Effect of the pore surface modification of an inorganic substrate on the plasma‐grafting behavior of pore‐filling‐type organic/inorganic composite membranes

We have investigated the effect of the surface state and surface treatment of the pores of an inorganic substrate on the plasma‐grafting behavior of pore‐filling‐type organic/inorganic composite membranes. Shirasu porous glass (SPG) was used as the inorganic substrate, and methyl acrylate was used as the grafting monomer. The grafting rate increased as the density of silanol on the SPG substrate increased. This result suggests that radicals are generated mainly at the silanol groups on the pore surface by plasma irradiation. The SPG substrates were treated with silane coupling agents used to control the mass of organic material bonded to the pore surface. The thickness of the grafted layer became thinner as the mass of organic material bonded to the pore surface of SPG increased. This decrease in the thickness of the grafted layer could be explained by the decrease in the penetration depth of vacuum ultraviolet rays contained in plasma having a wavelength of less than 160 nm that generated radicals in the pores of the substrate. The thickness of the grafted layer inside the SPG substrates could be controlled through the control of the mass of organic material bonded to the pore surface of the SPG substrate. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 846–856, 2006     

Preparation and certification of the new reference materials; plastics (disk form, JSAC 0621-0625) for determination of mercury using x-ray fluorescent analysis.

The Japan Society for Analytical Chemistry has developed some new plastic certified reference materials (CRMs) for the analysis of mercury in polyester disks using XRF analysis. These CRMs (named as JSAC 0621-0625) were prepared by casting polyesters including a toluene solution of organometallic compounds as a standard. Concentrations of the five levels of mercury ranged from 0 to 250 mg/kg. Homogeneity tests of prepared disks had shown excellent results. Interlaboratory comparison study for the certification was performed by 15 laboratory participants. The z-scores in robust statistical method was applied for the evaluation of outliers. The certified values were assigned after discarding outliers. The uncertainties of certified values were determined as the confidence levels of 95%.     

Effects of temperature and endogenous factors in blood on concentrations of cyclosporin in plasma measured by high-performance liquid chromatography

The effects of temperature, hematocrit (Hct), lipid level in plasma and cyclosporin A (CyA) level in whole blood on the concentration of CyA in plasma measured by high-performance liquid chromatography were studied in vitro. With rise in blood storage temperature before cells were removed, the concentration of CyA in plasma was increased in the temperature range between 10 degrees C and 37 degrees C, but was decreased between 4 degrees C and 10 degrees C. With rise in Hct, the concentration of CyA in plasma was decreased, and it was more markedly decreased at the blood storage temperature of 4 degrees C than at 37 degrees C. A lipid supplementation study showed that the concentration of CyA in plasma was increased with rise in plasma triglyceride level and in plasma cholesterol level at the storage temperature of 4 degrees C but not at 37 degrees C. Studies of the effect of CyA concentration in blood on the CyA distribution in blood demonstrated that the cellular/plasma concentration (C/P) ratio at low levels (less than 200 micrograms/ml) of plasma CyA ranged from 4 to 10 and was about 2 times higher than that at higher concentrations at 4 degrees C, but the ratio was relatively constant at 37 degrees C. The saturation capacity of the cellular fraction for CyA showed considerable individual variations, but there was no difference between the capacities at 4 degrees C and 37 degrees C. The separation of plasma after equilibration at 37 degrees C made it possible to avoid the variations in the distribution of CyA in whole blood associated with changes in Hct, lipid level in plasma and CyA level in whole blood, and to obtain a measurement reflecting the physiologically significant concentration of CyA in plasma.     

10B quantitative determination in ppb range by particle tracks reading for boron neutron capture therapy

Quantitative determination of ppb-order ¹⁰B was carried out in a small number of cultured tumor cells by particle tracks by the ₁₀B(n,)⁷Li reactions using solid state nuclear track detector (SSNTD) for boron neutron capture therapy research. The detection limit of ¹⁰B concentration in tumor cells is less than 1·10^-3 ppm under our experimental conditions which permits the quantitative determination of ¹⁰B in a small number of boronated tumor cells (10⁵/ml = ca. 0.1 mg). Boron quantities in tumor cells determined were well compatible with the tumor cell killing effects of boron neutron capture therapy.     

Photopolymerization of methyl methacrylate in the presence of tertiary amines

The sensitization effect of tertiary amines on the photopolymerization of methyl methacrylate was studied. N,N-Dimethylbenzylamine, triethylamine, and N,N-dimethylaniline increased the rate of polymerization in this order, but pyridine did not show any effect. A free-radical mechanism was confirmed by the tacticity of polymer, the retarding effect of hydroquinone, and the copolymer composition with styrene. On the basis of the detailed kinetics of the sensitized polymerization and the ultraviolet spectra of the reaction mixtures, a sensitization mechanism is proposed, in which the excited monomer and the amine form a complex and generate an initiating radical.     

Conformational effects on lipase-mediated acylations of 2-substituted cyclohexanols

Lipase-mediated acetylations of trans- and cis-2-substituted cyclohexanols gave the corresponding (1R)-cyclohexyl acetates and (1S)-cyclohexanols in high yields and ee, but c-4-tert-butyl-c-2-ethenyl-r-1-cyclohexanol was unreactive owing to the steric interaction between the axial OH group and the axial H atoms at the 3- and 5-positions. In the cis-isomer the OH group occupies an equatorial position to bind to the lipase, and less bulky axial alkenyl and alkynyl groups might not so much prevent acetylations than an alkyl group.     

Synthesis of photoreactive polyimide having indan structure

Polyimide containing an indan unit and alkyl moiety with a high molecular weight was prepared from 5,7‐diamino‐1,1,4,6‐tetramethylindan and 3,3′,4,4′‐benzophenone tetracarboxylic dianhydride. This polyimide was amorphous and soluble in common organic solvents, such as tetrahydrofuran, chloroform, and cyclopentanone. Thermogravimetry of the polyimide showed good thermal stability, indicating that a 10% weight loss of the polyimide was observed at 500 °C in nitrogen. The glass‐transition temperature of the polyimide was not observed by DSC measurement between room temperature and 400 °C at a heating rate of 10 °C/min (Apparatus: DSC3100 MAC Science Co., Ltd.). Transparency of the polyimide at 365 nm was 80%. The polyimide acted as a photosensitive resist of negative type by UV radiation. The resist had a sensitivity of 31 mJ/cm² and a contrast of 2.3 when it was developed with cyclopentanone at room temperature. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 423–428, 2002