Agitation effect on the rate of soapless emulsion polymerization of methyl methacrylate in water

In order to identify the factors causing an agitation effect on the rate of soapless emulsion polymerization, the polymerization of methyl methacrylate was carried out in water. Experimental results indicated the significance of monomer transfer from monomer droplets to water. A kinetic model was proposed which would take into account this monomer transfer. This model enabled the effect of monomer transfer on the rate of soapless emulsion polymerization to be evaluated for the present system and the experimental results to be interpreted qualitatively.     

Three-dimensional arrangements of polystyrene latex particles with a hyperbolic quadruple electrode system

An attempt was made to arrange polystyrene latex particles (2, 5, and 10 microm in diameter) dispersed in aqueous media making use of their dielectrophoresis and electrophoresis with a hyperbolic quadruple electrode system. Application of a high-frequency ac field enabled the particles to arrange themselves between the electrodes forming a particle monolayer due to the negative dielectrophoretic force. Simultaneous application of high-frequency ac and dc fields caused the particles to gather in the region surrounded by the electrodes to form particle multilayers. Appropriate choice of the way of applying an electric field thus allowed the reversible control of particle arrangements (monolayer, multilayer, dispersion). Reapplication of an ac field to the particle layers produced highly dense particle multilayers.     

Tubiferal A, a backbone-rearranged triterpenoid lactone isolated from the myxomycete Tubifera dimorphotheca, possessing reversal of drug resistance activity

Tubiferal A, a novel rearranged triterpenoid lactone, has been isolated from field-collected fruit bodies of the myxomycete, Tubifera dimorphotheca, and its structure elucidated by spectral data. Tubiferal A (1) possesses a 9,10-secocycloartan-16,21-olide skeleton, and this new compound exhibited a reversal effect of vincristine (VCR) resistance (more than 4-fold) against VCR-resistant KB cell lines. Tubiferal B (2), corresponding to the seco acid of 1 was also isolated, but showed no comparable activity.     

Asymmetric synthesis of 1-aryl-1,2-ethanediols from arylacetylenes by palladium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrosilylation as a key step

Double hydrosilylation of arylacetylenes with trichlorosilane catalyzed first by platinum and second by a chiral monophosphine-palladium complex generated the corresponding 1,2-bis(silyl)-1-arylethanes, the oxidation of which with hydrogen peroxide gave 1-aryl-1,2-diols of high enantiomeric purity (94-98% ee) in high yields.     

Sterilization of foods with low-energy electrons (“soft-electrons”)

Electrons with an energy of 300 keV or lower were defined as “Soft-electrons”, which showed several advantages over conventional irradiation with gamma-rays or high-energy electrons in decontamination of grains and spices. Energies of electrons necessary to reduce microbial loads to levels lower than 10 CFU/g were 60 keV for brown rice, 75 keV for wheat, 100 keV for white pepper, coriander and basil, 130 keV for buckwheat, 160 keV for rough rice, and 210 keV for black pepper. Electrons with such energies did not significantly influence the quality.     

Reaction modes of oxidative dimerization of epoxycyclohexenols

Of the 16 possible modes of the oxidation-6π-electrocylization-Diels-Alder reaction cascade for an epoxyquinone, and eight for a 2-alkenyl-3-hydroxymethyl-2-cyclohexen-1-one, only the endo-anti(epoxide)-anti(Me)-hetero and endo-anti(Me)-hetero are respectively observed, while both the endo-anti(epoxide)-anti(Me)-hetero and exo-anti(epoxide)-anti(Me)-homo reaction modes occur with epoxy-4-hydroxycyclohexenones owing to a hydrogen-bonding interaction.     

Intercalation of N, N-dimethyl-1-phenylethylamine into α-Zirconium Phosphate

The intercalation and deintercalation of N, N-dimethyl-1-phenylethylamine (N,N-amine) into -zirconium phosphate was investigated by pH titration. N,N-amine was taken up easily in one step to give a new phaseZr(HPO⁴)(HPO₄·N,N-amine) · H₂O, which was characterized by X-ray diffractometry, IR spectroscopy, and thermal analysis. Therelease of N,N-amine from the solid was found to be irreversible due to structural changes in both the intercalation and deintercalation reactions.     

Highly sensitive method for the determination of 1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline using combined capillary gas chromatography and negative-ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry

A sensitive method was developed for the determination of deuterated and non-deuterated 1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline by combined capillary gas chromatography and negative-ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry. 1-Methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline was converted into a trifluoroacetyl derivative after pretreatment with fluorescamine and extraction with ethyl acetate. The derivative was separated by capillary gas chromatography and determined by selected-ion monitoring. In the determination, [3,3,4,4-2H4]-1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline was used as an internal standard. The method developed in this work was used for the determination of deuterated and non-deuterated 1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline in human urine samples collected before and after administration of [3,3-2H2]-L-tryptophan.     

Synthesis and structural and electronic properties of the diacetylene- and ethylene-groups connected octaethylporphyrin(Ni) tetramer

The tetramer of octaethylporphyrin nickel complex [OEP(Ni)], connected with diacetylene and ethylene linkages, was synthesized. Its structural and electronic properties were studied, proving that two constituents of the diacetylene-group connected OEP(Ni) dimer face to each other in s-cis conformation about the ethylene linkage but not so closely as to induce a transannular π-electronic interaction between them.     

Some recent radiolysis works by means of a new picosecond pulse radiolysis system “Twin LINAC System”

A new picosecond pulse radiolysis Twin LINAC System has been constructed recently at Nuclear Engineering Research Laboratory at the University of Tokyo. The time resolution of the system is 20 ps and the system has a versatile capability for pulse radiolysis study. The outline of the facility is introduced. Some research carried out using the facility is presented. The examples are radiolysis of CCl₄ and n-C₂₁H₄₄.