A Large-Area Patterned TiO2/SnO2 Bilayer Type Photocatalyst Prepared by Gravure Printing

Anatase TiO₂ films (thickness = 50 nm) were formed in shape of stripes (width = 1.6 mm, interval = 0.4 mm) by gravure printing on commercially available SnO₂ coated soda-lime glass substrates (dimension = 300 × 300 mm). Its photocatalytic activity was examined for the gas-phase oxidation of CH₃CHO in comparison with a simple TiO₂ photocatalyst formed on a silica glass. The patterned TiO₂/SnO₂ bilayer type photocatalyst showed a high photocatalytic activity in an H₂O bearing atmosphere. On the other hand, neither the patterning nor stacking effect was observed for the same reaction under dry conditions. These results could be explained in terms of the reducing potential of the electrons in the conduction band of the SnO₂ layer.     

A gravimetric method for the determination of oxygen in uranium oxides and ternary uranium oxides by addition of alkaline earth compounds

A simple gravimetric determination of oxygen in uranium oxides and ternary uranium oxides is described. In alkaline earth uranates which are formed by heating in air at 800–1100°C, uranium is in the hexavalent state over certain continuous ranges of alkaline earth-to-uranium ratios. Thus, if an alkaline earth uranate or a compound containing an alkaline earth element, e.g. MgO, is mixed with the oxide sample and heated in air under suitable conditions, oxygen can be determined from the weight change before and after the reaction. The standard deviation of the O:U ratio for a UO_2+x test sample is ±0.0008–0.001, if a correction is applied for atmospheric moisture absorbed during mixing.     

Designer ribozymes: programming the tRNA specificity into flexizyme

Fx3 is an artificial ribozyme with the ability to aminoacylate various tRNAs with phenylalanine and its nonnatural derivatives. Herein we report a simple strategy to build tRNA specificity into the generic Fx3, by appending to its 3'-end a tRNA-specific sequence (TSS), which is complementary to the acceptor stem of the cognate tRNA. This new designer ribozyme, referred to as Fx10, is able to recognize its cognate tRNA via a 10-base-pair interaction that is formed after the invasion of the tRNA acceptor stem by the TSS. We have demonstrated that Fx10 can aminoacylate its cognate tRNA with a high degree of specificity and also discriminate against the noncognate tRNAs. Because the tRNA specificity can be easily programmed into Fx10, it is a custom-made catalyst to generate nonnatural aminoacyl-tRNAs.     

A facile method for the synthesis of thiocarbamates: palladium-catalyzed reaction of disulfide, amine, and carbon monoxide

[reaction: see text] A new method for the synthesis of thiocarbamates has been developed. When dialkyl or diaryl disulfides were allowed to react with secondary amines and carbon monoxide in the presence of a catalytic amount of a palladium complex, the thiocarbamates were obtained in moderate to good yields. In contrast to that of secondary amines, in the reaction of a primary amine, no formation of thiocarbamate was confirmed, but urea was formed in good yield.     

Enzymatic Synthesis and Polymerization of Cyclic Trimethylene Carbonate Monomer with/without Methyl Substituent

The direct enzymatic synthesis of a cyclic trimethylene carbonate (1,3‐dioxane‐2‐one) monomer with/without a methyl substituent was carried out using dimethyl or diethyl carbonate and 1,3‐diol with the objective of producing aliphatic poly(trimethylene carbonate), a typical biodegradable synthetic plastic. The lipase‐catalyzed condensation of dimethyl or diethyl carbonate with aliphatic 1,3‐diols using immobilized Candida antarctica lipase (lipase CA) in an organic solvent at 70 °C afforded the corresponding methyl‐substituted and unsubstituted cyclic trimethylene carbonates. The cyclic trimethylene carbonates obtained by the reaction of dimethyl or diethyl carbonates with 1,3‐propanediol and 2‐methyl‐1,3‐propanediol were polymerized by lipase to produce the corresponding polycarbonates.

Total TMC yield as a function of the reaction time.     

The crystal structures of α- and β-CdUO4

The structural parameters of α- and β-CdUO₄ crystals are determined by X-ray powder diffraction technique. α-CdUO₄ is rhombohedral and cell parameters are a = 6.233(3) Å and α = 36.12(5)°. β-CdUO₄ crystallizes in a C-centered orthorhombic cell with a = 7.023(4), b = 6.849(3), c = 3.514 (2) Å. The space groups are $\text{R}\text{3}\text{m}$ for α-CdUO₄ and Cmmm for β-CdUO₄. α-CdUO₄: 1U in (000), 1Cd in ($\text{1}\text{2}\text{1}\text{2}\text{1}\text{2}$), 2O(1) in ±(uuu), 2O(2) in ±(vvv); u = 0.113, v = 0.350, Z = 1. β-CdUO₄: 2U in ($\text{000;}\text{1}\text{2}\text{1}\text{2}\text{0}$), 2Cd in ($\text{1}\text{2}\text{0}\text{1}\text{2}\text{; 0}\text{1}\text{2}\text{,}\text{1}\text{2}$), 4O(1) in ($\text{0, ±y, 0;}\text{1}\text{2}\text{,}\text{1}\text{2}\text{±y, 0}$), 4O(2) in ($\text{±x, 0,}\text{1}\text{2}\text{;}\text{1}\text{2}\text{±x,}\text{1}\text{2}\text{,}\text{1}\text{2}$); x = 0.159, y = 0.278, Z = 2. β-CdUO₄ contains collinear uranyl UO²⁺₂ groups with a UO(1) distance of 1.91 Å, located either along or parallel to the c axis whereas the UO(1) bond length in α-CdUO₄ is 1.98 Å which is longer than the usual uranyl bond length.