Charged particle activation analysis at RIKEN: Past,present and future

To study the effect of rhizosphere pH condition on the cadmium uptake movement, ¹⁰⁹Cd, was applied as a radioisotope tracer to a soybean plant grown in a water culture at pH 4.5 or pH 6.5. The distribution of ¹⁰⁹Cd in the soybean plant was observed radiographically with an imaging plate (IP). The amount of Cd transported from the root to the upper part of the plant at pH 4.5 was approximately two times higher than that at pH 6.5. However, the movement of Cd in the upper part of the plant was similar under both pH conditions. The distribution of Cd inside the internodes at pH 4.5 also showed similar pattern to that at pH 6.5, suggesting that once Cd reached to the vessel of the root, the movement of Cd was not dependent on rhizosphere pH conditions.     

Stereoselective synthesis of vinylgermanes and their facile transformation into vinyl halides

Whereas iododegermylation of (Z)-1-triethylgermyl-1-dodecene gives (Z)-1-iodo-1-dodecene, bromodegermylation proves to give (E)-1-bromo-1-dodecene. Two general procedures for the preparation of vinylgermanes are also described.     

Selective Reactions with Organoaluminum Compounds

With the aid of selected examples an overview is given of the development trends in highly discriminative reactions using organoaluminum compounds. (1) Isomerization of substituted oxiranes into allyl alcohols has been effected both stereo- and regioselectively by means of a new organoaluminum reagent, diethylaluminum 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidide (DATMP); this reaction which provides a new route for the regiospecific transformation of allyl alcohols into 1,3-dienes. (2) A novel nonenzymic heterolysis of allylic phosphates of terpenoids has been effected by organoaluminum compounds and has enabled development of a new method for the selective synthesis of cyclic terpenes. (3) The reductive condensation of α-haloketones with carbonyl compounds in the presence of diethylaluminum chloride and zinc affords β-hydroxy-carbonyl derivatives in good yields with exclusion of undesired self-condensations products.     

The site distribution of Ti and V and the metal-metal interaction in the ternary system (V,Ti)5S8

The phase relations of the ternary system V_1?xTi_xS_1.57 are presented on the basis of X-ray diffractometry. The site distribution of Ti and V atoms in the structure is clarified through an NMR absorption study at room temperature. The phase relations and the site distribution of Ti and V, which appear to be closely related to each other, are discussed in terms of the metal-metal interaction of the face-shared octahedra in the metal-deficient distorted NiAs structure.     

Raman studies of (Fe,V)3S4 solid solution

Raman scattering of Fe_xV_3-xS₄ with 0?x?2 has been studied. The observed spectra of V₃S₄, one of the end members of this solid solution, have been assigned to the Raman active lattice modes based on the C_2h³ space group symmetry. On the basis of the results obtained for V₃S₄, the nature of the metal-metal interactions and the site distributions of Fe atoms in (Fe, V)₃S₄ have been discussed.