Reverse osmosis and fine structure of decrystallized acrylic acid grafted nylon 6 membranes

Nylon 6 film and acrylic acid grafted nylon 6 (GN) membrances were reacted with paraformaldehyde and lactic acid in the presence of acid catalysts. Decrystallized nylon 6 (DN) and decrystallized grafted nylon 6 (DGN) membranes were thus obtained. The cross sections of GN and DGN membranes were observed by a transmission electron microscope. Branch poly(acrylic acid) penetrated toward the center of the membrane and deposited homogeneously within the membrane as the extent of grafting exceeded about 100%. The reverse osmosis of DN and DGN membranes was investigated. The water permeability through the membranes was improved by the decrystallization reaction. DGN membranes with more than 100% grafting show high values of the salt rejection (Rs) as compared with DN and DGN membranes with about 50% grafting, especially at the region of the high hydraulic permeability coefficient of water (K). The relationships among Rs, K, and the volume fraction of water (H) are discussed by considering the results of the decrystallization reaction and electron microscopy.     

A mechanistic study of photocyanation of pyrene in oil-in-water emulsion systems

A highly efficient one-step photocyanation reaction of pyrene was shown to proceed in oil-in-water emulsion systems. As a typical example, photoirradiation of pyrene in the presence of 1,4-dicyanobenzene and NaCN in a benzonitrile/water mixture (1/100, vol %) under vigorous stirring gave 1-cyanopyrene in a conversion yield of 83%, while an analogous reaction in an acetonitrile/water mixture (9/1, vol %) yielded this product in 61% yield. We evaluated the quantum yield of photocyanation in the oil-in-water emulsion system to be 0.17. Under optimum conditions, the quantum yield was improved to 0.68. Characteristics and possible mechanisms of the photocyanation reaction are discussed in detail.     

Optically active perfluoro-2-propoxypropionic acid: A new chiral reagent for 19F NMR study

Perfluoro-2-propoxypropionic acid, which was prepared by the anionic dimerization of hexafluoro-1,2-epoxypropane, was optically resolved via diastereomeric salt formation with chiral amines. The optically pure (+) and (?) perfluoro-2-propoxypropionic acids thus obtained were found to be a convenient chiral reagent for determining enantiomeric compositions of α-amino acids by means of ¹⁹F nmr analysis.     

Quadrature Frequency Conversion Scheme Using CsLiB6O10 Crystals for the Efficient Second-Harmonic Generation of High Power Nd:YAG Laser

The ability of CsLiB_6O10 (CLBO) crystals for high power second-harmonic generation (SHG) of a 1064-nm Nd:YAG laser in a quadrature arrangement was experimentally demonstrated. A 532-nm second harmonic output pulse energy of 2.25 J was obtained with 3.21 J of an input 1064-nm fundamental pulse energy at a repetition rate of 10 Hz, corresponding to a power conversion efficiency in excess of 70%.     

Molecular-shape imprinting and immobilization of biomolecules on a polymer containing azo dye

We demonstrate a novel technique for molecular imprinting and immobilization on a surface of a polymer containing azo dyes (azopolymer). The azopolymer was found to be capable of immobilizing micrometer- and nanometer-scale macromolecules (e.g., lambda-DNA, immunoglobulin G (IgG), bacterial protease, and 1-mum polystyrene particles) through photoirradiation with blue-wavelength light. Fluorescence and atomic force microscopy studies revealed that the azopolymer surface deformed along with the shape of the macromolecules, holding them in place after photoirradiation. The desorption of the immobilized macromolecules from the azopolymer surface in an aqueous medium was observed to be very slow, on the time scale of 10 min to weeks, depending on the photoirradiation time. Immunological and enzymatic studies showed that IgG and bacterial protease immobilized on the azopolymer surface retained their original functionality. These results suggest that the azopolymer physically, not chemically, binds the macromolecules because of the increase in contact area between the macromolecules and the azopolymer surface after photoirradiation.     

On second order weakly hyperbolic equations with oscillating coefficients and regularity loss of the solutions

Regularity of the solution for the wave equation with constant propagation speed is conserved with respect to time, but such a property is not true in general if the propagation speed is variable with respect to time. The main purpose of this paper is to describe the order of regularity loss of the solution due to the variable coefficient by the following four properties of the coefficient: “smoothness”, “oscillations”, “degeneration” and “stabilization”. Actually, we prove the Gevrey and C^∞ well‐posedness for the wave equations with degenerate coefficients taking into account the interactions of these four properties. Moreover, we prove optimality of these results by constructing some examples (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Regio- and stereoselective synthesis of (E)-alkene trans-Xaa-Pro dipeptide mimetics utilizing organocopper-mediated anti-S(N)2' reactions

Proline dipeptides (Xaa-Pro) exist as an equilibrium mixture of cis- and trans-rotamers, which depends on the energy barriers for imide isomerization. This conformation mixture contributes to both structure and function of proline-containing peptides and proteins. Structural motifs resembling these cis- or trans-conformers have served as useful tools for elucidating contributions of proline residues in the physicochemical and biological profiles of structures which contain them. Among such motifs are alkene dipeptide isosteres which mimic cis- or trans-imide using (Z)- or (E)-alkene, respectively. In this report, the first regio- and stereoselective syntheses of (E)-alkene dipeptide isosteres (20, 31, and 35) corresponding to trans-proline dipeptides are described. Key to the synthesis of these mimetics is the anti-S(N)2' reaction of vinyl aziridines such as 15 or vinyl oxazolidinones such as 28 and 32 with organocopper reagents "RCu" (R = CH(2)SiMe(2)(Oi-Pr)). Reaction of cis-vinylaziridine 15 derived from L-serine with organocopper reagent gave a precursor of the trans-L-Ser-D-Pro type alkene isosteres 20, accompanied by an S(N)2 side product. One limitation with the use of such aziridine-mediated methodology is formation of the corresponding trans-aziridine 22, which leads to L-L type isosteres, that is unstable and obtainable only in low yield. On the other hand, both isomers of oxazolidinone derivatives can be easily obtained from N-Boc-protected amino alcohols. The reaction of trans- 28 or cis-oxazolidinone derivative 32 with organocopper reagents proceeds quantitatively with high regio- and diastereoselectivities in anti-S(N)2' fashion. Subsequent oxidative treatment of the newly introduced isopropoxydimethylsilylmethyl group yields trans-L-Ser-L-Pro 31 or trans-L-Ser-D-Pro type isosteres 35, respectively. Of note, synthesized isostere 31 can also be converted to trans-phosphoSer-Pro 42 and trans-Cys-Pro mimetics 44. The present synthetic methodology affords trans-Xaa-Pro alkene-type dipeptide isosteres in high yield with relatively simple manipulation.