Impact of an irreversibly adsorbed layer on local viscosity of nanoconfined polymer melts

We report the origin of the effect of nanoscale confinement on the local viscosity of entangled polystyrene (PS) films at temperatures far above the glass transition temperature. By using marker x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy with gold nanoparticles embedded in the PS films prepared on solid substrates, we have determined the local viscosity as a function of the distance from the polymer-substrate interface. The results show the impact of a very thin adsorbed layer (~7 nm in thickness) even without specific interactions of the polymer with the substrate, overcoming the effect of a surface mobile layer at the air-polymer interface and thereby resulting in a significant increase in the local viscosity as approaching the substrate interface.     

Stereoselective vinylogous Mannich reaction of 2-trimethylsilyloxyfuran with N-gulosyl nitrones

Stereoselective vinylogous Mannich reaction of 2-trimethylsilyloxyfuran with L-gulose-derived chiral nitrones in the presence of a catalytic amount of trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate was investigated. The selectivity was strongly influenced by the bulkiness of the C-substituent of the nitrone: for example, C-benzyloxymethyl nitrone afforded four stereoisomers, whereas bulky C-[(4S)-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxolan-4-yl]nitrone gave a single stereoisomer. The latter product was elaborated to afford key synthetic intermediates for polyoxin C and dysiherbaine.     

Thermal dehydration of monohydrocalcite: overall kinetics and physico-geometrical mechanisms

Monohydrocalcite (CaCO(3)·H(2)O: MHC) is similar in composition and synthetic conditions to hydrated amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC), which is focused recently as a key intermediate compound of biomineralization and biomimetic mineralization of calcium carbonate polymorphs. Detailed comparisons of the physicochemical property and reactivity of those hydrated calcium carbonates are required for obtaining fundamental information on the relevancy of those compounds in the mineralization processes. In the present study, kinetics of the thermal dehydration of spherical particles of crystalline MHC was investigated in view of physico-geometrical mechanism. The reaction process was traced systematically by means of thermogravimetry under three different modes of temperature program. A distinguished induction period for the thermal dehydration and cracking of the surface product layer on the way of the established reaction were identified as the characteristic events of the reaction. By interpreting the kinetic results in association with the morphological changes of the reactant particles during the course of reaction, it was revealed that nucleation and crystal growth of calcite regulate the overall kinetics of the thermal dehydration of MHC. In comparison with the thermal dehydration of hydrated ACC, which produces anhydrous ACC as the solid product, the kinetic characteristics of the thermal dehydration of MHC were discussed from the viewpoint of physico-geometry of the component processes.     

Inter-laboratory trials for analysis of perfluorooctanesulfonate and perfluorooctanoate in water samples: Performance and recommendations

The ISO 25101 (International Organization for Standardization, Geneva) describes a new international standard method for the determination of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) in unfiltered samples of drinking and surface waters. The method is based on the extraction of target analytes by solid phase extraction, solvent elution, and determination by high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS). For the determination of the performance of this method, more than 20 laboratories from 9 different countries participated in an inter-laboratory trial in 2006. In addition, inter-laboratory trials were conducted in 2008 and 2009 for the analysis of perfluoroalkylsubstances (PFASs), including PFOS and PFOA, in water samples by following the protocols of Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS). Overall, the repeatability coefficients of variation (i.e., within-laboratory precision) for PFOS and PFOA in all water samples were between 3 and 11%, showing a adequate precision of the ISO and JIS methods. The reproducibility coefficients of variation (i.e., between-laboratory precision) were found to vary within a range of 7–31% for surface water and 20–40% for wastewater. The recoveries of PFOS and PFOA, as a measure of accuracy, varied from 84 to 100% for surface water and from 84 to 100% for wastewater among the samples with acceptable criteria for internal standards recovery. The determined concentrations of PFASs in samples compared well with the “true” values. The results of the inter-laboratory trial confirmed that the analytical methods are robust and reliable and can be used as a standard method for the analysis of target compounds in water samples.     

Intermolecular Interactions in Ternary Glycerol–Sample–H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O: Towards Understanding the Hofmeister Series (V)

We studied the intermolecular interactions in ternary glycerol (Gly)–sample (S)–H₂O systems at 25 °C. By measuring the excess partial molar enthalpy of Gly, H_Gly^EH_{\mathrm{Gly}}^{\mathrm{E}}, we evaluated the Gly–Gly enthalpic interaction, H_Gly-Gly^EH_{\mathrm{Gly}\mbox{--}\mathrm{Gly}}^{\mathrm{E}}, in the presence of various samples (S). For S, tert-butanol (TBA), 1-propanol (1P), urea (UR), NaF, NaCl, NaBr, NaI, and NaSCN were used. It was found that hydrophobes (TBA and 1P) reduce the values of H_Gly-Gly^EH_{\mathrm{Gly}\mbox{--}\mathrm{Gly}}^{\mathrm{E}} considerably, but a hydrophile (UR) had very little effect on H_Gly-Gly^EH_{\mathrm{Gly}\mbox{--}\mathrm{Gly}}^{\mathrm{E}}. The results with Na salts indicated that there have very little effect on H_Gly-Gly^EH_{\mathrm{Gly}\mbox{--}\mathrm{Gly}}^{\mathrm{E}}. This contrasts with our earlier studies on 1P–S–H₂O in that Na⁺, F⁻ and Cl⁻ are found as hydration centers from the induced changes on H_IP-IP^EH_{\mathrm{IP}\mbox{--}\mathrm{IP}}^{\mathrm{E}} in the presence of S, while Br⁻, I⁻, and SCN⁻ are found to act as hydrophiles. In comparison with the Hofmeister ranking of these ions, the kosmotropes are hydration centers and the more kosmotropic the higher the hydration number, consistent with the original Hofmeister’s concept of “H₂O withdrawing power.” Br⁻, I⁻ and SCN⁻, on the other hand, acted as hydrophiles and the more chaotropic they are the more hydrophilic. These observations hint that whatever effect each individual ion has on H₂O, it is sensitive only to hydrophobes (such as 1P) but not to hydrophiles (such as Gly). This may have an important bearing towards understanding the Hofmeister series, since biopolymers are amphiphilic and their surfaces are covered by hydrophobic as well as hydrophilic parts.     

A minimal implementation of the AMBER-GAUSSIAN interface for ab initio QM/MM-MD simulation

For applying to a number of theoretical methodologies based on an ab initio quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) molecular dynamics method connecting AMBER9 with GAUSSIAN03, we have developed an AMBER-GAUSSIAN interface (AG-IF), which can be one of the simplest architectures. In the AG-IF, only a few subroutines addition is necessary to retrieve the QM/MM energy and forces, obtained by GAUSSIAN, for solving a set of Newtonian equations of motion in AMBER. It is, therefore, easy to be modified for individual applications since AG-IF utilizes most of those functions originally equipped not only in AMBER but also in GAUSSIAN. In the present minimal implementation, only AMBER is modified, whereas GAUSSIAN is left unchanged. Moreover, a different method of calculating electrostatic forces of MM atoms interacting with QM region is proposed. Using the AG-IF, we also demonstrate three examples of application: (i) the QM versus MM comparison in the radial distribution function, (ii) the free energy gradient method, and (iii) the charge from interaction energy and forces.     

Precision measurement of neutrino oscillation parameters with KamLAND

The KamLAND experiment has determined a precise value for the neutrino oscillation parameter Deltam21(2) and stringent constraints on theta12. The exposure to nuclear reactor antineutrinos is increased almost fourfold over previous results to 2.44 x 10(32) proton yr due to longer livetime and an enlarged fiducial volume. An undistorted reactor nu[over]e energy spectrum is now rejected at >5sigma. Analysis of the reactor spectrum above the inverse beta decay energy threshold, and including geoneutrinos, gives a best fit at Deltam21(2)=7.58(-0.13)(+0.14)(stat) -0.15+0.15(syst) x 10(-5) eV2 and tan2theta12=0.56(-0.07)+0.10(stat) -0.06+0.10(syst). Local Deltachi2 minima at higher and lower Deltam21(2) are disfavored at >4sigma. Combining with solar neutrino data, we obtain Deltam21(2)=7.59(-0.21)+0.21 x 10(-5) eV2 and tan2theta12=0.47(-0.05)+0.06.