Effect of diamine treatment on the conversion efficiency of PbSe colloidal quantum dot solar cells

Polymer-free photovoltaic devices were fabricated via a solution process using PbSe colloidal quantum dots (QDs) and an organic semiconductor (tetrabenzoporphyrin, BP) that can be prepared in situ from a soluble precursor. The device structure was ITO/PEDOT/BP:QD/QD/Al, where the BP:QD and QD layers correspond to a bulk heterojunction and a buffer layer, respectively. The buffer layer was treated with ethylenediamine (EDA) to crosslink the QDs. As a result, the energy conversion efficiency of the EDA-treated device was superior to that of an untreated device, mainly due to an increase in the short-circuit current density.     

Study of reduction processes over cerium oxide surfaces with atomic hydrogen using ultra accelerated quantum chemical molecular dynamics

Ceria plays an important role in catalysis, due to its ability to store and release oxygen depending on the condition present in the catalyst environment. To analyze the role of ceria in catalytic reactions, it is necessary to know the details of the interaction of ceria surface with environmentally sensitive molecules. This study was conducted using ultra accelerated quantum chemical molecular dynamics. Its purpose was to investigate the reduction process of the (1 1 1) and (1 1 0) surfaces of ceria with atomic hydrogen as well as water desorption mechanisms from the surfaces. This simulation demonstrated that when a high-energy colliding hydrogen atoms are adsorbed on the ceria, it pulls up an O atom from the ceria surfaces and results in the formation of a H₂O molecule. This is the first dynamics simulation related to such reduction processes based on quantum chemistry.     

First order phase transition of expanding matter and its fragmentation

Based on an expanding matter model using Lennard-Jones potential, the instability of the system is examined. The instantaneous pressure, temperature and density fluctuation are calculated as a function of the density. The system undergoes the first order phase transition when the expanding velocity is slow. Although the system behaves dynamically for faster expansion, a kind of criticality seems to play an important role even in this case.     

Semiconductor diamond heater in the Kawai multianvil apparatus: an innovation to generate the lower mantle geotherm

Semiconductor diamond is considered the best heater material to generate ultra-high temperatures in a Kawai cell. In two pioneering studies, a mixture of graphite and amorphous boron (or boron carbide, B₄C) was converted to semiconductor diamond in the diamond stability field and was confirmed to generate 2000°C and 3500°C, respectively. Following these works, we synthesized a homemade boron-doped graphite block with fine machinability. With this technical breakthrough, we developed a semiconductor diamond heater in a smaller Kawai-type cell assembly. Here, we report the procedure for making machinable boron-doped graphite, and the performance of the material as a heater in a Kawai cell at 15?GPa using tungsten carbide anvils and at ～50?GPa using sintered diamond anvils. Furthermore, we present a finite element simulation of the temperature distribution generated by a semiconductor diamond heater, which is much more homogeneous than that generated by a metal heater.     

Photoinduced phase transition accompanied with the changes in magnetic properties

Recently, many studies have been started in search for materials which show a photoinduced phase transition (PIPT). In this work, we review two systems as typical examples of PIPT accompanied with changes in magnetic characteristics; (1) organo-metal complex [Fe(2-pic)₃]Cl₂ EtOH (2-pic = 2-amino-methyl-pyridine) and (2) III-V based magnetic semiconductors (In_1-x , Mn _x )As. In the former case, we show several nonlinear characteristics in dynamical process of photoinduced spin state transition from low-spin to high-spin states. In the latter one, photocarrier-induced ferromagnetic order has been observed by both magnetic and transport measurements.     

Reminiscence of 40-year research on nitrogen metabolism

This article summarizes my research over 40 years. The main theme of my work is nitrogen metabolism of amino acids, though later I focused on protein turnover in the cell. In the first years of my research work, I was busy dissecting the pathways involved in the metabolism of certain amino acids and their related enzymes. Then I became interested in the physiology and regulation of matabolism of these amino acids. For that, I used primary cultured hepatocytes, which contain many liver-specific enzymes. However, this play field was very rough around 1970 and hence I had to smooth them (differentiated) first. We discovered a specific growth factor (hepatocyte growth factor, HGF) in rat platelets. Exceptionally, I also worked on branched chain amino acids (valine, leucine and isoleucine). These amino acids are not efficiently metabolized in the liver, so I had to consider the physiology of extrahepatic tissues as well. Finally, I came across a huge protease complex, the proteasome. Whether these players, small amino acid metabolizing enzymes and the huge protease complex, danced well in harmony on my playground or not, I still do not know.     

On component factors

LetK be a connected graph. A spanning subgraphF ofG is called aK-factor if every component ofF is isomorphic toK. On the existence ofK-factors we show the following theorem: LetG andK be connected graphs andp be an integer. Suppose|G| = n|K| and 1 <p < n. Also suppose every induced connected subgraph of orderp|K| has aK-factor. ThenG has aK-factor.     

On the theory of coagulation and the coalescence of mercury droplets in aqueous solutions

Summary The potential ranges of polarization of a pair of dropping mercury electrodes, over which the two mercury droplets coalesced, were measured as functions of ionic concentrations for various electrolytes. In the case of simple inorganic electrolytes the condition of coalescence obtained was proved to be in quantitative agreement with theVerwey-Overbeek theory of coagulation of lyophobic sols, thus indicating that the interaction between sub-microscopic particles of hydrophobic sols is essentially the same as that between macroscopic mercury droplets. While, in the case of sodium citrate solutions two kinds of marked deviations from the theory were observed, which appeared to be due to the specific adsorption of citrate ions and to the formation of protective interfacial films.

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Zusammenfassung Die Potentialbereiche der Polariation eines Paares von Quecksilber-Tropfelektroden, über die die beiden Quecksilbertropfen koaleszieren, werden als Funktion der Ionenkonzentration verschiedener Elektrolyte gemessen. Im Fall einfacher anorganischer Elektrolyte wurde die erhaltene Bedingung der Koaleszenz mit der Theorie vonVerwey-Overbeek der Kaogulation lyophober Sole geprüft und in quantitativer übereinstimmung befunden. Das zeigt, da\ die Wechselwirkung zwischen submikroskopischen Partikeln hydrophober Sole im wesentlichen dieselbe ist wie zwischen den makroskopischen Quecksilbertröpfchen. Dagegen ergaben sich im Fall von Natriumzitratlösungen zwei Arten markanter Abweichungen von der Theorie. Diese scheinen spezifische Adsorption der Zitrationen und die Ausbildung von SchutzgrenzflÄchenfilmen zur Ursache zu haben.

     

Oligosaccharide-Carrying Styrene-Type Macromers. Polymerization and Specific Interactions Between the Polymers and Liver Cells

Polystyrene derivatives with lactose, glucose, maltose, maltotriose, maltopentaose, and maltoheptaose on each benzene ring were prepared by the radical polymerization of a new class of macromers synthesized by coupling the corresponding oligosaccharide lactones with p-vinylbenzylamine. These polymers consisting of amphiphilic structural units were water-soluble, and organic solutes were bound to hydrophobic microenvironments of the polymers in water. α-D-Glucopyranose-carrying polymers were recognized and precipitated by concanavalin A. Cultivation of liver cells (hepatocytes) was attempted using culture dishes whose surface was coated with lactose-, glucose-, maltose-, and maltotriose-carrying polystyrenes. It has been found that a lactose-carrying polystyrene (PVLA) is a useful surface material for hepatocyte culture. 1) Highly specific adhesion of hepatocytes was attained for PVLA-coated dishes with or without serum supplement. 2) The cell adhesion was a threshold phenomenon with respect to the PVLA concentration on the dish. 3) The cell adhesion was effectively inhibited when hepatocytes were treated with PVLA molecules in the medium prior to culture. 4) The adhesion was not inhibited by albumin, an adhesion-inhibitory protein in serum. These findings suggest that pendent galactose residues of a PLVA molecule functioned as a strong recognition determinant for hepatocytes. We assume that multi-antennary, high-density galactose residues of PVLA are attributed to the specific adhesion of hepatocytes.     

Functions of Acyclic Poly(ethylene Oxide) Homologs: Acceleration of Nucleophilic Reactions and Selective Ion Transport through Membranes

The acceleration effect of poly(ethylene oxide) on nucleophilic reactions was investigated. The enhancement of the reaction rate was interpreted by the cooperative solvation of alkali metal ions with ethereal oxygens of PEO resulting in active nucleophilic anions. In relation to the complex formation of alkali metal ions with PEO, the oligo(ethylene oxide) derivatives were prepared as the synthetic ionophores, which were able to transport alkali metal ions selectively through a liquid membrane against the alkali metal ion concentration.