Analyses of structure of photoreceptor organelle and blepharismin-associated protein in unicellular eukaryote Blepharisma

In the ciliated protozoan Blepharisma, step-up photophobic response is believed to be mediated by a novel type of photosensory pigment known as "blepharismins" (BL) that are contained in the pigment granules located just beneath the plasma membrane. We examined the ultrastructure of the pigment granules by freeze-fracture and thin-section electron microscopy and proposed a schematic diagram showing the granules' three-dimensional inner membranous structure. Some of the BL are suggested to be associated with 200 kDa membrane protein. High-pressure liquid chromatography analysis of pigment species associated with 200 kDa protein obtained from blue forms of Blepharisma (oxyblepharisma) revealed that the 200 kDa protein was associated with five types of oxyblepharismin. The fluorescence intensity was increased when the pigments were dissociated from the 200 kDa protein. The result supports the hypothesis that the pigment-200 kDa complex is able to transduce light energy into signals mediating the photobehavior of Blepharisma.     

Photodegradation of polyethylene in the presence of ferric chloride

Effects of ferric chloride (FeCl₃) on photodegradation of high-density polyethylene (PE) were investigated by using ESR and infrared spectrometry. In the system with irradiation at light of λ > 220 nm, PE irradiated at 77°K yielded an 8-line spectrum, the intensity of which was markedly weakened by using FeCl₃ with the sample, indicating a distinct depression of radical formation. On the other hand, PE with the use of FeCl₃ yielded radicals under irradiation only with light of λ > 300 nm, showing a singlet spectrum with a line width of 15 gauss. For photooxidized PE, almost the same effect of FeCl₃ was observed. On irradiation at room temperature, PE samples with and without FeCl₃ showed a singlet spectrum with line widths of 15 and 25 gauss, respectively. On the other hand, the unsaturated double bond contained in a small amount in PE sample was observed by infrared study to be decreased with photoirradiation; however, the decrease was sharply depressed with the addition of FeCl₃ to the sample. The degradation of carbonyl group in a photooxidized sample was markedly affected by photoirradiation, and the decay was obviously reduced for the sample on addition of FeCl₃. It is concluded that FeCl₃ works upon photodegradation of PE to enhance the Norrish type II reaction and to accelerate the formation of unsaturated double bond in the chain.     

Extraction Equilibria between Benzene and Water of Uni- and Bivalent Metal Picrates with Lariat 16-Crown-5: Effect of the Side Arms on the Extraction Ability and Selectivity

The overall extraction constants (K_ex) of uni- andbivalent metal picrates with 15-(2,5-dioxahexyl)-15-methyl-16-crown-5(L16C5) were determined between benzene and water at 25°C. TheK_ex values were analyzed into the constituent equilibriumconstants, i.e., the extraction constant of picric acid, the distributionconstant of the crown ether, the stability constant of the metalion–crown ether complex in water, and the ion-pair extraction constantof the complex cation with the picrate anion. The K_ex valuedecreases in the orders Ag⁺ > Na⁺ >Tl⁺ > K⁺ > Li⁺ andPb²⁺ > Ba²⁺ > Sr²⁺ for theuni- and bivalent metals, respectively, which are the same as those observedfor 16C5. The extraction selectivity was found to be governed by theselectivity of the ion-pair extraction of the L16C5–metal picratecomplex rather than by that of the complex formation in water. Theextraction ability of L16C5 is smaller for all the metals than that of 16C5,which is mostly attributed to the higher lipophilicity of L16C5. Differencesin the extraction selectivity between L16C5 and 16C5 were observed for thebivalent metals but little for the univalent metals. The side-arm effect onthe extraction selectivity was interpreted on the basis of the negativecorrelation between the effect on the complex stability constant in waterand that on the ion-pair extraction constant.     

Mössbauer study of new vanadate glass with large charge-discharge capacity

Charge-discharge capacity and cyclicity of lithium ion battery (LIB) was evaluated in which 15Li₂O·10Fe₂O₃·xSnO₂·5P₂O₅·(70–x)V₂O₅ glass (x?=?0 and 20 in mol%, abbreviated as xLFSPV) was used as a cathode. A local structure of xLFSPV glass before and after charging was investigated by ⁵⁷Fe- and ¹¹⁹Sn-Mössbauer spectroscopies. ⁵⁷Fe-Mössbauer spectrum of xLFSPV glass with ‘x’ of 20 was composed of a doublet with isomer shift (δ) of 0.35_±0.02 mm s^???1 and quadrupole splitting (Δ) of 0.88_±0.03 mm s^???1 due to distorted Fe^IIIO₄ tetrahedra. ¹¹⁹Sn-Mössbauer spectrum of this glass consisted of a doublet with δ of 0.08_±0.01 and Δ of 0.52_±0.01 mms^???1 due to distorted Sn^VIO₆ octahedra. After discharging the battery from 4.5 to 1.0 V, larger δ of 0.40_±0.03 mm s^???1 and Δ of 0.94_±0.04 mm s^???1 were obtained, indicating that both iconicity of Fe-O bonds and local distortion of Fe^IIIO₄ tetrahedra were increased. On the contrary, identical δ of 0.09_±0.01 mm s^???1 and Δ of 0.50_±0.01 mm s^???1 were observed in the ¹¹⁹Sn-Mössbauer spectrum of 20LFSPV glass after the discharge, indicating that chemical environment of Sn^IVO₆ octahedra was not affected after the discharge. Charge-discharge curve of LIB containing 20LFSPV glass as a cathode active material recorded under the current density of 8.3 mA g^???1 (0.011 mA cm^???2) between 1.0 and 4.5 V showed a large initial charge capacity of 431.1 mAh g^???1 and discharge capacity of 382.3 mAh g^???1, respectively. These results indicate that 20LFSPV glass could be a new cathode active material for LIB.     

Alkyl Derivatives of Boehmite Having the Second Stage Structure

Abstract

The reaction of aluminum alkoxide in straight-chain primary alcohols at elevated temperatures yielded the alkyl derivatives of boehmite [AlO(OH)_1-x (OR) _x ], a class of intercalation compound where the guest moieties are covalently bonded to the host boehmite layers. The addition of small amounts of water to the reaction system yielded another phase having a larger basal spacing. XRD, IR, and elemental analysis showed that the products had the boehmite layer structure with the alkyl moieties incorporated between the boehmite layers. IR spectra of the products also exhibited bands due to hydrogen bonding between the boehmite layers. These results suggest that the products are the alkyl derivatives of boehmite having the second stage structure. Because water in the reaction medium facilitated the hydrolysis of intermediate aluminum alkoxides, the product with the second stage structure had smaller alkyl/Al ratio and therefore had smaller basal spacing than that expected from the corresponding first stage product.     

Low‐Symmetry Ω‐Shaped Zinc Phthalocyanine Sensitizers with Panchromatic Light‐Harvesting Properties for Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

Two low‐symmetry phthalocyanines (Pcs) substituted with thiophene units at the non‐peripheral (α) and peripheral (β) positions were synthesized and their optical, electronic‐structure, and electrochemical properties were investigated. The substitution of thiophene units at the α positions of the phthalocyanine skeleton resulted in a red shift of the Q band and significantly modified the molecular‐orbital electronic distributions just below the HOMO and just above the LUMO, with distortion of the typical Gouterman four‐orbital arrangement of MOs. Two amphiphilic Ω‐shaped ZnPcs ( αPcS1 and αPcS2 ) bearing a π‐conjugated side chain with an adsorption site at an α position of the Pc macrocycle were synthesized as sensitizers for dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The absorption spectra of αPcS1 and αPcS2 showed red shifted Q bands and a broad band from 350 to 550 nm assignable to the intramolecular charge‐transfer transition from the ZnPc core to the side chains. Time‐dependent DFT calculations provided a clear interpretation of the effect of the thiophene conjugation on the typical phthalocyanine core π MOs. Compound αPcS1 was used as a light‐harvesting dye on a TiO₂ electrode for a DSSC, which showed a panchromatic response in the range 400–800 nm with a power conversion efficiency of 5.5 % under one‐sun conditions.     

Synthesis and mechanochemical properties of biobased ABCBA-type pentablock copolymers comprising poly-d-lactide (A), poly-l-lactide (B) and poly(1,2-propylene succinate) (C)

The ABCBA pentablock copolymers (p-d -l -PPS) comprising poly(d -lactide) (PDLA: A), poly(l -lactide) (PLLA: B) and poly(propylene succinate) (PPS: C) were successfully synthesized by two-step ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of d - and l -lactide using a dihydroxy-terminated PPS as a macro-initiator. The pentablock copolymers revealed the high stereocomplex (sc) crystallinity, thermal stability and elastomeric property in their solution-cast films. It was found that the T_g was found to be proportional to the PPS content, whereas the T_m was proportional to their average block length. The thermal resistivity of the copolymer films was found to be as high as 202°C owing to their sc formation. The copolymers also showed improved stereocomplexibility compared to the enantiomeric mixtures of triblock copolymers (PLLA-PPS-PLLA and PDLA-PPS-PDLA) having similar PLLA and PDLA chain lengths. These pentablock copolymers can afford thermoplastic elastomers or flexible plastic materials having a 100% bio-based content, showing high heat-resistive property.