Estimation of diffusion and permeability coefficients of CO2 in polymeric membranes by FTIR method

Infrared spectra of CO₂ sorbed in rubbery and glassy polymeric membranes were measured to examine the relationships between the spectroscopic data and the physical properties of the membranes. The two peaks observed in the spectra of CO₂ were attributed to the R branch and P branch of CO₂ sorbed in the membranes based on the consideration that both peaks were observed at a temperature above the glass transition temperature of the membranes. Apparent diffusion coefficients of CO₂ in the membranes were measured from the desorption kinetics of CO₂ detected by FTIR spectroscopy. The solubility coefficients of CO₂ were also estimated from absorbance spectra of CO₂ sorbed in the membranes using Lambert-Beer's rule. The permeability, solubility, and diffusion coefficients estimated by the FTIR method were found to correlate well with the coefficients obtained by conventional methods such as vacuum-pressure or sorption isotherm methods. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis of photochromic diarylethenes using a microflow system

An effective method for the synthesis of photochromic diarylethenes based on microflow systems has been developed, and the synthesis of unsymmetrical diarylethenes which is difficult to achieve using conventional macro batch systems, has been accomplished.     

Catalytic activation of the leaving group in the S(N)2 reaction

A novel catalytic activation of the leaving group in the S(N)2 reaction is achieved as an extension of our mercuric triflate-catalyzed reactions. Derivatives of anilinoethyl 4-pentynoate reacted smoothly with catalytic amounts of Hg(OTf)(2) to give indoline derivatives in excellent yield with efficient catalytic turnovers under very mild conditions. The reaction of optically pure secondary alcohol derivatives resulted in inversion of stereochemistry, which is a definitive feature of the S(N)2 reaction. The procedure is applicable for benzoazepine synthesis.     

A stroboscopic approach for fast photoactivation-localization microscopy with Dronpa mutants

The photophysical properties and photoswitching scheme of the reversible photoswitchable green fluorescent protein-like fluorescent proteins Dronpa-2 and Dronpa-3 were investigated by means of ensemble and single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy and compared to those of the precursor protein Dronpa. The faster response to light and the faster dark recovery of the new mutants observed in bulk also hold at the single-molecule level. Analysis of the single-molecule traces allows us to extract the efficiencies and rate constants of the pathways involved in the forward and backward switching, and we find important differences when comparing the mutants to Dronpa. We rationalize our results in terms of a higher conformational freedom of the chromophore in the protein environment provided by the beta-can. This thorough understanding of the photophysical parameters has allowed us to optimize the acquisition parameters for camera-based sub-diffraction-limit imaging with these photochromic proteins. We show that Dronpa and its mutants are useful for fast photoactivation-localization microscopy (PALM) using common wide-field microscopy equipment, as individual fluorescent proteins can be localized several times. We provide a new approach to achieve fast PALM by introducing simultaneous two-color stroboscopic illumination.     

Hydrogen bonding self-assemblies with 1-D linear, dimeric and hexagonal nanostructures of meso-pyridyl-substituted dipyrromethanes

Dipyrromethanes with meso-pyridyl groups form various hydrogen bonding structures such as dimeric and hexagonal structures and infinite chains. The formation of the self-assembled structures and chains depends on the existence of meso-pyridyl nitrogen in the solid state.     

Structures and stabilities of 3d-transition metal-benzene organometallic clusters

In the gas phase, we have successfully synthesized organometallic clusters, M_n(benzene)_m (M=3d transition metal atoms), by using a laser vaporization method. The measurements of mass spectra and ionization energies (E_i) have revealed that the organometallic clusters can take two types of structures; layered sandwich structures (m = n + 1) and metal clusters saturatedly covered with benzenes. For early transition metals of Sc, Ti, and V, only the multiple decker sandwich structure clusters were preferentially produced, in which benzene and metal atoms are alternately piled up. For late transition metals of Co and Ni, the metal clusters saturatedly surrounded by benzenes were also produced as well as the sandwich clusters. Furthermore, the E_is of M₁(benzene)₂ (M = Sc-Ni) were systematically measured and their electronic properties will be discussed.     

MORPHOLOGICAL OBSERVATION OF SINGLE-CHAIN POLY (METHYL METHACRYLATE) PARTICLES*

Tapping mode atomic force microscope has been applied to observe single-chain PMMAparticles which were stored for six months at room temperature after sprayed from verydilute solutions in good solvents, good/poor mixed solvents, and a theta solvent. Monodis-perse PMMA standards of molecular weights ranging from 7.90×10~4 to 1.3×10~6 wereused to investigate the effect of molecular weight oh the size of the single-chain PMMAparticles. These single-chain particles showed close to spherical shapes. The morphologyof single-chain PMMA particles of a given molecular weight was found to be identical inspite of different solvents used for solution spraying. Molecular weigh dependence of theparticle dimension was also found. The diameters of single-chain PMMA particles aftercorrection of tlp-geometry effect were compared to the values estimated from molecularweight and density.     

Synthesis of polymers in aqueous solutions: Polyaddition of bis(oxazolines) with dithiol in aqueous solutions

Polyaddition of bis(4-mercaptophenyl) sulfide ( BMPS ) with m-phenylenebis(2-oxazoline) ( MPBO ) proceeded very smoothly in the mixtures of aprotic ploar solvents such as N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone ( NMP ) with water to produce the corresponding poly(amide–sulfide) with high molecular weights at 90°C under nitrogen. The reaction of BMPS with MPBO , p-phenylenebis(2-oxazoline), and 1,4-butylenebis(2-oxazoline) was also examined in water under the same conditions, and it was found that the reaction proceeds successfully to give the corresponding poly(amide–sulfide)s with high molecular weights. These results mean that water along as well as the mixed solvents of aprotic polar solvents such as NMP with water can be uses as suitable reaction media for the polyaddition of bis(oxazolines) with dithiol to synthesize poly(amide—sulfide)s with high molecular weights. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35 : 2711–2717, 1997     

Development of 1,3a,6a-triazapentalene-labeled enterobactin as a fluorescence quenching sensor of iron ion

1,3a,6a-Triazapentalene (TAP)-labeled enterobactin was developed as an iron ion sensor. 3-Acetylated-TAP was successfully introduced to the catechol ring of enterobactin, a well-recognized siderophore secreted by various Gram-negative bacteria. The fluorescence of TAP-labeled enterobactin decreased gradually as the amount of Fe³⁺ ion as an additive was increased, and 1.2 equiv of Fe³⁺ ion completely quenched the fluorescence. In clear contrast, when other metal ions were used, the fluorescence of TAP-labeled enterobactin remained even at 5.0 equiv.     

Partially bio‐based tri‐ and hexaallyl monomers: Synthesis from naturally occurring myo‐inositol and polyaddition with dithiols

myo‐Inositol, a naturally occurring cyclic hexaol, was converted to 2,4,6‐tri‐O‐allyl‐myo‐inositol and 1,2,3,4,5,6‐hexa‐O‐allyl‐myo‐inositol. Polyaddition of the former product, a tri(allyl ether) bearing three hydroxyl groups, with dithiols yielded the corresponding networked polymers. Their glass transition temperatures (T_gs) were higher than those of networked polymers formed by the polyaddition of 1,3,5‐tri‐O‐methyl‐2,4,6‐tri‐O‐allyl‐myo‐inositol. This implied the reinforcement of the networks by hydrogen bonding between the hydroxyl groups. Polyaddition of the latter product, a hexa(allyl ether), with dithiols yielded the corresponding networked polymers with much higher T_gs than those of all of the aforementioned networked polymers. This implied that efficient use of the hexafunctional monomer leads to the formation of more densely crosslinked polymers. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55, 1524–1529