Structural difference between a superconducting sodium cobalt oxide and its related phase

Monolayer hydrate (MLH) Na_xCoO₂·y′H₂O was obtained from superconducting bilayer hydrate (BLH) Na_xCoO₂·yH₂O by partial extraction of H₂O molecules between the CoO₂ layers. Magnetization measurements indicated that electron densities in the CoO₂ layer of the MLH phase remained unchanged after the water extraction. Nevertheless, superconductivity was completely suppressed in the MLH phase. This strongly suggests that the highly 2D nature in the BLH phase due to its thick insulating layers consisting of H₂O molecules and Na⁺ ions plays an important role for inducing superconductivity.     

Synthesis and characterization of novel aromatic polyamides from 3,4-bis(4-aminophenyl)-2,5-diphenylfuran and aromatic diacid chlorides

A new highly phenylated heterocyclic diamine, 3,4-bis(4-aminophenyl)-2,5-diphenylfuran, was synthesized in three steps from 4–-nitrodeoxybenzoin. The low temperature solution polycondensation of the diamine with various aromatic diacid chlorides afforded tetraphenylfuran-containing aromatic polyamides with inherent viscosities of 0.2–0.8 dL/g. Copolyterephthalamides were obtained from the diamine and 4,4′-oxydianiline. The polyamides were generally soluble in a wide range of solvents that included N,N-dimethylacetamide, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, pyridine, and m-cresol. Glass transition temperatures of the polyamides and copolyamides ranged from 302–342°C, and 10% weight loss was observed above 480°C in nitrogen.     

NMR Spectroscopic Observation of a Metal‐Free Acetylide Anion

A metal‐free acetylide was observed by using NMR spectroscopy. Metal‐free acetylides are closely related to reactive intermediates (carbanions) in solution; therefore, they have been regarded as unobservable species. However, we generated this highly reactive and unstable species through the deprotonation of phenylacetylene by using the strong nonmetallic phosphazene base tBu‐P4. In the presence of tBu‐P4, the J coupling between the ethynyl carbon and hydrogen nuclei (¹J_C,H) of phenylacetylene disappeared; this indicates the deprotonation of the alkyne terminal. Furthermore, a large low‐field shift (approximately 90 ppm) of the alkyne carbon resonance was observed. We concluded that we have observed a metal‐free carbanion with a formal charge on an sp‐hybridized carbon atom for the first time.     

SEC–MALLS analysis of cellulose using LiCl/1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone as an eluent

The lithium chloride/1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone (LiCl/DMI) solvent system for cellulose was adopted as a mobile phase of size-exclusion chromatographic (SEC) analysis of cellulose, and the applicability of this system was examined using multi-angle laser light scattering and ¹³C-NMR analysis. The results indicate that 8% (w/v) LiCl/DMI ID a true solvent for cellulose, and that cellulose molecules dissolving ID 1% (w/v) LiCl/DMI are separated orderly depending on their molecular mass (MM) or root-mean-square (RMS) radius by the SEC system. Practically, no aggregates were detected ID the dilute cellulose/LiCl/DMI solutions. Furthermore, high stability of cellulose/LiCl/DMI solutions has been demonstrated; only a few percent of decline ID average MM was observed even after storage for 6 months at room temperature. Relationships between RMS radius and MM for hardwood bleached kraft pulp ID 1% LiCl/DMI was estimated as the following equation: _g^0.59, corresponding to a Mark–Houwink–Sakurada exponent of 0.77.     

Conformations and steric and stacking interactions of trisubstituted ureas and thioureas with alkyl and phenyl groups

The monomeric ν(N—H) vibrations of various trisubstituted ureas of the R₂UPh type and -thioureas of the R₂TUPh type have been studied. The trans—out isomerism in the former and the trans—out—cis isomerism in the latter are discussed from the point of view of steric effect. The monomeric ν(N—H) vibrations of RPhUPh and RPhTUPh are also examined. The single band appearing in the spectrum of both ureas is characteristic of the cis form; this suggests the existence of phenyl—phenyl interaction (the stacking interaction proposed by Galabov et al. [10]). Behavior of ν(N—H) vibrations at several concentrations is shown to be clearly different in the three forms (trans, out and cis). The presence of the cis form is confirmed by solvent effect experiments.     

Synthesis and complexing properties of bis-crown ethers incorporating benzo-15-crown-5 and metallocene

Bis-crown ethers in which the benzo-15-crown-5 units were linked to 1,1′-positions of metallocene (M = Fe or Ru) with amide, ester, or ? C? C? bonds were synthesized. Complexing ability of the compounds with alkali, alkali earth, and transition metal cations were measured by the solvent extraction method. The results showed that these crown ethers had high affinity toward alkali metal cations (Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, and Rb⁺) and heavy-metal cations (Ag⁺ and Tl⁺). The difference of complexing ability for metal cations between ferrocene and ruthenocene derivatives could not be detected significantly. The extractability of metallocene-bis-crown ethers for metal cations was more larger than that of the corresponding mono-crown ethers, and irregular increments of extractability were explained by assuming the existence of a mixture of 1:1 and 2:1 complexes.     

Diffusion Monte Carlo study of correlation in the hydrogen molecule

The diffusion Monte Carlo (DMC) method shows that correlation in H₂ produces a set of three spatial changes: (i) an enhancement in the electron density distribution n( r ) in the left and right anti‐binding regions that include separately the immediate vicinity of each of the two nuclei, (ii) a reduction in n( r ) in the binding region intervening between the two nuclei as a counterbalance, and (iii) a concomitant increase in the equilibrium internuclear separation. It is stressed that the correlation energy E^c (= T^c + V^c) for diatomic molecules be defined by the difference in the total energy between the exact and the Hartree–Fock (HF) variational calculations that are performed at individually optimized internuclear separations. It is this definition that makes it possible to involve a significant contribution from a correlation‐induced change in the equilibrium internuclear separation as part of the correlation energy and to relate (i) and (ii) to (iii) in consistency with the electrostatic theorem. The present calculations fulfill the virial theorem to an accuracy of ?V/T = 2.00 for DMC and ?V^HF/T^HF = 2.000 for HF. The present correlation energy E^c = ?0.0408 hartree is not only in good agreement with the most accurate value previously reported, but also can be analyzed into all its components in accordance with the correlational virial theorem 2T^c + V^c = 0. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2007     

Cationic ring-opening polymerization of 1,4-anhydro-2,3-di-O-benzyl-α-L-arabinopyranose and synthesis of L-arabinofuranan

1,4-Anhydro-2,3-di-O-benzyl-α-L -arabinopyranose (=1,5-anhydro-2,3-di-O-benzyl-β-L -arabinofuranose) (ABAP) was synthesized and underwent cationic ring-opening polymerization with several kinds of Lewis acids. All the polylmers prepared by Lewis acids as catalyst were found to consist of two different structural units, α-furanosidic and β-furanosidic units, and the structure of the polymers greatly depended on the polymerization conditions. Polymerization of ABAP with antimony pentachloride catalyst at 0°C for 42 h gave a polymer with the highest α content of 93%, and that at ?20°C for 3 h gave a polymer with the lowest (25%) α content. The other catalysts such as phosphorus pentafluoride, boron trifluoride etherate, niobium pentafluoride, and tantalum pentafluoride also afforded polymers with mixed structure of α-and β-furanosides. After debenzylation of poly(ABAP), a new polysaccharide, L -arabinofuranan was obtained.     

Production and utilization of amino acids.

The amino acid industry has been steadily expanding since monosodium glutamate was first marketed as a flavoring material in 1909. Its production has recently reached almost the 1 billion dollar level. Amino acids are produced by extraction from protein hydrolyzates, by fermentation with the aid of microorganisms, by enzymatic processes, and by chemical synthesis. To obtain natural L-amino acid, chemical synthesis generally requires two additional steps, i.e. optical resolution and racemization of the D isomer. The most important applications of amino acids include the fortification of plant food and feeds by supplementation of the deficient essential amino acid(s). Apart from their uses in the food industry, medical applications of amino acids (nutritional preparations and therapeutic agents) are becoming increasingly important.     

pH-Sensitive Oscillatory Motion of a Urease Motor on the Urea Aqueous Phase

A self-propelled object coupled with an enzyme reaction between urease and urea was investigated at the air/aqueous interface. A plastic object that was fixed to a urease-immobilized filter paper was used as a self-propelled object, termed a urease motor, placed on an aqueous urea solution. The driving force of the urease motor is the difference in the surface tension around the object. Oscillatory motion or no motion was triggered depending on the initial pH of the urea solution. Both the frequency and maximum speed of the oscillatory motion varied depending on the initial pH of the water phase. The mechanisms underlying the oscillatory motion and no motion were discussed in relation to the bell-shaped enzyme activity of urease in the enzyme reaction and the surface tension around the urease motor.