Accurate measurement of the pressure broadening of the ν1 Raman line of CH4 in the 1–50 atm region by inverse Raman spectroscopy

The lineshape of the ν₁ Raman band of methane is measured as a function of pressure between 1 and 50 atm by inverse Raman spectroscopy using the 488 nm output of a cw Ar⁺ laser as a probe beam and the output of a pulsed dye laser as a Stokes pump beam. The linewidth is found to increase linearly in this pressure region, and the fwhm Δν (in cm^?1) can be expressed as Δν = 0.32 + 0.012p, p being the methane pressure in atm.     

New synthetic equivalent of nitromalonaldehyde treatable in organic media

beta-Nitroenamines having a formyl group at the beta-position behave as the synthetic equivalent of unstable nitromalonaldehyde, which is a useful synthon for syntheses of versatile nitro compounds. High solubility of the nitroenamines into general organic solvents enables us to conduct reactions in the organic media accompanied by easy experimental manipulations and considerable safety. When nitroenamines are treated with 1,2-bifunctional nucleophiles such as hydrazines, hydroxylamine and glycine ester, nitrated pyrazoles, isoxazole and pyrrole-2-carboxylate were readily prepared. This methodology was also applicable to guanidines and 1,2-diamines, leading to pyrimidines and 1,4-diazepines, respectively.     

Ambipolar Field‐Effect Transistor (FET) and Redox Characteristics of a π‐Conjugated Thiophene/1,3,4‐Thiadiazole CT‐Type Copolymer

Summary: A π‐conjugated charge transfer‐type copolymer consisting of an electron‐donating thiophene and an electron‐accepting 1,3,4‐thiadiazole, P(ThdzTh), underwent facile electrochemical p‐ and n‐doping, as revealed by cyclic voltammetry. The copolymer gave a new ambipolar field‐effect transistor (FET), which showed typical I_DS (source–drain current)–V_DS (source–drain voltage) curves in both a p‐type working mode and an n‐type working mode. In the n‐type working mode, the polymer showed a carrier mobility of about 5 × 10⁻³ cm² · V⁻¹ · s⁻¹ and an on/off ratio of about 3 × 10⁴.

n‐Channel field‐effect transistor characteristics of P(ThdzTh).     

Application of a newly developed portable NIR imaging device to monitor the dissolution process of tablets

We have recently developed a novel portable NIR imaging device (D-NIRs), which has a high speed and high wavelength resolution. This NIR imaging approach has been developed by utilizing D-NIRs for studying the dissolution of a model tablet containing 20 % ascorbic acid (AsA) as an active pharmaceutical ingredient and 80 % hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, where the tablet is sealed by a special cell. Diffuse reflectance NIR spectra in the 1,000 to 1,600 nm region were measured during the dissolution of the tablet. A unique band at around 1,361 nm of AsA was identified by the second derivative spectra of tablet and used for AsA distribution NIR imaging. Two-dimensional change of AsA concentration of the tablet due to water penetration is clearly shown by using the band-based image at 1,361 nm in NIR spectra obtained with high speed. Moreover, it is significantly enhanced by using the intensity ratio of two bands at 1,361 and 1,354 nm corresponding to AsA and water absorption, respectively, showing the dissolution process. The imaging results suggest that the amount of AsA in the imaged area decreases with increasing water penetration. The proposed NIR imaging approach using the intensity of a specific band or the ratio of two bands combined with the developed portable NIR imaging instrument, is a potentially useful practical way to evaluate the tablet at every moment during dissolution and to monitor the concentration distribution of each drug component in the tablet.

Non-Gaussian fluctuations resulting from power-law trapping in a lipid bilayer

Anomalous diffusion in lipid bilayers is usually attributed to viscoelastic behavior. We compute the scaling exponent of relative fluctuations of the time-averaged mean square displacement in a lipid bilayer, by using a molecular dynamics simulation. According to the continuous time random walk theory, this exponent indicates non-Gaussian behavior caused by a power-law trapping time. Our results provide the first evidence that a lipid bilayer has not only viscoelastic properties but also trapping times distributed according to a power law.     

A Palladium‐Nanoparticle and Silicon‐Nanowire‐Array Hybrid: A Platform for Catalytic Heterogeneous Reactions

We report the development of a silicon nanowire array‐stabilized palladium nanoparticle catalyst, SiNA‐Pd. Its use in the palladium‐catalyzed Mizoroki‐Heck reaction, the hydrogenation of an alkene, the hydrogenolysis of nitrobenzene, the hydrosilylation of an α,β‐unsaturated ketone, and the C‐H bond functionalization reactions of thiophenes and indoles achieved a quantitative production with high reusability. The catalytic activity reached several hundred‐mol ppb of palladium, reaching a TON of 2 000 000.     

Development of novel fast-disintegrating tablets by direct compression using sucrose stearic acid ester as a disintegration-accelerating agent

It was attempted to produce novel furosemide (FS) fast-disintegrating tablets by direct compression. The combination of FS, microcrystalline cellulose, croscarmellose sodium and xylitol was used as the basic formulation, and sucrose stearic acid ester (SSE) was chosen as an additional additive. The tablets with SSE were prepared by the simple addition of SSE, using a lyophilized mixture of FS and SSE or using a FS/SSE mixture obtained by evaporation of their ethanol solution. Only the tablets, produced using the FS/SSE mixture obtained by organic solvent (ethanol) evaporation, showed hardness of more than 30 N and a disintegration time of less than 20 s, which were the properties suitable for fast-disintegrating tablets. These properties were considered to result from well-mixed and fine-powdered SSE and FS.     

Synthesis and Chiroptical Properties of Quinoxaline-Fused Polyaza[5]–[7]helicenes with Orange-Color CPL Emissions

We achieved a two-type synthesis of quinoxaline-fused polyaza[5]- and [7]helicenes through consecutive N−H/C−H coupling with a hypervalent iodine reagent as a key reaction. By fusing electron-deficient quinoxaline, these polyazahelicenes constitute an efficient donor-acceptor type of molecule with absorption edges that reach up to approximately 650 nm. Evaluating the chiroptical properties reveals that the polyazahelicene exhibits a rare orange circularly polarized glow with a luminescence dissymmetry factor (g_lum value) of 0.003.