Synthesis and characterization of highly fluorescent polythiophene derivatives containing polystyrene sidearms

In this study, macroinitiators with different content of atom‐transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) functional group on polythiophene backbone were first prepared by the copolymerization of 3‐[1‐ethyl‐2‐(2‐bromopropionate)]thiophene and 3‐hexylthiophene with various feed ratio. Then poly [3‐hexyl‐2,5‐thienylene‐co‐3‐[1‐ ethyl‐2‐(2‐[poly(styrene)]propionate)]‐2,5‐thienylene] (PTTBr‐PS) with different graft density were obtained by ATRP of styrene from these macroinitiators in anisole. The degree of polymerization of PS sidearm (DP_PS) was controlled by polymerization time. The structures of obtained graft copolymers were characterized by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Introduction of the PS sidearms onto the backbone of polythiophene was an attempt to trap the polythiophene backbone in a “solution‐like” conformation, thus inhibit the packing of polythiophene backbone and result in the improvement of fluorescent property in solid state. This was verified by the UV–vis and fluorescence analyses. Besides, it was also found that the optical property of PTTBr‐PS graft copolymer was dominated by its graft density and independent on the degree of polymerization of its PS sidearm. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 1003–1013, 2008     

Matrix‐free detection of intact ions from proteins in argon‐cluster secondary ion mass spectrometry

In the secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) of organic substances, the molecular weight of the intact ions currently detectable is at best only as high as 1000 Da, which for all practical purposes prevents the technique from being applied to biomaterials of higher mass. We have developed SIMS instrumentation in which the primary ions were argon cluster ions having a kinetic energy per atom, controlled down to 1 eV. On applying this instrumentation to several peptides and proteins, the signal intensity of fragment ions was decreased by a factor of 10² when the kinetic energy per atom was decreased below 5 eV; moreover, intact ions of insulin (molecular weight (MW): 5808) and cytochrome C (MW: 12 327) were detected without using any matrix. These results indicate that fragmentation can be substantially suppressed without sacrificing the sputter yield of intact ions when the kinetic energy per atom is decreased to the level of the target's dissociation energy. This principle is fully applicable to other biomolecules, and it can thus be expected to contribute to applications of SIMS to biomaterials in the future. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

B(0)-B(0) mixing in unquenched lattice QCD

We present an unquenched lattice calculation for the B(0)-B(0) transition amplitude. The calculation, carried out at an inverse lattice spacing 1/a=2.22(4) GeV, incorporates two flavors of dynamical quarks described by the O(a)-improved Wilson fermion action and heavy quarks described by nonrelativistic QCD. Particular attention is paid to the uncertainty that arises from the chiral extrapolation, especially the effect of pion loops, for light quarks, which we find could be sizable for the leptonic decay constant, whereas it is small for the B parameters. We obtain f(B(d))=191(10)(+12-22) MeV, f(B(s))/f(B(d))=1.13(3)(+13-2), B(B(d))(m(b))=0.836(27)(+56-62), B(B(s))/B(B(d))=1.017(16)(+56-17), and xi=1.14(3)(+13-2), where the first error is statistical, and the second is systematic, including uncertainties due to chiral extrapolation, finite lattice spacing, heavy quark expansion, and perturbative operator matching.     

Mott gap excitations in twin-free YBa2Cu3O7-delta (Tc=93 K) studied by resonant inelastic x-ray scattering

Mott gap excitations in the optimally doped high-T(c) superconductor YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7-delta) (T(c)=93 K) have been studied by the resonant inelastic x-ray scattering method. Anisotropic spectra in the ab plane are observed in a twin-free crystal. The excitation from the one-dimensional CuO chain is enhanced at 2 eV near the zone boundary of the b* direction, while the excitation from the CuO2 plane is broad at 1.5-4 eV and almost independent of the momentum transfer. Theoretical calculations based on the one-dimensional and two-dimensional Hubbard model reproduces the observed spectra when different values of the on-site Coulomb energy are assumed. The Mott gap of the CuO chain site is found to be much smaller than that of the CuO2 plane site.     

Synthesis and evaluation of 1-arylsulfonyl-3-piperazinone derivatives as a factor Xa inhibitor II. Substituent effect on biological activities

Intravascular clot formation is an important event in a number of cardiovascular diseases. The prevention of blood coagulation has become a major target for new therapeutic agents. Factor Xa (FXa) is a trypsin-like serine protease that plays a key role in the blood coagulation cascade and represents an attractive target for anticoagulant drug development. We have investigated substituents in the central part of a lead compound (3: M55113), and discovered that compound M55551 (34: (R)-4-[(6-Chloro-2-naphthalenyl)sulfonyl]-6-oxo-1-[[1-(4-pyridinyl)-4-piperidinyl]methyl]-2-piperazinecarboxylic acid) is a potent inhibitor of FXa (IC(50)=0.006 microM), with high selectivity for FXa over trypsin and thrombin. The activity of this compound is ten times more powerful than the lead compound.     

Sm atomic dynamics in a charge density wave compound SmNiC2

¹⁴⁹Sm nuclear resonant inelastic scattering was carried out in a charge density wave compound SmNiC₂. We have investigated temperature dependences of the Sm partial phonon density of states and recoil-free fraction at the Sm site and the average sound velocity estimated from the Sm partial density of states. The Sm partial density of states exhibits temperature dependence, suggesting that the phonon modes between 20 and 25 meV may correlate with the charge density wave. Temperature dependence of the recoil-free fraction is difficult to prove the correlation with either the charge density wave or ferromagnetic ordering. The average sound velocity obtained by the Sm partial phonon density of states exhibits temperature dependence, agreeing qualitatively with very recent elastic constant measurements.     

Use of chiral derivatization for the determination of dichlorprop in tea samples by ultra performance LC with fluorescence detection

Dichlorprop is available for agricultural use as a chiral pesticide. In this study, the stereoselective determination of dichlorprop enantiomers in tea samples such as green, black, jasmine, and oolong was developed by ultra performance LC with fluorescence spectrometry after covalent chiral derivatization. The separation was achieved on an Acquity BEH C18 column with the mobile phase consisting of 0.1% formic acid in acetonitrile/water at a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min. In the covalent chiral derivatization using (S)‐(+)‐4‐(N,N‐dimethylaminosulfonyl)‐7‐(3‐aminopyrrolidin‐1‐yl)‐2,1,3‐benzoxadiazole, the peak resolution between the S and R‐dichlorprop enantiomers was 2.6. LODs and LOQs values were 10 and 50 ng/mL standard solution. The linearity of the calibration curves yielded the coefficients (r² > 0.99, ranging from 0.05 to 5 μg/mL) of determination of each of the dichlorprop enantiomers. SPE extraction was used for the sample preparation of dichlorprop in various tea samples. Recoveries were in the range of 82.4–97.6% with associated precision values (within‐day: 82.4–95.8%, n = 6, and between‐day: 83.7–97.6% for 3 days) for repeatability and reproducibility. Based on this result, our method has been proven to be highly efficient and suitable for the routine assay of dichlorprop enantiomers in various tea samples. We propose that the ultra performance LC assay after covalent chiral derivatization would be the renewed tools in the era of chiral stationary platform for chiral pesticide residues in foods.