Novel evaluation method of biodegradabilities for oil-based polycaprolactone by naturally occurring radiocarbon-14 concentration using accelerator mass spectrometry based on ISO 14855-2 in controlled compost

The biodegradabilities of poly(?-caprolactone) (PCL) powders (av. size = 180.7 μm) in controlled compost at 58 °C have been studied using the microbial oxidative degradation analyzer (MODA) based on ISO 14855-2 entitled “Determination of the ultimate aerobic biodegradability of plastic materials under controlled composting conditions - Method by analysis of evolved carbon dioxide - Part 2: Gravimetric measurement of carbon dioxide evolved in a laboratory-scale test”. The biodegradability of the PCL powders was 101.4% in a 56-day test period by the ISO method. The biodegradabilities of PCL powders have been studied using percent modern carbon (pMC) measured by accelerated mass spectrometry (AMS). Trapped CO₂ was analyzed by AMS to determine the pMC (sample) using ¹⁴C radiocarbon concentration. By using the theory that the pMC (sample) was the sum of pMC (compost) (104.88%) and pMC (PCL) (0%) as the respective ratios in the determined period, CO₂ (respiration) was calculated only from one reaction vessel. The biodegradability of PCL powders was 79.9% in a 56-day test period by the AMS method. It was found that respiration activities in the sample vessel including PCL, compost and sea sand were the same as that in the blank vessel including compost and sea sand without PCL during the active biodegradation period (0-33 day) at 58 °C. It was confirmed that respiration activities in the sample vessel were slightly higher than that in the blank vessel after active biodegradation due to the propagation of microorganisms using energy and metabolites by PCL biodegradation during those periods.     

PREPARATION AND PROPERTY OF POLYMERIC PENDANT Ru(bpy)_3~(2+) COMPLEXES

Polymeric pendant Ru(bpy)_3~(2+) complexes were prepared from homopolymer and copolymers of 4-methyl-4'-vinyl-2,2'-bipyridine (Vbpy). Vbpy was prepared from 4-methylpyridine. The comonomers were styrene (St), acrylic acid (AA), N-vinylpyrrolidone (Pyr), 4-vinylpyridine (Vpy), methyl methacrylate (MMA), 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), acrylonitrile (AN) and N-ethyl-4-vinylpyridium bromide (EQ-Vpy). The fraction of the pendant Ru(bpy)_3~(2+) repeating unit in the polymeric complex was 0.022 to 0.052. Absorption maximum, molar extinction coefficient, emission maximum and relative emission intensity of the polymeric complexes were studied.     

Microwave spectroscopic study on the molecular structure and the quadrupole coupling constants of thionyl chloride

Microwave spectra of thionyl chloride, SO³⁵Cl₂ and SO³⁵Cl³⁷Cl, in the frequency range 8–25 GHz have been analyzed. The rotational constants have been obtained from the low J transition frequencies. The r_S coordinates of Cl atoms and the r_o structure have been evaluated with some assumptions: r(S-O) = 1.435 ± 0.011± Å, r(S—Cl) = 2.072 0.005 Å, ∠ OSCl = 108.00 ± 0.06°, ∠ ClSCl = 97.15 ± 0.30°. Nuclear quadrupole coupling constants have been obtained for the SO³⁵Cl₂, species: x_aa = ?25.02 ± 0.04 MHz, x(_bb = ?0.25 ± 0.04 MHz, X_cc = 25.27 ± 0.08 MHz, and X_zz = ?96.75 MHz. The values obtained are compared with those of other workers.     

Cationic polymerization behavior of hydroxystyrenes

Solution polymerizations of o-, m- and p-hydroxystyrene with boron trifluoride etherate were investigated. The results of infrared and ultraviolet spectroscopic investigations of the polymers thus obtained indicate that p-hydroxystyrene polymer consisted mainly of the structure formed through the normal vinyl polymerization mechanism, whereas o- and m-hydroxystyrene polymers contained considerable portions of the structures due to the reaction of the vinyl group with the phenol nucleus. The rate of polymerization and the intrinsic viscosity of the polymer decreased in the order p-hydroxystyrene ? o-hydroxystyrene > m-hydroxystyrene. It was of interest that on the cationic polymerization only p-hydroxystyrene gave polymer of high molecular weight. Plausible polymerization mechanisms were considered. Solid-state polymerization of p-hydroxystyrene at solid carbon dioxide temperature with the use of boron trifluoride etherate was also investigated. Appreciable polymerization occurred only at fairly high catalyst concentrations.     

Photoreactive polyamides having m- or 1-type dimer moiety derived from 4-(3-oxo-3-phenyl-1-propenyl)benzoic acid derivatives

Photoreactive polyamides having m- or 1 -type cyclobutane moiety were prepared via a topochemical photodimerization of 4-(3-oxo-3-phenyl-1-propenyl)benzoic derivatives,⁴ followed by polycondensation of cyclobutane dicarboxylate derivatives with diamines. From the spectral studies of resulted polyamides compared with the corresponding reference diamides, it was concluded that both types of polyamides were depolymerized photochemically to give the same type of amide derivative having chalcone moiety with a small amount of undefined side reaction. The cyclobutane ring of the m-dimer from 4-(3-oxo-3-phenyl-1-propenyl)benzoic acid in crystal is severely twisted presumably because of the enhanced steric repulsions between two pairs of adjacent substituents. The higher quantum yield of the m-dimer for the photocleavege, compared with that of the 1 -dimer, has been interpreted in terms of such steric repulsions by the strained structure of the m-dimer.     

Metallic Na formation in/on NaCl crystals with irradiation by electron or vacuum ultraviolet photons

Metallic Na was formed in/on NaCl single crystals by irradiating them with a variety of radiation sources, namely, 21 MeV electron pulses, an electron beam of 30 keV and photon fluxes in the VUV region. The physical states were analysed using several methods, optical absorption, lifetime measurement of positron annihilation, Auger electron spectroscopy and UV photoelectron spectroscopy. Metallic Na was obtained in different physical states; clusters were formed in bulk, thin layers (islands) and thick layers on the surface.     

(2,7-Disubstituted-1,8-biphenylenedioxy)bis(dimethylaluminum) as bidentate organoaluminum Lewis acids: elucidation and synthetic Utility of the double electrophilic activation phenomenon

A series of (2,7-disubstituted-1,8-biphenylenedioxy)bis(dimethylaluminum) (2) has been readily prepared in situ by treatment of the requisite 2,7-disubstituted-1,8-biphenylenediol (1) with Me3Al (2 equiv) in CH2Cl2 at room temperature; this primarily relies on the successful establishment of a new synthetic procedure of 1 starting from inexpensive m-anisidine. Evaluation of 2 as a bidentate organoaluminum Lewis acid has been performed by the reduction of ketonic substrates using Bu3SnH as a hydride source in comparison to the conventional monodentate Lewis acid dimethylaluminum 2,6-xylenoxide (11), uncovering the significantly high activation ability of 2 toward carbonyl. Particularly, (2,7-dimethyl-1,8-biphenylenedioxy)bis(dimethylaluminum) (2a) exerted the highest reactivity, which has also been emphasized in the Mukaiyama aldol reaction. The structure of the bidentate Lewis acid 2 was unambiguously determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of 2g possessing a bulky 3,5-di-tert-butylphenyl substituent, revealing the rigid dimeric assembly in the solid state. The double electrophilic activation of carbonyl substrate by 2a has been supported by low-temperature 13C NMR analysis as well as theoretical study using the Gaussian 98 program. Moreover, unique stereoselectivity has been observed in the 2a-promoted Mukaiyama Michael addition, and highly chemoselective functionalization of carbonyl compounds in the presence of their acetal counterparts has been realized using 2a. Finally, the effectiveness of 2a for the activation of ether functionality has been demonstrated in the Claisen rearrangement of allyl vinyl ethers.     

Evaluation of postoperative hepatobiliary function by deconvolution analysis of hepatobiliary image data by 99mTc-N-pyridoxyl-5-methyltryptophan

Dynamic hepatobiliary image data were analyzed by the mathematical deconvolution to derive the transfer function (TF) which represents the impulse response function of the liver following direct bolus injection of a tracer into the liver. Biliary flow was evaluated by TF in patients with previous hepatobiliary surgery to detect abnormal flow causing problems such as cholangitis. Serial image data were collected for 60 min after intravenous injection of 37-75 MBq (1-2 mCi) of 99mTc-N-pyridoxyl-5-methyltryptophan (99mTc-PMT). TF was obtained by the matrix algorithm, using regional hepatogram as output and time-activity curve over the heart as input function. Minimum, mean and maximum transit time (Max. TT) were determined from TF. The functional image for each of the transit times was constructed by displaying the distribution of the values for matrix elements with a color scale. In this study, a critical Max. TT of 60 min was used to detect abnormal biliary flow. Of 30 cases, 9 positive cases were discriminated from 21 negative cases on the basis of the finding of presence or absence of areas with Max. TT of more than 60 min anywhere in the liver. Bowel activity overlapping the liver was excluded in the judgment. The validity of this method was evaluated in comparison with the clinical courses after surgery with (8 cases) or without (22 cases) problems. The results were sensitivity of 88%, specificity of 91%, accuracy of 90% and positive predictive value of 78%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Study on Segmental Motion and Ion Binding in Polyelectrolyte Solutions by Ultrasonic Spectroscopy

The ultrasonic absorption spectra of aqueous solutions of polyacrylate (PA), polyphosphate (PP), and polystyrenesulfonate (PSS), neutralized by tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAOH), were measured. The effects of addition of tetramethylammonium chloride (TMACl) and sodium chloride (NaCl) to the polyelectrolyte solutions were investigated in the frequency range from 500 kHz to 100 MHz. Two ultrasonic relaxation processes due to the local segmental motions were observed. The relaxation frequency for TMAPP solution decreased as the ionic strength was increased by the addition of TMACl. For the other two polymer solutions, the ionic strength did not affect the relaxation spectra. The addition of NaCl led to an increase of the ultrasonic absorption, which was ascribed to ion binding. The ultrasonic absorption due to the ion binding was estimated by subtracting the contribution of the segmental motion from the measuring ultrasonic spectra. The volume changes accompanying the ion binding for polyacrylate and polyphosphate salts were estimated to be 5 and 8 cm³-mol^?1, respectively.     

γ-Ray-induced polymerization of α-haloacrylic acids

The γ-ray induced polymerizations of α-chloroacrylic acid, mp 66°C, and α-bromo-acrylic acid, mp 72°C, were investigated in the temperature range from 35°C to 85°C. An analysis of polymerization kinetics was made, and results were similar to those reported in the literature for other vinyl monomers. On heating of the polymer obtained, elimination of hydrogen halide takes place, and intramolecular lactone formation is observed. The rate of lactone formation of poly(α-chloroacrylic acid) obtained in the solid-state polymerization was found to be higher than that in the liquid state, because a highly isotactic configuration of polymers, tends to be formed in the solid-state polymerization, and elimination of hydrogen chloride is facilitated with an isotactic 5₂ helix structure.