Double beta decays and neutrino nuclear responses

Neutrino-less double beta decays (0νββ), which violate the lepton number conservation law by ΔL=2, are unique and realistic probes for studying the Majorana nature of neutrinos, the ν mass spectrum and the absolute mass scale, the lepton sector CP and others beyond the standard electro-weak theory. Neutrino nuclear responses (nuclear matrix elements M^0ν) are crucial to extract neutrino properties of the particle physics interests from experimental 0νββ rates. Subjects discussed include 0νββ processes and Majorana neutrinos, the present and future 0νββ experiments, and neutrino nuclear responses (M^0ν) and charge exchange reactions.     

Effects of polymerization method on structure and properties of thermoplastic polyurethanes

The effects of the dynamic polymerization method and temperature on the molecular aggregation structure and the mechanical and melting properties of thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) were successfully clarified. TPUs were prepared from poly (ethylene adipate) glycol (M_n = 2074), 4,4′‐diphenylmethane diisocyanate and 1,4‐butanediol by the one‐shot (OS) and the prepolymer (PP) methods in bulk at dynamic polymerization temperatures ranging from 140 to 230 °C. Glass‐transition temperatures (T_gs) of the soft segment and melting points (T_ms) of the hard segment domains of OS‐TPUs increased and decreased, respectively, with increasing polymerization temperatures, but those of PP‐TPUs were almost independent of the polymerization temperature. T_gs of the soft segment and T_ms of the hard segment domains of these TPUs polymerized above 190 °C were almost the same regardless of the polymerization method. Solid‐state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) analyses of OS‐ and PP‐TPUs showed that the relative proton content of fast decay components, which corresponds to the hard segment domains, in these TPUs decreased with increasing polymerization temperatures. These results clearly show that the degree of microphase separation becomes weaker with increasing polymerization temperatures. The temperature dependence of dynamic storage modulus and loss tangent of OS‐TPUs coincided with those of PP‐TPUs at polymerization temperature above 190 °C. The apparent shear viscosity for OS‐ and PP‐TPUs polymerized above 190 °C approached a Newtonian behavior at low shear rates regardless of the polymerization method. These results indicate that TPUs polymerized at higher temperatures form almost the same molecular aggregation structures irrespective of the dynamic polymerization method. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 800–814, 2007     

Partial molar volumes and partial molar adiabatic compressibilities of bipyridine and phenanthroline complexes with Fe(II), Co(II), Ni(II), and Cu(II) and chlorides of these metals

Densities and ultrasonic velocities were measured at 25°C for aqueous solutions of bipyridine and phenanthroline complexes [M(bpy)₃]Cl₂ and [M(phen)₃]Cl₂ (M=Fe, Co, Ni, and Cu, bpy=2,2-bipyridine, and phen=1,10-phenanthroline), and chlorides of these metals. The partial molar volumes V ₂ ^o and partial molar adiabatic compressibilities K _s ^o were calculated. For the complex ions, [M(bpy)₃]²⁺ and [M(phen)₃]²⁺, electrostatic interactions with the solvent are not nearly as important as effects due to the hydrophobic ligands bpy and phen. The relationship between V ₂ ^o and K _s ^o of the complex ions and common metal ions are examined.     

Photoinduced heterolysis of the carbon-oxygen bond in bichromophoric 1-arylmethyloxy-2-pyridones

Irradiation of the title compound having a 9-anthryl (1a) or a 1-pyrenyl group (1b) in methanol was found to give the heterolytic C---O bond cleavage products: 1-hydroxy-2-pyridone and arylmethyl methyl ether, (which predominate for the reaction of 1a), along with 2-pyridone, aryl-substituted methanol and aryl aldehyde derived from the homolysis of the N---O bond (that mainly occurs in the photolysis of 1b). Spectroscopic analysis of the ground-state and excited singlet-state behavior of 1 revealed that a non-emissive intramolecular exciplex (whose formation rate is much faster in 1a than in 1b) plays a key role in inducing the C---O bond heterolysis.     

Participation of the alpha,alpha'-diiminopyridine ligand system in reduction of the metal center during alkylation

The reaction of [[2,6-(i-Pr)(2)PhN=C(Me)](2)(C(5)H(3)N)]MnCl(2) with alkylating agents formed a dinuclear Mn(I) derivative via ligand reductive coupling. In the case of the trivalent Cr analogue, a similar reaction afforded reduction toward Cr(II) but also alkylation at the pyridine ring para position followed by an unprecedented cycloaddition that generated a tricyclic system.     

Synthesis of amphiphilic particles in the presence of inert solvents and their application to lipase immobilization

To develop monodisperse amphiphilic polymer particles on which a large amount of lipase could be immobilized, we performed seed polymerizations of glycidyl methacrylate and allyl methacrylate in the presence of nonpolar inert and polar inert solvents. The amphiphilic porous polymer particles, which had both hydrophilic guanidino groups and hydrophobic stearoyl groups, were synthesized in the presence of n‐decane and had a large amount of macropores with diameters of 50–1000 nm. The amount of lipase immobilized on the amphiphilic particles synthesized in the presence of n‐decane was 3.85 times that of the lipase immobilized on the amphiphilic particles synthesized in the absence of a solvent. The immobilized lipase prepared with the amphiphilic particles synthesized in the presence of n‐decane exhibited a high transesterification activity in n‐hexane and could be used repeatedly without a considerable activity loss. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 874–884, 2002; DOI 10.1002/pola.10178     

Peroxidase activity of cationic metalloporphyrin-antibody complexes

Peroxidase activity of a complex of water-soluble cationic metalloporphyrin with anti-cationic porphyrin antibody is reported. Antibody 12E11G, which was prepared by immunization with a conjugate of 5-(4-carboxyphenyl)-10,15,20-tris(4-methylpyridyl)porphine iodide (3MPy1C), bound to tetramethylpyridylporphyrin iron complex (FeIII-TMPyP) with the dissociation constant of 2.6 x 10(-7) M. The complex of antibody 12E11G with FeIII-TMPyP catalyzed oxidation of pyrogallol, catechol, and guaiacol. A Lineweaver-Burk plot for the oxidation of pyrogallol catalyzed by the FeIII-TMPyP-antibody complex showed Km=8.6 mM and kcat=680 min(-1). Under the same conditions, Km and kcat for horseradish peroxidase (HRP) were 0.8 mM and 1750 min(-1), respectively. Although the binding interaction of the antibody to the substrates was one order lower than that of native HRP, the peroxidase activity of this system was in the same order of magnitude as that of HRP.     

Water-soluble porphyrins appending platinum(II) complexes as binders for synthetic nucleic acid polymers

Water-soluble porphyrins containing four platinum(II) complexes per molecule, [5alpha,10beta,15alpha,20beta-tetrakis(2-trans-(alpha,beta,alpha,beta-trans-Pt) and cis-(alpha,beta,alpha,beta-cis-Pt) [PtCl(NH(3))(2)]N-2-aminophenylporphyrin)], were synthesized and characterized. The binding of synthetic nucleotide polymers (poly(dG)-poly(dC), poly(dA)-poly(dT)) to the porphyrins was examined spectrophotometrically in aqueous solution. UV-vis spectral data suggested that these porphyrins bind to the nucleic acids by coordinative and Coulomb interactions.