Development of continuous process enabling nanofibrillation of pulp and melt compounding

Microfibrillated cellulose (MFC), a mechanically fibrillated pulp mostly consisting of nanofibrils, is a very attractive material because of its high elastic modulus and strength. Although much research has been done on composites of MFC and polypropylene (PP), it has been difficult to produce such composites at an industrial level because of the difficulties in using MFC in such composites are not only connected to the polarity (that can be improved with compatibilizers), but also with the challenge to make a homogeneous blend of the components, and also the low temperature stability of cellulose that could cause problems during processing. We developed a new processing method which enables continuous microfibrillation of pulp and its melt compounding with PP. Never-dried kraft pulp and powdered PP were used as raw materials to obtain MFC by kneading via a twin-screw extruder. Scanning electron microscopy showed nano to submicron wide fibers entangled in the powdered PP. MFC did not aggregate during the melt compounding process, during which the water content was evaporated. Maleic anhydride polypropylene (MAPP) was used as a compatibilizer to reinforce interfacial adhesion between the polar hydroxyl groups of MFC and non-polar PP. We investigated the effect of MAPP content on the mechanical properties of the composite, which were drastically improved by MAPP addition. Needle-leaf unbleached kraft pulp (NUKP)-derived MFC composites had better mechanical properties than needle-leaf bleached kraft pulp (NBKP)-derived MFC composites. Injection molded NUKP-derived MFC composites had good mechanical and thermal properties. The tensile modulus of 50 wt% MFC composite was two times, and the tensile strength 1.5 times higher than that of neat PP. The heat distortion temperature of 50 wt% MFC content composite under 1.82 MPa flexural load was increased by 53 °C, from 69 to 122 °C. This newly developed continuous process using powder resin has the potential for application at an industrial level.     

First asymmetric total synthesis of tetrodotoxin

Tetrodotoxin, a toxic principle of puffer fish poisoning, is one of the most famous marine natural products because of the complex structure having many functional groups and its potent biological activity leading to death. Since the structure elucidation in 1964, this toxin has been recognized as a formidable target molecule for total synthesis. We have recently achieved the first asymmetric total synthesis from 2-acetoxy-tri-O-acetyl-d-glucal as a chiral starting material. The highly hydroxylated cyclohexane ring was constructed by Claisen rearrangement and regioselective hydroxylations of an acetone moiety and an intramolecular directed aldol condensation of the precursor having methyl ketone with dihydroxyacetone, which was synthesized through Sonogashira coupling. Installation of nitrogen functionality was unsuccessful through an attempted Overman rearrangement. We, therefore, employed a new intramolecular conjugate addition strategy between the carbamate and unsaturated ester groups. The alpha-hydroxyl lactone moiety was synthesized through an intramolecular epoxide opening by the Z-enolate of aldehyde, which was followed by oxidation-reduction of the resulting cyclic vinyl ether. The lactone was then converted to a protected ortho ester, and then gunanidinylation was followed by cleavage of the 1,2-glycol to give the fully protected tetrodotoxin. Selection of the protective groups has finally led us to accomplish the total synthesis of tetrodotoxin in an enantiomerically pure form. All the stereogenic centers were controlled with high selectivity, and the hydroxyl groups were differently protected to discriminate for the future analogue synthesis of a bioorganic program. The synthetic tetrodotoxin was purified by ion exchange chromatography and characterized to be identical with the natural compound.     

Signal denoising and baseline correction by discrete wavelet transform for microchip capillary electrophoresis

Signal denoising and baseline correction using discrete wavelet transform (DWT) are described for microchip capillary electrophoresis (MCE). DWT was performed on an electropherogram describing a separation of nine tetramethylrohodamine-5-isothiocyanate labeled amino acids, following MCE with laser-induced fluorescence detection, using Daubechies 5 wavelet at a decomposition level of 6. The denoising efficiency was compared with, and proved to be superior to, other commonly used denoising techniques such as Fourier transform, Savitzky-Golay smoothing and moving average, in terms of noise removal and peak preservation by directly visual inspection. Novel strategies for baseline correction were proposed, with a special interest in baseline drift that frequently occurred in chromatographic and electrophoretic separations.     

Laser photolysis studies of the photochemical reactions of chromium(III) octaethylporphyrin and tetramesitylporphyrin complexes in toluene solution

A nanosecond laser photolysis study was carried out for the Cr(III) porphyrin complexes of 2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octaethylporphyrin, [Cr(OEP)(Cl)(L)], and of 5,10,15,20-tetramesitylporphyrin, [Cr(TMP)(Cl)(L)], in toluene containing water and an excess amount of L (L = axial ligand). The laser photolysis generates the triplet excited state of the parent complex as well as a five-coordinate complex, [Cr(porphyrin)(Cl)], produced by the photodissociation of the axial ligand L. The yields for the formation of the triplet state and the photodissociation of L are found to markedly depend on the nature of both L and porphyrin ligand. The five-coordinate [Cr(porphyrin)(Cl)] readily reacts with both H(2)O and L in the bulk solution to give [Cr(porphyrin)(Cl)(H(2)O)] and [Cr(porphyrin)(Cl)(L)], respectively. The axial H(2)O ligand in [Cr(porphyrin)(Cl)(H(2)O)] is then substituted by the ligand L to regenerate the original complex [Cr(porphyrin)(Cl)(L)]. In principle, the substitution reaction takes place by the dissociative mechanism: the first step is the dissociation of H(2)O from [Cr(porphyrin)(Cl)(H(2)O)], followed by the reaction of the five-coordinate [Cr(porphyrin)(Cl)] with the ligand L to regenerate [Cr(porphyrin)(Cl)(L)]. The rate constants for this ligand substitution reaction are found to exhibit bell-shaped ligand concentration dependence. The detailed kinetic analysis revealed that both ligands L and H(2)O in toluene make a hydrogen bond with the axial H(2)O ligand in [Cr(porphyrin)(Cl)(H(2)O)] to yield dead-end complexes for the substitution reaction. The reaction mechanisms are discussed on the basis of the substituent effects of the porphyrin peripheral groups and the kinetic parameters determined from the temperature dependence of the rate constants.     

Fluorescence detection of guanine-adenine transition by a hydrogen bond forming small compound

In combination with abasic site-containing oligodeoxynucleotides, 2-amino-4-oxopteridine (pterin) can selectively recognize guanine base over other nucleobases accompanied by fluorescence quenching, which allows clear detection of a guanine-adenine transition with the naked eye.     

First linear alignment of five C-Se...O...Se-C atoms in anthraquinone and 9-(methoxy)anthracene bearing phenylselanyl groups at 1,8-positions

Five Ci-Se...O...Se-Ci atoms in anthraquinone and 9-(methoxy)anthracene bearing phenylselanyl groups at 1,8-positions align linearly, the origin of which is shown to be a nonbonded 5c-6e interaction of the five atoms.     

Synthesis and properties of the first stable silylene-isocyanide complexes

The first stable silylene-isocyanide complexes, [Tbt(Mes)SiCNAr] (5 c: Ar=Tip, 5 d: Ar=Tbt, 5 e: Ar=Mes*; Tbt=2,4,6-tris[bis(trimethylsilyl)methyl]phenyl, Mes=mesityl, Tip=2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl, Mes*=2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl) were successfully synthesized by the reaction of a kinetically stabilized disilene, [Tbt(Mes)Si=Si(Mes)Tbt] (1), with bulky isocyanides, ArNC (3c-e). The spectroscopic data of 5 c-e and theoretical calculations for a model molecule indicated that 5 c-e are not classical cumulative compounds but the first stable silylene-Lewis base complexes. The reactions of 5 c-e with triethylsilane and 1,3-dienes gave the corresponding silylene adducts, and they underwent isocyanide-exchange reactions in the presence of another isocyanide at room temperature. These results indicate dissociation of complexes 5 c-e to the corresponding silylene 2 and isocyanides 3 c-e under very mild conditions. The reaction of 5 c with methanol gave the MeOH adduct 16, [Tbt(Mes)SiHC(OMe)NTip], which has a hydrogen atom on the silicon atom. This regioselectivity can be explained in terms of the contribution of zwitterionic resonance structures D and E, which have an anion on the silicon atom. This result indicates that 5 c is not a classical cumulene having Si=C double bonds that should react with methanol to give adducts bearing a methoxyl group on the silicon atom. Although the reactions of 5 c-e with electrophilic reagents such as methanol, hydrogen chloride, and methyl iodide gave the formal silylene adducts, the studies on the reaction mechanism by trapping experiments and the observation of the intermediate suggested that the reaction mainly or partially proceeds by initial nucleophilic attack of the silicon atom, as is the case in the formation of 16 in the reaction of 5 c with methanol. It was revealed that 5 c-e show the nucleophilicity of the silicon atom, most likely resulting from the contribution of the zwitterionic resonance structures D and E.     

Visible-light induced hydrophilicity on nitrogen-substituted titanium dioxide films

Nitrogen-substituted titanium dioxide thin films were found to undergo hydrophilic conversion under irradiation with visible light. The hydrophilicity was enhanced by increasing the degree of nitrogen substitution at oxygen sites. The water contact angle for the thin film with the greatest hydrophilicity, TiO1.9884N0.0116, changed from 20 degrees to 6 degrees following irradiation.     

Microscopic Elucidation of Solid‐Electrolyte Interphase (SEI) Film Formation via Atomistic Reaction Simulations: Importance of Functional Groups of Electrolyte and Intact Additive Molecules

Secondary batteries such as Li‐ion battery are expected to be utilized as not only ubiquitous electric power sources such as mobile phones but also large‐scale electricity storage devices. Therefore, it is urgent to develop the higher performance secondary batteries. Their lifetime and stability are found to be strongly dependent on the nature of passivation film called solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) film formed on the anode surface in the initial charge‐discharge cycle. However, since it is difficult to directly observe the film formation processes in experiment, its microscopic mechanism is still not found. On the other hand, although the theoretical methods are useful complement to the experiment, some new methodologies are necessary to understand the long‐term processes of SEI film, which is produced as a result of that a lot of chemical reactions proceed simultaneously. Under the circumstances, we have developed Red Moon method that can simulate such complex chemical reaction systems, and were able to analyze for the first time the SEI film formation processes on the anode surface at the atomistic level. Then, we clarified theoretically the microscopic mechanism of the additive effect which is essential to improve the Na‐ion battery performance so as to enhance the SEI film formation. This new microscopic insight must provide an important guiding principle for use in designing the most suitable electrolytes for developing high‐performance secondary batteries.