtosecond laser pulse with 800 nm wavelength and the dissipation of the absorbed energy to the polymer matrix among various transition processes. Dyes with a low‐fluorescence quantum yield favored the formation of thicker grating structures. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 40: 2800–2806, 2002     

Applicability of headspace solid-phase microextraction to the determination of multi-class pesticides in waters

The applicability of headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) to pesticide determination in water samples was demonstrated by evaluating the effects of temperature on the extraction of the pesticides. The evaluations were performed using an automated system with a heating module. The 174 pesticides that are detectable with gas chromatograph were selected objectively and impartially based on their physical properties: vapor pressure and partition coefficient between octanol and water. Of the 174 pesticides, 158 (90% of tested) were extracted with a polyacrylate-coated fiber between 30 and 100 degrees C and were determined with gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry. The extraction-temperature profiles of the 158 extracted pesticides were obtained to evaluate the effects of temperature on the extraction of pesticides. The pesticides were classified into four groups according to the shape of their extraction-temperature profiles. The line of demarcation between extractable pesticides and non-extractable pesticides could be drawn in the physical property diagram (a double logarithmic plot of their vapor pressure and partition coefficient between octanol and water). The plot also revealed relationships between classified extraction features and their physical properties. The new method for multi residue screening in which the analytes were categorized into sub-groups based on extraction temperature was developed. In order to evaluate the quantitivity of the developed method, the 45 pesticides were chosen among the pesticides that are typically monitored in waters. Linear response data for 40 of the 45 was obtained in the concentration range below 5 microg/l with correlation coefficients ranging between 0.979 and 0.999. The other five pesticides had poor responses. Relative standard deviations at the concentration of the lowest standard solution for each calibration curve of the pesticides ranged from 3.6 to 18%. The value of 0.01 microg/l in the limits of detection for 17 pesticides was achieved only under the approximate conditions for screening, not under the individually optimized conditions for each pesticide. Recoveries of tested pesticides in actual matrices were essentially in agreement with those obtained by solid-phase extraction.     

Micropore-free surface-activated carbon for the analysis of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins-dibenzofurans and non-ortho-substituted polychlorinated biphenyls in environmental samples

2,3,7,8-Substituted polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and non-ortho-substituted polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) account for almost all of the total toxic equivalents (TEQ) in environmental samples. Activated carbon columns are used to fractionate the samples for GC-MS analysis or bioassay. Micropore-free surface-activated carbon is highly selective for PCDD/Fs and non-ortho-PCBs and can improve the conventional activated carbon column clean-up. Along with sulfuric acid-coated diatomaceous earth columns, micropore-free surface-activated carbon provides a rapid, robust, and high-throughput sample preparation method for PCDD/Fs and non-ortho-PCBs analysis.     

Determination of dispersive and nondispersive components of the surface free energy of glass fibers

The dispersive component _s ^d of the surface free energy of glass fibers and its interaction energy with alkanes, benzene, 1-nitropropane, ethyleneglycol, glycerol, formamide, and water were quantitatively determined by the tensiometric method within two liquids. The values of nondispersive interaction energy I _SL ^p were found to be a linear function of the square root of the nondispersive component of the surface free energy of liquids. This suggests that the nondispersive interaction energy may be represented by the geometric mean of the nondispersive component of the surface free energy of a solid and a liquid. The slope gave the nondispersive component _s ^p of the surface free energy. The _s ^p values are 33 and 14 mJ/m² for the untreated and aminosilane-treated fibers, respectively, suggesting that organophilic character has developed on the surface after aminosilane treatment. The _s ^p value was almost similar after the treatment, probably because of the polar characteristics of amino groups.     

Inclusion polymerization of 1-chlorobutadiene in a deoxycholic acid canal

Inclusion polymerization of 1-chlorobutadiene was studied using 3α,12α-dihydroxy-5β-cholan-24-oic acid (deoxycholic acid, DCA) as host molecules. It was found that the poly(1-chlorobutadiene) had almost 100% of head to tail, trans-1,4-structure on the basis of ¹³C-NMR and IR spectroscopies. This was the first example of preparing the highly regulated poly(1-chlorobutadiene) by using the inclusion polymerization technique. The polymers obtained were optically active and the maximum value of specific rotation was [α]_D-41.9°. Both the rate constants and the value of activation energy of the elementary reactions of inclusion polymerization of 1-chlorobutadiene were determined by graphical evaluation. The activation energy of propagation and termination was 11.7 and 11.1 kcal/mol, respectively.     

A new member of sodium titanates,Na2Ti9O19

A new compound of sodium nonatitanate, Na₂Ti₉O₁₉, has been prepared by the hydrothermal reactions of titanium dioxide gel with sodium hydroxide aqueous solution. The crystal has a C-centered monoclinic lattice with the unit-cell dimensions a = 12.2, b = 3.78, c = 15.3Å, and β = 98.0°. It is expected that the structure consists of a framework different from those in tri-, hexa-, hepta-, and octatianates.     

Validation of the CALUX bioassay for the screening of PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like PCBs in retail fish

The chemical-activated luciferase expression (CALUX) assay is a reporter gene assay that detects dioxin-like compounds based on their ability to activate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and thus expression of the reporter gene. In this paper, the CALUX assay was examined for its application in the screening of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dioxin-like PCBs) in retail fish. The sample extracts were cleaned up on a sulfuric acid-silica gel column followed by an activated carbon column, and the AhR activity of the separated PCDD/F and dioxin-like PCB fractions was determined using the assay. The quantitative limit for 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD) was 0.98 pg ml(-1) (0.19 pg assay(-1) in the standard curve, corresponding to 0.16 pg g(-1) of CALUX-based toxic equivalency (2,3,7,8-TCDD equivalents) in the tested sample. Recovery tests in which dioxins were added to fish samples resulted in acceptable recoveries (77-117%). The CALUX assay performed well in the analysis of dioxins in fish samples and a comparative study revealed a strong correlation between the CALUX assay and high-resolution gas chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry analysis for the determination of PCDD/Fs (r = 0.89) and dioxin-like PCBs (r = 0.91) in retail fish (n = 22). These data revealed that the CALUX assay would be a useful screening method for PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like PCBs in retail fish.     

Surface treatment of CaCO3 with a mixture of amino- and mercapto-functional silane coupling agents and tensile properties of the rubber composites

In order to reinforce the composite consisting of isoprene rubber (IR) and calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) particles, the surface treatment of CaCO₃ particles with a mixture of amino- and mercapto-functional silane coupling agents was investigated. The quantity of chemisorbed silanes in treated CaCO₃ measured using thermogravimetry was greater for amino- than for mercapto-silane and for the tri- than for the dialkoxy structure. Second, the molecular mobility of polycondensate of the mixtures with the trialkoxy structure measured using ¹H pulse nuclear magnetic resonance had the least molecular mobility, i.e., formed the highest density network. The greater values of stress at 500% strain, fracture stress, and elongation at break were determined for the treatment with amino- and mercapto-functional silanes having a trialkoxy structure from the stress-strain curves of composite. The mixture treatment with dialkoxy structure and with amino- or mercapto-functional silane only did not improve the mechanical properties sufficiently. Interactions between the amino group and the CaCO₃ surface, covalent bonding between the mercapto group and the IR, and high density network formation of trialkoxy silane were important for improving the mechanical properties of the composite.