Surface analysis of nitride layers formed on Fe‐based alloys through plasma nitride process

Nitriding phenomena that occur on the surfaces of pure Fe and Fe? Cr alloy (16 wt% Cr) samples were investigated. An Ar + N₂ mixture‐gas glow‐discharge plasma was used so that surface nitriding could occur on a clean surface etched by Ar⁺ ion sputtering. In addition, the metal substrates were kept at a low temperature to suppress the diffusion of nitrogen. These plasma‐nitriding conditions enabled us to characterize the surface reaction between nitrogen radicals and the metal substrates. The emission characteristics of the band heads of the nitrogen molecule ion (N₂⁺) and nitrogen molecule from the glow‐discharge plasma suggest that the active nitrogen molecule is probably the major nitriding reactant. AES and angle‐resolved XPS were used to characterize the thickness of the nitride layer and the concentration of elements and chemical species in the nitride layer. The thickness of the nitride layer did not depend on the metal substrate type. An oxide layer with a thickness of a few nanometers was formed on the top of the nitride layer during the nitriding process. The oxide layer consisted of several species of N_x‐Fe_y‐O, NO⁺, and NO₂^?. In the Fe? Cr alloy sample, these oxide species could be reduced because chromium is preferentially nitrided. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Detection of N-nitroso-bile acids at 285 nm in reverse-phase HPLC

In the present study, we developed a novel, simple, and specific detection method using an RP-HPLC at UV 285 nm for the separation and quantification of N-nitroso-bile acids. First, we found that N-nitroso-bile acids have a specific spectrophotometric absorbance at 285 nm. Using this 285 nm detection system, we could especially measure N-nitroso-bile acids, even in co-existence of non-N-nitroso-bile acids. Next, we observed the decomposition of N-nitroso-glychocholate under alkaline, acidic, and neutral conditions. N-nitroso-glychocholate rapidly decomposed under alkaline conditions (pH 9) (t(1/2) = 0.96 h), but remained fairly stable under acidic (pH 2) (t(1/2) = 12.8 h) and neutral (pH 7) (t(1/2) = 7.8 h) conditions. This study is the first report, which simply and specifically analyzes N-nitroso-bile acids using an RP-HPLC system.     

Through-bond excited energy transfer mediated by an amidinium-carboxylate salt bridge in Zn-porphyrin free-base porphyrin dyads

Excited energy-transfer processes were investigated for a supramolecular Zn-porphyrin free-base porphyrin dyad, ZnPA-2 x FbPC-2, in which beta-octaalkylated meso-diarylporphyrins are connected through an amidinium-carboxylate salt bridge. The rate of energy transfer in the dyad (1.3 x 10(9) s(-1)) is substantially slower than that in the previously reported dyad, ZnPA-1FbPC-1 (4.0 x 10(9) s(-1)), in which meso-tetraarylporphyrins are connected through the same amidinium-carboxylate salt bridge. The F?rster-type mechanism can explain only minor parts of these rates (3.3 x 10(8) and 5.1 x 10(8) s(-1), respectively). Thus, Dexter-type through-bond energy transfer may be invoked. Indeed, bridge-mediated electronic processes would be favored in ZnPA-1 x FbPC-1 over ZnPA-2 x FbPC-2 on the basis of steric and electronic factors. Sterically, the phenyl groups in ZnPA-2 and FbPC-2 are more closely perpendicular to the porphyrin planes than those in ZnPA-1 and FbPC-1. Electronically, the energy and symmetry of the occupied frontier orbitals should favor ZnPA-1 x FbPC-1 over ZnPA-2 x FbPC-2 in terms of electronic interactions through the bridge. Therefore, the observed trend (ZnPA-1 x FbPC-1>ZnPA-2 x FbPC-2), consistent with these considerations, lends further support to the through-bond mechanism. Thus, the amidinium-carboxylate salt bridge is effective in mediating through-bond energy transfer even though the bond is noncovalent.     

Koshikamide B, a cytotoxic peptide lactone from a marine sponge Theonella sp

Koshikamide B (1) has been isolated from two separate collections of the marine sponge Theonella sp. as the major cytotoxic constituent. Koshikamide B is a 17-residue peptide lactone composed of six proteinogenic amino acids, two D-isomers of proteinogenic amino acids, seven N-methylated amino acids, and two unusual amino acid residues. The unusual amino acids are N(delta)-carbamoylasparagine and 2-(3-amino-2-hydroxy-5-oxopyrrolidin-2-yl)propionic acid (AHPP); the former is first found as the constituent of peptides, whereas the latter is a new amino acid residue. The N-terminus of koshikamide B is blocked by a methoxyacetyl group. The structure of koshikamide B (1) has been determined by interpretation of spectral data and analysis of chemical degradation products. Koshikamide B (1) exhibits cytotoxicity against P388 murine leukemia cells and the human colon tumor (HCT-116) cell line with an IC50 value of 0.45 and 7.5 microg/mL, respectively.     

Polyether-bridged sexithiophene as a complexation-gated molecular wire for intramolecular photoinduced electron transfer

The porphyrin-sexithiophene-fullerene triad 2, where the two central thiophene units of the sexithiophene spacer are bridged with a crown-ether-like polyether chain, undergoes efficient intramolecular electron transfer from the photoexcited porphyrin moiety to the fullerene through the sexithiophene. However, complexation with a sodium cation in the crown ether ring causes complete suppression of electron transfer as a result of a drastic conformational change of the sexithiophene backbone. Furthermore, decomplexation resumes the photoinduced electron transfer. This on/off switching phenomenon indicates that the polyether-bridged sexithiophene can function as a complexation-gated molecular wire.     

Multipole effects in non-Kramers doublet system PrMg3

We performed ultrasonic measurements on a single crystal of PrMg₃. The characteristic Curie-type softening was observed in temperature dependence of transverse mode (C₁₁-C₁₂)/2 below 8 K down to 0.8 K. This softening in PrMg₃ is caused by a non-Kramers Γ₃ doublet ground state having electric quadrupoles O_u and O_v and magnetic octupole T_xyz. The elastic constant (C₁₁-C₁₂)/2 shows a minimum at 25 K, which cannot be explained by the quadrupole susceptibility based on the crystal electric field (CEF) levels. However, considering higher order (l=4) multipole, namely electric hexadecapole, the minimum around 25 K was well reproduced. At lower temperatures, a shoulder anomaly in elastic constant being deviated from the Curie-type softening was observed around 100-800 mK in (C₁₁-C₁₂)/2. This anomaly is unaffected by magnetic fields up to 14 T.