Phase behavior of binary mixtures composed of ethylene carbonate and various organic solvents

Phase behaviors of the binary mixtures composed of ethylene carbonate (EC) and aliphatic alcohols, ω-phenyl alcohols, and alkylbenzenes were investigated. In addition, heat of solution of EC into these organic solvents was measured. The EC/methanol and EC/ethanol systems gave homogeneous solution at the temperature above their liquidus lines, while the mixtures of EC and alcohols with longer alkyl chain showed a miscibility gap in a liquid phase and provided the monotectic-type phase diagram. The liquid–liquid phase separation region expanded with the increase in the alkyl chain length. A similar phase behavior was also observed for the mixtures of EC and alkylbenzenes. On the other hand, the EC mixtures with ω-phenyl alcohols showed no miscibility gap in a liquid phase at least up to 4-phenylbutan-1-ol which has C4 alkyl chain intervening between phenyl and hydroxyl groups. This result demonstrates that both of the hydroxyl and phenyl groups act to facilitate the mixing of aliphatic compounds with EC. The phase behavior of these EC mixtures was analyzed applying the modified regular solution model in which the pair interaction energy was regarded as free energy. The model calculation with the use of heat of solution of EC at infinite dilution as the pair interaction enthalpy reproduced well both of the experimentally obtained liquidus line and mutual solubility curve as well as monotectic point.     

Energy relaxation of intermolecular motions in supercooled water and ice: a molecular dynamics study

We investigate the energy relaxation of intermolecular motions in liquid water at temperatures ranging from 220 K to 300 K and in ice at 220 K using molecular dynamics simulations. We employ the recently developed frequency resolved transient kinetic energy analysis, which provides detailed information on energy relaxation in condensed phases like two-color pump-probe spectroscopy. It is shown that the energy cascading in liquid water is characterized by four processes. The temperature dependences of the earlier three processes, the rotational-rotational, rotational-translational, and translational-translational energy transfers, are explained in terms of the density of states of the intermolecular motions. The last process is the slow energy transfer arising from the transitions between potential energy basins caused by the excitation of the low frequency translational motion. This process is absent in ice because the hydrogen bond network rearrangement, which accompanies the interbasin transitions in liquid water, cannot take place in the solid phase. We find that the last process in supercooled water is well approximated by a stretched exponential function. The stretching parameter, β, decreases from 1 to 0.72 with decreasing temperature. This result indicates that the dynamics of liquid water becomes heterogeneous at lower temperatures.     

An LC method for quantifying bepridil in human plasma using 1-naphthol as the internal standard

A modified method for the quantitative determination of bepridil hydrochloride in human plasma is described. This method is unrelated to chemical methods currently in use. The mobile phase is 50 mM phosphate buffer (pH3.0)-methanol-acetonitrile-triethylamine (57:3:40:1, v/v), and the samples are fractionated on a C8-3 column (150 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) using a flow rate of 0.9 mL/min. Bepridil was detected by UV spectroscopy at 254 nm. The retention times of bepridil and 1-naphthol were 12.6 min and 7.5 min, respectively; there was no interference originating from human plasma. We confirmed that the bepridil and 1-naphthol peaks were not influenced by the presence of 32 commercial medicines frequently co-administered with bepridil. Additionally, the concentration of bepridil in the plasma of five patients treated with bepridil for atrial fibrillation was measured. These samples were collected just before each dosage of bepridil. Their rhythm and rate control were well maintained. Trough concentrations ranged from 233.9 to 347.4 ng/mL, similar to previously reported values.     

Projection of Si 1s photoexcited orbitals into resonant Auger electron spectra in KLL decays of Si(CH3)4 and SiF4

Spectator resonant KL(23)L(23) Auger electron spectra have been measured in the Si 1s photoexcitation region of Si(CH(3))(4) using monochromatized undulator radiation combined with a hemispherical electron spectrometer. The broad peak with high intensity in a total ion yield spectrum, coming mainly from excitation of a 1s electron into the 6t(2) vacant orbital, induces a spectator Auger decay in which the excited electron remains in its excited orbital. The component on the higher energy side of this peak through 1s excitation into a Rydberg orbital produces resonant Auger decays in which the excited Rydberg electron moves into a slightly higher Rydberg orbital, or is partly shaken up to a significantly higher Rydberg orbital. These findings of Si(CH(3))(4) indicate a clear contrast to those for SiF(4), in which the 1s excitation into a Rydberg orbital induces a shake-down phenomenon as well as a shake-up one. The results of these molecules exhibit a clear splitting effect among excited orbitals which are smeared out by overlapping due to lifetime widths and due to densely populated levels in the 1s electron excitation spectrum. This is consistent with the calculation on photoexcitation within the framework of density functional theory.     

Interaction of ferrocene moieties across a square Pt4 unit: synthesis, characterization, and electrochemical properties of carboxylate-bridged bimetallic Pt4Fe(n) (n = 2, 3, and 4) complexes

Four types of square Pt(4) complexes bearing two or more ferrocenecarboxylate ligands--[Pt(4)(μ-OCOCH(3))(4)(μ-OCOC(5)H(4)FeCp)(4)] (6); [Pt(4)(μ-OCOCH(3))(4)(μ-OCOC(5)H(4)FeCp)(3)(μ-ArNCHNAr)], where ArNCHNAr = N,N'-diarylformamidinate) (7); trans-[Pt(4)(μ-OCOCH(3))(4)(μ-OCOC(5)H(4)FeCp)(2)(μ-ArNCHNAr)(2)] (8); and cis-[Pt(4)(μ-OCOCH(3))(4)(μ-OCOC(5)H(4)FeCp)(2)(κ(4)-N(4)-DArBp)(2)], where DArBp = 1,3-bis(benzamidinato)propane (9)--were successfully prepared via reactions of [FeCp(η(5)-C(5)H(4)COOH)] (5) with the corresponding square Pt(4) complexes, which have labile in-plane acetate ligands. The newly prepared Pt(4) complexes (6-9) with ferrocene moieties as pendants were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, mass spectroscopy (MS), combustion analyses, and single-crystal X-ray analysis for 6, some of the trans-Pt(4)Fe(2)8, and the cis-Pt(4)Fe(2) complexes 9. Weak interactions between two ferrocene moieties across the Pt(4) core, providing ΔE(1/2) values and K(c) constants, were revealed electrochemically, using cyclic and differential-pulse voltammetry in dichloromethane containing [(n)Bu(4)N][BAr(F)(4)] (where Ar(F) = C(6)H(3)(CF(3))(2)-3,5), which was a better supporting electrolyte for such an interaction than [(n)Bu(4)N][PF(6)].     

Formation and dielectric properties of anodic oxide films on Zr–Al alloys

Zr–Al alloys containing up to 26 at.% aluminum, prepared by magnetron sputtering, have been anodized in 0.1 mol dm⁻³ ammonium pentaborate electrolyte, and the structure and dielectric properties of the resultant anodic oxide films have been examined by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy, and AC impedance spectroscopy. The anodic oxide film formed on zirconium consists of monoclinic and tetragonal ZrO₂ with the former being a major phase. Two-layered anodic oxide films, comprising an outer thin amorphous layer and an inner main layer of crystalline tetragonal ZrO₂ phase, are formed on the Zr–Al alloys containing 5 to 16 at.% aluminum. Further increase in the aluminum content to 26 at.% results in the formation of amorphous oxide layer throughout the thickness. The anodic oxide films become thin with increasing aluminum content, while the relative permittivity of anodic oxide shows a maximum at the aluminum content of 11 at.%. Due to major contribution of permittivity enhancement, the maximum capacitance of the anodic oxide films is obtained on the Zr–11 at.% Al alloy, being 1.7 times than on zirconium at the formation voltage of 100 V.     

Incipient structural and vibrational relaxation process of photolyzed carbonmonoxy myoglobin: statistical analysis by perturbation ensemble molecular dynamics method

The incipient structural and vibrational energy relaxation process of photolyzed carbonmonoxy myoglobin was analyzed by the perturbation ensemble molecular dynamics (PEMD) method, in which many pairs of perturbed and unperturbed MD simulations are executed for ensemble-averaging to obtain statistically significant results by canceling out thermal fluctuations. First, we have shown that the experimentally reported anisotropic expansion can be detected within a picosecond after photolysis. The good agreement between the experimental and computational results indicates that the PEMD method can predict legitimately those changes driven by perturbations even if the changes might be subtle and smaller than thermal fluctuations. Second, the structural relaxation including the ??clamshell rotation?? in E and F helices was successfully analyzed. The high time resolution analysis has clarified the incipient structural dynamics on a subpicosecond timescale: the clamshell rotation starts at His64, Val68, and His93 following both the heme doming and the dissociated CO ligand collision. Third, the vibrational energy relaxation from the heme to the globin matrix is elucidated not only temporally but also spatially. This is the first ??thorough?? report of the spacetime-resolved excess kinetic energy redistribution of photolyzed MbCO in the globin matrix with a statistically significant precision, ±1?K. The incipient anisotropic vibrational relaxation occurs clearly within a picosecond in the direction perpendicular to the heme plane by the ??through-bond?? and ??through-projectile?? pathways, and the isotropic relaxation then follows by the ??through-space?? pathway. Finally, it is concluded that the PEMD method is a powerful tool to understand the incipient relaxation process driven by the perturbation.     

Fluorescence studies on phenylene moieties embedded in a framework of periodic mesoporous organosilica

The excited state characteristics of phenylene (Ph)-bridged periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO) powders with crystal-like and amorphous wall structures are investigated. Crystal-like Ph-PMO has a molecular ordering of the bridging organic moieties with intervals of 0.76 and 0.44 nm parallel and perpendicular to the mesochannel direction, respectively, whereas amorphous Ph-PMO has no molecular-level periodicity in the wall. Fluorescence from the exciton and excimer of the Ph moieties and the defect center in the silicate network were detected at room temperature, but fluorescence from the excimer and the defect center were not detected at 77 K for crystal-like Ph-PMO dispersed in a methanol/ethanol mixed solvent. The decay curve of the exciton fluorescence of crystal-like Ph-PMO at room temperature was analyzed successfully using a one-dimensional diffusion model quenched by the defect center and the excimer site. The results were discussed in comparison with those for the crystal-like biphenylene-bridged PMO reported in the preceding paper (Yamanaka et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2010, 12, 11688-11696). The existence of excited states with various conformations including ground state dimers or aggregates of the Ph moieties was suggested for amorphous Ph-PMO. It was clearly apparent that the differences in the excited state dynamics reflected the differences in the molecular-level structure in the wall.