Interference, fluctuation, and alternation of electron tunneling in protein media. 1. Two tunneling routes in photosynthetic reaction center alternate due to thermal fluctuation of protein conformation

Electron tunneling routes for the electron transfer from the bacteriopheophytin anion to the primary quinone in the bacterial photosynthetic reaction center of Rhodobactor sphaeroides are investigated by a combined method of molecular dynamics simulations for the protein conformation fluctuation and quantum chemical calculations for the electronic states of the donor, acceptor, and protein medium. The analysis of the tunneling route is made by mapping interatomic electron tunneling currents for each protein conformation. We found that there are two dominant routes mainly passing through Trp(M252) (Trp route) or mainly passing through Met(M218) (Met route). Actual electron tunneling pathways alternate between the two routes, depending on the protein conformation which varies with time. When either the Trp route or the Met route dominates, the electron tunneling matrix element /T(DA)/ becomes large. When both the Trp route and the Met route dominate, /T(DA)/ becomes very small due to the destructive interference of the electron tunneling currents between the two routes. We found that a linear relationship exists between the value of /T(DA)/ and the inverse of the degree of destructive interference Q for a wide range of values (ca. 3-10(3) for Q). A similar relationship was also found previously for electron transfer in ruthenium-modified azurins, suggesting that this relationship holds true in general. From these results, we are led to the conclusion that /T(DA)/ cannot exceed a maximum value at Q = 1, even if much variation of /T(DA)/ happens due to the fluctuation of protein conformation. We also conclude that the property of the electron transfer alternates between constructive and destructive interference, due to the fluctuation of protein conformation. It is impossible to keep a system in either constructive or destructive interference because thermal fluctuation of protein conformation takes place.     

Mechanical properties of carbon nanomaterials.

Carbon nanomaterials show a variety of interesting chemical and physical properties. In this Minireview we focus on the mechanical properties of carbon nanomaterials with emphasis on carbon nanotubes and their composite materials. We introduce some recently developed components made of carbon nanotube composite materials and outline their importance for applications in everyday life.     

Promotion effect of metal oxides on C-O bond dissociation in CO hydrogenation over Rh/SiO2 Catalyst — possible role of partially reduced state cations

In CO hydrogenation over Rh/SiO₂ catalysts, the effect of additive metal oxides on C-O bond dissociation was studied by using pulse surface reaction rate analysis (PSRA). The addition of oxides of Al, Ti, Cr, V, and Mn resulted in an increase in the rate constant for the dissociation according to this sequence, while the oxides of Cu, Zn, and Ag added decreased the rate constant to almost the same extent. In contrast to these metal oxides, MoO₃ and WO₃ did not change the dissociation activity. CO adsorption measurement indicated that all of the added metal oxides covered a considerable portion of the Rh metal surface, although the efficiency of covering was different from one metal oxide to another. Covering the Rh metal surface with an added metal oxide should decrease the rate constant of C-O bond dissociation, because ensemble sites, consisting of a group of surface Rh atoms and considered necessary for the dissociation, were destroyed. The suppression effect resulted from the destruction of the ensemble sites by adding the oxides of Cu, Zn, and Ag. For other metal oxides, temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) or O₂ uptake measurement revealed that the added oxides, especially those existing on the Rh metal surface, were in a partially reduced state under reaction conditions. Owing to its high affinity for an oxygen atom, the cation in a partially reduced state participated in the reaction in such a way that the oxygen end of adsorbed CO species was bound to the cation so as to dissociate the C-O bond, which resulted in promotion of the dissociation. The observed promotion was explained in terms of the enhancement owing to the high affinity sufficient to overcome the suppression caused by destroying ensemble sites. Lack of the promotion effect of MoO₃ and WO₃ might result from a balance between promotion due to the high affinity of the partially reduced Mo or W and suppression caused by destroying ensemble sites. Excellent correlation was observed between the intrinsic activity increase, from which the suppression effect was excluded, and the heat of formation of metal oxide including MoO₃ and WO₃. Since the heat of formation of metal oxide is considered to be a measure of the affinity, this correlation supports the idea that the high affinity of additive cations for an oxygen atom is of primary importance in the promotion of C-O bond dissociation in CO hydrogenation.     

Determination of impurities in strontium titanate ceramics by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

The determination of impurities in SrTiO₃ by ICPMS was investigated. The sample was decomposed with hydrochloric and hydrofluoric acids in a PTFE pressure vessel. The internal standard method using Au was selected to eliminate an ion count suppression by the Sr and Ti matrix. Impurities at sub g/ml level in SrTiO₃ were determined. The detection limits were in the range of 0.008 to 0.01 g/g.     

Local environments and dynamics of hydrogen atoms in protonated forms of ion-exchangeable layered perovskites estimated by solid-state H NMR

The local environments and dynamics of hydrogen atoms in five samples of protonated forms of ion-exchangeable layered perovskites, Dion-Jacobson-type H[LaNb₂O₇] and H[LaTa₂O₇], Ruddlesden-Popper-type H₂[SrTa₂O₇] and H₂[La₂Ti₃O₁₀], and H_1.8[(Sr_0.8Bi_0.2)Ta₂O₇] derived from an Aurivillius phase, Bi₂Sr₂Ta₂O₉, have been investigated by solid-state ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). Solid-state ¹H NMR with a magic-angle spinning technique conducted at room temperature reveals that the mean electron densities around the ¹H nuclei in these protonated forms are relatively low, and that they decrease in the following order: H_1.8[(Sr_0.8Bi_0.2)Ta₂O₇]>H[LaNb₂O₇]>H₂[SrTa₂O₇]>H[LaTa₂O₇]>H₂[La₂Ti₃O₁₀]. The temperature-dependent solid-state ¹H broad-line NMR spectra measured at 140-400 K reveal a decrease in the signal width for all of these five samples upon heating due to motional narrowing. The NMR spectra of H[LaNb₂O₇] and H[LaTa₂O₇] are different from the other three protonated forms due to the weaker dipole-dipole interactions at low temperatures and lower mobility of the hydrogen atoms at high temperatures.     

Radiation-induced polymerization of glass-forming systems. V. Initial polymerization rate in binary glass-forming systems

The radiation-induced polymerization of binary systems consisting of glass-forming monomer and glass-forming solvent in supercooled phase was studied. The initial polymerization rates were markedly affected by T_g (glass transition temperature) and T_v of the system (30–50°C higher than T_g), which turned to be functions of the composition. The composition and temperature dependence of initial polymerization rate in binary glass-forming systems were much affected by homogeneity of the polymerization system and the T_g of the glass-forming solvent. The composition and temperature dependences in the glycidyl methacrylate–triacetin system as a typical homogeneous polymerization system were studied in detail, and the polymerizations of hydroxyethyl methacrylate–triacetin and hydroxyethyl methacrylate–isoamyl acetate systems were studied for the heterogeneous polymerization systems; the former illustrates the combination of lower T_g monomer and higher T_g solvent and the latter typifies a system consisting of higher T_g monomer and lower T_g solvent. All experimental results for the composition and temperature dependence of initial polymerization rate in binary glass-forming systems could be explained by considering the product of the effect of the physical effect relating to T_v and T_g of the system and the effect of composition in normal solution polymerization at higher temperature, which was also the product of a dilution effect and a chemical or physical acceleration effect.     

Tubiferal A, a backbone-rearranged triterpenoid lactone isolated from the myxomycete Tubifera dimorphotheca, possessing reversal of drug resistance activity

Tubiferal A, a novel rearranged triterpenoid lactone, has been isolated from field-collected fruit bodies of the myxomycete, Tubifera dimorphotheca, and its structure elucidated by spectral data. Tubiferal A (1) possesses a 9,10-secocycloartan-16,21-olide skeleton, and this new compound exhibited a reversal effect of vincristine (VCR) resistance (more than 4-fold) against VCR-resistant KB cell lines. Tubiferal B (2), corresponding to the seco acid of 1 was also isolated, but showed no comparable activity.     

Copper-catalyzed enantioselective conjugate addition of diethylzinc using axially chiral aminoethyloxy-phosphine ligands

New axially chiral P,O,N-type ligands bearing both a diphenylphosphino group and 2-(dialkylamino)ethyloxy (or 2-pyridylmethyloxy) groups were designed and prepared along with P,O,O-type ligands by employing an easily available chiral component, (R)-2-hydroxy-2′-diphenylphosphinyl-1,1′-binaphthyl. Among the ligands the simplest P,O,N-type one bearing a 2-(dimethylamino)ethyloxy group was found to be the most efficient in copper-catalyzed enantioselective conjugate addition of diethylzinc to a cyclic enone, 2-cyclohexen-1-one, providing high enantioselectivity up to 99% ee.     

Asymmetric synthesis of 1-aryl-1,2-ethanediols from arylacetylenes by palladium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrosilylation as a key step

Double hydrosilylation of arylacetylenes with trichlorosilane catalyzed first by platinum and second by a chiral monophosphine-palladium complex generated the corresponding 1,2-bis(silyl)-1-arylethanes, the oxidation of which with hydrogen peroxide gave 1-aryl-1,2-diols of high enantiomeric purity (94-98% ee) in high yields.     

Sterilization of foods with low-energy electrons (“soft-electrons”)

Electrons with an energy of 300 keV or lower were defined as “Soft-electrons”, which showed several advantages over conventional irradiation with gamma-rays or high-energy electrons in decontamination of grains and spices. Energies of electrons necessary to reduce microbial loads to levels lower than 10 CFU/g were 60 keV for brown rice, 75 keV for wheat, 100 keV for white pepper, coriander and basil, 130 keV for buckwheat, 160 keV for rough rice, and 210 keV for black pepper. Electrons with such energies did not significantly influence the quality.