Author index to volume 49

The de-excitation rate constants of Ne(³P₂, ³P₀ and ³P₁) by N₂ and SF₆ were measured using a pulse radiolysis method combined with optical absorption spectroscopy. A new absorption law which relates the relative concentration S of absorbing atoms to the measured transmittance T, i.e. in S = Σ¹¹_{i = 0}a_iTⁱ, was used for analyzing the data. The presence of a small amount of SF₆ in the sample gas mixtures permitted removal of some artifacts due to thermal electrons for determining the rate constants.     

Cationic graft copolymerization of styrene onto poly(vinyl chloride) initiated by phosphorus trichloride

The effect of some organic halides on the cationic polymerization of styrene (St) initiated by phosphorus trichloride (PCl₃) was studied to clarify the initiation mechanism on the cationic polymerization. Addition of organic halides caused an acceleration to some extent. Further, cationic graft copolymerization of St onto poly(vinyl chloride) and polychloroprene was carried out. In each case, grafting efficiency was lower than 10%. These results in the cationic polymerization of St by PCl₃ in nitrobenzene support the assumption that the initiation step is caused by the dissociation of two molecules of PCl₃ to ion pairs.     

Simulation and Experimental Study of Wavefront Measurement Accuracy of the Pencil-Beam Method

Ultra-bright and high-coherence X-rays are now being used in synchrotron radiation facilities and X-ray free electron laser facilities. X-ray focusing techniques are essential to take full advantage of these excellent X-ray light sources. To meet the strong demand, high-quality X-ray focusing optics have been developed owing to the advancement of ultraprecision machining and measurement. State-of-the-art refractive lenses [1 C.G. Schroer, Applied Physics Letters 87, 124103 (2005).[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]], zone plates [2 T. Chen, Optics Express 19, 19919 (2011).[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]], and Laue lenses [3 H. Yan, Optics Express 19, 15069 (2011).[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]] can be used to achieve X-ray focusing to a spot a few tens of nanometers.     

LOV-like flavin-Cys adduct formation by introducing a Cys residue in the BLUF domain of TePixD

BLUF and LOV are blue-light sensor domains that possess flavin as a common chromophore but exhibit distinct photoreactions. Ile66 located in the BLUF domain of a cyanobacterial photosensor protein, TePixD, was replaced with Cys to mimic the LOV domain. Light-induced Fourier transform infrared spectra of the I66C TePixD showed that a flavin-Cys adduct, typical of the photoinduced intermediates of LOV domains, was formed in the I66C BLUF domain. This result demonstrates that different types of flavin photoreactions can be realized in the same domain if key amino acids are properly arranged near the flavin and the domain structure itself is not a crucial factor to determine the photoreaction type.     

Preparation and properties of inhalable nanocomposite particles: effects of the size, weight ratio of the primary nanoparticles in nanocomposite particles and temperature at a spray-dryer inlet upon properties of nanocomposite particles

Nanoparticles are expected to be applicable to inhalation as carrier but there exist disadvantages because of their size. Their deposition dose to the lung will be small. To overcome this problem and utilize nanoparticles for inhalation, we have prepared nanocomposite particles as drug carriers targeting lungs. The nanocomposite particles are prepared as drug-loaded nanoparticles–additive complex to reach deep in the lungs and to be decomposed into nanoparticles when they deposit into lung. In this study, we examined the effect of preparation condition – inlet temperature, size of primary nanoparticles and weight ratio of primary nanoparticles – on the property of nanocomposite particles.

When the size of primary nanoparticles was 400 nm and inlet temperature was 90 °C, only the nanocomposite particles containing between 45 and 55% of primary nanoparticles could be decomposed into nanoparticles in water. On the other hand, when the inlet temperature was 80 °C, nanocomposite particles were decomposed into nanoparticles independent of the weight ratio of primary nanoparticles. Also, the aerodynamic diameter of the nanocomposite particles was between 1.5 and 2.5 μm, independent of the weight ratio of primary nanoparticles.

When the size of primary nanoparticles was 200 nm and inlet temperature was 70 °C, nanocomposite particles were decomposed into nanoparticles independent of the weight ratio of primary nanoparticles. Also, the aerodynamic diameters of them were almost 2.0 μm independent of the weight ratio of primary nanoparticles. When the nanocomposite particles containing nanoparticles with the size of 200 nm are prepared at 80 °C, no decomposition into nanoparticles was observed in water.

Fine particle values, FPF, of the nanocomposite particles were not affected by the weight ratio of primary nanoparticles when they were prepared at optimum inlet temperature.     

Control of 1D wave versus 2D honeycomb CoIIICdIICuI heterotrimetallic architectures by Delta L-Lambda L diastereoisomerism of L-cysteinatocobalt(III) building units

The reactions of the Delta L and Lambda L isomers of [Co( l-Hcys- N, S)(en) 2] (2+) ( l-H 2cys = l-cysteine) with CuCl in aqueous HCl gave Co (III)Cu (I) dinuclear complexes with the same S-bridged structures, Delta L- 1 and Lambda L- 1. When Delta L- 1 was treated with CdCl 2 in water, a 1D wavelike (Co (III) 2Cd (II)Cu (I)) n polymeric complex ( 2) was produced. On the other hand, similar treatment of Lambda L- 1 led to the formation of a 2D honeycomb-like (Co (III) 3Cd (II) 3Cu (I)) n polymeric complex ( 3), supported by the presence of counter-monoanions.