Polymer particles having molecule-imprinted skin layer

We developed a novel type of protein molecule-imprinted particles. Bovine hemoglobin (BHb) and submicron-sized polymer particles were used in this study as a template and a substrate, respectively. BHb molecules were softly and sparsely adsorbed on the particle surface. Then skin layer was formed with a thickness of BHb molecule size by living radical graft polymerization of moderately hydrophilic monomers. After that, BHb molecules were removed from their embedded spaces. The ability of vacant spaces on the surface layer of particles to take BHb molecules selectively was examined. Successful results were obtained not only in single protein adsorption system but also in the competitive adsorption system of several proteins and BHb, that is, the imprinted space was reserved for BHb even if other proteins coexisted, although their nonspecific adsorption on non-imprinted surface was not avoided.     

A Bayesian analysis of the nucleon QCD sum rules

QCD sum rules of the nucleon channel are reanalyzed, using the maximum-entropy method (MEM). This new approach, based on the Bayesian probability theory, does not restrict the spectral function to the usual “pole + continuum” form, allowing a more flexible investigation of the nucleon spectral function. Making use of this flexibility, we are able to investigate the spectral functions of various interpolating fields, finding that the nucleon ground state mainly couples to an operator containing a scalar diquark. Moreover, we formulate the Gaussian sum rule for the nucleon channel and find that it is more suitable for the MEM analysis to extract the nucleon pole in the region of its experimental value, while the Borel sum rule does not contain enough information to clearly separate the nucleon pole from the continuum.     

New χ (3)-nonlinear-laser manifestations in tetragonal LuVO4 crystal: more than sesqui-octave Raman-induced Stokes and anti-Stokes comb generation and cascaded self-frequency “tripling”

We report the experimental investigations of nonlinear-laser effects in LuVO₄ vanadate under one-micron picosecond Nd³⁺:Y₃Al₅O₁₂ pumping. In this tetragonal host-crystal for Ln³⁺ lasants for the first time we excited ultra-broad, more than one and half octave (13500 cm⁻¹) Raman induced Stokes and anti-Stokes generation combs and observed multi-step cascaded parametric χ ⁽³⁾-lasing in UV spectral region. All generation lines were identified and attributed to SRS-promoting modes of the crystal (ω _SRS1≈900 cm⁻¹ and ω _SRS2≈113 cm⁻¹). We classified this vanadate as a promising material for self-Raman laser converters.     

Spectroscopic Mueller matrix polarimeter using four-channeled spectra

A Mueller matrix polarimeter acquired for four-channeled spectra is proposed. Both the polarizing and analyzing optics of this system consist of a linear polarizer and a high-order retarder. The polarizing elements can modulate the polarization states in the wavenumber space. By applying a Fourier transform method to a single-channeled spectrum, nine elements of the Mueller matrix can be deconvoluted without modifying the configuration of either the polarizing or analyzing optics. It is thus possible to determine the wavelength dependence of all the Mueller matrix elements from four-channeled spectra obtained using four different configurations for the polarizing and analyzing optics. The performance of this method is evaluated by measuring polarization properties, such as retardance, azimuthal angle, and linear diattenuation, from the obtained Mueller matrix in wavenumber space.     

Multistate Structural Switching of [3]Catenanes with Cyclic Porphyrin Dimers by Complexation with Amine Ligands

Catenanes with multistate switchable properties are promising components for next-generation molecular machines and supramolecular materials. Herein, we report a ligand-controlled switching method, a novel method for the multistate switching of catenanes controlled by complexation with added amine ligands. To verify this method, a [3]catenane comprising cyclic porphyrin dimers with a rigid π-system has been synthesized. Owing to the rigidity, the relative positions among the cyclic components of the [3]catenane can be precisely controlled by complexation with various amine ligands. Moreover, ligand-controlled multistate switching affects the optical properties of the [3]catenanes: the emission intensity can be tuned by modulating the sizes and coordination numbers of integrated amine ligands. This work shows the utility of using organic ligands for the structural switching of catenanes, and will contribute to the further development of multistate switchable mechanically interlocked molecules.     

Porous Organic Salts Composed of Terphenyl Sulfonic Acid and Their Bottleneck Designability

Porous organic salts (POSs) are constructed through a strong charge-assisted hydrogen bond between sulfonic and amino groups. The molecular design of sulfonic acid, the linker part, enables various porous structures. In the current work, we synthesized p-terphenyl-4,4’’-disulfonic acid (TPDS), whose molecular structure can be easily modified by organic synthesis. Combining of TPDS and bulky tri-p-tolylmethanamine (TPMA-Me), which has three methyl groups at each para-position of the phenyl groups of triphenylmethylamine (TPMA), gave POS with one-dimensional pore channels having two different types of bottlenecks. The central benzene ring of TPDS is exposed on the surface of the pore. Therefore, we combined 4,4′-(benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole-4,7-diyl)dibenzenesulfonic acid (BTDBS) containing 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole (BT) with TPMA-Me, and successfully constructed a one-dimensional pore channel with a bottleneck of 3.5 Å, by exposing BT to the surface of the pore. BTDBS/TPMA-Me exhibited a large adsorption/desorption hysteresis of nitrogen because of the bottleneck, electronic state of BT, and larger oxygen adsorption than the isostructural TPDS/TPMA-Me. Systematic and intended modulation of the pore structure of POS based on the modification of sulfonic acid was demonstrated, and for the first time, we established a precise design methodology for a one-dimensional pore channel with a bottleneck and high crystallinity in metal-free porous organic materials.