Improved detectability with a polymer-based trapping device in rapid HPLC analysis for ultra-low levels of bisphenol A (BPA) in environmental samples.

A new high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method has been developed to detect ultra-low concentrations of bisphenol-A (BPA) (below 1 ng/L (ppt)) using column switching electrochemical detection (ECD). The results were superior to those obtained from manual pretreatment procedure with membrane stationary phase. BPA is inherently ubiquitous in the environment, including tools and solvents used for its analysis; to obtain meaningful results, therefore, the concentration of the overall BPA contamination must be below the detection limit for BPA using the analytical system. Therefore, purified water for preparing the standard BPA solution must be filtered with a hydrophobic membrane to suppress BPA background levels of contamination. In addition, we investigated methods for effectively preserving environmental water containing BPA. The addition of a small amount of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) provided good recovery even after overnight storage. By employing these precautionary measures and procedures to reduce BPA contamination from the analytical procedure, we could accurately determine l(-10) ppt of BPA in environmental water samples using a column switching HPLC system.     

Addition–fragmentation chain transfer: Molecular weight distributions and retardation in the system methyl methacrylate/methyl α‐(bromomethyl)acrylate

A detailed investigation of addition–fragmentation chain transfer (AFCT) in the free‐radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) in the presence of methyl α‐(bromomethyl)acrylate (MBMA) was carried out to elucidate mechanistic details with efficient macromonomer synthesis as an underlying goal. Advanced modeling techniques were used in connection with the experimental work. Curve fitting of simulated and experimental molecular weight distributions with respect to the rate coefficient for addition of propagating radicals to MBMA (k_add) over 60–120 °C resulted in E_add = 21.7 kJ mol^?1 and A_add = 2.18 × 10⁶ M^?1 s^?1 and a very weak temperature dependence of the chain‐transfer constant (E_add ≈ E_p). The rate coefficient for fragmentation of adduct radicals at 60 °C was estimated as k_f ≈ 39 s^?1 on the basis of experimental data of the MMA conversion and the concentration of 2‐carbomethoxy‐2‐propenyl end groups. The approach developed is generic and can be applied to any AFCT system in which copolymerization does not occur and in which the resulting unsaturated end groups do not undergo further reactions. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 2640–2650, 2004     

Self-assembled DNA-conjugated polymer for novel DNA chip.

We developed DNA-conjugated polymer for DNA chip fabrication. A 30 mer probe DNA and disulfide bridges were covalently attached to the polymer side chain. The DNA-conjugated polymer can be specifically adsorbed on a gold substrate surface by a self-assembly technique. The interaction between fully matched DNA and DNA-conjugated polymer was investigated by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technique. The DNA-conjugated polymer-modified gold surface highly recognized fully matched DNA, rather than unmatched DNA. Therefore, DNA-conjugated polymer can be used for novel DNA chip fabrication.     

Basic study of the gelation of dimethacrylate‐type crosslinking agents

An investigation was made of the gelation of dimethacrylate‐type crosslinking agents in view of an application for separation media. The study mainly centered on a crosslinking agent, glycerol dimethacrylate (GDMA), which is relatively hydrophilic because of a hydroxyl group in the middle of its structure. The gelation of GDMA was compared with that of other hydrophobic crosslinking agents such as ethylene glycol dimethacrylate and 1,6‐hexanediol dimethacrylate. The diluents used in the study were toluene, toluene with methanol, and cyclohexanol. The gelation was observed in real time with a charge coupled device camera and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Also, the separated dry gels were extensively characterized with scanning electron microscopy, BET (N₂ absorption and desorption isotherm), and Fourier transform infrared. DLS analysis showed a stronger molecular interaction of GDMA gelation in toluene, whereas this interaction was much weaker in an alcoholic solvent such as toluene with methanol or cyclohexanol. This indicated that GDMA gelation might proceed through hydrogen bonding as well as a crosslinking reaction of vinyl groups. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 949–958, 2006     

Alstonia scholaris: Struktur des Indolalkaloides Narelin

Alstonia scholaris: The structure of the indole alkaloid nareline Besides the known akuammidine, picralinal, picrinine and pseudoakuammigine a new indole alkaloid called nareline (M=352) was isolated from Alstonia scholaris R. BR. , which belongs to the plant family of Apocynaceae. Its structure 2 was deduced by single crystal X-ray diffraction. 2 represents the absolute configuration. The spectroscopic data of 2 and its derivatives (Scheme 1) as well as their chemical behavior support this structure. In biogenetic sense nareline is related to the bases akuammiline ( 4 ) and picraline ( 5 ) (Scheme 2). In contrast to those the C-atom 5 is exocyclic and represents an aldehyde group which forms together with the oxygen atom of the N (4)-hydroxylamine group a cyclic half acetale. - By oxidation (CrO₃/CH₃COOH) of 2 the oxindol derivative 19 (oxonareline) is formed which contains a cyclic acetal as a partial structure element (Scheme 4).     

Catalytic asymmetric oxidative lactonizations of meso-diols using a chiral iridium complex

A chiral amino alcohol/Ir complex catalyzes the asymmetric oxidative lactonizations of meso-diols to give the corresponding lactones in up to 81% ee.     

New functional microspheres with active succinimide groups

Radiation-induced polymerization of monomers, for example N-methacryl-oxysuccinimide (MASu) and diethylene glycol dimethacrylate (2G), in ethyl propionate, was performed from +25°C to –78°C. The copoly (MASu/2G) microspheres were obtained in MASu monomer compositions of 30 wt % or below. The average particle diameter of copoly(MASu/2G, 20/80 wt %) microspheres obtained at irradiation temperatures of 25°, 0°, and –43 °C were 0.81±0.29, 0.63±0.26, and 0.90±0.43 m, respectively. No microspheres were formed when irradiated at –78 °C. The reactivity of the succinimide groups on the surface of copoly(MASu/2G, 20/80 wt%) microspheres was checked by reacting with ethylene diamine. The maximal amount of reacting succinimide groups was 9.4±0.5 nol/g, which corresponds to about 1 % of the total number of succinimide groups in the microsphere.     

Optical pump-probe measurements of local nuclear spin coherence in semiconductor quantum wells

We demonstrate local manipulation and detection of nuclear spin coherence in semiconductor quantum wells by an optical pump-probe technique combined with pulse rf NMR. The Larmor precession of photoexcited electron spins is monitored by time-resolved Kerr rotation (TRKR) as a measure of nuclear magnetic field. Under the irradiation of resonant pulsed rf magnetic fields, Rabi oscillations of nuclear spins are traced by TRKR signals. The intrinsic coherence time evaluated by a spin-echo technique reveals the dependence on the orientation of the magnetic field with respect to the crystalline axis as expected by the nearest neighbor dipole-dipole interaction.