Assembly of Na3V2(PO4)3 Nanoparticles Confined in a One‐Dimensional Carbon Sheath for Enhanced Sodium‐Ion Cathode Properties

Structural and morphological control is an effective approach for improvement of electrochemical properties in rechargeable batteries. One‐dimensionally assembled structure composed of NASICON‐type Na₃V₂(PO₄)₃ nanoparticles were fabricated through an electrospinning method to meet the requirements for the development of efficient electrode materials in Na‐ion batteries. High‐temperature treatment of electrospun precursor fibers under an argon flow provides a nonwoven fabric of nanowires comprising crystallographically oriented nanoparticles of NASICON‐type Na₃V₂(PO₄)₃ within a carbon sheath. The mesostructure comprising NASICON‐type Na₃V₂(PO₄)₃ and carbon give a short sodium‐ion transport pass and an efficient electron conduction pass. Electrochemical properties of NASICON‐type Na₃V₂(PO₄)₃ are improved on the basis of one‐dimensional nanostructures designed in the present study.     

Intense Red-Blue Luminescence Based on Superfine Control of Metal–Metal Interactions for Self-Assembled Platinum(II) Complexes

A series of assembled Pt^II complexes comprising N-heterocyclic carbene and cyanide ligands was constructed using different substituent groups, [Pt(CN)₂(R-impy)] (R-impyH⁺=1-alkyl-3-(2-pyridyl)-1H-imidazolium, R=Me ( Pt-Me ), Et ( Pt-Et ), ⁱPr ( Pt- ⁱ Pr ), and ^tBu ( Pt- ^t Bu )). All the complexes exhibited highly efficient photoluminescence with an emission quantum yield of 0.51–0.81 in the solid state at room temperature, originating from the triplet metal-metal-to-ligand charge transfer (³MMLCT) state. Their emission colors cover the entire visible region from red for Pt-Me to blue for Pt- ^t Bu . Importantly, Pt- ^t Bu is the first example that exhibits blue ³MMLCT emission. The ³MMLCT emission was proved and characterized based on the temperature dependences of the crystal structures and emission properties. The wide-range color tuning of luminescence using the ³MMLCT emission presents a new strategy of superfine control of the emission color.     

Operating Limits for Stable Growth of Silicon Fibers with Diameter Less Than 150 μm by Modified μ-PD Method

The μ-PD method originally developed for oxide crystals has been modified and applied for filamentary silicon crystal growth. Our main modification of μ-PD method is concerned with an arrangement of melt permeable feeder which is inserted into the nozzle. The feeder finishes by a sharp tip the diameter of which (is almost the same as that of the desired semiconductor fiber, i.e., less than 150 μm. Silicon fibers were grown from the small liquid pool at the end of the feeder. Three types of crucible-die arrangement were designed and tested. The best results were obtained with the help of inclined insert made of graphite fibers because of its ability to quench oscillations and longer operation life. Fiber crystals, 100 μm in diameter and 70 mm in length, have been grown successfully. Small meniscus stability, operating limits of μ-PD method and silicon carbide formation during the growth process are discussed.     

Existence of Three Weak Solutions for a Class of Quasi-Linear Elliptic Operators with a Mixed Boundary Value Problem Containing $p(\cdot )$-Laplacian in a Variable Exponent Sobolev Space

In this paper, we consider a mixed boundary value problem to a class of nonlinear operators containing $p(\cdot )$-Laplacian. More precisely, we are concerned with the problem with the Dirichlet condition on a part of the boundary and the Steklov boundary condition on an another part of the boundary. We show the existence of at least three weak solutions under some hypotheses on given functions and the values of parameters.     

Water-soluble constituents of dill

From the water-soluble portion of the methanol extract of dill (fruit of Anethum graveolens L.), which has been used as a spice and medicine, thirty-three compounds, including a new monoterpenoid, six new monoterpenoid glycosides, a new aromatic compound glucoside and a new alkyl glucoside were obtained. Their structures were clarified by spectral investigation.     

Comment nonexistence of difficulties with the graph theory of aromaticity

It is stressed that, at present, there are no difficulties with the graph theory of aromaticity as long as a careful definition of resonance energy is used as a measure of aromatic stabilization.     

X‐ray fluorescence analysis of sludge ash from sewage disposal plant

Glass bead/x‐ray fluorescence spectrometry of the sludge incineration ashes generated in sewage processing was developed for the determination of ten major components (Na₂O, MgO, Al₂O₃, SiO₂, P₂O₅, K₂O, CaO, TiO₂, MnO, Fe₂O₃) and five minor elements (Zn, Cu, Cr, As, Pb). Sewage sludge ashes consisted of rock‐forming minerals and phosphate crystals that had been used for phosphorus removal. Ash samples were melted and molded with lithium tetraborate to 35 mm diameter glass disks in a Pt–Au crucible. Analytical results of ten major components and five minor elements agreed well with the recommended values of a phosphate rock standard reference material (NIST SRM 694). Elemental compositions of sewage sludge ash from seven sewage‐processing plants in Japan were determined using this method. Concentrations of Fe₂O₃, SiO₂, and CaO, along with loss of ignition in sewage sludge ash mutually differed among the sewage‐processing plant products. Seasonal variations in concentrations of ten major components and five minor components of ash samples produced from October 2001 to September 2002 were determined using the proposed method. Concentrations of SiO₂increased with the inflow of gravel by rainfall, thereby decreasing concentrations of P₂O₅ originating from excreta and microorganisms. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Generation of a novel monoclonal antibody against cortisol-[C-4]-bovine serum albumin conjugate: application to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for urinary and serum cortisol.

Measurement of cortisol levels in body fluids is important for monitoring pituitary gland and adrenal functions. To develop a specific and standardized enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), a novel monoclonal anti-cortisol antibody has been generated using a reasonably designed haptenic derivative. Spleen cells were prepared from the BALB/c or A/J mouse, which had repeatedly been immunized with a conjugate of 4-(2-carboxyethylthio)cortisol (CET) and bovine serum albumin, to be fused with P3/NS1/1-Ag4-1 myeloma cells. After four fusion experiments, one hybridoma clone secreting a practical antibody has been established. The resulting monoclonal antibody CS#38 (isotype gamma1, kappa) showed an affinity constant (K(a)) for cortisol of 1 x 10(9) M(-1) and provided a practical calibration curve (detection limit, 0.26 ng per assay) in a homologous ELISA system employing horseradish peroxidase-labeled CET as a labeled antigen. Cross-reactivities with related C-21 steroids were acceptably low: 11-deoxycortisol (4.3%), cortisone (4.0%), corticosterone (1.9%), progesterone (1.6%), 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone (12%), 6beta-hydroxycortisol (8.4%), and tetrahydrocortisol (< 0.1%). Urinary and serum cortisol levels of healthy volunteers were determined by this method after methylene chloride extraction to be 39.0 +/- 17.0 microg/day (n = 7) and 80.8 +/- 38.9 ng/mL (n = 10), respectively, both of which are in the reference range.     

A tunable picosecond dye laser for use in dioxin analysis.

A distributed-feedback dye laser with a quenching cavity was designed and constructed for generating a tunable picosecond pulse with a narrow spectral linewidth. This nearly transform-limited pulse was succeedingly amplified by a triple-pass off-axis amplifier. The pulse duration and the spectral linewidth were 60 ps and 9.4 pm, respectively. The amplified pulse was frequency-doubled by second-harmonic generation, producing a 0.5-mJ pulse with no background emission. The potential advantage of this laser in the analysis of dioxin based on supersonic jet/resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization/mass spectrometry is discussed.