Effects of stretching on microstructures of polymer-immobilized non-close-packed colloidal crystalline array

Non-close-packed silica colloidal crystalline array was immobilized by polymer, and effects of stretching on the change of the optical properties and microstructure of the colloidal crystalline arrays have been demonstrated. The immobilization was a two-step polymerization process: the first step was with hydrophilic polyethylene glycol acrylate (PEGA) polymer gel, and the second step was with 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate polymer matrix. The structure of the three-dimensional array was maintained during the immobilizing process with lock in periodic order. The peak wavelength of Bragg diffraction of the polymer-immobilized colloidal crystalline array shifted to shorter wavelength with stretching. The peak shift was caused by the compression of the polymer proportional to the stretching ratio, and the compression was homogeneous throughout the polymer-immobilized colloidal crystalline arrays. These results show that by using polymer-immobilized non-close-packed colloidal crystalline array, mechanically tunable photonic crystals can be realized, and they open the possibility of tuning the microstructure of colloidal crystalline array for photonic crystal.     

An air-stable chiral Hf-based catalyst for asymmetric Mannich-type reactions

A new class of isolable, air-stable, storable, and Hf-based catalyst has been developed. In the presence of 10 mol % of the powdered Hf catalyst, the asymmetric Mannich-type reactions of imines with silicon enolates derived from esters proceeded smoothly to afford the corresponding Mannich-type adducts in high yields with high enantioselectivities. Hafnium single crystals for X-ray analysis were obtained, and the crystals also showed high performance in the asymmetric Mannich-type reactions.     

Poly(amide amine) dendrimer with naphthyl units as a fluorescent chemosensor for metal ions.

Poly(amide amine) dendrimer with naphthyl units (N8) as a fluorescent chemosensor for metal ions was synthesized. We investigated the metal ion recognition of N8. Large changes in the fluorescence spectra of N8 were observed upon the addition of cadmium and zinc ions.     

Effect of the Propionylation Method on the Deformability under Thermal Pressure of Block-Shaped Wood

Converting wood waste into thermoplastic materials is an attractive means of increasing its utilization because complex three-dimensional molded products can easily be obtained by press molding wood with thermoplasticity. Chemical modification, especially esterification, is a promising method for imparting thermoplasticity to wood. In this study, we produced multiple propionylated wood specimens using several propionylation methods and elucidated the factors affecting the deformability of the wood. Regardless of the method, all of the propionylated wood samples showed deformability in the tangential direction. However, in the longitudinal direction, not only the degree of propionylation but also the propionylation method had a significant influence on the deformability. The flow in the tangential direction occurred under a relatively low pressure, whereas the flow in the longitudinal direction occurred under higher pressure. The chemical composition and motility of each sample were evaluated using solid-state NMR measurements. With some propionylation methods, decomposition of the cellulose main chain occurred during the reaction, which had a dominant effect on the deformability of the wood in the longitudinal direction. These results indicate that the deformability of wood can be controlled by the appropriate selection of a propionylation method and its treatment conditions.     

Equivalence problem for annuli and Bell representations in the plane

In this paper we solve the problem of equivalence between annuli and Bell representations, which are canonical planar domains of connectivity 2. We give a necessary and sufficient condition for equivalence as an explicit formula in parameters of the domains.     

Synthesis of optically active bihelicenols

All six stereoisomers of dimethyl 5,5′-dihydroxy-1,1′,12,12′-tetramethyl-[6,6′]bi(benzo[c]phenanthrenyl)-8,8′-dicarboxylate (bihelicenol) were synthesized by the oxidative coupling of methyl 8-hydroxy-1,12-dimethylbenzo[c]phenanthrene-5-carboxylate (helicenol), and their structures were determined by X-ray analysis.     

Mesomorphic phase transitions of 4,4'-dialkyloxyquaterphenyls and dialkyl quaterphenyl-4,4'-dicarboxylates

The mesogenicities of 4,4'-dialkyloxyquaterphenyls (DAQP) and dialkyl quaterphenyl-4,4'-dicarboxylates (DCQP) were studied by differential scanning calorimetry, optical microscopy and miscibility tests. The DAQP homologues, for which the number of carbon atoms in the alkyloxy group (n) is 1-9, showed a S_A phase, and the higher homologues (n = 9-18) showed a Sc phase. The propyl, butyl and pentyl esters of DCQP showed a S_A phase, and the octyl and dodecyl esters showed S_A and Sc phases. The isopropyl, isobutyl, 2-ethylhexyl and cyclohexyl esters showed a Sc phase and the branching of the alkyl group strikingly lowered the mesophase thermal stabilities.     

Reactions of chlorobenzene and bromobenzene with methyl acrylate using a conventional supported palladium catalyst

Reactions of bromobenzene and chlorobenzene with methyl acrylate were carried out in N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) over a conventional Pd/C catalyst under Heck coupling conditions indicating both heterogeneous and homogeneous character. Benzene and biphenyl are produced in addition to the Heck coupling product of methyl cinnamate. It is proposed that the formation of methyl cinnamate and biphenyl proceed homogeneously with dissolved palladium species, while the formation of benzene takes place heterogeneously on the surface of supported palladium particles or free colloidal particles formed during the reaction. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Biobleaching of hardwood kraft pulp with cellulasedeficient mutant from hyper ligninolytic fungus izu- 154

Protoplasts of the monokaryotic strain from hyperligninolytic fungus IZU-154 were treated with UV irradiation, and the regenerants were screened for their inability to degrade Walseth cellulose (WC) and carboxymetylcellulose (CMC) on an agar plate. From 2700 regenerants, cellulase deficient and noncellulase mutants were isolated and designated Cel-139 and Cel-145, respectively. Cel-139 showed 15% Avicelase, 60% CMCase, and 10% β-glucosidase activities; however, it retained the same level of lignin degrading capability and manganese peroxidase (MnP) production when compared with wild-type IZU-154. On the other hand, Cel-145 showed deterioration in lignin-degrading capability, despite a substantial level of MnP production. Furthermore, biobleaching of hardwood kraft pulp (HWKP) by wild-type IZU-154 and Cel-139 in the solidstate fermentation system, without supplemental nutrients, were investigated. After 5 d of treatments with both fungi, pulp brightness increased from 33 to 65% ISO brightness, and Kappa number decreased from 13.9 to 6.0. However, yield loss of biobleached pulp was 20% lower with Cel-139 than with wild-type IZU-154.