Micrometer-sized graphitic balls produced together with single-wall carbon nanohorns

We present in this report a new type of particles with micrometer-order sizes, which we called giant graphitic balls (GG balls). The GG balls are produced by CO2 laser ablation of graphite together with single-wall carbon nanohorns. They have graphitic structures whose layers tend to align parallel with the GG-ball surfaces, resulting in polygonal-like arrangements. Comparing the GG-ball structure with that of the previously reported polygonal graphite-particles, the growth mechanism of the GG ball is discussed briefly.     

Crystal structure of poly(m-phenylene isophthalamide)

The crystal structure of poly(m-phenyulene isophthalamide) was determined by x-ray analysis. The triclinic cell, with a = 5.27 Å, b = 5.25 Å, c (fiber axis) = 11.3 Å, α = 111.5°, β = 111.4° and γ = 88.0° and space group P1, contains one monomeric unit. The crystal density is 1.47 g/cc. The molecules in the crystal are contracted by 1 Å per monomeric unit from the fully extended conformation, and the planes of the benzene rings and adjacent amide groups make angles of about 30°. The crystal is composed of molecular chains connected by N? H···O hydrogen bonds along the a and b axes forming a “jungle gym” network structure. The low tensile modulus of this polymer as compared with that of poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide) is attributed to the contracted molecular conformation.     

Optimization of a sonochemical reactor using a pulsing operation

It is known that sonochemical reactions are enhanced by pulsing ultrasound. A method to optimize a sonochemical reactor using a pulsing operation was studied through the measurement of changes in sonoluminescence (SL) intensity from distilled water under various experimental conditions. It was confirmed that pulsing with a constant input power level enhanced SL intensity at lower power levels because of the higher amplitude of ultrasound. In contrast to this, a quenching effect due to excessive sound pressure appeared at higher power levels, and the pulsing operation was not effective under these conditions. Pulsing is more effective at higher frequency than at lower frequency.     

Morphology of micron‐sized,monomer‐adsorbed,crosslinked polymer particles having snowmanlike shapes prepared by the dynamic swelling method

A series of monomer‐adsorbed, crosslinked polystyrene/polydivinylbenzene composite particles having snowmanlike shapes were prepared by the dynamic swelling method that the authors had proposed in 1991. The morphology of the snowman‐shaped particles was estimated with the contact angle of the monomer phase on the polymer particle. Influences of the kind of monomers and polyvinyl alcohol colloidal stabilizer on the morphology were obviously observed and discussed from the viewpoint of thermodynamic stability. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 3106–3111, 2001     

Confirmation of Disorder α Form of Poly(L-lactic acid) by the X-ray Fiber Pattern and Polarized IR/Raman Spectra Measured for Uniaxially-Oriented Samples

In the present research, we report for the first time the X-ray fiber pattern and polarized IR/Raman spectra taken for the uniaxially oriented disorder α form of PLLA, which can confirm the existence of the disorder PLLA α form (α′-form) and provide some new insight on the structural difference between the order and disorder α forms.     

Post‐synthetic Spin‐Labeling of RNA through Click Chemistry for PELDOR Measurements

Site‐directed spin labeling of RNA based on click chemistry is used in combination with pulsed electron‐electron double resonance (PELDOR) to benchmark a nitroxide spin label, called here d? . We compare this approach with another established method that employs the rigid spin label Çm for RNA labeling. By using CD spectroscopy, thermal denaturation measurements, CW‐EPR as well as PELDOR we analyzed and compared the influence of d? and Çm on a self‐complementary RNA duplex. Our results demonstrate that the conformational diversity of d? is significantly reduced near the freezing temperature of a phosphate buffer, resulting in strongly orientation‐selective PELDOR time traces of the d? ‐labeled RNA duplex.     

Preparation of poly(acrylic acid)‐b‐polystyrene by two‐step atom transfer radical polymerization in supercritical carbon dioxide

It is known that it is difficult to polymerize carboxylic acid‐based monomer by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) in polar solvents due to the protonation of ligand caused by acidic dissociation of the monomer. In this study, precipitation reverse ATRP of acrylic acid (AA) was carried out in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂), which is a nonpolar solvent to dissolve transition metal complexes, at 30 MPa and 45 °C. The polymerization proceeded smoothly and the conversion reached 86% for 3 h. After vending of scCO₂, a dry poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) powder was obtained. Weight‐average molecular weight and polydispersity of the methylated PAA, which were measured by gel‐permeation chromatography after methyl esterification, were 3.5 × 10⁴ and 2.07, respectively, indicating that the precipitation reverse ATRP proceeded with a bad control manner. However, chain extension of the methylated PAA with styrene was possible by ATRP in a bulk system. Moreover, PAA‐b‐polystyrene was successfully prepared in scCO₂ directly by two‐step ATRP, although its molecular weight distribution was broad. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Complexation of Terbium Ion with the Copolymer of Acrylic Acid and Acrylamide Grafted onto Polyethylene

Acrylic acid (AA) and acrylamide (AAm) were graft copolymerized onto polyethylene powder by the preirradiation method. The PE powder grafted with both AA and AAm (PE-g-(AA-co-AAm)) rapidly adsorbed Tb ion with an efficiency higher than did PE powder grafted with AA (PE-g-AA). The complex formation constant of Tb ion with PE-g-(AA-co-AAm) was larger than that with PE-g-AA because the introduction of the acrylamide part decreased the steric hindrance for complexation between Tb and the carboxyl group of the graft chains. Tb ion was efficiently separated from transition metal ions, such as Co, upon passage of a solution through a column packed with PE-g-(AA-co-AAm).     

Challenge of advanced low temperature fuel cells based on high degree of freedom of group 4 and 5 metal oxides

To obtain an ideal electrocatalysts for hydrogen fuel cells, we investigated group 4 and 5 oxide-based compounds because of their high degree of freedom. First-principles calculations revealed that oxide surfaces such as those of titanium oxide could break down the universal scaling to achieve the ideal state of the oxygen reduction reaction. We experimentally clarified that the active sites were oxygen vacancies for tantalum and zirconium oxides, in addition to doped foreign elements and crystalline structures for titanium oxide. We successfully demonstrated that precious metal-free and carbon-free oxide-based cathodes have high quality active sites and superior durability in 0.1 M sulfuric acid at 80°C. Our strategy was developed as follows: (1) Active sites are created on the oxide surface by modifying the crystalline structure and electronic states and (2) electrons participating in the oxygen reduction reaction are supplied by nanosized oxide particles and oxide films through the tunneling effect of electrons.     

Thermal activation of KF/alumina catalyst for double bond isomerization and Michael addition

KF/alumina catalyst exhibits activity for double bond isomerization of 1-pentene at 273 K when pretreatedin vacuo in the temperature range 573–673 K, while the activity for Michael addition of nitromethane to butene-2-one does not change much with the pretreatment temperature.