Dye-sensitized solar cells based on composite solid polymer electrolytes

The ionic conductivity of polymer electrolytes and their interfacial contact with dye-attached TiO2 particles were enhanced markedly by the addition of amorphous oligomer into polymer electrolytes, resulting in very high overall energy conversion efficiency.     

Synthesis and manganese complexes of pentagonal bipyramidal ligands: N,N′-disubstituted pentaaza macrocycles

Two novel heptadentate ligands, pentaaza macrocycles with two pendant xpyridyl and phenol groups, were prepared and the crystal structure of the manganese(II) complex of N,N′-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)-pentaaza macrocycle revealed a pentagonal bipyramidal geometry.     

Syntheses of 1beta-methylcarbapenems bearing 5-methyl-4-hydroxypyrrolidinone

A new series of 1beta-methylcarbapenems 1a-d bearing 5-methyl-4-mercaptopyrrolidinone rings has been prepared and evaluated for in vitro antibacterial activity and pharmacokinetic parameters. Most compounds showed excellent antibacterial activity and high stability to dehydropeptidase-1. We have synthesized optically active 5-methyl-4-hydroxypyrrolidinones from enantiomerically pure aziridine esters.     

Lithium isotope separation by chemical exchange with polymer-bound azacrown compounds

The chromatographic separation of lithium isotopes was investigated by chemical exchange with the recently synthesized polymer-bound dibenzo pyridino diamide azacrown (DBPDA) and reduced dibenzo pyridino diamide azacrown (RDBPDA). Column chromatography was employed for the determination of the effect of solvents and ligand conformation on the separation coefficients. The maximum separation coefficients, , for the DBPDA and RDBPDA at 20.0±0.02°C with acetonitrile as eluent, were found to be 0.034±0.002 and 0.035±0.002, respectively. The isotope separation coefficient and adsorption capability of the lithium ion on the DBPDA and RDBPDA were only slightly dependent on ligand structure, but strongly dependent on the solvent. DBPDA and RDBPDA appeared to have almost the same value for the isotope separation coefficient of lithium.     

Stereochemical investigations of a novel class of chiral phosphapalladacycle complexes derived from 1-[(2,5-dimethyl)phenyl]ethyldiphenylphosphine

The phosphapalladacycle derived from 1-(2',5'-dimethylphenyl)ethyldiphenylphosphine has been prepared in the optically active and racemic forms. The phosphine was synthesized as a racemate by the treatment of 1-chloro-1-(2',5'-dimethylphenyl)ethane with sodium diphenylphosphide in THF. The racemic phosphapalladacycle was subsequently obtained as the chloro-bridged dimer by the treatment of the phosphine with palladium(II) acetate followed by anion metathesis with lithium chloride. Alternatively, the phosphine could be optically resolved via metal complexation using (R,R)-bis(mu-chloro)bis{1-[1-(N,N-dimethylamino)ethyl]naphthyl-C(2),N}dipalladium(II) as the resolving agent. An efficient separation of the resulting diastereomeric complexes was achieved by silica gel chromatography. The obtained optically resolved diastereomers were next subject to chemoselective removal of the (R)-N,N-(dimethylamino)-1-(1-naphthyl)ethylaminate auxiliary by treatment with concentrated hydrochloric acid. This process yielded the binuclear dimer complexes containing the resolved eta(1)-P ligand. Cyclopalladation of the coordinated phosphine could next be performed by treatment of its eta(1)-P binuclear dimer with silver(I) hexafluorophosphate(V) in a dichloromethane/water mixture followed by treatment with lithium chloride, giving rise to a pair of optically pure enantiomeric dimers with [alpha](D) -322 and +319 degrees in CH(2)Cl(2). Despite the possibilities of the phosphine to attain a five- membered structure by ortho-palladation or a six-membered ring formation by aliphatic C-H bond activation, only the former was observed. X-ray crystallographic data of the meso dimer and an acetylacetonate derivative indicated that the phosphapalladacycle alpha-C methyl substituent was axially located. The 2-D (1)H-(1)H ROESY spectrum of the acetylacetonate derivative further revealed that the phosphapalladacycle was conformationally rigid in CDCl(3).     

Coordination complexes of acetylenic phosphines and diphosphines

The reactions of π-cyclopentadienylnickel carbonyl dimer with 3,3,3-trimethylpropynyldiphenylphosphine and phenylethynyldiphenylphosphine are described. The products have been characterized by elemental and mass spectral analysis, infrared and NMR spectroscopy. An acetylene bridged complex (π-C₅H₅Ni)₂Ph₂PC₂-t-Bu, containing an uncoordinated phosphorus atom, has been prepared. The complex can be oxidized to the phosphine oxide derivative (π-C₅H₅Ni)₂Ph₂P(O)C₂-t-Bu and converted to the phosphonium salts with methyl iodide or ethyl bromide. These are the first reported π-complexes of phosphonium salts. The complex (π-C₅H₅Ni)₂Ph₂PC₂-t-Bu forms the novel mixed metal derivative [PdCl₂][(π-C₅H₅Ni)₂Ph₂PC₂-t-Bu]₂ from bis(benzonitrile)-palladium dichloride. The dicarbonyl complexes Ni(CO)₂(Ph₂PC₂R)₂ (R  t-Bu, Ph), the phosphine oxide complex (π-C₅H₅Ni)₂(Ph₂P(O)C₂Ph) and the trinuclear nickel carbonyl derivative Ni(CO)₃[(π-C₅H₅Ni)₂Ph₂PC₂Ph] are described.     

Differential pulse voltammetric determination of trace Te(IV) at a poly(3,3′-diaminobenzidine) film modified gold electrode in flow systems

Electropolymerization of 3,3′-diaminobenzidine on a gold surface gave an adherent, stable film of poly(3,3′-diaminobenzidine) (PDAB). This polymer film retained the complexational functionalities of its monomer, demonstrating preconcentration abilities for several ions, including Se(IV) and Te(IV). In particular, in this work, continuous flow and flow injection methods were developed for the sensitive and selective determination of Te(IV). The optimized method for the continuous flow mode had a detection limit of 5.6×10⁻⁹ mol l⁻¹ for 10 min preconcentration. Typical relative standard deviations for six consecutive determinations were 1.82 and 2.56% for Te(IV) concentrations of 1.0×10⁻⁶ and 5.0×10⁻⁸ mol l⁻¹, respectively (10 min preconcentration). The method was applied to the determination of Te(IV) in real samples.     

Deoxyhypusine synthase is phosphorylated by protein kinase C in vivo as well as in vitro

Deoxyhypusine synthase catalyzes the first step in the posttranslational synthesis of an unusual amino acid, hypusine, in the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF-5A) precursor protein. We earlier observed that yeast recombinant deoxyhypusine synthase was phosphorylated by protein kinase C (PKC) in vitro (Kang and Chung, 1999) and the phosphorylation rate was synergistically increased to a 3.5-fold following treatment with phosphatidylserine (P.Ser)/diacylglycerol (DAG)/ Ca(2+), suggesting a possible involvement of PKC. We have extended study on the phosphorylation of deoxyhypusine synthase in vivo in different cell lines in order to define its role on the regulation of eIF5A in the cell. Deoxyhypusine synthase was found to be phosphorylated by endogenous kinases in CHO, NIH3T3, and chicken embryonic cells. The highest degree of phosphorylation was found in CHO cells. Moreover, phosphorylation of deoxyhypusine synthase in intact CHO cells was revealed and the expression of phosphorylated deoxyhypusine synthase was significantly diminished by diacyl ethylene glycol (DAEG), a PKC inhibitor, and enhanced by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) or Ca(2+)/DAG. Endogenous PKC in CHO cell and cell lysate was able to phosphorylate deoxyhypusine synthase and this modification is enhanced by PMA or Ca(2+) plus DAG. Close association of PKC with deoxyhypusine synthase in the CHO cells was evident in the immune coprecipitation and was PMA-, and Ca(2+)/phospholipid dependent. These results suggest that phosphorylation of deoxyhypusine synthase was PKC-dependent cellular event and open a path for possible regulation in the interaction with eIF5A precursor for hypusine synthesis.     

Arylcarbamoylated allylcarbamido-β-cyclodextrin: synthesis and immobilization on nonfunctionalized silica gel as a chiral stationary phase

Four new chiral stationary phases based on mono-(6^A-allylcarbamido-6^A-deoxy)-arylcarbamoylated β-cyclodextrin were synthesized. The chiral stationary phase of phenylcarbamoylated β-cyclodextrin exhibited excellent separation capability for a variety of chiral compounds. Compared with the previous work, it was found that the spacer remained on the surface of the silica gel and decreased the enantioseparation capability.     

Experimental measurement and prediction of hydrate forming conditions in the nitrogen-propane-water system

Experimental data on initial hydrate formation conditions have been obtained for the nitrogen-propane-water system in the L₁HG, L₁L₂H, and L₁L₂HG regions, where L₁ is the water rich liquid phase, L₂ is the hydrocarbon rich liquid phase, H is the hydrate and the G is the vapor phase. The measurements covered a range of temperatures from about 275 to 293 K and pressures from about 0.3 to 17.0 MPa. The concentrations covered for the L₁HG region extended from 0.94 to 75.0 mole percent propane in the gas phase, and for the L₁L₂H region they extended from 83.1 to 99.0 mole percent in the condensed liquid phase. Four-phase measurements were made at concentrations of propane from 18.1 to 71.1 mole percent in the gas phase.The experimental data were used to find a fitted binary interaction parameter for predicting hydrate formation in systems containing nitrogen and propane.