Development of Ribbon Fiber Type Multi-Channel Power Level Monitor with Low-Insertion/Polarization Loss

We would like to propose a new in-line multi-channel power level monitor, which is applicable as tap-monitor for multi-channel WDM signals. Its ribbon fiber structure has far exceeded PLC performance and realized compact-size and lower insertion/polarization dependent loss.     

Speciation of small molecules and inorganic ions in salmon egg cell cytoplasm by surfactant-mediated HPLC/ICP-MS.

The speciation of diverse elements in salmon egg cell cytoplasm was performed by a surfactant-mediated HPLC/ICP-MS hyphenated system. In the present experiment, an ODS column coated with CHAPS (3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate), which is a zwitterionic bile acid derivative, was employed as a surfactant-mediated separation column, and ICP-MS was used as an element-selective detector. The present surfactant-mediated HPLC allowed us to separate large and small molecules within 10 min; large molecules, such as proteins, were eluted within 2.5 min, while small molecules were eluted after 2.5 min, but within 10 min. In the present experiment, Fe, Cu, and Zn in egg cell cytoplasm were observed mostly in species with large molecular weights, indicating that these elements are contained as metalloproteins or metalloenzymes in egg cell cytoplasm. On the contrary, it was found that P, S, Mo, and halogens in egg cell cytoplasm were contained as small molecules or inorganic ions. The major species of P in egg cell cytoplasm was identified as the phosphate ion (PO4(3-)). Molybdenum, Cl, and Br in egg cell cytoplasm were molybdate (MoO4(2-), chloride (Cl-), and bromide (Br-) ions, respectively.     

Signal enhancement in ESR spin-trapping for hydroxyl radicals.

In an ESR spin-trapping measurement of hydroxyl radicals formed in a Fenton reaction, the trapping efficiency with DMPO increased by about 300 times in a sodium trifluoroacetate solution, whereas it was little changed in a phosphate buffer.     

Effects of fullerene encapsulation on structure and photophysical properties of porphyrin-linked single-walled carbon nanotubes

Fullerene-encapsulating single-walled carbon nanotubes (C(60)@SWNT) linked with porphyrins by a short bridge have been prepared for the first time. Steady state and time-resolved spectroscopies demonstrated the initial formation of an exciplex state, followed by a charge-separated state.     

Incorporation of organometallic Ru complexes into apo-ferritin cage

Spherical protein cages such as an iron storage protein, ferritin, have great potential as nanometer-scale capsules to assemble and store metal ions and complexes. We report herein the synthesis of a composite of an apo-ferritin cage and Ru(p-cymene) complexes. Ru complexes were efficiently incorporated into the ferritin cavity without degradation of its cage structure. X-Ray crystallography revealed that the Ru complexes were immobilized on the interior surface of the cage mainly by the coordination of histidine residues.     

Photoinduced Reversible Topographical Changes on Diarylethene Microcrystalline Surfaces with Biomimetic Wetting Properties

Reversible topographical changes were observed on a photochromic diarylethene microcrystalline film surface by alternate irradiation with UV and visible light. Two types of surfaces were prepared from this film: 1) Storage of the film at 30 °C for 24 hours in the dark after UV irradiation afforded a surface that was covered with needle‐shaped crystals, whose diameter and length were approximately 1 μm and 10 μm, respectively, and showed a superhydrophobic lotus effect. 2) Storage of the film at 70 °C for 3 hours in the dark caused the needle‐shaped crystals to be converted into larger rod‐like crystals (5∼8 μm wide and 20∼30 μm long) by Ostwald ripening and a disappearance of the lotus effect. The obtained activation energy of the formation of the needle‐ and rod‐shaped crystals was 143 and 162 kJ mol⁻¹, respectively. Subsequent UV irradiation to the surface, which was followed by storage at 50 °C for 1 hour in the dark, gave a doubly rough structure; small needle‐shaped crystals were formed between the larger rod‐shaped crystals. The surface showed both superhydrophobic properties and the pinned effect of the water droplet: the petal effect. Fractal analysis of both surfaces were carried out using a box‐counting method, and the lotus effect was observed in the presence of smaller‐sized crystals, whilst the petal effect was observed with larger sized crystals (ca. 100 μm). We demonstrated that the hydrophobic property was controlled by the distribution in crystal size of the closed‐ring isomer of the diarylethene. Visible‐light irradiation of both rough surfaces afforded surfaces with cubic‐shaped micro‐crystals of the open‐ring isomer.