Nuclear Resonant scattering experiments with synchrotron radiation at KEK

Experiments of nuclear Resonant scattering carried out at PF and TRISTAN-AR of KEK are described, which include nuclear Bragg scattering in time domain as well as energy domain, time-resolved nuclear resonant forward scattering, and interferometric studies.     

Ion-specific swelling behavior of poly(vinyl alcohol) gel in aqueous solutions containing some divalent ions

Swelling behaviors of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) gel were investigated in solutions of salts containing certain divalent ions, namely, alkaline-earth-metal halides and sulfates of alkali-metals, alkaline-earth-metals, and transition metals. The gel deswelled in the solutions of the alkaline-earth-metal chlorides but swelled in those of the bromides. However, the cation specificities of the swelling for both of the halides were roughly the same: the degrees of swelling are Sr²⁺2+2+. The gel deswelled for all sulfate solutions with specificities for alkali-metal and alkaline-earth-metal cations: the swelling degrees are K⁺;Na⁺2++. There was no order for transition metals.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of fluvoxamine and fluvoxamino acid in human plasma.

A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of fluvoxamine and its major metabolite fluvoxamino acid in plasma. Fluvoxamine and fluvoxamino acid in plasma were extracted using a C18 bonded-solid phase cartridge, followed by C4 reversed-phase HPLC separation.Fluvoxamine, fluvoxamino acid and moperone as an internal standard were detected by ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm. It was possible to determine both fluvoxamine and fluvoxamino acid in the concentration range of 25.0-200.0 ng/mL, respectively. The detection limits of both fluvoxamine and fluvoxamino acid were 10.0 ng/mL, respectively. The mean recoveries of fluvoxamine and fluvoxamino acid added to plasma were more than 94.0% and 96.5%, with a coefficient of variation of less than 7.6% and 8.2%, respectively. This method has been used for the simultaneous determination of steady-state plasma concentration (Css) of fluvoxamine and fluvoxamino acid in depressive patients treated with 200 mg of oral fluvoxamine dosed as 100 mg twice-daily. The Css values of fluvoxamine and fluvoxamino acid in twelve Japanese patients were showed individual variations, which were in the range of 48.3-532.9 ng/ml and 35.6-307.1 ng/ml, respectively.     

Determination of cadmium in river water by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry after internal standardization-assisted rapid coprecipitation with lanthanum phosphate.

Cadmium ranging from 1 - 8 ng could be coprecipitated quantitatively with lanthanum phosphate at pH 5 - 6 from up to 200 mL of river water samples spiked with 5 microg of indium as an internal standard. Cadmium and indium coprecipitated were measured by using electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. The cadmium content in the original sample solution could be determined by internal standardization with indium. Since complete collection of the precipitate and strict adjustment of the volume of the final solution after coprecipitation are not required in this method, the precipitate could be collected by using decantation and centrifugation, and then dissolved with 1 mL of about 2.4 mol L(-1) nitric acid. The proposed method is simple and rapid, and enrichment close to 200-times can be attained; the detection limit (3sigma, n = 6) was 0.63 ng L(-1) in 200 mL of the sample solution.     

SAC-CI study of the excited states of free base tetrazaporphin

The SAC (symmetry adapted cluster)/SAC-CI method is applied to calculations of the ground and excited states of free base tetrazaporphin (FBTAP). The electronic spectrum is reproduced in fairly good agreement with experiments, and unknown absorption bands in the energy region higher than 4 eV are predicted. The effect of meso-tetraaza-substitution on the excited states of porphin macrocycle explains why the compound is colored, as in the closely related compounds, phthalocyanines, used as pigments.     

Reversible electro-optical switching of a memory type PDLC using two-frequency-addressing liquid crystals

A memory type PDLC has been prepared by sandwiching a mixture of two-frequency-addressing liquid crystals and acrylate monomers with a hydoroxy group between two glass substrates with ITO electrodes followed by UV irradiation. This PDLC can be electrically switched between a transparent state and a light scattering state, which are maintained over several months without electric fields.     

Low energy SIMS study on multi-built-up layer of cobalt(II) stearate

The surface of multi-built-up layer of cobalt(II) stearate on copper substrate has been studied by means of low energy SIMS. The sampling surfaces were impacted with 700 eV, 8 × 10^?7 Å/cm², Ar⁺ ions. In each group (odd-numbered accumulated and even-numbered accumulated samples), the ⁵⁸Co⁺ intensities at the initial bombardment responded to the number of the accumulation, respectively. The ⁵⁸Co⁺ ion intensities from even-numbered accumulated samples were observed more than the expected values from a proportionality between the accumulation number and ⁵⁸Co⁺ intensities.     

Uniform encapsulation of fine inorganic powder with soapless emulsion polymerization

The encapsulation of inorganic powder of submicron sizes was attempted with soapless emulsion polymerization of methyl methacrylate in water in the presence of the powder. The powders used were barium sulfate and calcium carbonate. The polymerizations were initiated by potassium persulfate and by sodium bisulfite-oxygen redox reaction. The encapsulation state of the powder with the polymer formed varied considerably with the initiators used. With potassium persulfate initiator the powder surface was partially or totally covered by polymer particles, while with redox initiator under air atmosphere the powder surface was well encapsulated with a film-like polymer layer. From the differences in the encapsulation states, an encapsulation mechanism is suggested for each initiator system. Based upon this mechanism, a new encapsulation process capable of covering uniformly fine powders with a film polymer is proposed. An important factor in the new process is the addition of an extremely small quantity of a surfactant into the reaction system prior to the polymerization.