Ultrafast Primary Process of Photo-induced N-I Transition and Macroscopic Oscillation of Domain Boundary in TTF-CA

Initial dynamics of photo-induced ionic (I) to neutral (N) phase transition in tetrathiafulvalene- p -chloranil (TTF-CA) was investigated by femtosecond reflection spectroscopy with various excitation intensities. A charge transfer excitation in the I phase produces N donor (D 0 )-acceptor (A 0 ) strings within 2 ps. For a weak excitation intensity, these initial N states decay with a life time of 300 ps at 4 K, but rather multiply leading to macroscopic I-N conversion within 20 ps at 77 K just below the N-I transition temperature T NI . Near T NI , we also found the coherent motion of the macroscopic N-I domain boundary with a period of 85 ps.     

Femtosecond mid-IR pump-probe spectroscopy of photoinduced insulator to metal transition in dimer Mott insulator κ-(BEDT-TTF)2X

Ultrafast dynamics of the photoinduced insulator (I) to metal (M) transition were investigated using femtosecond mid-infrared pump-probe spectroscopy in two-dimensional organic Mott insulators [bis (ethylenedithio)]-tetrathiafulvalene (BEDT-TTF) salts κ-(BEDT-TTF)₂X (κ-(ET)₂X, where X denotes anion). In κ-(d-ET)₂Cu[N(CN)₂]Br, a metallic state was photogenerated using a phonon-mediated mechanism: the effective bandwidth increases through the photoinduced molecular rearrangement. The mechanism differs fundamentally from the previously reported photoinduced filling control in one-dimensional Mott insulators.     

Optical properties of AgI/Ag infrared hollow fiber in the visible wavelength region

We report on AgI/Ag infrared hollow fiber with low-loss in visible region. Improved methods of silver plating and iodination were proposed to fabricate the hollow fiber. The surface roughness of the silver layer and the silver iodide layer was reduced by the pretreatment with an SnCl2 solution and low iodination temperature. Losses for the Er:YAG and green laser light were 0.4 and 7dB/m. The loss property of green laser beam was low to deliver a pilot beam for the invisible infrared laser light. Owing to the smooth and uniform AgI film, the loss spectrum of the hollow fiber showed clear interference peaks in the visible region. An empirical formula for AgI material dispersion was derived, which is of special importance for the design of high-performance AgI/Ag hollow fiber.     

Crystalline‐Sponge‐Based Structural Analysis of Crude Natural Product Extracts

Characterization of complex natural product mixtures to the absolute structural level of their components often requires significant amounts of starting materials and lengthy purification process, followed by arduous structure elucidation efforts. The crystalline sponge (CS) method has demonstrated utility in the absolute structure elucidation of isolated organic compounds at miniscule quantities compared to conventional methods. In this work, we developed a new CS‐based workflow that greatly expedites the in‐depth structural analysis of crude natural product extracts. Using a crude extract of the red alga Laurencia pacifica, we showed that CS affinity screening prior to compound isolation enables prioritization of analytes present in the extract, and we subsequently resolved the molecular structures of six sesquiterpenes with stereochemical clarity from around 10 mg crude extract. This study demonstrates a new chemotyping workflow that can greatly accelerate natural product discovery from complex samples.     

Phosphine‐Catalyzed anti‐Carboboration of Alkynoates with 9‐BBN‐Based 1,1‐Diborylalkanes: Synthesis and Use of Multisubstituted γ‐Borylallylboranes

Trialkylphosphine organocatalysis has enabled the regioselective anti‐carboboration of alkynoates with 9‐BBN‐based 1,1‐diborylalkanes to produce secondary allylboranes with β‐alkoxycarbonyl and γ‐boryl substituents. The utility of the densely functionalized allylboranes was demonstrated by the highly diastereoselective allylation of N‐(trimethylsilyl)aldimines to produce homoallylamines containing tertiary allylborane and acrylate moieties.     

Letter: correlation between phosphorylation ratios by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometric analysis and enzyme kinetics

To identify the correlation between the phosphorylation ratios by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-ToF MS) analysis and enzyme kinetics (K(m), V(max), and V(max)/K(m)) is important to understand whether MALDI-TOF MS can be applied for monitoring the properties of peptides that are substrates of protein kinases. The correlation between phosphorylation ratios and enzyme kinetics was examined using peptides for protein kinase C (PKC) and for 60 kDa phosphoprotein, encoded by the cellular sarcoma gene (c-Src). Phosphorylation ratios, analyzed by MALDI-ToF MS, showed higher correlation coefficient (r = > +0.7) for V(max)/K(m) compared with that (r = < -/+0.6) for K(m) or V(max). For ion modes, a higher correlation coefficient between phosphorylation ratios and V(max)/K(m) was identified in the positive mode (r = > +0.7) compared to that in the negative mode (r = < +0.5). These results suggest that MALDI-ToF MS is a useful tool to evaluate V(max)/K(m) of peptides for protein kinases.     

Design of polymeric carriers for cancer-specific gene targeting: utilization of abnormal protein kinase Calpha activation in cancer cells

We succeeded in cancer cell specific gene expression by using a polyplex responsive to protein kinase Calpha, which is activated in various types of cancer cells.     

Heparin bioconjugate with a thermoresponsive cationic branched polymer: a novel aqueous antithrombogenic coating material

With a view to reducing the thrombogenic potential of artificial blood-contact devices and natural tissues, we developed a novel aqueous antithrombogenic coating material, comprising a heparin bioconjugate that incorporated a thermoresponsive cationic polymer as a surfactant. The polymer was prepared by the sequential steps of initiator-transfer agent-terminator (iniferter)-based living radical photopolymerization of N-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]acrylamide, followed by the polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide from tetra(N,N-diethyldithiocarbamylmethyl)benzene as a multifunctional iniferter. The polymer obtained possessed four branched chains, each consisting of a cationic PDMAPAAm block (Mn: ca. 3000 g.mol(-1)) forming an inner domain for heparin binding and a thermoresponsive PNIPAM block (Mn: ca. 6000 g.mol(-1)) forming an outer domain for surface fixation; bioconjugation of the polymer with heparin occurred immediately upon simple mixing in an aqueous medium. Because the lower critical solution temperature of the heparin bioconjugate was approximately 35 degrees C, it could be coated from an aqueous solution at room temperature. The excellent adsorptivity and high durability of the coating below 37 degrees C was demonstrated on several generally used polymers by wettability measurement and surface chemical compositional analysis, and on collagen sheets and rat skin tissue by heparin staining. Blood coagulation was significantly prevented on the heparin bioconjugate-coated surfaces. The thermoresponsive bioconjugate developed therefore appeared to satisfy the initial requirements for a biocompatible aqueous coating material.     

化学计量的氧化钠团簇阳离子结构的离子迁移质谱法研究

本文通过离子迁移质谱法研究了氧化钠团簇阳离子(Na_nO_m⁺,n≤11)的稳定结构. 质谱结果表明化学计量组成Na(Na₂O)_(n-1)/2⁺ (n=3、5、7、9和11)系列是稳定的,并且NaO(Na₂O)_(n-1)/2⁺ (n=5、7、9和11)系列作为二级稳定系列. 为了获得这些团簇离子的结构,通过离子迁移率测量实验测定离子和氦缓冲气体之间的碰撞截面. 同时计算了这些组合物优化结构的理论碰撞截面. 结果表明,Na(Na₂O)_(n-1)/2⁺和NaO(Na₂O)_(n-1)/2⁺的结构除了n=9之外,其它具有相似结构框架. Na(Na₂O)_(n-1)/2⁺所有的化合键位于钠和氧之间. 另一方面,NaO(Na₂O)_(n-1)/2⁺中除了Na-O键之外,还存在一个O-O氧键,表明NaO(Na₂O)_(n-1)/2⁺具有过氧化物离子(O₂^2-)作为Na(Na₂O)_(n-1)/2⁺的氧化物离子(O^2-) 的替代物. Na(Na₂O)_(n-1)/2⁺和NaO(Na₂O)_(n-1)/2⁺两种稳定系列都是闭壳组合物. 这些闭壳特征对氧化钠簇阳离子的稳定性具有强烈影响.