Study on the constituents of Desmodium styracifolium

Two triterpenoid saponins (1 and 2) were isolated from Desmodii Herba [the dried whole plants of Desmodium styracifolium (Osbeck) Merr. (Leguminosae)] and their chemical structures were characterized as soyasaponin I and a new saponin, 3-O-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1----2)-beta-D-galactopyranosyl- (1----2)-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl]soyasapogenol E, respectively, by chemical and spectroscopic means.     

Dielectrophoretic micropatterning with microparticle monolayers covalently linked to glass surfaces

Two-dimensional micropatterns of microparticles were fabricated on glass substrates with negative dielectrophoretic force, and the patterned microparticles were covalently bound on the substrate via cross-linking agents. The line and grid patterns of microparticles were prepared using the repulsive force of negative dielectrophoresis (n-DEP). The template interdigitated microband array (IDA) electrodes (width and gap 50 mum) were incorporated into the dielectrophoretic patterning cell with a fluidic channel. The microstructures on the glass substrates with amino or sulfhydryl groups were immobilized with the cross-linking agents disuccinimidyl suberate (DSS) and m-maleimidobenzoyl-N-hydroxy-succinimide ester (MBS). Diaphorase (Dp), a flavoenzyme, was selectively attached on the patterned microparticles using the maleimide groups of MBS. The enzyme activity on the patterned particles was electrochemically characterized with a scanning electrochemical microscope (SECM) in the presence of NADH and ferrocenylmethanol as a redox mediator. The SECM images proved that Dp was selectively immobilized onto the surface of microparticles to maintain its catalytic activity.     

Dehydrogenation of cycloalkanes over noble metal catalysts supported on active carbon

Dehydrogenation of decalin to naphthalene through tetralin and that of dicyclohexyl to biphenyl through phenylcyclohexane with Pt/C and Pd/C was investigated mainly under the liquid film state, in which the catalyst was just wet but not suspended and covered with a thin film of liquid substrate. To improve the catalytic activities, the effects of the addition of tellurium into Pd/C were investigated to reveal that the combination of tellurium, palladium and conjugated systems produced during the dehydrogenation of cycloalkames was important to the improvement of the activities.     

Kinetics of radiation-induced grafting reactions. III. Poly(isobutylene oxide)—styrene systems

Graft polymerization of styrene onto preirradiated poly(isobutylene oxide) was carried out at 25°C. The concentration of active sites for grafting was estimated by means of ESR and by the activation analysis of bromine atoms bound to the chain ends. Kinetic data such as differential amount of active sites (DACT), growth rate (GR), and average lifetime (τ) were obtained to calculate the molecular weight distribution of graft chains by the Monte Carlo simulation method. The number-average molecular weight of the graft chain was calculated from the equation, M _n = 2GRτ (mw), which agreed well with the observed value.     

Direct Regioselective Dehydrogenation of α-Substituted Cyclic Ketones

We disclose a highly regioselective, catalytic one-step dehydrogenation of α-substituted cyclic ketones in the presence of 2,3-dichlorobenzo-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ). The high regioselectivity originates from a phosphoric acid-catalyzed enolization, selectively affording the thermodynamically preferred enol, followed by the subsequent oxidation event. Our method provides reliable access to several α-aryl and α-alkyl substituted α,β-unsaturated ketones.