Indirectly illuminated X-ray area detector for X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy

An indirectly illuminated X-ray area detector is employed for X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS). The detector consists of a phosphor screen, an image intensifier (microchannel plate), a coupling lens and either a CCD or CMOS image sensor. By changing the gain of the image intensifier, both photon-counting and integrating measurements can be performed. Speckle patterns with a high signal-to-noise ratio can be observed in a single shot in the integrating mode, while XPCS measurement can be performed with much fewer photons in the photon-counting mode. By switching the image sensor, various combinations of frame rate, dynamic range and active area can be obtained. By virtue of these characteristics, this detector can be used for XPCS measurements of various types of samples that show slow or fast dynamics, a high or low scattering intensity, and a wide or narrow range of scattering angles.     

Synthesis of Twisted [n]Cycloparaphenylene by Alkene Insertion

Mono-alkene-inserted [n]cycloparaphenylenes 1 [(ene)-[n]CPP] with n=6, 8, and 10, mono-ortho-phenylene-inserted [6]CPP 2 , and di-alkene-insertved [n]CPP 3 [(ene)₂-[n]CPP] with n=4, 6, and 8 were synthesized by fusing CPP precursors and alkene or ortho- phenylene groups through coupling reactions. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses reveal that the strips formed by the π-surfaces of 1 and 2 exhibited a Möbius topology in the solid state. While the Möbius topology in the parent 1 and 2 in solution was lost due to the free rotation of the paraphenylene unit even at low temperatures, ene-[6]CPP 4 with eight 1-pyrrolyl groups preserved the Möbius topology even in solution. Despite a twist, 1 has in-plane conjugation and possesses a unique size dependence of the electronic properties: namely, the opposite size dependency of the HOMO–LUMO energy relative to conventional π-conjugated molecules.     

Three‐dimensional unsteady thermocapillary flow under rotating magnetic field

Under a rotating magnetic filed (RMF), the instability of thermocapillary flow and its evolution with increasing Marangoni number (Ma) for semiconductor melt (Pr = 0.01) in a floating liquid bridge model (As = 1) are investigated numerically. Under 5 mT RMF, the thermocapillary flow is steady and axisymmetric with Ma < Ma_c, and the critical Marangoni number Ma_c for convection instability is 29.5, which is obtained by the direct numerical simulation. When the Ma is a little bit beyond the Ma_c, the thermocapillary flow loses stability to become a three‐dimensional rotating oscillatory convection, and a periodic oscillation is confirmed by the fast Fourier transform analysis, the oscillatory main frequency decays with increasing Ma. Under 1 mT–6 mT RMF, the Ma_c increases roughly with the magnetic strength except the Ma_c at 4 mT, where the corresponding change of flow mode after the instability is observed. The oscillatory convection occurs with a smaller Ma in the RMF than that without magnetic field. In addition, no instability toward a three‐dimensional steady convection, which is the state of thermocapillary flow without magnetic field after the first instability, is observed under the RMF.     

Synthesis and properties of optically active phosphine-boranes possessing an l-menthyloxy group

(SP)-9-Anthryl(l-menthyloxy)phenylphosphine-borane and (SP)-(1-l-menthyloxy)benzo[b]phosphole-borane were synthesized, and their structures were characterized by X-ray crystallographic analysis. The latter compound was reduced by lithium naphthalenide at −78°C with cleavage of the P O bond, and the subsequent reaction with electrophiles afforded the corresponding tertiary phosphine-boranes possessing good to excellent enantiomeric excesses.     

ChemInform Abstract: Electronic Structure of LiSi

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.     

Improvement of Antibody Activity by Controlling Its Dynamics Using the Glycan–Lectin Interaction

Antibody dynamics on membranes, such as endocytosis and clustering, are vital in determining antibody functions. In this study, we demonstrated that glycan conjugation can modulate antibody dynamics through the glycan–lectin interaction to regulate its potency. The anti-HER2 antibody, an anti-breast-cancer antibody, was conjugated with galactose-containing N-glycan, and its internalization was suppressed by interaction with galectin-3, leading to enhanced complement-dependent cytotoxic (CDC) activity. This glycan–antibody conjugate is proposed as a new approach to modulate antibody activity and may provide an alternative strategy for redeveloping antibody drugs that do not exhibit sufficient activity.