Miniaturized HPTLC of Vitamin B12 Compounds in Foods

High-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) is a separation technique commonly used to identify and quantify compounds in chemical mixtures. Preliminary experiments indicated that Lichrospher silica gel 60 F254s HPTLC sheets were the most suitable for analyzing vitamin B₁₂ compounds. This study revealed the advantages of miniaturized Lichrospher HPTLC for analyzing authentic vitamin B₁₂ compounds as short migration distances (5 cm) and short development times (<45 min) in combination with high separation efficiency and sensitivity (>25 pmol at 254 nm). The practicability of using miniaturized HPTLC was demonstrated by the separation and identification of vitamin B₁₂ compounds purified from foods using an immunoaffinity column.     

Single‐Crystalline Optical Microcavities from Luminescent Dendrimers

Microcrystallites are promising minute mirrorless laser sources. A variety of luminescent organic compounds have been exploited along this line, but dendrimers have been inapplicable owing to their fragility and extremely poor crystallinity. Now, a dendrimer family that overcomes these difficulties is presented. First‐, second‐, and third‐generation carbazole (Cz) dendrimers with a carbon‐bridged oligo(phenylenevinylene) (COPV2) core (GnCOPV2, n=1–3) assemble to form microcrystals. The COPV2 cores align uni/bidirectionally in the crystals while the Cz units in G2‐ and G3COPV2 align omnidirectionally. The dendrons work as light‐harvesting antennas that absorb non‐polarized light and transfer it to the COPV2 core, from which a polarized luminescence radiates. Furthermore, these crystals act as laser resonators, where the lasing thresholds are strongly coupled with the crystal morphology and the orientation of COPV2, which is in contrast with the conventional amorphous dendrimers.     

Host-guest sensory system of sodium anthranilate-modifiedβ-cyclodextrin: Molecular recognition properties

Sodium anthranilate-modified-cyclodextrin (1) has been prepared as a sensor for detecting organic compounds including terpenoids and steroids.1 shows a pure monomer fluorescence whose intensity is increased or decreased upon addition of the guest species examined. In this system, the sodium anthranilate moiety acts either as a spacer, which enables the cyclodextrin to form a 11 guest complex by narrowing the-cyclodextrin cavity or acts as a hydrophobic cap.1 shows a higher sensitivity for terpenoids than for steroids, but has a higher selective molecular recognition ablity for steroids than for terpenoids.     

Inclusion compounds of N,N,N′,N′-tetracyclohexylfumaride with isomers of cresol and water

The crystal structures and thermal analyses of the host compound, N,N,N,N-tetracyclohexylfumaride, witho-cresol,p-cresol and water are reported and compared to that of them-cresol complex previously reported in an attempt to elucidate the reasons for host selectivity.     

Refractive indices of LiNb1−yTayO3 single crystals

The refractive indices of LiNb_1?yTa_yO₃ single crystals grown by the Czochralski method were determined in the wavelength range 5893 to 10600 Å at 20 ± 0.5°C. The results indicate that a single crystal (0.95 < y < 0.96) has zero birefringence. Such composition is independent of the wavelength.     

Synthesis and absorption/emission properties of novel poly(silylenearylenevinylene)s

Polymerization of p-(dimethylsilyl)phenylacetylene in toluene at 25 and 80 °C with RhI(PPh₃)₃ catalyst afforded highly regio- and stereoregular poly(dimethylsilylene-1,4-phenylenevinylene)s [cis- and trans-poly( 1a )s] containing 98% cis- and 99% trans-vinylene moieties, respectively. The trans-type polymers exhibited redshifts and hyperchromic effects in the ultraviolet–visible spectrum as compared with the cis-type counterparts. Photoirradiation of cis- and trans-poly( 1a )s gave cis-rich mixtures at equilibrium states. The trans and cis polymers exhibited different emission properties, for example—trans polymer, emissn λ_max = 400 nm, quantum yield: 3.4 × 10⁻³ and cis polymer, emissn λ_max = 380 nm, quantum yield: 1.5 × 10⁻³. Besides poly( 1a ), poly(dimethylsilylenearylenevinylene)s containing biphenylene and phenylenesilylenephenylene units [poly( 3 )] were prepared. The extent of conjugation in these polymers decreased in the orders of biphenylene > phenylene > phenylenesilylenephenylene as well as trans-vinylene > cis-vinylene. The quantum yield of the trans-rich polymer with biphenylene moiety was fairly large and 0.15. Polyaddition of 1,4-bis(dimethylsilyl)benzene and three types of diethynylarenes (4,4′-diethynylbiphenyl, 2,7-diethynylfluorene, and 2,6-diethynylnaphthalene) catalyzed by RhI(PPh₃)₃ provided novel regio- and stereoregular polymers [poly( 6 )]. These polymers displayed blue light emission with high quantum yields (4–81%). © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 3615–3624, 2003     

Relationship between electronic and crystal structure in Cu–Ni–Co–Mn–O spinels: Part A: Temperature-induced structural transformation

Local atomic and crystal structures around Cu and Mn atoms in Mn_1.68Cu_0.6Ni_0.48Co_0.24O₄ spinel samples fabricated by metal–organic decomposition synthesis at different annealing temperatures were investigated by X-ray absorption fine structure analysis. There are two distinct copper cations, Cu¹⁺ and Cu²⁺, both of which maintain tetrahedral coordination. The bond-length distances are Cu¹⁺–O = 2.00 Å and Cu²⁺–O = 1.80 Å. The manganese cations are for the most part octahedral. The spinels prepared at low temperature (600 °C) contain smaller (Mn⁴⁺–O = 1.88 Å) undistorted MnO₆ octahedrons corresponding to Mn⁴⁺ valence, whereas the manganese octahedrons in high-temperature materials (800 °C and higher) were larger and had a pronounced tetragonal distortion pertaining to Mn³⁺ oxidation state (Mn³⁺–O = 1.93 Å and 2.11 Å). By rising the fabrication temperatures, relative concentration of the species of Mn⁴⁺ and Mn³⁺ varies as a result of the reaction represented by Cu¹⁺ + Mn⁴⁺  Cu²⁺ + Mn³⁺, implying irreversible temperature-induced structural transformation. Atomic coordinates in the low-temperature phase are similar to those found in the ideal cubic spinel with oxygen parameter u = 0.27, whereas local environments of the Cu and Mn atom correspond to the tetragonal CuMn₂O₄ phase (space group I4₁/amd). Unlike in CuMn₂O₄, orientation of the lattice distortions is random, however, the long-range cubic spinel structure is retained at all time.     

Soft magnetization of a semi-hard/soft magnetic bilayer produced by oblique-incidence evaporation

The possibility of achieving soft magnetization in semi-hard magnetic films such as Fe, Fe_93.5Si_6.5, Fe₅₀Co₅₀ and Fe₇₀Co₃₀ is investigated by depositing films on an Fe₂₀Ni₈₀ underlayer by oblique-incidence evaporation. The magnetic anisotropy of the underlayer is strengthened to a depth of several lattice parameters by vapor deposition of the film at an oblique angle to the substrate surface. This method also allows magnetic anisotropy to be induced in strongly isotropic semi-hard magnetic overlayers to a thickness of a few thousands Angstroms. The coercive force of bilayer films measured along the hard-axis is reduced remarkably by this process, and the strength of the anisotropy field is demonstrated to be readily controllable. When magnetic anisotropy exists in both magnetic layers, a significant change is observed in the magnetization processes of the semi-hard magnetic layer and the coercive forces in the hard magnetization direction is dramatically reduced. Soft magnetization of the semi-hard magnetic layer cannot be achieved when magnetic anisotropy exists in only one of the magnetic layers.     

Rollable ferroelectric liquid crystal devices monostabilized with molecularly aligned polymer walls and networks

This paper describes a flexible monostabilized ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) device using molecularly aligned polymer walls and networks, which are sequentially formed with a two-step photopolymerization-induced phase separation. When ultraviolet (UV) light was irradiated through a photomask onto a heated nematic phase solution of FLC and monomer, monomer molecules that had flowed into the irradiated areas were photopolymerized, and polymer walls aligned along the rubbing direction of the polyimide alignment layers on plastic film substrates were formed. After uniform UV irradiation without a photomask, polymer networks aligned along the rubbing direction were formed in the FLC. The FLC molecules were monostabilized in the rubbing direction by the strong anchoring of the polymer networks. The device, which was sandwiched between crossed polarizers, exhibited a monostable electro-optic characteristic with a high contrast ratio of over 100:1 and a response time of less than 1 ms. The FLC device exhibited spatially uniform operation even when it was rolled up with a radius of curvature of 1.5 cm.     

Diode-pumped, chirped-pulse Yb:S-FAP regenerative amplifier for laser-Compton X-ray generation

We present a diode-pumped, chirped-pulse Yb:S-FAP regenerative amplifier. This regenerative amplifier was developed as a first amplifier in an all-solid-state Yb:S-FAP laser system for laser-Compton X-ray generation. The amplifier delivers pulse energies above 24 mJ at a repetition rate of 50 Hz. Pulse compression reduces pulse widths to approximately 2.0 ps.