CVD growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes with narrow diameter distribution over Fe/MgO catalyst and their fluorescence spectroscopy

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with a narrow diameter distribution are synthesized by thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of methane over Fe/MgO catalyst on the basis of parametric study considering Fe loading, reaction temperature and time, methane concentration, and structure of a support material. We found that the porous MgO support gives the SWNTs with a narrow diameter distribution with the mean diameter and standard deviation of 0.93 and 0.06 nm, respectively, only when the Fe loading and reaction temperature are relatively low. The higher Fe loading and/or the higher reaction temperature enlarged the nanotube diameter, forming double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWNTs) in addition to SWNTs. This result indicates that only the diameter of Fe nanoparticles determines the growth of either SWNTs or DWNTs on the MgO support. The fluorescence and absorption spectra of the nanotube dispersion in D(2)O solution with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) were studied to identify their chirality distribution. The fluorescence of the uniform-diameter SWNTs indicates the formation of the near armchair structures. On the other hand, the SWNTs synthesized over the catalyst with a high Fe loading, 3 wt %, showed a wide chirality distribution including the near zigzag structure. The synthesis of the SWNTs with a narrow diameter distribution could be applied to the selection of SWNTs with a specific chirality based on postsynthesis separation.     

An iridoid glucoside dimer and a non-glycosidic iridoid from the leaves of Lasianthus wallichii

A new iridoid glucoside dimer (1) and a non-glycosidic iridoid (2) was isolated together with the known compounds, asperuloside (3), paederoside (4), daphylloside (5), citroside A (6) and benzyl 6-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside (7), from the leaves of Lasianthus wallichii. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic and chemical evidence.     

Polymerization of propene with the XTiCl3/MgCl2–Al(i-Bu)3 catalyst system (X = cyclopentadienyl,pentamethylcyclopentadienyl, indenyl,and heptamethylindenyl) in the absence and presence of a lewis base

Several kinds of MgCl₂-supported half titanocene (XTiCl₃; X = cyclopentadienyl, pentamethylcyclopentadienyl, indenyl, and heptamethylindenyl) catalysts were prepared and applied to propene polymerization using Al(i-Bu)₃a as cocatalyst. It was confirmed from the catalyst analysis that the ligand (X) is attached to titanium even after the reaction with Al(i-Bu)₃. When polymerization was conducted without any external donor, those catalysts predominantly gave atactic PP. However, addition of a suitable monofunctional Lewis base like ethylbenzoate caused to change the stereospecificity of polymer from aspecific into highly isospecific. On the other hand, the use of a bifunctional donor like di-n-butylphthalate killed the activity almost completely. The isotactic PP was found to have a microstructure similar to that obtained with metallocene catalysts. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Grafting of hyperbranched poly(amidoamine) onto carbon black surfaces using dendrimer synthesis methodology

To modify carbon black surface, the surface grafting of hyperbranched poly(amidoamine) onto the surface by using dendrimer synthesis methodology was investigated. Carbon black having amino groups (initiator sites) was prepared by the reduction of surface nitro groups introduced by nitration of aromatic rings. It was found that hyperbranched poly(amidoamine) was propagated from carbon black surface by repeating two processes: (1) Michael addition of methyl acrylate (MA) to surface amino groups and (2) amidation of the resulting esters with ethylenediamine: the percentage of poly(amidoamine) grafting reached to 96.2% after 10th‐generation. The grafting of hyperbranched poly(amidoamine) onto polystyrene‐bead as a model compound of carbon black was also achieved by the above procedures. However, the theoretical propagation of poly(amidoamine) dendrimer was not achieved, because of steric hindrance of grafted polymer. Hyperbranched poly(amidoamine)‐grafted carbon black gave a stable dispersion in a good solvent for poly(amidoamine). Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Poly(4‐vinylpyridine)‐supported cationic bis(cyclopentadienyl)zirconocene catalyst: Development of a new simple method to prepare polymer‐supported cationic zirconocene and its application to ethylene polymerization

Bis(cyclopentadienyl)zirconocene dimethyl (Cp₂ZrMe₂) combined with triphenylcarbenium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate ([Ph₃C][B(C₆F₅)₄]) was brought into contact with a suspension of 2% cross‐linked poly(4‐vinylpyridine) to give a new type of polymer‐supported cationic zirconocene catalyst. The resulting polymer‐supported catalyst system combined with Al(i‐Bu₃) showed markedly high activity for ethylene polymerization in even a non‐polar solvent like hexane at 25–60°C and [Al]/[Zr] molar ratio 40–200. By the analysis of Zr content of the hexane solution, it was found that no Zr was detected in the solution, i. e. no leaching of the cationic catalyst into the hexane medium. The catalytic activity was found to increase with an increase of polymerization temperature and showed the highest at [Al]/[Zr] = 100. The molecular weight, crystalline melting temperature, crystallinity, and bulk density of polyethylene formed were higher than those of the polymer obtained from the homogeneous system.     

Polymerization of olefins with a novel dinuclear ansa-zirconocene catalyst having a biphenyl bridge

Both the rac- and meso-dinuclear ansa-zirconocene catalysts (μ-C₁₂H₈{[SiPh(Ind)₂]ZrCl₂}₂) were prepared by a coupling reaction between 2 equiv of diindenylphenylchlorosilane (rac- and meso-isomers) and 1 equiv of p-dilithiobiphenyl in diethyl ether at −80°C, followed by a successive reaction with ZrCl₄ · 2THF in THF at −78°C. Polymerizations of ethene and propene were conducted in a 1 dm³ high-pressure glass reactor equipped with a mechanical stirrer at 60, 80, 100, 120, and 150°C using methylalumoxane (MAO) as cocatalyst and toluene or decahydronaphthalene as the solvent. Copolymerization of ethene and 1-octene was also checked in brief. For ethene polymerization, the meso-catalyst was found to be more active, which displayed an extremely high activity to give linear polyethene with a high molecular weight and a narrow molar mass distribution (MMD). The apparent activity increased monotonously with rising polymerization temperature from 60°C up to 150°C, indicating that the active species are stable even at a high temperature. On the other hand, both the rac- and meso-catalysts showed very poor activities for propene polymerization. However, copolymerization of ethene and 1-octene proceeded at a high speed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J. Polym. Sci. A Polym. Chem. 36: 2269–2274, 1998     

Destabilization of cytochrome c by modified β-cyclodextrin

To clarify the effect of cyclodextrin (CD) on the stability of cytochrome c, the thermal denaturation of cytochrome c was measured by differential scanning calorimetry in aqueous solutions of β-CD modified with three substituents: methyl, acetyl, and 2-hydroxylpropyl groups. The midpoint temperature of thermal denaturation decreased with the addition of modified β-CDs, indicating that cytochrome c was destabilized. The destabilization effect of CD depended on the substituent and increased in the order of acetyl>methyl>2-hydroxypropyl. The estimated binding number and binding constant of the modified β-CDs for cytochrome c are 5.0 ± 1.0 and 10.3 ± 2.9 M^?1 for methyl-β-CD, 13.8 ± 3.6 and 4.7 ± 1.6 M^?1 for acetyl-β-CD, and 2.8 ± 0.9 and 7.0 ± 3.0 M^?1 for 2-hydroxypropyl-β-CD. The destabilization effect of acetyl-β-CD is the highest because many CD molecules interact with proteins by the inclusion effect of CD and the inhibition effect of the acetyl group on the hydrogen bond in the secondary structure. In contrast, the stabilization effect of 2-hydroxypropyl-β-CD is the smallest because the steric exclusion of the 2-hydroxypropyl group inhibits the binding of CD to cytochrome c as compared with the smaller structure of the methyl group. Dependency of the destabilization effect on the molar ratio of CD to cytochrome c suggests that the destabilization effect of CD is caused not only by the “direct” interaction of CD with proteins but also by the “indirect” interaction of CD which promotes the solvation of hydrophobic groups by altering the water structure as observed in urea.     

The effect of atmospheric plasma treatments on plastic scintillator for beta-ray measurement

A plastic scintillator (PS) can be used for beta-ray measurements using a liquid scintillation counter (LSC) without the necessity for a liquid scintillator when liquid samples of beta-emitters are placed on the PS. However, the measurement efficiency with the PS in this study was not high, especially in the case of tritium. With a sample of tritiated water, a long measurement time was necessary with a conventional LSC. However, the measurement efficiency was improved drastically by modifying the PS surface with atmospheric-pressure glow-plasma processing (the plasma method). A 2 Bq, 20 μL sample of tritiated water placed between two PS sheets was successfully measured within 2 min by an LSC. The measurement efficiency was same as that of using liquid scintillator: 48 ± 2 % for tritiated water. The measurement efficiency was initially increasing over time, and after almost 6 h, it plateaued and remained at a constant value for several weeks. Additionally, the measurement efficiency of the plasma-modified PS was identical when it was used soon after the treatment and after being properly stored for 1 week The results show that plasma-modified PS can be used stably after storage in a freezer or a deep freezer. The plasma method is advantageous because it produces little radioactive waste fluid. This paper presents these results and the results of an investigation of the surface of the plasma-modified PS under observation with an atomic force microscope, and the mechanism behind the high measurement efficiency is discussed.