A study of cryostructuring of polymer systems. 43. Characteristics of microstructure of chitosan-containing complex and composite poly(vinyl alcohol) cryogels

The microstructure of complex and composite poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) cryogels containing water-soluble chitosan hydrochloride (ChHC) of dispersed particles of water-insoluble chitosan base (Ch), respectively, has been studied by optical microscopy and attenuated total reflection FTIR spectroscopy. The macroporous morphology of cryogels has been studied using preparations in the form of thin (~10 μm) sections and discs 1 mm thick. The introduction of non-gelling additives (NaCl and ChHC) into an initial PVA solution causes significant changes in the size and shapes of macropores in the complex cryogels formed by freezing–defrosting, as compared with the pores in the samples obtained under the same conditions without additives. The reasons for the changes are the process of phase segregation and the influence of low- and high-molecular-weight electrolytes on crystallization of ice, which plays the role of a porogen upon cryotropic gelation of aqueous PVA solutions. As a result of an alkaline treatment of the complex cryogels, which transforms ChHC into Ch, microcoagulation of chitosan yields discrete, almost spherical, particles with sizes of about 1–5 μm. IR spectral studies have shown that concentration gradients of the gelling and nongelling polymers arise along the thickness of the gel discs, with PVA concentration prevailing near the lower surface and ChHC or Ch concentration dominating near the upper surface of the disc.     

Facile S(N)2 reaction in protic solvent: quantum chemical analysis

We study the effects of protic solvent (water, methanol, ethanol, and tert-butyl alcohol) and cation (Na+, K+, Cs+) on the unsymmetrical SN2 reaction X- + RY --> RX + Y- (X = F, Br; R = CH3,C3H7;Y = Cl, OMs). We describe a series of calculations for the S(N)2 reaction mechanism under the influence of cation and protic solvent, presenting the structures of pre- and postreaction complexes and transition states and the magnitude of the activation barrier. An interesting mechanism is proposed, in which the protic solvent molecules that are shielded from the nucleophile by the intervening cation act as a Lewis base to reduce the unfavorable Coulombic influence of the cation on the nucleophile. We predict that the reaction barrier for the S(N)2 reaction is significantly lowered by the cooperative effects of cation and protic solvent. We show that the cation and protic solvent, each of which has been considered to retard the SN2 reactivity of the nucleophile, can accelerate the reaction tremendously when they interact with the fluoride ion in an intricate, combined fashion. This alternative S(N)2 mechanism is discussed in relation to the recently observed phenomenal efficiency of fluorination in tert-alcohol media [Kim, D. W.; et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2006, 128, 16394].     

Reactivities of acridine compounds in hydride transfer reactions

Reactivities of acridine derivatives (10‐benzylacridinium ion, 1a ⁺, 10‐methylacridinium ion, 1b ⁺, and 10‐methyl‐9‐phenylacridinium ion, 1c ⁺) have been compared quantitatively for hydride transfer reactions with 1,3‐dimethyl‐2‐substituted phenylbenzimidazoline compounds, 2Ha–h . Reactions were monitored spectrophotometrically in a solvent consisting of four parts of 2‐propanol to one part of water by volume at 25 ± 0.1 °C. Reduction potentials have been estimated for acridine derivatives by assuming that the equilibrium constants for the reductions of 1a ⁺ –c ⁺ by 2Hb would be the same in aqueous solution and accepting ?361 mV as the reduction potential of the 1‐benzyl‐3‐carbamoylpyridinium ion. The resulting reduction potentials, E, are ?47 mV for 1a ⁺, ?79 mV for 1b ⁺, and ?86 mV for 1c ⁺. Each of acridine derivatives gives a linear Brønsted plot for hydride transfer reactions. The experimental slopes were compared with those obtained by Marcus theory. This comparison shows that the kinetic data are consistent with a one‐step mechanism involving no high‐energy intermediates. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Investigation of aromaticity and photophysical properties in [18]/[20]π porphycene derivatives

In this study, we have investigated the relationship between aromaticity and photophysical properties of trifluoromethyl-substituted [18]/[20]π porphycenes by using theoretical calculations and various spectroscopic methodologies. Interestingly, we have found that the HOMO-LUMO gap of [20]π porphycene is larger than that of [18]π porphycene, which is in a sharp contrast with those of typical [4n]/[4n+2]π porphyrinoids. Based on our observations, we demonstrate that the origin of this contrasting feature of [20]π porphycene arises from the uniquely large energy splitting between LUMO and LUMO+1 of [18]π porphycene compared with other aromatic [4n+2]π porphyrinoids with nearly degenerate LUMO/LUMO+1. Consequently, we can propose that the energy difference between LUMO and LUMO+1 levels of aromatic [4n+2]π porphyrinoids is an important factor in determining the electronic nature of their corresponding antiaromatic [4n]π porphyrinoids. Moreover, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to illustrate the photophysical properties of porphycenes with [4n]π electronic circuits.     

Determination of the radon emanation fraction from phosphogypsum using LSC

A simple method for the determination of the radon emanation fraction was studied using a liquid scintillation counter. The radon activity of the gaseous phase in a closed container was measured 1 day and 35 days after sealing and used to calculate the radon emanation fraction. Radon leakage from the container was investigated using a ²²⁶Ra radioactive standard solution (SRM4967, NIST) to plot a radon growth curve. The method was applied to materials that typically contain a high level of radium, such as phosphogypsum, phosphate fertilizer and a rock sample. The effect of temperature on the radon emanation fraction from the materials was investigated at 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 °C. It was found that there is a linear correlation (R ² = 0.746 − 0.946) between temperature and the emanation fraction. Within the temperature range, the radon emanation fractions were 0.241–0.466 for phosphogypsum, 0.225–0.351 for phosphate fertilizer and 0.154–0.351 for the rock sample.     

Restoration of electric footshock-induced immunosuppression in mice by Gynostemma pentaphyllum components

The immunomodulatory effects of the ethanol extract of Gynostemma pentaphyllum (GP-EX) were examined in electric footshock (EFS)-stressed mice. The mice were orally administered various doses of GP-EX for 7 days before exposure to EFS (duration: 3 min, interval: 10 s, intensity: 2 mA) once a day from day 8 for 14 days with continuous daily feeding of GP-EX. Oral administration of GP-EX to mice prevented EFS stress-induced immunosuppression as determined by the lymphoid organ (thymus and spleen) weight and cellularity. In addition, oral administration of GP-EX restored EFS-suppressed functional properties of mature lymphocytes in terms of concanavalin A-induced proliferation of splenocytes and lipopolysaccharide-induced cytokine production (TNF-α, IL-1β). Furthermore, we found that mice that were orally administered with GP-EX generated much more potent ovalbumin-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses upon intravenous ovalbumin injection compared to the untreated controls. These results demonstrate that oral administration of the ethanol extract of Gynostemma pentaphyllum could increase host defense in immunocompromised situations such as stress-induced immunosuppression.     

The scattering of an harmonic elastic wave by a volume inclusion with a thin interlayer

The boundary element method is used to investigate the propagation of harmonic elastic waves in an infinite matrix with a volume inclusion with a thin interlayer between the inclusion and the matrix. A boundary-integral formulation of the problem is based on a consideration of a two-phase medium, consisting of the matrix and the inclusion, on the contact surface of which conditions of proportional dependence between the forces and jumps in the displacements, which model the interlayer, are satisfied. These conditions are taken into account implicitly in the boundary integral equations obtained, which are subsequently regularized and discretized on the grid of boundary elements introduced. The numerical results obtained demonstrate the effect of the interlayer on the dynamic contact stresses for a spherical inclusion in the field of a plane longitudinal wave.     

Comparative Analysis of Coumarin Profiles in Different Parts of Peucedanum japonicum and Their Aldo–Keto Reductase Inhibitory Activities

Peucedanum japonicum (Umbelliferae) is widely distributed throughout Southeast Asian countries. The root of this plant is used in traditional medicine to treat colds and pain, whereas the young leaves are considered an edible vegetable. In this study, the differences in coumarin profiles for different parts of P. japonicum including the flowers, roots, leaves, and stems were compared using ultra-performance liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Twenty-eight compounds were tentatively identified, including three compounds found in the genus Peucedanum for the first time. Principal component analysis using the data set of the measured mass values and intensities of the compounds exhibited distinct clustering of the flower, leaf, stem, and root samples. In addition, their anticancer activities were screened using an Aldo–keto reductase (AKR)1C1 assay on A549 human non-small-cell lung cancer cells and the flower extract inhibited AKR1C1 activity. Based on these results, seven compounds were selected as potential markers to distinguish between the flower part versus the root, stem, and leaf parts using an orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis. This study is the first to provide information on the comparison of coumarin profiles from different parts of P. japonicum as well as their AKR1C1 inhibitory activities. Taken together, the flowers of P. japonicum offer a new use related to the efficacy of overcoming anticancer drug resistance, and may be a promising source for the isolation of active lead compounds.     

A study of the viscosity of hyaluronic acid solutions for the preparation of polyelectrolyte complexes with chitosan

The viscosity of hyaluronic acid solutions kept at different pH values was found to decrease in the following order of pH: 6.5 > 3.5 > 4.3, although acid hydrolysis occurred at a higher rate in the most acidic solution. The poorest stability of the solutions with pH 4.3 was attributed to the compaction of the macromolecules as a result of charge density redistribution along the polyacid chains.     

Neutron activation analysis of high purity nickel by solvent extraction using 2-benzylpyridin/benzene

A radiochemical neutron activation analysis using solvent extraction has been applied for the determination of trace impurities in high purity nickel. Because of the high activity of⁵⁸Co produced by the nuclear reaction,⁵⁸Ni(n,p)⁵⁸Co, cobalt should be separated from the impurities. Removal of cobalt from the other trace elements in the aqueous acidic solution containing 1M thiocyanate ion (KSCN) was achieved by extraction with 1M2-benzylpyridin (BPy) in benzene. From the result of tracer experiments, cobalt was completely separated from most other elements except Fe, Mo and Zn. To determine the experimental accuracy, NIST SRM 673 nickel oxide was analyzed and the results agreed well within 10% deviation. This established radiochemical method was applied to the analysis of high purity nickel samples.