Efficient overall water splitting under visible-light irradiation on (Ga(1-x)Zn(x))(N(1-x)O(x)) dispersed with Rh-Cr mixed-oxide nanoparticles: Effect of reaction conditions on photocatalytic activity

The photocatalytic activity of (Ga(1-x)Zn(x))(N(1-x)O(x)) loaded with Rh-Cr mixed-oxide (Rh(2-y)Cr(y)O3) nanoparticles for overall water splitting under visible-light irradiation (lambda > 400 nm) is investigated with respect to reaction pH and gas pressure. The photocatalytic performance of the catalyst is found to be strongly dependent on the pH of the reactant solution but largely independent of gas pressure. The present photocatalyst exhibits stable and high photocatalytic activity in an aqueous solution of pH 4.5 for 72 h. The photocatalytic performance is much lower at pH 3.0 and pH 6.2, attributable to corrosion of the cocatalyst and hydrolysis of the catalyst. The dispersion of Rh(2-y)Cr(y)O3 as a cocatalyst on the (Ga(1-x)Zn(x))(N(1-x)O(x)) surface promotes hydrogen evolution, which is considered to be the rate-determining step for overall water splitting on this catalyst.     

Importance of bound water in hydration-dehydration behavior of hydroxylated poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)

In this study, a differential scanning calorimetric analysis was performed to investigate the role of water existing around the polymer chains on their thermoresponsive behaviors using the novel functional temperature-sensitive copolymer, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-2-hydroxyisopropylacrylamide) (poly(NIPAAm-co-HIPAAm)). The HIPAAm comonomers were incorporated into the polymeric chains as hydrophilic parameters, and then the hydration states of poly(NIPAAm-co-HIPAAm) with various HIPAAm compositions were examined. Bound water, which is affected by the polymeric chains to some extent, was produced by adding the copolymers to the water, and the temperature due to the melting of the bound water decreased as the HIPAAm content increased. On the basis of this result, we considered that the interaction between the bound water and the polymeric chains is reinforced by the increasing HIPAAm composition. In addition, the cloud points of the copolymers shifted to a higher temperature, and the endothermic enthalpy for the phase transition decreased with increasing the HIPAAm content, suggesting that the number of water molecules disassociated from the polymeric chains decreased. Based on these results, we postulate that the changes in the interaction between the thermosensitive polymer and bound water exert a strong influence on its phase transition and/or separation, such as the cloud point or dehydration behavior.     

Host-guest complexation of endohedral metallofullerene with azacrown ether and its application

Complexation of endohedral metallofullerene La@C(82)-A (1) with macrocyclic compounds, such as 1,4,7,10,13,16-hexaazacyclooctadecane (2), 1,4,7,10,13,16-hexamethyl-1,4,7,10,13,16-hexaazacyclooctadecane (3), mono-aza-18-crown-6 ether (4), 18-crown-6 ether (5), and p-tert-butylcalix[n]arenes (n = 4-8, 6-10), for the first time is examined. Among them, 1 forms a complex with azacrown ethers 2-4 while accompanying the electron transfer between them. This is characteristic of endohedral metallofullerene and caused by its low reduction potential. Activation energies, DeltaG(et), for the electron transfer from 2-4 to 1 are 4.6, 2.8, and 11 kcal/mol, respectively. These small DeltaG(et) values indicate that the electron transfer from the azacrown ethers to 1 is facile in the ground state. Furthermore, the selective isolation of lanthanum endohedral metallofullerenes from the extracts of soot is accomplished by utilizing the complexation of 1 with 2.     

Synthesis and structural characterization of endohedral pyrrolidinodimetallofullerene: La2@C80(CH2)2NTrt

The endohedral pyrrolidinodimetallofullerene, La2@C80(CH2)2NTrt (Trt = triphenylmethyl), was successfully synthesized and characterized. X-ray crystallographic and NMR spectroscopic analyses reveal that two La atoms in the 6,6-adduct are localized at the stable site on the mirror plane. Theoretical calculation also suggests the localization of two La atoms in the 6,6-adduct.     

Acerogenin M, a cyclic diarylheptanoid, and other phenolic compounds from Acer nikoense and their anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor-promoting effects

A new cyclic diarylheptanoid, acerogenin M (1), has been isolated along with nine known diarylheptanoids, 2-10, and two known phenolic compounds, 11 and 12, from a MeOH extract of the stem bark of Acer nikoense MAXIM. (Aceraceae). The structure of 1 was determined on the basis of a spectroscopic method. Upon evaluation of the inhibitory effects on 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced inflammation (1 microg/ear) in mice of nine of the compounds (2-6, 8, 10-12), six (2, 4-6, 8, 10) showed a marked anti-inflammatory effect with a 50% inhibitory dose (ID(50)) of 0.26-0.81 mg per ear. In addition, upon an evaluation against the Epstein-Barr virus early antigen (EBV-EA) activation induced by TPA for all of the compounds, all exhibited moderate inhibitory effects against EBV-EA induction (IC(50) values of 356-534 mol ratio/32 pmol TPA).     

Optimization of bivalent glutathione S-transferase inhibitors by combinatorial linker design

Dimeric glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are pharmacological targets for several diseases, including cancer. Isoform specificity has been difficult to achieve due to their overlapping substrate selectivity. Here we demonstrate the utility of bivalent GST inhibitors and their optimization via combinatorial linker design. A combinatorial library with dipeptide linkers emanating symmetrically from a central scaffold (bis-3,5-aminomethyl benzoic acid, AMAB) to connect two ethacrynic acid moieties was prepared and decoded via iterative deconvolution, against the isoforms GSTA1-1 and GSTP1-1. The library yielded high affinity GSTA1-1 selective inhibitors (70-120-fold selectivity) and with stoichiometry of one inhibitor: one GSTA1-1 dimer. Saturation Transfer Difference (STD) NMR with one of these inhibitors, with linker structure (Asp-Gly-AMAB-Gly-Asp) and K(D) = 42 nM for GSTA1-1, demonstrates that the Asp-Gly linker interacts tightly with GSTA1-1, but not P1-1. H/D exchange mass spectrometry was used to map the protein binding site and indicates that peptides within the intersubunit cleft and in the substrate binding site are protected by inhibitor from solvent exchange. A model is proposed for the binding orientation of the inhibitor, which is consistent with electrostatic complementarity between the protein cleft and inhibitor linker as the source of isoform selectivity and high affinity. The results demonstrate the utility of combinatorial, or "irrational", linker design for optimizing bivalent inhibitors.     

Oxidation of hydroquinones with meso-hexakispentafluorophenyl [26]hexaphyrin(1.1.1.1.1.1)

Treatment of various hydroquinones and catechols with meso-pentafluorophenyl [26]hexaphyrin(1.1.1.1.1.1) provided the corresponding quinones quantitatively.     

Ultrasonic versus silent methylation of vegetable oils

The profile of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) of different vegetable oils produced under ultrasonic irradiation and conventional heating were compared. In the presence of potassium hydroxide as catalyst, the distribution of FAME was quite similar for both procedures, while in the case of sodium hydroxide ultrasonic irradiation gave better results. The FAME profile resulted from the reaction catalyzed by sulfuric acid was almost the same with the one resulted from the reaction catalyzed by KOH, while boron trifluoride can give rise to many artifacts, thus is not a reliable catalyst.     

Mössbauer and magnetic studies in nickel ferrite nanoparticles: Effect of size distribution

The magnetic properties of nickel ferrite nanoparticles in the form of powders, prepared by the sol-gel process and subjected to different annealing temperatures, were investigated using both static and dynamic measurements namely hysteresis, zero field cooled-field cooled magnetization (ZFC-FC) measurements and Mössbauer spectroscopy. The Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) studies reveal particle sizes for the as-prepared particles which increases upto 52 nm with annealing. A bimodal distribution, upto an annealing temperature of was observed. ZFC-FC measurements for the as-prepared samples reveal twin peaks, indicative of the bimodal size distribution. ZFC-FC measurements performed for fields varying from 100 Oe to 3 kOe show a superparamagnetic phase with blocking temperatures between 320 and . Numerical simulations for the ZFC-FC studies indicate that the signature of the bimodal size distribution can be seen only at very low fields. The variation of coercivity with particle size, as determined from the hysteresis measurements, shows a transition from a single domain to a multi domain state for particle sizes larger than 35 nm. Mössbauer measurements performed at room temperature for the as-prepared sample shows a six finger pattern for the samples with higher particle size and a doublet pattern for the samples with smaller particle size, which is indicative of their superparamagnetic nature.