Efficient cross polarization with simultaneous adiabatic frequency sweep on the source and target channels

In this work, we propose a new and efficient heteronuclear cross polarization scheme, in which adiabatic frequency sweeps from far off-resonance toward on-resonance are applied simultaneously on both the source and target spins. This technique, which we call as Simultaneous ADIabatic Spin-locking Cross Polarization (SADIS CP), is capable of efficiently locking both the source and target spins with moderate power even in the presence of large spectral distribution and fast relaxation. It is shown that by keeping the time-dependent Hartmann-Hahn mismatch minimal throughout the mixing period, polarization transfer can be accelerated. Experiments are demonstrated in a powder sample of L-alanine.     

Tailoring D‐Amino Acid Oxidase from the Pig Kidney to R‐Stereoselective Amine Oxidase and its Use in the Deracemization of α‐Methylbenzylamine

The deracemization of racemic amines to yield enantioenriched amines using S‐stereoselective amine oxidases (AOx) has recently been attracting attention. However, R‐stereoselective AOx that are suitable for deracemization have not yet been identified. An R‐stereoselective AOx was now evolved from porcine kidney D ‐amino acid oxidase (pkDAO) and subsequently use for the deracemization of racemic amines. The engineered pkDAO, which was obtained by directed evolution, displayed a markedly changed substrate specificity towards R amines. The mutant enzyme exhibited a high preference towards the substrate α‐methylbenzylamine and was used to synthesize the S amine through deracemization. The findings of this study indicate that further investigations on the structure–activity relationship of AOx are warranted and also provide a new method for biotransformations in organic synthesis.     

Synergistic Spin Transition between Spin Crossover and Spin‐Peierls‐like Singlet Formation in the Halogen‐Bonded Molecular Hybrid System: [Fe(Iqsal)2][Ni(dmit)2]⋅CH3CN⋅H2O

To introduce halogen‐bond interactions between a cation and an anion, a novel Fe^III complex from iodine‐substituted ligands involving a paramagnetic nickel dithiolene anion was prepared and characterized. The compound exhibited the synergy between a spin‐crossover transition and a spin‐Peierls‐like singlet formation. The halogen‐bond interactions between the iodine and the sulfur atoms stabilized the paramagnetic state of π‐spins and played a crucial role in the synergistic magnetic transition between d‐ and π‐spins. In addition, the compound showed the light‐induced excited spin state trapping effect.     

Molecularly Designed Nanoparticles by Dispersion of Self‐Assembled Organosiloxane‐Based Mesophases

The design of siloxane‐based nanoparticles is important for many applications. Here we show a novel approach to form core–shell silica nanoparticles of a few nanometers in size through the principle of “dispersion of ordered mesostructures into single nanocomponents”. Self‐assembled siloxane–organic hybrids derived from amphiphilic alkyl‐oligosiloxanes were postsynthetically dispersed in organic solvent to yield uniform nanoparticles consisting of dense lipophilic shells and hydrophilic siloxane cores. In situ encapsulation of fluorescent dyes into the nanoparticles demonstrated their ability to function as nanocarriers.     

Fluorescence studies on volume phase transition in poly(acrylamide) and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) gels

The changes in microenvironments during the volume phase transition of poly(acrylamide) and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) gels induced by pH change or the change in solvent composition were studied by using dansyl or pyrenyl fluorescent probes.     

Phase Separation in Methylsiloxane Sol-Gel Systems in a Small Confined Space

The organo-siloxane gel with co-continuous structure derived from methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) was synthesized in a confined space between parallel plates by inducing spinodal decomposition during sol-gel transition. The resultant gel morphology was 3-dimensionally observed by laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM). The sliced LSCM photographs revealed that the confined gels have inhomogeneity perpendicular to the plate, exhibiting a layered structure. The layered structure can be divided into three regions according to their morphology; interface, near-surface layer, bulk phase. The organo-siloxane depletion layer had formed in the vicinity of both hydrophobic and hydrophilic plates, and the bulk phase had formed slight away from the plates exhibited co-continuous structure. In addition, the confined gels exhibited no shrinkage during drying process that resulted in the larger domain size compared to the monolithic gel. The attractive interaction between the plates and the resultant organo-siloxane phase accounts for the inhibition of shrinkage of confined gels.     

Probabilistic evaluation of interconnectable capacity for wind power generation

We propose a novel framework for probabilistic evaluation of interconnectable capacity for wind power generation. This is based on mathematical modeling of load frequency control systems, which captures their nonlinear (saturation and rate limiting) dynamical characteristics, and stochastic uncertainty of wind power output deviation. The method called stochastic linearization is used to analyze resulting power quality. The effectiveness of the proposed method is examined by numerical simulation.