Two-dimensional self-organization of phthalocyanine and porphyrin: dependence on the crystallographic orientation of Au

By immersing Au substrate into a benzene solution containing both cobalt(II) phthalocyanine (CoPc) and copper(II) tetraphenyl-21H,23H-porphine (CuTPP), a two-dimensional alternate bimolecular structure was formed on the reconstructed Au(100)-(hex) surface.     

Single molecular multianalyte sensor: jewel pendant ligand

[structure: see text] The jewel pendant ligand has multiple chromogenic units combined in a single molecule with the dyes linked to a semiselective binding site by three heteroatoms (O, N, S) having different HSAB characteristics, to indicate diverse response to individual transition metal ions. Using a single-molecular multianalyte sensor, multiple analytes could be determined with a minimal sensing system.     

Reactivity and Structural Properties of a Mechanochemically Treated Ag2O-V2O5 System in Relation to AgVO3 Polymorphs

Formation and chemical properties of amorphous AgVO₃, which was prepared by mechanochemical treatment of an Ag₂O-V₂O₅ mixture, and crystalline AgVO₃ were studied in relation to AgVO₃ polymorphs. A ball-milled sample of the mixture was assigned as a highly deformed β-AgVO₃ rather than the low density phase α-AgVO₃. Crystalline α-AgVO₃ and β-AgVO₃ were converted into deformed β-AgVO₃ by ball milling, which produced a clear change. δ-AgVO₃ is resistant to mechanical treatment and its structure was not markedly affected. The dissolved chemical species from the ball-milled sample precipitates to form α-AgVO₃ without a seeding crystal, but other polymorphs deposit if they are present; i.e., β-AgVO₃ and δ-AgVO₃ grow on the seeding crystal.     

Design and synthesis of highly sensitive and selective fluorescein-derived magnesium fluorescent probes and application to intracellular 3D Mg2+ imaging

The role of intracellular magnesium ions is of high interest in the fields of pharmacology and cellular biology. To accomplish the dynamic and three-dimensional imaging of intracellular Mg2+, there is a strong desire for the development of optimized Mg2+ fluorescent probes. In this paper we describe the design, synthesis, and cellular application of the three novel Mg2+ fluorescent probes KMG-101, -103, and -104. The compounds of this series feature a charged beta-diketone as a binding site specific for Mg2+ and a fluorescein residue as the fluorophore that can be excited with an Ar+ laser such as is widely used in confocal scanning microscopy. This molecular design leads to an intensive off-on-type fluorescent response toward Mg2+ ions. The two fluorescent probes KMG-103 and -104 showed suitable dissociation constants (Kd,Mg2+ = 2 mM) and nearly a 10-fold fluorescence enhancement over the intracellular magnesium ion concentration range (0.1-6 mM), allowing high-contrast, sensitive, and selective Mg2+ measurements. For intracellular applications, the membrane-permeable probe KMG-104AM was synthesized and successfully incorporated into PC12 cells. Upon application of the mitochondria uncoupler FCCP to the probe-incorporated cells, the resulting increase in the free magnesium ion concentration could be followed over time. By using a confocal microscope, the intracellular 3D magnesium ion concentration distributions were satisfactorily observed.     

Control of viscoelasticity using redox reaction

The viscoelasticity of a fluid was tuned with the Faradaic reaction of (11-ferrocenylundecyl)trimethylammonium bromide (FTMA), a "redox-switchable" surfactant. An aqueous solution of the reduced form of FTMA exhibited a remarkable viscoelasticity in the presence of sodium salicylate (NaSal) because of the formation of three-dimensional entanglement of wormlike micelles. Electrolytic oxidation of FTMA caused the viscosity of the system to dramatically decrease and the elasticity to disappear. This drastic decrease in viscoelasticity arose from the disruption of wormlike micelles. This novel electrorheological phenomenon is expected to be applicable to ink for inkjet printers, the electrochemically controlled release of substances entrapped in wormlike micelles of FTMA, and fluid flow rate control using electric signals.     

Purification of a marine bacterial glucose dehydrogenase fromCytophaga marinoflava and its application for measurement of 1,5-anhydro-d-glucitol

A novel glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) from a marine bacteriumCytophaga marinoflava IFO 14170 was isolated from its membrane fraction. This GDH catalyzes the oxidation of a hydroxy group of glucose, but does not react in its C-l position. This enzyme is composed of a single peptide with a mol wt of 67,000. The GDH can react under high salinity. The optimum pH is around 8.0, showing a typical property of marine bacterial enzymes. Using this novel enzyme, an enzymatic determination of 1,5-anhydro-D-glucitol (1,5AG) utilizing 2,6-dichrolophenolindophenol (DCIP) and phenazine methosulfate (PMS) as electron mediators was caried out. A good linear correlation was observed from 0.5 mM to 4 mM of 1,5AG.     

Mössbauer study of semiconducting and ferrimagnetic fly ash-recycled glass

Summary Room temperature M?ssbauer spectrum of fly ash-recycled glass (FARG), prepared with more than 86 mass% of fly ash and less than 14 mass% of Fe₂O₃, comprises two types of doublets due to Fe(II) and Fe(III) of magnetite nanoparticles. Isothermal annealing of fly ash-recycled glass at 1100 °C for 60 minutes results in a precipitation of ferrimagnetic magnetite phase having an internal magnetic field of 46.4-48.2 T. When the Fe₂O₃ content is equal to or more than 14%, room temperature M?ssbauer spectrum of FARG shows a magnetic hyperfine structure due to a magnetite phase, in addition to two doublets due to Fe(II) and Fe(III). An increase in the electric conductivity is observed from the order of 10^-8 to 10^-6 S ^. cm^-1 after heat treatment at around the crystallization temperature. This can be ascribed to an improved step-by-step electron hopping from Fe(II) to Fe(III) of distorted FeO₄ tetrahedra in the three-dimensional glass network.     

A highly diastereoselective pinacol coupling reaction of aldehydes and ketones using low-valence niobium generated from Nb(V)

A simple method for the diastereoselective synthesis of racemic 1,2-diol mediated by low-valence niobium generated in situ is described. A 1,4-dioxane-toluene solvent system was found to be essential to achieve higher selectivities and to prevent other reactions of pinacols, such as deoxygenation and acetal formation. Aromatic aldehydes and ketones were converted to the corresponding pinacols with up to 97 and 85% de, respectively.     

A new approach to predict the biological activity of molecules based on similarity of their interaction fields and the logP and logD values: application to auxins

The activity of a biological compound is dependent both on specific binding to a target receptor and its ADME (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion) properties. A challenge to predict biological activity is to consider both contributions simultaneously in deriving quantitative models. We present a novel approach to derive QSAR models combining similarity analysis of molecular interaction fields (MIFs) with prediction of logP and/or logD. This new classification method is applied to a set of about 100 compounds related to the auxin plant hormone. The classification based on similarity of their interaction fields is more successful for the indole than the phenoxy compounds. The classification of the phenoxy compounds is however improved by taking into account the influence of the logP and/or the logD values on biological activity. With the new combined method, the majority (8 out of 10) of the previously misclassified derivatives of phenoxy acetic acid are classified in accord with their bioassays. The recently determined crystal structure of the auxin-binding protein 1 (ABP1) enabled validation of our approach. The results of docking a few auxin related compounds with different biological activity to ABP1 correlate well with the classification based on similarity of MIFs only. Biological activity is, however, better predicted by a combined similarity of MIFs + logP/logD approach.     

Selective wet air oxidation of diluted aqueous ammonia solutions over co-precipitated transition metal-aluminium catalysts

Catalytic wet air oxidation of ammonia over a co-precipitated transition metal-aluminium catalyst was investigated. Copper-aluminium (Cu-Al-O) catalyst exhibited the highest activity and N₂ selectivity among those prepared from Co, Fe, Mn, and Ni. 50% of 1500 ppm of ammonia could be removed from wastewater of pH 12 at 503 K under 2.0 MPa of air by using 4.0 g of catalyst without formation of toxic nitrogen containing compounds. Cu and Al ions were not found in solution after the reaction. It has been found that the catalytic performance of Cu-Al-O catalyst was strongly dependent on the preparation methods. The co-precipitated Cu-Al-O catalysts showed high N₂ selectivity. The presence of CuO is concluded to promote the reaction and CuAl₂O₄ in bulk phase is needed to stabilize the catalyst.