Effects of guest microparticles on the swelling behavior of polyacrylamide gels

We report the effects of guest particles on the swelling properties of bulk polyacrylamide gels. The guest particles were the spheres of poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) gel with submicrometer diameter, which were synthesized by an emulsion‐polymerized reaction in water. Polyacrylamide gels were prepared by a free radical polymerization reaction, immobilizing the gel microparticles with different concentrations at gelation. The macroscopic swelling ratio of this hybrid gel in a cylindrical shape was measured as functions of temperature and acetone concentration. The presence of guest particles was found to strongly affect the swelling behavior in the bulk gels when the concentration of incorporated particles exceeded a threshold. The experimental results indicated that the macroscopic volume in response to the temperature change should be determined by the guest particles above the threshold. On the other hand, the hybrid gel could not evidently shrink by adding acetone when the concentration of guest particles exceeded the threshold. To make clear the distribution of guest particles in the bulk networks, the fractured surfaces of dried gels were imaged by tapping mode atomic force microscopy. The guest particles were found to aggregate in the bulk homogeneous networks to form microdomains with densely connected structure, which became larger with increasing particle concentration. The roles of bulk networks as well as guest particles on the swelling behavior of hybrid gels were qualitatively discussed on the basis of the incorporated structure of guest particles, depending on the concentration of guest particles. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 1696–1704, 2005     

Laccase‐catalyzed polymerization of lignocatechol and affinity on proteins of resulting polymers

For the synthesis of a new biologically functional polymer from a natural resource by an environment‐friendly method, the laccase‐catalyzed polymerization of a lignin‐based macromonomer, lignocatechol, was carried out for the first time in ethanol–phosphate buffer solvent system to give crosslinked polymers in good yields. Lignocatechol was prepared by the phase separation system of lignin and catechol in aqueous sulfuric acid. The copolymerization was also performed with urushiol to afford the corresponding copolymers in high yields. The polymerization mechanism was estimated by the IR and pyrolysis GC‐MS measurements, suggesting that the polymerization proceeded mainly at the catechol ring through a quinone radical intermediate. The thermal properties were measured by the DSC, TG, and TMA analyses, indicating that the polymers had high thermal stabilities because of the crosslinked structures. In addition, it was found that the resulting polymers had the affinity of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and glucoamylase. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 824–832, 2009     

Orientational relationship among main and side chains of a polyimide alignment layer, liquid crystals monolayer and bulk pretilt angle

We have determined the orientational distribution of cyano-substituted side chains of a rubbed polyimide film, and a liquid crystal monolayer adsorbed on the film, by means of optical second harmonic generation. With the orientational distribution of a main chain that was measured in a previous study by means of near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy, we have obtained the correlation of all the orientational distributions contributing to the alignment of LC molecules, i.e. pretilt angle. We find that the side chain plays a role in increasing the pretilt angle, but in the case of rubbing strength dependence, the main chain has stronger correlation with the pretilt angle than has the side chain.     

Antimutagenic activity of ent-kaurane diterpenoids from the aerial parts of Isodon japonicus

From the methanolic extract of the aerial parts of Isodon japonicus, two new ent-kaurane diterpenes, isodonterpenes I and II, were isolated together with 10 known diterpenes. Their chemical structures were elucidated on the basis of chemical and physicochemical evidence. The absolute configuration of isodonterpene I was elucidated by Cu-Kα X-ray crystallographic analysis. Antimutagenic activities of the major diterpenes were evaluated by the Ames test. This study represents the first evaluation of the antimutagenic activities of ent-kaurane diterpenes.     

Asymmetric cross-benzoin condensation promoted by a chiral triazolium precatalyst bearing a pyridine moiety

Cross-benzoin condensation catalyzed by NHC, prepared from chiral triazolium salts bearing a pyridine ring, afforded α-hydroxy ketones with reasonable chemical yields and enantioselectivities. A wide range of aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes were successfully used in the reaction.     

Ring polymers in melts and solutions: scaling and crossover

We propose a simple mean-field theory for the structure of ring polymer melts. By combining the notion of topological volume fraction and a classical van der Waals theory of fluids, we take into account many-body effects of topological origin in dense systems. We predict that although the compact statistics with the Flory exponent ν=1/3 is realized for very long chains, most practical cases fall into the crossover regime with the apparent exponent ν?2/5 during which the system evolves toward a topological dense-packed limit.     

Spin-torque ferromagnetic resonance induced by the spin Hall effect

We demonstrate that the spin Hall effect in a thin film with strong spin-orbit scattering can excite magnetic precession in an adjacent ferromagnetic film. The flow of alternating current through a Pt/NiFe bilayer generates an oscillating transverse spin current in the Pt, and the resultant transfer of spin angular momentum to the NiFe induces ferromagnetic resonance dynamics. The Oersted field from the current also generates a ferromagnetic resonance signal but with a different symmetry. The ratio of these two signals allows a quantitative determination of the spin current and the spin Hall angle.