Analysis method of the angiotensin-I converting enzyme inhibitory activity based on micellar electrokinetic chromatography.

A micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) method was developed for estimating the angiotensin-I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity by separating the hippuric acid liberated in the ACE reaction mixture in the presence of an inhibitor, captopril. The hippuric acid was successfully separated and detected by MEKC with a 25 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate solution in a 25 mM phosphate-50 mM borate buffer at pH 7.0; the total analysis took about 5 min. A good linear relationship was observed between the inhibitor and the peak area of hippuric acid release. No significant difference in the ACE inhibitory activity (IC50) of captopril (an antihypertensive medicine) or autolyzed-mushrooms (functional foods) was observed between the conventional method and the MEKC method. The MEKC method was found to be a useful technique for a rapid assay of the ACE inhibitory activity.     

Characteristic values of the integral equation satisfied by the Mathieu functions and its application to a system with chirality-pair interaction on a one-dimensional lattice

We investigate low-temperature behaviors of a system with chirality-pair interaction on a one-dimensional lattice. In the course of the investigation, we evaluate asymptotic forms of the characteristic values of the integral equation satisfied by the Mathieu functions. It turns out that the low-temperature behavior of correlation length of the chirality-pair correlation function is different from the one for the Ising model of spin ±1 but akin to the one for the Ising model of infinite spin.     

Thermal properties and fracture toughness of a liquid‐crystalline epoxy resin cured with an aromatic diamine crosslinker having a mesogenic group

A mesogenic‐type curing agent was synthesized to introduce a mesogenic group not only into epoxy resin backbones but also into the crosslink units. In the mesogenic curing agent system, the domain size became larger, and the network arrangement in each domain existed to a greater extent than that in a system cured with the ordinary diamine curing system according to the evidence from polarized optical micrographs and polarized Fourier transform infrared mapping measurements. Moreover, the fracture toughness of the system was considerably improved. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 2486–2494, 2006     

Porphyrin acids

The structural change from the porphyrin free base to monoacid and diacid by successive protonation has been studied by the IR, visible and NMR spectroscopy. The results have indicated that the cation and anion of the porphyrin diacid are strongly associated through H-bonding. The far IR spectra show especially marked differences in the free base, monoacid, and diacid due to the changes of the inner core of the porphyrin ring.     

Pd.H-C Interactions. Preparation and Structure of Orthometalated Tetranuclear Complexes of Palladium(II) and Platinum(II)

The reaction of 2-(1-naphthyl)benzothiazoline with palladium(II) acetate leads to helical mononuclear and orthometalated tetranuclear products. The molecular structures of mononuclear palladium(II) [Pd(H1-nabz)(2)] (1) (H(2)1-nabz = 2-N-(1-naphthylmethylideneamino)benzenethiolate), tetranuclear palladium(II) [Pd(4)(1-nabz)(4)] (2) and tetranuclear platinum(II) [Pt(4)(1-nabz)(4)] (3) have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction method. Crystal data for complex 1 are as follows: a = 14.208(3) ?, b = 18.227(4) ?, c = 14.398(8) ?; beta = 94.55(3) degrees; V = 3717.0(23) ?(3); space group = P2(1)/n, Z = 4. Crystal data for the complex 2 are as follows: a = b = 15.798(3) ?, c = 23.728(4) ?; V = 5921.7(20) ?(3); space group = I4(1)/a, Z = 16 for the Pd(1-nabz) unit. Crystal data for the complex 3 are as follows: a = b = 15.496(2) ?, c = 24.348(3) ?; V = 5846.3(20) ?(3); space group = I4(1)/a, Z = 16 for the Pt(1-nabz) unit. The mononuclear palladium(II) complex reveals short ortho-hydrogen.palladium distances of 2.66(7) and 2.48(7) ?. These short distances and (1)H NMR studies provide a M.H-C interaction which can be regarded as a three-center four-electron interaction. The molecular structures of 2 and 3 confirm the formation of unusual tetranuclear compounds featuring a rare C,N,S-tridentate ligand derived from orthometalation of pendant side arm. The structural and chemical properties of the mononuclear palladium(II) complex 1 clearly suggest that 1 is a potential intermediate in the formation of the tetranuclear complex 2 by orthometalation reactions.     

A novel scheme of heterogeneous polymerization of ethylene

The heterogeneous polymerization of ethylene initiated by radiation in tert-butyl alcohol was studied. The polymerization was carried out in a 100-ml reactor at 25–100°C and pressures of 200–300 kg/cm² in the presence of 50 ml of tert-butyl alcohol containing 7 wt-% water. The amounts of polymerized monomer, the average molecular weight of polymer formed, and the molecular weight distribution of polymer were measured at various stages of reaction and at various temperatures. The molecular weight distribution was found to be very much dependent on the reaction time and temperature. For the polymer formed at 50–60°C in the very early stages of reaction, the molecular weight distribution is unimodal, and in the intermediate stage a shoulder appears at a molecular weight higher than the first peak which increases as the polymerization proceeds; eventually a bimodal curve is formed. The bimodal distribution curves were analyzed to determine the fractions and average molecular weights of the each peak. On the basis of these data for the molecular weight distribution and kinetic behavior, a new scheme for the heterogeneous polymerization is proposed which indicates that the polymerization proceeds via propagating radicals in two different physical states, namely, loose and rigid states.