Marstomentosides O-T polyoxypregnane glycosides from Marsdenia tomentosa

Thirteen pregnane glycosides were isolated from fresh leaves of Marsdenia tomentosa collected in the Fukuyama district. Of these, six were glycosides previously obtained from the same plant collected in the Fukuoka district and one from another Asclepiadaceous plant. The structures of the six new glycosides were determined by spectrometric method.     

Single-bubble sonochemiluminescence in aqueous luminol solutions

Sonochemiluminescence (SCL) of luminol due to a single bubble is studied through spectral measurement. No SCL was observed from a stable single bubble that emitted high-intensity sonoluminescence (SL). In contrast, SCL was observed under conditions of an unstable dancing bubble, where a bubble grows and ejects tiny bubbles, making it "dance" by counteraction. Furthermore, SCL was observed from dancing bubbles even when SL was not observed, depending on the dissolved gas content. The instability of bubble collapse is the key parameter governing SCL.     

Photoinduced ionic polymerization. III. Cationic polymerization and copolymerization of cyclohexene oxide and α-methylstyrene in the presence of pyromellitic dianhydride

The photoinduced ionic polymerization of cyclohexene oxide was studied in the presence of pyromellitic dianhydride. The polymerization is initiated by the excited chargetransfer complex between cyclohexene oxide and the electron-acceptor and proceeds by a cationic mechanism. Photoinduced cationic polymerization of α-methylstyrene was also observed in the presence of pyromellitic dianhydride. The initiation mechanism of the polymerization was elucidated by means of electron spin resonance measurements. The concentration of pyromellitic dianhydride anion-radicals measured in this way was found to be proportional to the rate of polymerization. This result shows clearly that the photopolymerization is initiated by cation-radicals formed from photoexcited donoracceptor complexes. The attempted photocopolymerization of cyclohexene oxide and α-methylstyrene gave a mixture of homopolymers. The composition of the product depends on the wavelength of the light used.     

A stannylene strategy for regioselective acylation and phosphorylation of 1,2-cyclohexylidene-myo-inositol. Its convenient resolution and phosphatidylinositol synthesis

The bis(dibutylstannylene) derivative of 1,2-cyclohexylidene-myo-inositol reacted with (S)-O-acetylmandeloyl chloride and diphosphate tetraesters to give 3,6-dimandelate and 3-phosphate, respectively. Using the stannylene methodology for the optical resolution and regioselective phosphorylation of the ketal, a concise synthesis of phosphatidylinositol with the natural configuration was accomplished.     

Preparation and characterization of high-specific-surface-area activated carbons from K2CO3-treated waste polyurethane

An activated carbon with high specific surface area was prepared from polyurethane foam by chemical activation with K2CO3 and the influences of carbonization temperature and impregnation ratio on the pore structure of the prepared activated carbon were investigated. It was found that the specific surface area of the activated carbon was at a maximum value (about 2800 m(2)/g) at a carbonization temperature of 1073 K and at an impregnation ratio of 1.0. It was concluded that the polyurethane foam structure was modified during impregnation by K2CO3, K2CO3 promoted charring during carbonization, and then the weight loss behavior was changed below 700 and above 1000 K, carbon in the char was consumed by K2CO3 reduction, and this led to the high specific surface area. The prepared activated carbon had a very sharp micropore size distribution, compared with the commercial activated carbon having high specific surface area. The amounts of three organic vapors (benzene, acetone, and octane) adsorbed on the prepared activated carbons was much larger than those on the traditional coconut shell AC and the same as those on the commercial activated carbon except for octane. We surmised that the high specific surface area was due to the modification of the carbonization behavior of polyurethane foam by K2CO3.     

Radiation-induced solid-state polymerization of trioxane under high pressure

The in-source polymerization of trioxane in the solid state was investigated over a wide range of temperature and pressure, i.e., from 30 to 140°C and up to 7000 kg/cm², respectively. In the polymerization that was carried out slightly below the melting point under pressure, the higher the pressure, the higher the rate of polymerization. It was confirmed that the maximum rate of solid-state polymerization of trioxane occurs near the melting points, even under elevated pressure. The rate of polymerization decreased with increasing pressure at constant temperature. The shape of the time–conversion curves may be classified into two types, i.e., one which is typical of high pressure and low temperature, and the other which is typical of low pressure and high temperature. Changes in the shape of the conversion—intrinsic viscosity curves occurred coincidentally. Thus, three regions for the different “polymerization characteristic” were determined as functions of polymerization temperature and pressure. Explanations are given for the above-mentioned polymerization characteristic.     

Motor protein nano-biomachine powered by self-supplying ATP

A new nano-biomachine has been created from microtubules (MTs) and hetero-bifunctional polymer particles bearing pyruvate kinase, which is propelled on glass surfaces coated with kinesin by use of self-supplying ATP.     

Catalytic direct 1,4-conjugate addition of aldehydes to vinylketones on secondary-amines immobilised in FSM-16 silica

Direct 1,4-conjugate addition of naked aldehydes to vinylketones is catalysed effectively by N-methyl-3-aminopropylated FSM-16 mesoporous silica, which can be regarded as a novel heterogeneous catalysis for a practical C-C bond formation reaction.     

Comparative characterization study of microporous carbons by HRTEM image analysis and gas adsorption

The present work presents a useful comparison of micropore size distributions (MPSDs) obtained from gas adsorption and image analysis of high-resolution transmission electron micrographs. It is shown that the MPSD obtained for a chemical activated carbon is concordant with that obtained from CO2 adsorption. In addition, this technique has allowed us to obtain the MPSD of a carbon molecular sieve (CMS) prepared in our laboratory by a copyrolysis process, which could only be characterized by CO2 adsorption at 273 K (not by N2 adsorption at 77 K due to diffusional problems). The MPSD obtained by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) for the CMS is wider than that obtained by CO2 adsorption, suggesting that HRTEM is detecting the closed porosity existing in this sample, which is not accessible to gas adsorption. The existence of closed porosity in the CMS is explained considering the preparation method used. Thus, HRTEM combined with image analysis seems to be useful for structural analysis of narrow micropores including closed porosity.     

Improvement in enzyme activity and stability by addition of low molecular weight polyethylene glycol to sodium bis(2-ethyl-L-hexyl)sulfosuccinate/isooctane reverse micellar system

The activity and stability of Chromobacterium viscosum lipase (glycerolester hydrolase, EC 3.1.1.3)-catalyzed olive oil hydrolysis in sodium bis (2-ethyl-1-hexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOT)/isooctane reverse micelles is increased appreciably when low molecular weight polyethylene glycol (PEG 400) is added to the reverse micelles. To understand the effect of PEG 400 on the phase behavior of the reverse micellar system, the phase diagram of AOT/PEG 400/water/isooctane system was studied. The influences of relevant parameters on the catalytic activity in AOT/PEG 400 reverse micelles were investigated and compared with the results in the simple AOT reverse micelles. In the presence of PEG 400, the linear decreasing trend of the lipase activity with AOT concentration, which is observed in the simple AOT reverse micelles, disappeared. Enzyme entrapped in AOT/PEG reverse micelles was very stable, retaining>75% of its initial activity after 60 d, whereas the half-life in simple AOT reverse micelles was 38 d. The kinetics parameter maximum velocity (V _max)exhibiting the temperature dependence and the activation energy obtained by Arrhenius plot was suppressed significantly by the addition of PEG 400.