Synthesis and enzymatic hydrolysis of lactic acid–depsipeptide copolymers with functionalized pendant groups

Since poly(lactic acid) is the biodegradable polyester having low immunogenicity and good biocompatibility, it is utilized as a medical material. However, poly(lactic acid) is a water-insoluble crystalline polymer having no reactive side-chain group. Thus, the use of poly(lactic acid) is limited. To modify the properties of poly(lactic acid) and to introduce the functionalized pendant groups to poly(lactic acid), we synthesized two kinds of lactic acid-depsipeptide copolymers with reactive pendant groups, namely poly[LA-(Glc-Lys)] and poly[LA-(Glc-Asp)]. This was done through ring-opening copolymerizations of L-lactide with the corresponding protected cyclodepsipeptides, cyclo[Glc-Lys(Z)] and cyclo[Glc-Asp(OBzl)], and subsequent deprotection of benzyloxycarbonyl and benzyl groups, respectively. By changing the mole fraction of the corresponding depsipeptide units, the solubility, thermal transition and degradation behavior of the modified poly(lactic acid) could be varied. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Broadband dielectric relaxation study on a diluted solution of a ferroelectric liquid crystal by time domain reflectometry

In this work, complex permittivity measurements on a diluted solution of the ferroelectric liquid crystal, 4-[(S,S)-2,3-epoxyhexyloxy]-phenyl 4-(decyloxy)-benzoate, which shows ferroelectric smectic C phase (S*_C), have been performed. Using time domain reflectometry, at frequencies between 10 MHz and 10 GHz, in the temperature range from 50°C down to 10°C for every 10°C, at 5, 10 and 30 wt.% in benzene we observe two independent relaxation processes around 150 MHz and 2 GHz. It is shown that the high frequency process is due to the internal molecular reorientations while the low frequency one is due to molecular orientation around the long molecular axis. It is concluded that the reorientation around the long axis is hindered and leads to a resultant macroscopic polarization.     

Spectrophotometric determination of Blue Procion HEGN in effluents of textile industry exploiting the dye aggregation effect and flow injection analysis.

A new spectrophotometric method involving flow injection analysis and textile dye aggregation effect is proposed. The method is based on the aggregation effect of Blue Procion HEGN at pH 3, which relocates its maximum absorption wavelength from 620 to 776 nm, avoiding the interference of other blue textile dyes. For this task, a simple and robust flow injection system was designed, which became a very stable analytical method. When the system was applied to Blue Procion determination in effluent of textile industry, precise results were observed (RSD < 2% within 1.0 and 5.0 mg l(-1) HEGN). The analytical frequency was 80 measurements per hour; the analytical curve was linear from 1.0 to 5.0 mg l(-1) HEGN; the detection limit considering three times the standard deviation of the blank solution (n = 10) was estimated as 0.03 mg l(-1) HEGN; and recoveries between 95% and 105% were found. The system consumes 20 mg of sodium citrate and 125 microl of the sample per determination. No baseline drift was observed during extended (5 h) operation periods.     

Charged particle activation analysis of boron and carbon on the surface of silicon wafer

Boron and carbon on the surface of silicon wafers in ordinary atmospheres were measured by activation with the¹⁰B(d,n)¹¹C and¹²Cd(d,n)¹³N reaction, respectively. Two sample plates in intimate contact were bombarded by deuterons, and the¹¹C or¹³N formed at the inside surfaces were measured after chemical separation. From 1.2·10¹³ to 8.4·10¹³ atoms/cm² of boron and from 2.4·10¹⁴ to 6.1·10¹⁵ atoms/cm² of carbon were found ,and the sensitivity was extended down to 5·10¹² and 3·10¹² atoms/cm² for boron and carbon, respectively.     

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.