Isolation and desalting with cation‐exchange chromatography for compound‐specific nitrogen isotope analysis of amino acids: application to biogeochemical samples

We have established a procedure for removing interfering materials from extracts of geological and biological samples, in order to determine precise compound‐specific nitrogen isotopic compositions of amino acids. We employed cation‐exchange chromatography of protein and non‐protein amino acids prior to derivatization for gas chromatographic separation. The average recovery of a standard amino acid solution was better than 94%, without nitrogen isotope fractionation during the cation‐exchange chromatography. We applied the procedure to various environmental samples including ‘hard’ (calcareous, siliceous, rock and sediment samples) and ‘soft’ materials (aggregated microbial samples and biological soft tissue samples). We conclude that cation‐exchange chromatography is a pre‐treatment procedure which should be widely useful for the determination of compound‐specific nitrogen isotopic compositions of amino acids. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Heterogeneous Fenton Degradation of Organic Pollutants in Water Enhanced by Combining Iron-type Layered Double Hydroxide and Sulfate

Water pollution derived from organic pollutants is one of the global environmental problems. The Fenton reaction using Fe²⁺ as a homogeneous catalyst has been known as one of clean methods for oxidative degradation of organic pollutants. Here, a layered double hydroxide (Fe²⁺Al³⁺-LDH) containing Fe²⁺ and Al³⁺ in the structure was used to develop a “heterogeneous” Fenton catalyst capable of mineralizing organic pollutants. We found that sulfate ion (SO₄²⁻) immobilized on the Fe²⁺Al³⁺-LDH significantly facilitated oxidative degradation (mineralization) of phenol as a model compound of water pollutants to carbon dioxide (CO₂) in a heterogeneous Fenton process. The phenol conversion and mineralization efficiency to CO₂ reached >99% and ca. 50%, respectively, even with a reaction time of only 60 min.     

Connection of poly(methyl methacrylate) microgel particles dispersed in poly(vinyl alcohol) matrix by seed polymerization

Poly(methyl methacrylate) microgels covered with poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) thin layer was dispersed in poly(vinyl alcohol) matrix. Homogeneous and regular arrangement of the microgel particles was suggested by Bragg diffraction for the films prepared by varying the PVA/microgel ratio (from 6/4 to 3/7 (w/w)). It was proved that the regular arrangement and connection of the microgels by seeded polymerization in poly(vinyl alcohol) were possible. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Examination of Dislocation Mechanism on Grain Boundary Sliding in High Angle Grain Boundaries by Stress Change Test

In order to understand the factors dominating grain boundary sliding, stress change tests and stress reversal tests were conducted on aluminum bicrystal specimens with high angle grain boundaries. It is found that small change in stress results in the remarkable change in the rate of grain boundary sliding. Stress reversal tests showed that grain boundary slide hardening does not work for the sliding to the direction opposite to that before the stress reversal. Mean internal stresses for the dislocations contributing to grain boundary sliding are experimentally measured by a method consisting of stress change and annealing. It is found that the velocity of dislocations in the grain boundary is in proportion to the mean effective stress.     

Synthesis of poly(methyl methacrylate) macromonomer

Anionic polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) was carried out in tetrahydrofuran (THF) or THF/toluene mixture at ?78°C initiated by triphenylmethyl sodium or lithium as initiators. Highly syndiotactic PMMA of low polydispersity (M _w/m _n = 1.11–1.17) could be prepared with triphenylmethyl lithium in THF or THF/toluene mixture at ? 78°C. Moreover, PMMA macromonomer having one vinylbenzyl group per polymer chain was prepared by the couplings of living PMMA initiated by triphenylmethyl lithium with p-chloromethyl styrene (CMS) at ?78°C. The coupling reaction of living PMMA initiated by triphenylmethyl sodium with CMS was scarcely occurred.     

Reaction rate of crosslinkings by using a metallated polymer. II. Intermolecular and intramolecular crosslinkings at the second state

Lithium-metallated styrene–p-benzylstyrene copolymer was reacted with the branched polymer with chlorine groups at the pendant chain ends (multifunctional branched polymer) in tetrahydrofuran (THF) at 25°C. The rate constant was estimated from the changes in the concentration of metallated polymer by using photometrical measurements. The various reaction conditions were chosen and it became clear that the rate constants of intermolecular (k₂₀) and intramolecular (k_3intra) crosslinkings were derived separately at the second stage. k₂₀ showed a constant value in spite of the molecular weight of crosslinker chains and was about equal to the rate constant of the grafting. The rate of intramolecular crosslinking at the second stage increased with decreasing the molecular weight of pendant chains of multifunctional branched polymer.     

Mononuclear and dinuclear monoperoxovanadium(v) complexes with a hetero ligand. 1.(1) Self-decomposition reaction, detection of reactive oxygen species, and oxidizing ability

A mononuclear peroxovanadium(V) complex with histamine-N,N-diacetate (histada), K[VO(O(2))(histada)], and a dinuclear peroxovanadium(V) complex with 2-oxo-1,3-diaminopropane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetate (dpot), Cs(3)[(VO)(2)(O(2))(2)(dpot)], were prepared and characterized. The self-decomposition reaction was examined for these peroxovanadium(V) complexes as well as for K[VO(O(2))(cmhist)] (cmhist = N-carboxymethylhistidinate). The reaction profiles depicted by the absorbance change in the UV-vis spectrum show a sigmoid shape with an induction period. The induction period is reduced by the addition of acid, fluoride, thiocyanate, VO(2+), VO(2)(+), and trolox compared to the solution containing perchlorate. On the other hand, the induction period was elongated by the addition of chloride, bromide, and 2-tert-butyl-p-cresol. These behaviors are discussed on the basis of a radical chain mechanism. The self-decomposition reactions have also been followed by the (1)H and (51)V NMR and EPR spectra. These spectral studies as well as the UV-vis spectral study indicate that vanadium(V) is partly reduced to vanadium(IV) in the self-decomposition process. The histada complex yields a mixed-valence dinuclear complex in a concentrated solution, and the dpot complex yields a mixed-valence tetranuclear complex. The reduction of vanadium ion suggests that the peroxo ligand may act as a reducing agent. In order to know the fate of the peroxo ligand, we tried to detect superoxide anion and hydroxyl radical, which were anticipated to be produced in the self-decomposition process. The formation of superoxide anion was spectrophotometrically confirmed using two independent methods, including the reduction of cytochrome c and the reduction of sodium 4-[3-(iodophenyl)-2-(4-nitrophenyl)-2H-5-tetrazolio]-1,3-benzene disulfonate (WST-1). The formation of hydroxyl radical was confirmed by an EPR spin trapping technique. The oxidizing abilities of the peroxovanadium(V) complexes toward bovine serum albumin (BSA) were also evaluated. In the protein carbonyl assay, it was found that the total amount of protein carbonyl in BSA was increased by the reaction with the peroxovanadium complexes in the concentration-dependent manner. In addition, the oxidation of sulfhydryl group in BSA induced by the peroxovanadium complexes was confirmed.     

Versatile enantiocontrolled synthesis of (+)-fostriecin

Fostriecin, a potent protein phosphatase inhibitor and antitumor agent, has been enantioselectively synthesized in naturally occurring form via a versatile route, which also allows one to secure all possible stereoisomeres of the C1-C13 fragment including the C11 stereocenter and the geometry of the delta 12-double bond.