Preparation of hemispherical hollow silica microcapsules with different affinity surface by using spherical vaterite calcium carbonate as template

We developed a method to prepare hemispherical hollow silica microcapsules (HHSM) with different affinity surfaces using spherical vaterite calcium carbonate (SVCC) as a template. The preparation process composed of the adhesion of calcium carbonate onto the surface of methyl methacrylate (MMA) droplets followed by suspension polymerization, the partial etching of calcium carbonate on the polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) mother particle, the formation of silicon dioxide powder by sol–gel reaction and their deposition onto the etched flat surface of calcium carbonate, the surface modification of deposited silicon dioxide with silane coupling agent, the removal of the mother particle with acetone, the formation of silicon dioxide powder by sol–gel reaction and deposition onto the exposed hemispherical surface of calcium carbonate, and the surface modification of deposited silicon dioxide with silane coupling agent. The synthesized microcapsules had a complete hemispherical structure and both hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On the mixed complexes of tetracycline metal chelates

The mixed complexes of chlorotetracycline-metal chelates with isomazid, penicillin G, and dihydrostreptomycin were examined with Th⁺⁴, Cu⁺², Fe⁺³, Co⁺³, and Ni⁺² ions.A mechanism is proposed that accounts for the formation of the mixed complexes, cationic chelates of tetracycline have a molar ratio of 1 : 1 of metal to chlorotetracycline and mixed complexes are formed by combining with other ligands through the remaining covalencies. The properties and preparation of the mixed complexes are given     

Langmuir-Blodgett films of amphiphilic bis(tetrathiafulvalene) macrocycles with four alkyl chains

Amphiphilic bis(tetrathiafulvalene) [bis(TTF)] macrocycles with four alkyl chains were fabricated as novel electrically active Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films. Two TTF units were linked via [24]crown-8, [21]crown-7, and [18]crown-6 macrocycles, forming charge-transfer (CT) salts with 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-7,7,8,8-tetracyano-p-quinodimethane (F4-TCNQ) at the air-water interface and on solid substrates. The CT salt of the amphiphilic bis(TTF)-macrocycle having a [24]crown-8 ring system formed a uniform surface morphology on mica. Using single-crystal X-ray structural analysis, the layer structure between the hydrophobic chains and the one-dimensional pi-pi stack of the CT salt was confirmed. Our results show that the bis(TTF)-macrocycle was folded at the flexible [24]crown-8 moiety, forming intramolecular pi-pi dimer structures and one-dimensional intermolecular pi-pi stacks with F4-TCNQ dimers. The open-shell electronic structure of the LB films was determined by electronic spectra, electrical conductivity, and electron spin resonance analyses. Asymmetry was introduced into the bis(TTF)-macrocycle by changing the ring size from [24]crown-8 to [21]crown-7. The surface morphology of the CT salts with F4-TCNQ was established as two-dimensional round-shape domains on mica. Further reduction of the macrocyclic ring from [21]crown-7 to [18]crown-6 resulted in a CT salt of the bis(TTF)-macrocycle with F4-TCNQ with a leaf-shape domain morphology and a typical dimension of approximately 1 microm2 on mica. In general, decreasing the macrocyclic ring size from [24]crown-8 to [21]crown-7 or [18]crown-6 affected the inter- and intramolecular interactions and the surface morphologies of LB films.     

Stability and reproducibility of gel-suspension samples for the liquid scintillation counting of14C using N-lauroyl-L-glutamic-α,γ-dibutylamide

Stability and reproducibility of gel-suspension samples were investigated in order to evaluate the characteristic feature of the gel-suspension method for¹⁴C activity measurement. Commercially available gelling agent, N-lauroyl-L-glutamic-α,γ-dibutylamide, was used for the gelformatio of the samples. No change of the counting rate for the gel-suspension sample was observed for more than 2 years after the sample preparation. Four samples used for checking the reproducibility of the sample preparation method. The same values were obtained for the counting rate of¹⁴C activity within the counting error. No change of the counting rate was observed for the “re-gelated” sample. These results show that the gel-suspension method is appropriate for the¹⁴C activity measurement by the liquid scintillation method and is useful for a long-term preservation of the sample for repeated measurement.     

Is nitric oxide (NO) an antioxidant or a prooxidant for lipid peroxidation?

Antioxidant and prooxidant effects of nitric oxide (NO) on lipid peroxidation in aqueous and non-aqueous media were examined. In an aqueous solution, NO did not induce peroxidation of unoxidized methyl linoleate (ML) and suppressed the radical initiator-induced oxidation of ML. NO suppressed the Fe(II) ion-induced oxidation of mouse liver microsomes. NO reduced the O2 consumption during the radical initiator-induced oxidation of linoleic acid in an aqueous medium. NO conversion into NO2- in an aqueous medium was not affected by unoxidized ML and was slightly reduced by peroxidizing ML. On the other hand, as well as pure NO2, NO induced peroxidation of unoxidized ML in n-hexane in a dose-dependent fashion. NO did not suppress the radical initiator-induced oxidation of ML in n-hexane. Nitrogen oxide species (NO2 or N2O3) formed by autoxidation was dramatically lost in n-hexane in the presence of unoxidized ML. The results indicated that NO terminated lipid peroxidation in an aqueous medium, whereas NO induced lipid peroxidatiton in a non-aqueous medium. Hence, NO showed both antioxidant and prooxidant effects on lipid peroxidation depending on the solvents.     

Polymer-supported cryptands as catalysts for phase-transfer reactions

Polymer-supported cryptands were prepared by the reaction of hydroxyl-containing cryptands and chloromethylated polystyrene resin. The polymer-supported cryptands were effective catalysts for aqueous organic two-phase reactions.     

Ruthenium-catalyzed functionalization of aryl carbon-oxygen bonds in aromatic ethers with organoboron compounds

The ruthenium-catalyzed reaction of aryl ethers having a carbonyl group at the ortho position to the ether group with organoboronates (R-B(OCH2CMe2CH2O), R = aryl, alkenyl, and alkyl) resulted in site-selective C-C bond formation. Among the transition metal complexes screened, the RuH2(CO)(PPh3)3 complex showed the highest activity. Several aromatic ketones having methoxy or phenoxy groups at the ortho position can also be used in this coupling reaction. A variety of arylboronates containing electron-donating (NMe2, OMe, methyl, and vinyl) and -withdrawing (F and CF3) groups reacted with methoxy ketones to give the corresponding coupling products in high yields.