Dextran‐Based Self‐Healing Hydrogels Formed by Reversible Diels–Alder Reaction under Physiological Conditions

A dextran‐based self‐healing hydrogel is prepared by reversible Diels–Alder reaction under physiological conditions. Cytocompatible fulvene‐modified dextran as main polymer chains and dichloromaleic‐acid‐modified poly(ethylene glycol) as cross‐linkers are used. Both macro‐ and microscopic observation as well as the rheological recovery test confirm the self‐healing property of the dextran‐l‐poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels (“l” means “linked‐by”). In addition, scanning electrochemical microscopy is used to qualitatively and quantitatively in situ track the self‐healing process of the hydrogel for the first time. It is found that the longitudinal depth of scratch on hydrogel surface almost completely healed at 37 °C after 7 h. This work represents a facile approach for fabrication of polysaccharide self‐healing hydrogel, which can be potentially used in several biomedical fields.

     

V centers produced in KI crystals under KrCl excimer laser irradiation

Abstract

Irradiation of KI near 150 K with KrCl excimer laser irradiation (hv=5. 58 eV) produces V centers causing V₂ and V₃ bands. The two bands exhibit 100-type dichroism. In KI containing V centers, the 111 cm^?1 Raman signal attributed to I_3- molecular ions is observed. Under KrCl excimer laser irradiation at low temperatures, resonance Raman scattering effects have been also studied for KI, NaI and LiI.     

Two kinds of positive holes in YBa2Cu3O7-δ around Tc through the analysis of the hall effect in weak field

Abstract

To obtain information about the mechanism of high T_c superconductivity in YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ (YBCO) the dependence of Hall coefficient R_H and electrical resistivity ρ on the temperature were studied in range from 77 to 300K. An inflexion point θ was found to exist around 130K in R_H(T) and ρ(T) curves. Both the mobility μ and the concentration of the holes were evaluated above and below θ, separately. The μ of the holes dominant below θ was ten times greater than that above θ. The concentration of the heavy holes above θ was, however, one hundred times larger than that below θ. A discussion will be given in terms of the transport process of the holes drifting through P_[sgrave]- and P_σ-orbits on the CuO₂ planes in YBCO.     

A simple opposed-anvil apparatus for high pressure and temperature experiments above 10 GPa

A new opposed-anvil high pressure and temperature apparatus was developed based on the Drickamer-type apparatus. Various improvements were made to increase the sample volume and to generate high pressure and temperature stably and easily. By optimizing components such as the anvil, heater, and gasket, large sample volumes of about 4?mm³ (～10³ times more than that previously obtained with our previous apparatus) were achieved, with compact and light apparatus (outer diameter ? 40?mm; height 31?mm; weight 300?g). Pressures and temperatures up to about 15?GPa and 1700?K can routinely and stably be achieved by using this assembly. In order to extend the pressure range further, sintered diamond was used as an anvil material. As a result, pressures and temperatures of around 38?GPa and 1400?K were achieved, although the sample volume was decreased to about 1.3×10^?1?mm³.     

Fabrication and characterization of spherical micro semiconductor crystals by laser ablation method

We have been establishing the technique of fabricating spherical semiconductor microcrystals with suitable diameters for whispering gallery mode (WGM) lasing. Concretely, semiconductor microspheres were synthesized by ablating various semiconductor-sintered targets with focused pulsed laser at high fluences. In this report, dependences of fabricated zinc oxide (ZnO) microstructures on laser wavelengths were investigated. Lasing characteristics and photoluminescence of ZnO microspheres were determined, and photoluminescence of Sb-doped ZnO microspheres were determined. Additionally, it was also found that Sb-doped ZnO and aluminum nitride microspheres can be similarly synthesized. By developing this method, which does not require complex processing, it is expected that efforts in the application of WGM lasing are accelerated in many kinds of semiconductors.     

Synthesis and properties of Zn-porphyrin with bipyridine-terminated side chains: large conformational change induced by metal complexation

Zinc porphyrin (1) containing 2,2′-bipyridyl units at the peripheral ends of both conjugated and alkyl side chains was prepared. Upon addition of Fe(II), the three bipyridyl terminals at both ends bind to Fe(II)s to form 1:2 complex 1·2Fe. The formation of 1·2Fe induced a large conformational change in the alkyl side chains and moderately affected the binding between the zinc porphyrin and an imidazole ligand. These results show that this method is useful for the communication between the porphyrin functional site and the remote metal-binding site.     

Development of a precise quantitative method for monitoring sirolimus in whole blood using LC/ESI–MS/MS

Sirolimus is used on patients after solid organ transplantation and on lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) patients, and therapeutic drug monitoring is required in clinical practice. We have previously reported an accurate method for quantitative determination of sirolimus, but its sample preparation step was complicated. In this study, we developed a modified liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI–MS/MS) method for sirolimus quantification. A supported liquid extraction cartridge was used to purify sirolimus from whole blood and ion suppression was mostly prevented. The validation results met the acceptance criteria. This method was compared with the antigen conjugated magnetic immunoassay (ACMIA) and our previously reported method, using whole blood samples from LAM patients. Comparison of the Bland–Altman plots of the currently developed method and the previous method revealed no significant difference between the two methods (mean bias, −2.02%; 95% CI, −7.81–3.78). The values obtained using ACMIA were significantly higher than those obtained using the current method by 13.87% (95% CI, 6.49–21.25) owing to cross-reactivity. The degrees of cross reactivities in LAM patients and in organ transplant patients were similar, and our LC/ESI–MS/MS method precisely measured the blood concentrations of sirolimus.     

Unbiased Rotational Motions of an Ellipsoidal Guest in a Tight Yet Pliable Host

In the design of machinery such as steel bearings, a fundamental understanding of material characteristics provides an indispensable basis for the design. Although hydrocarbon cycloarylenes have started to be used for providing unique supramolecular bearings with anomalous dynamic behaviors, their fundamental understanding is immature. A unique property of the cycloarylene host is now reported: the cyclic host is so pliable that it tracks the orientational changes of the ellipsoidal guest, that is, C₇₀ fullerene. Unique structures of the complex were revealed by spectroscopic and crystallographic analyses, and additional theoretical investigations deepened our understanding by revealing the structural changes associated with unbiased rotational motions.