Simultaneous determination of serotonin and 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid in human urine by automated precolumn derivatization and semi-microbore column liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection.

An improved high-performance liquid-chromatographic (HPLC) assay for the simultaneous determination of serotonin (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid (5-HIAA) in human urine is reported. Following the automated precolumn derivatization of urinary 5-HT and 5-HIAA with benzylamine, the derivatives are separated by isocratic elution on a reversed-phase C18 semi-microbore column, and are fluorometrically detected at an excitation wavelength of 345 nm and an emission wavelength of 480 nm. The detection limits of 5-HT and 5-HIAA are 7 and 5 nmol/l in urine (0.7 and 0.5 fmol/20-microl injection). The proposed automatic method permits a highly selective and sensitive determination of 5-HT and 5-HIAA in human urine without any sample purification.     

InGaAs/InAlAs Five Layer Asymmetric Coupled Quantum Well (FACQW) for Ultra-Wideband Ultrafast Optical Modulators

An InGaAs/InAlAs five-layer asymmetric coupled quantum well (FACQW) is expected to show very large electrorefractive index change. n in a wideband transparency region. Band structures of the FACQW are analyzed with Luttinger-Kohn Hamiltonian. The electrorefractive characteristics of the FACQW are discussed.     

Synthesis of substituted polymethylenes by radical polymerization of alkyl N,N-dialkylfumaramates and maleamates: Relative reactivity of the isomers

Bulk polymerization of alkyl N,N-dialkylfumaramates (FAE) and maleamates (MAE) was performed in the presence of a radical initiator. It has been found that FAE is more reactive than MAE when the reactivity of the two geometrical isomers was compared for their homo- and copolymerizations. From investigation on the effect of ester and N-substituents of these monomers, it has been found that the isopropyl ester shows a higher reactivity than the methyl ester and that N-ethyl and n-butyl substitution gives polymers with high molecular weight of more than several thousands. The resulting substituted polymethylenes from FAE and MAE were characterized and compared with each other. The isomerization of MAE to FAE with morpholine as an isomerization catalyst and monomer-isomerization radical polymerization were also investigated.     

The catalytic hydrogenolysis of 1-phenylbicyclo[4.1.0]heptane and the corresponding azidirine and epoxide

The hydrogenolysisof 1-phenylbicyclo[4.1.0]heptane (1a), cis-1-phenyl-2-methylbicyclo[4.1.0]heptane (1b), 1-phenyl-7-azabicyclo[4.1.0]heptane (2) and 1-phenyl-7-oxabicyclo[4.1.0]heptane (3) was studied using Ni, Pd, Rh and Pt as catalysts. The hydrogenolysis of the C₁C₇ bond of 1a and 1b led to the selective formation of trans-1-phenyl-2-methylcyclohexane (4a) with retention of configuration. Compound 1a gave not only 4a but also phenylcycloheptane (6a), which is the product of C₁C₆ bond fission, and the ratio of 6a to 4a increased in the sequence: Ni ? Pd, Rh < Pt. No C₁C₆ bond fission was observed in the hydrogenolysis of 1b. These results can be explained by a mechanism involving the formation of the π-benzyl complex.trans-2-Phenylcyclohexylamine (8) was obtained stereoselectively in the hydrogenolysis of 2 over Raney Ni. This selective formation can be ascribed to the competition of “SN i” and “radical” processes. The Pd catalysed hydrogenolysis gave cis-2-phenylcyclohexylamine (9) as the main product, while the presence of sodium hydroxide promoted the formation of 8.Raney Ni catalysed hydrogenolysis of 3 yielded a mixture of phenylcyclohexane (13) and 2-phenylcyclohexanols (10 and 11). trans-2-Phenylcyclohexanol (10) was the dominant isomer; the hydrogenolysis resulted in the predominant configurational retention. Compound 13 was confirmed to be produced via 1-phenylcyclohexene (12). This deoxygenation may be explained by a mechanism involving the radical cleavage reaction of 3. The presence of sodium hydroxide led to the formation of cis-2-phenylcyclohexanol (11). The Pd catalysed hydrogenolysis also gave mainly 11.The difference in behaviour of cyclopropane, azidirine and epoxide we ascribe to the differences in the affinity for the catalyst and differences in the electronegativity between C, N and O atoms.     

Studies on the syntheses of heterocyclie compounds. Part DXXVII.. the absolute configuration of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1-phenylisoquinolines

The absolute configuraiton at the C₁-position of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1-phenylisoquinolines can be deduced from the CD curves of either the free base or its methiodide. Furthermore, the absolute con figuration of (⁺)-2-amino-1-(3-hydroxyphenyl)ethanol (V) was revised and found to have R-configuration at the C₁ -position.     

Crystal Structure, Electric and Magnetic Properties of Layered Cobaltite β-NaxCoO2

The layered oxide thermoelectric material β-Na_0.67CoO₂ has been studied by powder neutron diffraction, electric and magnetic measurements. This compound includes an edge-sharing CoO₆ slab and a highly vacant Na⁺ sheet in a unit cell (space group symmetry C2/m, a=4.9023(4) Å, b=2.8280(2) Å, c=5.7198(6) Å and β=105.964(6)° at 300 K). The evaluated formal valence of cobalt ion, +3.33(1), is ascribed to the coexistence of Co³⁺ and Co⁴⁺ in the ratio 2:1. Polycrystalline β-Na_0.67CoO₂, a p-type thermoelectric material, exhibits metallic behavior of the electric resistivity below 300 K. The Curie-Weiss-type magnetic susceptibility indicates antiferromagnetic interactions between magnetic cobalt ions in the edge-sharing CoO₆ slab.     

Study on Segmental Motion and Ion Binding in Polyelectrolyte Solutions by Ultrasonic Spectroscopy

The ultrasonic absorption spectra of aqueous solutions of polyacrylate (PA), polyphosphate (PP), and polystyrenesulfonate (PSS), neutralized by tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAOH), were measured. The effects of addition of tetramethylammonium chloride (TMACl) and sodium chloride (NaCl) to the polyelectrolyte solutions were investigated in the frequency range from 500 kHz to 100 MHz. Two ultrasonic relaxation processes due to the local segmental motions were observed. The relaxation frequency for TMAPP solution decreased as the ionic strength was increased by the addition of TMACl. For the other two polymer solutions, the ionic strength did not affect the relaxation spectra. The addition of NaCl led to an increase of the ultrasonic absorption, which was ascribed to ion binding. The ultrasonic absorption due to the ion binding was estimated by subtracting the contribution of the segmental motion from the measuring ultrasonic spectra. The volume changes accompanying the ion binding for polyacrylate and polyphosphate salts were estimated to be 5 and 8 cm³-mol^?1, respectively.     

Ionic liquid crystal as a hole transport layer of dye-sensitized solar cells

Use of a new ionic liquid crystal, 1-dodecyl-3-methylimidazolium iodide, and iodine as an electrolyte of dye-sensitized solar cells leads to a high short circuit photocurrent density and a high light-to-electricity conversion efficiency, due to a self-assembled structure of the imidazolium cations, resulting in high conductivity of the electrolyte.     

Snytheses of analgesics. Part XXXVII. An alternative synthesis of 1,2,3,4, 5, 6-hexahydro-8-hydroxy-2,6-methano-6, h-dimethyl-3-phenethyl-3-benzazoeine [studies on the syntheses of heterocyclic compounds. Part DXXI]

Acid treatment of the alkylated products of (Va, Vb, and VIII) of piperidinols IVa and IVb, and tetrahydropyridine VII with β-bromoethylbenzene, afforded 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydro-8-hydroxy-2,6-methano-6,1 1-dimethyl-3-phenethyl-3-benzazocine (la) in good yield. Piperidinols Va and Vb were also obtained from the reaction of N-(3-methyl-3-pentenyl)-β-phenethylamine (IIb) with methyl 3-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2,3-epoxypropionate.