Projection of Si 1s photoexcited orbitals into resonant Auger electron spectra in KLL decays of Si(CH3)4 and SiF4

Spectator resonant KL(23)L(23) Auger electron spectra have been measured in the Si 1s photoexcitation region of Si(CH(3))(4) using monochromatized undulator radiation combined with a hemispherical electron spectrometer. The broad peak with high intensity in a total ion yield spectrum, coming mainly from excitation of a 1s electron into the 6t(2) vacant orbital, induces a spectator Auger decay in which the excited electron remains in its excited orbital. The component on the higher energy side of this peak through 1s excitation into a Rydberg orbital produces resonant Auger decays in which the excited Rydberg electron moves into a slightly higher Rydberg orbital, or is partly shaken up to a significantly higher Rydberg orbital. These findings of Si(CH(3))(4) indicate a clear contrast to those for SiF(4), in which the 1s excitation into a Rydberg orbital induces a shake-down phenomenon as well as a shake-up one. The results of these molecules exhibit a clear splitting effect among excited orbitals which are smeared out by overlapping due to lifetime widths and due to densely populated levels in the 1s electron excitation spectrum. This is consistent with the calculation on photoexcitation within the framework of density functional theory.     

Sorption of ethanesulfonic acid by nylon-6 containing various numbers of end groups

From the analysis of the permeation of ³⁵S labeled ethanesulfonic acid, through nylon-6 films sorption isotherms were obtained. The films are characterized by their largely different content of carboxyl and amino end groups. It was found that the shape of the isotherm depends on the molar ratio of the two end groups: an S-shape curve for the film containing the carboxyl end group larger than the amino end group and a Langmuir-type curve for the film containing comparable numbers of end groups. These results were explained by the McGregor-Harris theory in which the acid dissociation constants of the two end groups in nylon were estimated experimentally.     

ZINC TETRAPHENYLPORPHYRIN-SENSITIZED PHOTOREDUCTION OF ANTHRAQUINONESULFONATE IN AQUEOUS MICELLAR SOLUTIONS*

Abstract— Zn-tetraphenylporphyrin (ZnTPP), solubilized in non-ionic surfactant micelles, was found to sensitize photoreductions of some sodium anthraquinonesulfonatesz in the presence of ascorbic acid under anaerobic conditions. The reaction rate was increased by the addition of an anionic surfactant, while retardation was observed with a cationic surfactant. The pH-reaction rate profiles showed maxima located in the order corresponding to pK_a-values for the semiquinone of each anthraquinone-sulfonate. A reaction scheme involving the formation of ZnTPP⁺ at the primary step, followed by back-reduction with ascorbic acid, is proposed. The reaction scheme is in good agreement with the results of flash photolysis. The surfactant micelles are suggested to aid the charge-separation between the ionic species just after the redox reaction involving the photoexcited ZnTPP and anthraquinonesulfonates.     

High resolution mass spectrometric studies of some bicyclic γ-lactones

The mass spectra of three bicyclic γ-lactones have been studied, and the fragmentation pathways have been proposed with the aid of accurate mass measurements and metastable transitions. An unusually low [M ? CH₃] ion and the presence of an abundant [M ? C₅H₉] ion in the mass spectrum of dihydroactinidiolide were interpreted as a possible rearrangement involving a methyl migration. The eliminations of methyl radical, carbon monoxide and ketene are important processes in many cases.     

Photoreaction Cycle of Phoborhodopsin (Sensory Rhodopsin II) from Halobacterium salinarum Expressed in Escherichia coli

Phoborhodopsin (pR; also called sensory rhodopsin II, SRII) is a photoreceptor of negative phototaxis of halobacteria. The studies of photochemical properties of this pigment are not many because the amount of the pigment is small and the stability is low. Recently an expression system of phoborhodopsin from Halobacterium salinarum (called salinarum phoborhodopsin, spR; also HsSRII) in Escherichia coli and purification method has been developed (Mironova et al. [2005] FEBS Lett., 579, 3147–3151), which enables detailed studies on the photochemical properties of spR. In the present work, the photoreaction cycle of E. coli-expressed spR was studied by low-temperature spectroscopy and flash photolysis. Formations of K-, M-, O-like intermediates and P480 were reconfirmed as reported previously. New findings are as follows. (1) The K-like intermediate (P500) was a mixture of two photoproducts. (2) Formation of L-like intermediate (P482) was observed by low-temperature spectroscopy and flash photolysis at room temperature. (3) On long irradiation of spR at 20°C, formation of a new photoproduct P370 was observed and it decayed to the original spR in the dark with a decay half time of 190 min. Based on these results the similarities and dissimilarities between spR and ppR are discussed.     

Formation of Supramolecular Nanostructures through in Situ Self-Assembly and Post-Assembly Modification of a Biocatalytically Constructed Dipeptide Hydrazide**

Aqueous self-assembly of short peptides has attracted growing attention for the construction of supramolecular materials for various bioapplications. Herein, we describe how the thermolysin-assisted biocatalytic construction of a dipeptide hydrazide from an N-protected amino acid and an amino acid hydrazide leads to the formation of thermally stable supramolecular hydrogels. In addition, we demonstrate the post-assembly modification of the supramolecular architectures constructed in situ tethering hydrazide groups as a chemical handle by means of fluorescence imaging.     

Determination of iodine in organic iodine compounds by non-equilibrium isotope exchange in a heterogeneous exchange system

Some water-soluble organic iodine compounds (aqueous solution) can be analyzed for iodine by isotopically exchanging with labelled elementary iodine (organic solution). The method is applicable to exchange systems in which the rate of the exchange is rather small but measurable, before the exchange equilibrium is attained. The iodine content of iodoaromatic amino acids such as 5-iodouracil and 3,5-diiodotyrosine can be determined within an error of ±4%.     

Charge-transfer interactions,exciplex formations and ionic dissociations in singlet oxygen reactions

Intermolecular perturbation and configuration interaction calculations have been carried out to elucidate the attacking modes of singlet molecular oxygen (¹O₂) to allyl olefins and electron-rich olefins, which are classified into four groups from their molecular structures. It is found: (1) that the attacking modes are dependent on the molecular structure of substrates ; (2) that the charge-transfer (CT) interactions between ¹O₂ and substrates are particularly important for the formation of exciplexes through which the ene and (2+2) reactions of ¹O₂ proceed ; and (3) that the CT energy levels are important in governing the fraction of ionic dissociation to produce Superoxide anion and the relative ratio between the (4+2) and (2+2) reactions of ¹O₂ with dienes, heterocycles and related species.     

Structural,Magnetic and Catalytic Properties of a New Vacancy Ordered Perovskite Type Barium Cobaltate BaCoO2.67

A new vacancy ordered, anion deficient perovskite modification with composition of BaCoO_2.67 (Ba₃Co₃O₈□₁) has been prepared via a two-step heating process. Combined Rietveld analysis of neutron and X-ray powder diffraction data shows a novel ordering of oxygen vacancies not known before for barium cobaltates. A combination of neutron powder diffraction, magnetic measurements, and density functional theory (DFT) studies confirms G-type antiferromagnetic ordering. From impedance measurements, the electronic conductivity of the order of 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹ is determined. Remarkably, the bifunctional catalytic activity for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is found to be comparable to that of Ba_0.5Sr_0.5Co_0.8Fe_0.2O_3–y, confirming that charge-ordered anion deficient non-cubic perovskites can be highly efficient catalysts.     

A new synthetic pathway of segmented tri-block copolyether

A new synthetic pathway of A–B–A tri-block copolyether which is composed of a hydrophilic poly(oxyethylene) unit as an A part and a hydrophobic poly(oxy-2-methyl-trimethylene) unit as a B part is proposed. Telechelic α-tosyl-ω-tosyloxypoly(oxy-2-methyl-trimethylene) derived from tosylation of poly(oxy-2-methyl-trimethylene glycol) (PMTG) was allowed to react with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) in the presence of sodium hydroxide. T_g of the resulting A–B–A tri-block copolyether (PEMG) (M?_n = 1600) was ?72°C and its specific gravity [D₄¹⁵] was 1.055.