Crystal structure of hexagonal SrAl2O4 at 1073 K

The crystal structure of SrAl₂O₄ at 1073 K was determined from conventional X-ray powder diffraction data using direct methods, and it was further refined by the Rietveld method. The structure was hexagonal (space group P6₃, Z=6) with a=0.89260(3) nm, c=0.84985(2) nm and V=0.58639(3) nm³. Final reliability indices were R_wp=7.87%, R_p=5.87% and R_B=4.19%. The [AlO₄] tetrahedra are linked to form trigonally distorted rings and they are joined in layers. These layers are stacked with a two-layer repeat and connected by the tetrahedral apices. All of the Sr atoms occupy the centers of the rings when viewed along the c-axis. The structure is described as a stuffed derivative of tridymite.     

A fluorimetric, column-switching HPLC and its application to an elimination study of LLU-alpha enantiomers in rat plasma

A method for the enantiomeric determination of 2,7,8-trimethyl-2-(beta-carboxyethyl)-6-hydroxy chroman (LLU-alpha, gamma-CEHC) in rat plasma was developed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a fluorimetric derivatization with 4-N, N-dimethylaminosulfonyl-7-piperazino-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (DBD-PZ) followed by O-acetylation with acetyl chloride. The proposed HPLC system used two non-chiral columns (phenyl and octadecylsilica) and a chiral column (a modified cellulose type), which were connected via two column-switching valves. A derivatized sample prepared from rat plasma was first separated on the phenyl column, and the fraction including LLU-alpha derivative was introduced to the octadecylsilica column to quantify the concentration of the mixture of S- and R-LLU-alpha. Finally, the LLU-alpha derivative was directly injected into the chiral column to obtain the ratio of the enantiomers. The proposed HPLC system was applied to the enantiomeric determination of LLU-alpha in plasma after intravenous administration of racemic LLU-alpha. S-LLU-alpha was eliminated faster than R-LLU-alpha, and its concentration in plasma decreased to one-third at 2 min after dosing.     

Fluorogenic and fluorescent labeling reagents with a benzofurazan skeleton

Fluorogenic and fluorescent labeling reagents having a benzofurazan (2,1,3-benzoxadiazole) skeleton such as 4-fluoro-7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (NBD-F), 4-N,N-dimethylaminosulfonyl-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (DBD-F), 4-aminosulfonyl-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (ABD-F), ammonium 7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole-4-sulfonate (SBD-F), 4-hydrazino-7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (NBD-H), 4-N,N-dimethylaminosulfonyl-7-hydrazino-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (DBD-H), 4-nitro-7-N-piperazino-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (NBD-PZ), 4-N,N-dimethylaminosulfonyl-7-N-piperazino-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (DBD-PZ), 4-(N-chloroformylmethyl-N-methyl)amino-7-N,N-dimethylaminosulfonyl-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (DBD-COCl) and 7-N,N-dimethylaminosulfonyl-4-(2,1,3-benzoxadiazolyl) isothiocyanate (DBD-NCS) are reviewed in terms of synthetic method, reactivity, fluorescence characteristics, sensitivity and application to analytes.     

Photon activation analysis of trace metals in the livers and spleens of pigs

Nondestructive photon activation analysis with 30 MeV bremsstrahlung was applied to determine trace element concentrations in the livers and spleens of five pigs. Samples were freeze-dried, pulverized and fractionated into four groups corresponding mesh size; smaller than 60 mesh, 60–100 mesh, 100–200 mesh and larger than 200 mesh. Up to 9 elements in each fraction were analyzed. The concentrations of Br, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Rb and Zn in each liver fractions were almost constant, as were concentrations of Mg and Rb in spleens.     

PEGylated polyplex micelles from triblock catiomers with spatially ordered layering of condensed pDNA and buffering units for enhanced intracellular gene delivery

An A-B-C type triblock copolymer, tandemly aligning two types of polycations with different pKa values in a single polymer strand, was developed for the construction of novel polyplex micelles, satisfying a high DNA condensing ability as well as a proton buffering activity directed to elevating gene transfection. The micelle might feature the distinctive three-layered structure, where an inner polyplex layer of condensed pDNA with poly(l-lysine) (pKa approximately 9.4) as the C segment is successively wrapped with an intermediate layer of poly[(3-morpholinopropyl)aspartamide] (B segment) with a comparatively low pKa of approximately 6.2, to provide a buffering effect, and an outer PEG layer (A segment) as a biocompatible palisade.     

Electronic polarizability and crystallization of K2O-TiO2-GeO2 glasses with high TiO2 contents

Some K₂O-TiO₂-GeO₂ glasses with a large amount of TiO₂ contents (15-25 mol%) such as 25K₂O-25TiO₂-50GeO₂ have been prepared, and their electronic polarizability, Raman scattering spectra, and crystallization behavior are examined to clarify thermal properties and structure of the glasses and to develop new nonlinear optical crystallized glasses. It is proposed that the glasses consist of the network of TiO₆ and GeO₄ polyhedra. The glasses show large optical basicities of Λ=0.88-0.92, indicating the high polarizabity of TiO_n (n=4-6) polyhedra in the glasses. K₂TiGe₃O₉ crystals are formed through crystallization in all glasses prepared in the present study. In particular, 20K₂O-20TiO₂-60GeO₂ glass shows bulk crystallization and 18K₂O-18TiO₂-64GeO₂ glass exhibits surface crystallization giving the c-axis orientation. The crystallized glasses show second harmonic generations (SHGs), and it is suggested that the distortion of TiO₆ octahedra in K₂TiGe₃O₉ crystals induces SHGs.     

Novel and efficient method for esterification, amidation between carboxylic acids and equimolar amounts of alcohols, and amines utilizing Me2NSO2Cl and N,N-dimethylamines; its application to the synthesis of coumaperine, a natural chemopreventive dieneamide

Various carboxylic esters or amides were prepared in good to excellent yield between carboxylic acids and equimolar amounts of alcohols or amines under very mild conditions (0-45°C; within 3 h) using dimethylsulfamoyl chloride (Me₂NSO₂Cl; 1) combined with N,N-dimethylamines (Me₂NR: 2a; R=Me, 2b; R=Bu). The choice of the sulfamoyl chloride and the amine is crucial for the reaction; that is, sterically uncrowded amines accelerated the present esterification and amidation. This agent had some advantages over methanesulfonyl chloride (3)/amines as for the atom-economy, avoidance of side reactions, and had very high chemoselectivity toward the carboxyl group vs the hydroxyl group; the experiment was performed by the addition of 1 to the mixture of carboxylic acids and alcohols. Application of this method to the synthesis of coumaperine, a chemopreventive natural product, was performed using the present amidation as a key step.     

Stereoblock poly(lactic acid): synthesis via solid-state polycondensation of a stereocomplexed mixture of poly(L-lactic acid) and poly(D-lactic acid)

Stereoblock poly(lactic acid) consisting of D- and L-lactate stereosequences can be successfully synthesized by solid-state polycondensation of a 1:1 mixture of poly(L-lactic acid) and poly(D-lactic acid). In the first step, melt-polycondensation of L- and D-lactic acids is conducted to synthesize poly(L-lactic acid) and poly(D-lactic acid) with a medium-molecular-weight, respectively. In the next step, these poly(L-lactic acid) and poly(D-lactic acid) are melt-blended in 1:1 ratio to allow formation of their stereocomplex. In the last step, this melt-blend is subjected to solid-state polycondensation at temperature where the dehydrative condensation is allowed to promote chain extension in the amorphous phase with the stereocomplex crystals preserved. Finally, stereoblock poly(lactic acid) having high-molecular-weight is obtained. The stereoblock poly(lactic acid) synthesized by this way shows a higher melting temperature in consequence of the controlled block lengths and the resulting higher-molecular-weight. The product characterization as well as the optimization of the polymerization conditions is described. Changes in M(w) of stereoblock poly(lactic acid) (sb-PLA) as a function of the reaction time.     

Capacity and quantum mechanical tunneling

We connect the notion of capacity of sets in the theory of symmetric Markov process and Dirichlet forms with the notion of tunneling through the boundary of sets in quantum mechanics. In particular we show that for diffusion processes the notion appropriate to a boundary without tunneling is more refined than simply capacity zero. We also discuss several examples in ^d .