Synthesis and properties of photocurable biodegradable multiblock copolymers based on poly(ε‐caprolactone) and poly(L‐lactide) segments

Photocurable biodegradable multiblock copolymers were synthesized from poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) diol and poly(L ‐lactide) (PLLA) diol with 4,4′‐(adipoyldioxy)dicinnamic acid (CAC) dichloride as a chain extender derived from adipoyl chloride and 4‐hydroxycinnamic acid, and they were characterized with Fourier transform infrared and ¹H NMR spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography, wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, and tensile tests. The copolymers were irradiated with a 400‐W high‐pressure mercury lamp from 30 min to 3 h to form a network structure in the absence of photoinitiators. The gel concentration increased with time, and a concentration of approximately 90% was obtained in 90–180 min for all the films. The photocuring hardly affected the crystallinity and melting temperature of the PCL segments but reduced the crystallinity of the PLLA segments. The mechanical properties, such as the tensile strength, modulus, and elongation, were significantly affected by the copolymer compositions and gel concentrations. Shape‐memory properties were determined with cyclic thermomechanical experiments. The CAC/PCL and CAC/PCL/PLLA (75/25) films photocured for 30–120 min showed good shape‐memory properties with strain fixity rates and recovery rates of approximately 100%. The formation of the network structure and the crystallization and melting of the PCL segments played very important roles for the typical shape‐memory properties. Finally, the degradation characteristics of these copolymers were investigated in a phosphate buffer solution at 37 °C with proteinase‐k and Pseudomonas cepacia lipase. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 2426–2439, 2005     

Growth of ZnInGaS4 by normal freezing method

The crystal structure and phase transition of ZnInGaS₄ were described. The ZnInGaS₄ had both a defect chalcopyrite and a layered structure below 920 °C, and only the layered structure ZnInGaS₄ existed between 920 and 1020 °C. The layered structure ZnInGaS₄ was grown using the normal freezing method. The bandgap of the layered structure ZnInGaS₄ was estimated to be approximately 2.6 eV and it is possibly a direct bandgap. This is a first step toward realizing the novel functions of ZnInGaS₄.     

Method of Designing a Corrugated Optical Waveguide Filter

The method of designing a corrugated optical waveguide filter is proposed to yield an arbitrary spectral profile of the reflection coefficient. It gives the functional dependence of the corrugation depth on distance along the wave propagation direction. The basis of the theory of the method is a combination of the effective index approach and the Fourier transformation technique. It represents the spectral profile of the reflection coefficient approximately to Fourier transformation of the spatial profile of the effective refractive index. Examples are presented to illustrate how to apply the technique.     

A simple in situ visual and tristimulus colorimetric method for the determination of trace arsenic in environmental water after its collection on a mercury(II)-impregnated paper.

A simple in situ visual and tristimulus colorimetric method for the determination of trace arsenic in environmental water after collecting arsenic on a test paper impregnated with mercury(II) bromide and rosaniline chloride by its reduction aeration has been developed. The color development on the test paper is based on the formations of AsH(HgBr)2 (yellow) and/or As(HgBr)3 (brownish yellow) by a reaction between mercury(II) bromide and arsine (AsH3), which is produced through the reduction of As(III) (arsenite ion) and/or As(V) (arsenate ion) in a sample solution. To a sample solution, potassium iodide, tin(II) chloride, zinc sand and 4 ml of 6 M hydrochloric acid solution were added successively. The liberated arsine was collected on the test paper. The yellow or brownish-yellow color intensity on the test paper was measured by a tristimulus colorimeter and also by a visual method. The established method is applicable to the determination of arsenic in environmental water sample such as river, brackish, and seawater types.     

Novel synthetic route of aryl-aminopyrazine

We report a novel synthetic route of aryl-aminopyrazine through a new cyclization reaction by using a hydroxylamine. Starting from Boc-glycine and aminonitrile, the aminopyrazine ring was prepared in several steps. After trifluoromethane sulfonylation of the aminopyrazinone, the resultant triflate was subjected to Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction with aryl boronic acid to afford coelenteramine.     

Squalene‐Derived Triterpene Polyethers from the Red Alga Laurencia omaezakiana

In our continuing search on halogenated metabolites from species of the red algal genus Laurencia, a novel squalene‐derived triterpene polyether, named omaezakianol ( 2 ), was isolated from Laurencia omaezakiana Masuda along with 15,16‐anhydrothyrsiferol ( 3 ). Their structures were determined by spectral and chemical methods.     

Extraction of Waveguided Llight by Anisotropic Scattering Polarizer in Organic Electroluminescent Devices

We demonstrated that the anisotropic scattering polarizer (ASP) laminated to a glass substrate surface increased the optical efficiency of an organic electroluminescent (EL) device for liquid crystal display (LCD) backlight applications. ASP was prepared by drawing the liquid crystal polymer (LCP) dispersed poly(carbonate) film and extracted the emitting light trapped in the substrate of an organic EL device involved in polarization selectivity. Light extraction ability and polarization selectivity were changed by thickness of the electron transporting layer (ETL) of the organic EL device. Optical efficiency of a 60 nm thick ETL device through absorbing polarizer was not much improved by the lamination of ASP, whereas low efficiency of a 120 nm thick ETL device was greatly improved by this lamination due to extraction of the waveguided light as a substantially polarized emission. Although the degree of increase for the 120 nm thick ETL device was very large, the final optical efficiency was less than or only comparable to that of the thinner device. In 90 nm thick ETL device, however, the lamination of ASP increased the optical efficiency by a factor of 1.2–1.3 against a 60 nm thick ETL device. © 2004 The Optical Society of Japan     

Effects of lysophospholipids on membrane order of phosphatidylcholine

Lysophospholipids are known to play a role in a wide range of cellular processes involving membrane–protein or membrane–membrane interactions; however lysolipids–lamellar lipids interactions remain unclear. The effects of lysolipids on membrane order and dynamics were examined using optical birefringence and fluorescence techniques. We found that lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) induces a considerable disorder in chain orientation for synthetic lipid of dimyristoyl-phosphatidylcholines (DMPC), whereas a slight order for natural lipid of egg yolk phosphatidylcholine (Egg-PC), e.g. the chain order decreases by 10% at 0.1 mole ratio for DMPC in comparison with the membranes without LPA and increases by 3.4% at 0.09 mole ratio for Egg-PC. Also, membrane fluidity corresponds with the change in the chain disorder, namely, the fluidity increases for DMPC membranes, while decreases for Egg-PC membranes by addition of LPA. The difference in the effects of LPA is interpreted by a difference in the chain packing between the synthetic and the natural lipid bilayers. LPA can be incorporated into natural lipid membranes without disturbance, and readjusts itself to a more favorable hydrophobic match with the bilayers. Lysophophatidylcholine (LPC) also induces a disorder in DMPC membranes, but the decrease in chain order is only half compared with that for LPA.