Aerosol generation and measurement of multi-wall carbon nanotubes

Mass production of some kinds of carbon nanotubes (CNT) is now imminent, but little is known about the risk associated with their exposure. It is important to assess the propensity of the CNT to release particles into air for its risk assessment. In this study, we conducted aerosolization of a multi-walled CNT (MWCNT) to assess several aerosol measuring instruments. A Palas RBG-1000 aerosol generator applied mechanical stress to the MWCNT by a rotating brush at feed rates ranging from 2 to 20 mm/h, which the MWCNT was fed to a two-component fluidized bed. The fluidized bed aerosol generator was used to disperse the MWCNT aerosol once more. We monitored the generated MWCNT aerosol concentrations based on number, area, and mass using a condensation particle counter and nanoparticle surface area monitor. Also we quantified carbon mass in MWCNT aerosol samples by a carbon monitor. The shape of aerosolized MWCNT fibers was observed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The MWCNT was well dispersed by our system. We found isolated MWCNT fibers in the aerosols by SEM and the count median lengths of MWCNT fibers were 4–6 μm. The MWCNT was quantified by the carbon monitor with a modified condition based on the NIOSH analytical manual. The MWCNT aerosol concentration (EC mass base) was 4 mg/m³ at 2 mm/h in this study.     

Preparation of monodispersed vinylpyridine–divinylbenzene porous copolymer resins and their application to high-performance liquid chromatographic separation of aromatic amines

For the separation of aromatic amines, two types of monodispersed porous polymer resins were prepared by the copolymerization of 2-vinylpyridine and 4-vinylpyridine with divinylbenzene in the presence of template silica gel particles (particle size 5 μm), followed by dissolution of the template silica gel in an alkaline solution. The transmission electron micrographs and the scanning electron micrograph revealed that these templated polymer resins have a spherical morphology with a good monodispersity and porous structure. Using these monodispersed polymer resins, the high-performance liquid chromatographic separation of aromatic amines in the mobile phases of pHs 2.0, 2.9, 4.1, 7.2 and 11.7 were carried out. The 2-vinylpyridine–divinylbenzene copolymer resins showed slightly stronger retentions for aromatic amines than the 4-vinylpyridine–divinylbenzene copolymer resins. Under acidic conditions (around pH 2.0), aniline and the toluidines showed no retention on these copolymer resins due to the repulsion between the cationic forms of these amines and pyridinium cations in the stationary phase, whereas less basic aromatic amines or non-basic acetanilide showed slight retentions. Above pH 4.1, the separation of aromatic amines with these polymer resins showed a typical reversed-phase mode separation. Therefore, the separation patterns of aromatic amines are effectively tunable by changing the pH value of the mobile phases. A good separation of eight aromatic amines was achieved at pH 2.9 using the 2-vinylpyridine–divinylbenzene copolymer resins.     

Creation and application of psychoactive designer drugs data library using liquid chromatography with photodiode array spectrophotometry detector and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

In order to quickly confirm a potentially hazardous psychoactive designer drug (a compound in which part of the molecular structure of a stimulant or narcotic has been modified), we created a psychoactive drugs data library by performing analysis using liquid chromatography with photodiode array spectrophotometry (LC/PDA) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The data in this library consist of the LC capacity factor (k′) ratios in relation to the internal standard, the ultraviolet (UV) spectra and the MS spectra of 104 compounds. By performing a comparative study of the data in this report with the analytical data for commercial and illegal drug products, it is possible to quickly identify the psychoactive designer drugs in 205 purchased products by using the library. Further, it is possible to analogize the structure of drugs for which there is no matching data in the library using similar data.Furthermore, when structural isomers of controlled substances have detected from the presented library, similarity of their biological effects on human will be predicted, thus leading to regulate their public circulation. Examples of these types of isomers include, for instance, the narcotic 3,4,5-trimethoxyamphetamine (TMA) and its positional isomers 2,4,5-trimethoxyamphetamine (TMA-2) and 2,4,6-trimethoxyamphetamine (TMA-6), or the narcotic 1-(3-chlorophenyl)piperazine (3CPP) and its isomers 1-(o-chlorophenyl)piperazine (2CPP) and 1-(p-chlorophenyl)piperazine (4CPP). Differentiation of these compounds is necessary in regulating them, and we report here the results of a study of a method to confirm these compounds using the present library.     

Geometric properties of covalently bonded DNA on single-crystalline diamond

Diamond is a promising candidate for bioapplications. Properties of hybridized DNA arrays on single-crystalline diamond are studied on a microscopic level by atomic force microscopy (AFM) in buffer solutions. Compact DNA layers in a thickness of 76 A are resolved by optimizing phase and height contrast in AFM. The height shows some long-range (30 nm) undulations of +/-5 A due to tip and DNA interactions. The axis of double helix DNA is oriented at about 36 degrees with respect to the diamond surface. DNA molecules can be removed by contact-mode AFM with forces >45 nN, indicating stronger DNA bonding than on gold substrates.     

Structure-activity relationships of neuromedin U. V. study on the stability of porcine neuromedin U-8 at the C-terminal asparagine amide under mild alkaline and acidic conditions

Porcine neuromedin U-8 (X-Asn-NH(2), X=H-Tyr-Phe-Leu-Phe-Arg-Pro-Arg) is occasionally unstable in the biological fluids used for bioassay as well as in the acidic solutions used for purification of synthetic peptides. In this study, HPLC examination of an incubate solution of X-Asn-NH(2) revealed that the main decomposition products in Tyrode's solution (pH 7.4) were either alpha- or beta-monocarboxylic acid analogs (X-Asn-OH or X-Asp-NH(2)), and that no dicarboxylic acid analog (X-Asp-OH) was produced. Further investigation, employing a model peptide (Y-Asn-NH(2), Y=Benzoyl-Pro-Arg) incubated in a 0.1 M sodium bicarbonate solution at 60 degrees C, revealed that the decomposition of C-terminal Asn-NH(2) occurred through the formation of an aminosuccinimide intermediate (Y-Asu), at a rate faster than that of Y-Asn-Ser peptide but slower than that of Y-Asn-Gly peptide. Mild acid hydrolysis of X-Asn-NH(2) examined in a 1 M HCl solution at 60 degrees C yielded X-Asn-OH and X-Asp-NH(2), which further decomposed to yield X-Asp-OH. The C-terminal degradation of X-Asn-NH(2) resulted in reduced biological and immunochemical binding activities.     

Miscibility of sodium chloride and decyl methyl sulfoxide in the adsorbed film and micelle

The surface tension of aqueous solutions of a sodium chloride (NaCl)-decyl methyl sulfoxide (DeMS) mixture was measured as a function of the total molality of the mixture and the mole fraction of DeMS in the mixture at 298.15 K under atmospheric pressure. The total surface density of the mixture and the mole fraction of DeMS in the adsorbed film and micelle were numerically evaluated by applying the thermodynamic treatment of surfactant mixture to the NaCl-DeMS mixture. Miscibility of NaCl and DeMS in the adsorbed film and micelle was clarified by use of the phase diagram of adsorption and micelle formation. Positive adsorption of NaCl was observed in the presence of DeMS and attributed to attractive interaction between the polar head group of DeMS molecule and Na+ or Cl- ions in the adsorbed film and micelle. The results were compared with those of NaCl-octyl methyl sulfoxide and NaCl-decyldimethylphosphine oxide mixtures to elucidate the structure effect of nonionic surfactant on the miscibility.     

(1,4,7,10-Tetraazacyclododecane) (diamine or alanine)-Cobalt(III) complexes

(1,4,7,10-Tetraazacyclododecane) [diamine or (S)-alanine]-cobalt(III) complexes [diamine = ethylenediamine, 2-(aminomethyl)pyridine, (R)-1,2-propanediamine, (R,R)-1,2-diaminocyclohexane, trimethylenediamine and 2-methyl-1,3-diaminopropane] are prepared and characterized spectroscopically. The ligand field transitions occur at lower energies than those of the corresponding tetraamine analogues. Severe distortions caused by the too small size of the cyclic ligand are one of the origins. The distortions also exert influence upon circular dichroism spectra.     

Photoinduced one-electron reduction of MV2+ in titania nanosheets using porphyrin in mesoporous silica thin films

Composite films of a meso-(tetramethylpyridinium)porphyrin (TMPyP) hybrid incorporated in mesoporous silica (MPS) and cast on a methyl viologen (MV2+)/titania nanosheet hybrid were synthesized and a light-induced charge separation between the two could be observed. These composite thin films were able to initiate a one-electron reduction of the MV2+ ions accompanied by the simultaneous decomposition of the TMPyP organic dye within the mesoporous silica channels.     

Construction of macrocyclic structure using conformational properties of secondary and tertiary aromatic amides

A large macrocyclic compound with six para-phenylene rings and six amide moieties, which are alternately secondary and tertiary, was synthesized. In a stepwise synthesis, the final cyclization step was successful because a combination of three tertiary amides, which prefer a cis conformation, and two linear secondary amides would arrange both amino and carboxyl ends close to each other, while various sizes of macrocyclic compounds including the target cyclic trimer were generated in one-pot synthesis where three secondary amide bonds were formed.     

Preparation and some spectral properties of benzo-fused 1,4-dimethyl-2(1H)-quinolinones

The preparation of the angular and linear isomers of benzo-fused 1,4-dimethyl-2(1H)-quinolinones 3a–5a and their spectral data including ¹³C-nmr data are reported. Structural difference among 3a–5a is confirmed from the proximity effect in ¹H- and ¹³C-nmr data and from the uv spectral pattern.