Photoresponsive multilayer spiral nanotubes: intercalation of polyfluorinated cationic azobenzene surfactant into potassium niobate

The first successful synthesis of photoresponsive multilayer spiral nanotubes by the introduction of polyfluorinate cationic azobenzene derivative, trans-[2-(2,2,3,3,4,4,4-heptafluorobutylamino)ethyl]-{2-[4-(4-hexyphenylazo)-phenoxy]ethyl}dimethylammonium (abbreviated as C3F7-Azo+), into layered niobate interlayer I by a two-step guest-guest exchange method using the intercalation compound, methyl viologen (MV2+)-K4Nb6O17, as precursor is reported.     

Enantioselectivity of redox reaction of DOPA at the gold electrode modified with a self-assembled monolayer of homocysteine

The enantioselectivity of the self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of homocysteine formed on the (111)-oriented gold surface was investigated. We analyzed the redox behavior of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA), which is an electrochemically active chiral molecule, by means of cyclic voltammetry at a gold electrode modified with one enantiomeric form of homocysteine. It was demonstrated that the homocysteine SAM of one enantiomeric form blocked the redox reaction of only one enantiomer of DOPA, with cross inversion for the other enantiomer, in acidic solution.     

Initial growth process of polystyrene particle investigated by AFM

We carried out molecular-scale and in situ investigations of the initial growth process of polystyrene particles in soap-free polymerization, where a cationic initiator, V-50, was used to make the formed particles transfer onto the mica plate in sampling, using an atomic force microscope. It was found that the particles coagulated soon after the nucleation process. Such coagulation was estimated from a macroscopic research, however; microscopic evidence was not enough. This study verifies it from a microscopic view.     

Growth mechanism of soap-free polymerization of styrene investigated by AFM

To clarify the growth mechanism of polystyrene (PSL) particles in the soap-free polymerization, characteristics of not only particles but also polymeric materials floating in the bulk were investigated on the molecular scale by using atomic force microscope (AFM), where a cationic initiator V-50 is used to make the formed polymeric materials transfer on the mica plate in sampling. Our main attention here is to know the reason why the particle size increases with increasing initiator concentration in the production of PSL particles. The following are found. (1) As far as the initiators and monomers remain in the bulk solution, the polymeric materials are born in the bulk continuously, because of the slow decomposition rate of initiators. (2) The growth of particles at the early stage of t(r) > or = 0.75 h is considered to be attributable mainly to the particle swelling by absorbing monomers from the bulk. The rapid growth at the intermediate stage is due to the deposition of polymeric materials in the bulk on the particle surface and their simultaneous swelling by monomers in the bulk. (3) The reason why the particle size increases with increasing concentration of initiator is that the growth process is controlled by the deposition rate of polymeric materials in the bulk whose amount increases with the initiator concentration. (4) The particle size and the smoothness of particle surface depend on the relative concentration of initiators and monomers remained.     

Compression induced chiral symmetry breaking of monolayers comprised of banana-shaped achiral molecules at an air-water interface: Williams-Bragg approach

Chirality of monolayers comprised of banana-shaped achiral molecules at an air-water interface was investigated theoretically, and a forming mechanism of chiral structure as an assembly of achiral molecules was argued. A model of such monolayers was constructed taking into account the short-range repulsive interaction between constituent banana-shaped achiral molecules, and the free energy density functional of the model was derived as a generalization of Williams-Bragg approach. It was predicted that chiral symmetry breaking occurs by monolayer compression, where two-dimensional characteristics of monolayers at an interface plays an important role in the formation of chiral structure by banana-shaped achiral molecules.     

Preparation and application of odorless 1,3-propanedithiol reagents

2-Dodecyl-1,3-propanedithiol (2a) was prepared without a malodorous procedure as an odorless reagent that was usable in place of 1,3-propanedithiol (1) in organic reactions, e.g., in the reduction of azides and protection of carbonyl groups. The 1,3-dithioacetals obtained in the latter reaction were effectively reduced to methylene with Raney nickel and reconverted to the original carbonyl compounds by hydrolysis with N-bromosuccinimide in aqueous 2-butanone. In addition, the anion of 1,3-dithiane prepared from 2a and formaldehyde could be utilized as a synthetic equivalent of an anionic carbonyl carbon.     

Identification and measurements of strong Brønsted acid site in ultrastable Y (USY) zeolite

By using the IRMS-TPD method in which IR (infrared) and MS (mass spectroscopy) worked together, acid sites of USY (ultrastable Y) zeolite were studied. A new band of OH playing a role of Br?nsted acid was clearly detected on Na2H2-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)-treated USY at 3595 cm(-1) during an elevation in temperature after the adsorption of ammonia. MS-measured TPD (temperature-programmed desorption) of NH3 and IR-measured TPD of the NH4+ cation coincided well to show that this zeolite consisted of the Br?nsted acid sites. The MS-TPD profile at higher temperatures corresponded to the IR-TPD of the 3595-cm(-1) band, and therefore, this OH was identified as a strong acid site. From comparison between IR-TPD of OH and MS-TPD, numbers of three kinds of Br?nsted OH (i.e., those in super and sodalite cages of a Y zeolite structure) and created strong Br?nsted acid site were quantified. On the other hand, strength of the Br?nsted acid site DeltaH was determined individually by a simulation method, where the corrected IR-TPD of OH was simulated based on the proposed equation. Thus, a new strong Br?nsted acid site was identified in the EDTA-treated USY, and the amount and strength was measured quantitatively.     

Hydrogen absorption and desorption by the Li-Al-N-H system

Lithium hexahydridoaluminate Li(3)AlH(6) and lithium amide LiNH(2) with 1:2 molar ratio were mechanically milled, yielding a Li-Al-N-H system. LiNH(2) destabilized Li(3)AlH(6) during the dehydrogenation process of Li(3)AlH(6), because the dehydrogenation starting temperature of the Li-Al-N-H system was lower than that of Li(3)AlH(6). Temperature-programmed desorption scans of the Li-Al-N-H system indicated that a large amount of hydrogen (6.9 wt %) can be released between 370 and 773 K. After initial H(2) desorption, the H(2) absorption and the desorption capacities of the Li-Al-N-H system with a nano-Ni catalyst exhibited 3-4 wt % at 10-0.004 MPa and 473-573 K, while the capacities of the system without the catalyst were 1-2 wt %. The remarkably increased capacity was due to the fact that the kinetics was improved by addition of the nano-Ni catalyst.     

Zeolite LTA Nanoparticles Prepared by Laser-Induced Fracture of Zeolite Microcrystals

Zeolite LTA nanoparticles are prepared by laser-induced fragmentation of zeolite LTA microparticles using a pulsed laser. Zeolite nanoparticle formation is attributed to absorption of the laser at impurities or defects within the zeolite microcrystal generating thermoelastic stress that mechanically fractures the microparticle into smaller nanoparticle fragments. Experimentally, it is found that nanoparticles have a wide size and morphology distribution. Large nanoparticles (>200 nm) are typically irregularly shaped crystals of zeolite LTA, whereas small nanoparticles (<50 nm) tend to be spherical, dense, and amorphous, indicative of destruction of the original LTA crystal structure. Results of the fragmentation versus laser parameters show that shorter laser wavelengths are more efficient at producing zeolite nanoparticles, which is explained based on a larger cross section for optical absorption in the zeolite crystal. Increasing the laser energy density irradiating the sample was found to be a trade-off between increasing the amount of fragmentation and increasing the amount of structural damage to the zeolite crystal. It is suggested that in the presence of strongly absorbing defects, plasma formation is induced resulting in dramatically higher temperatures. On the basis of these results it is suggested the optimal laser processing conditions are 355 nm and 10 mJ/pulse laser energy for our LTA samples.     

Metal oxide promoted TiO2 catalysts for photo-assisted selective catalytic reduction of NO with NH3

The photo-assisted selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO with NH₃ (Photo-SCR) was performed over TiO₂ modified by supporting 1 wt% of various transition metal (V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ta or W) oxides aiming at the improvement of the photo-SCR activity. The addition of Nb, Mo or W oxide to TiO₂ was found to enhance the photo-SCR activity. We have reported that the amount of acid sites on TiO₂ is one of the key factors to the photo-SCR activity. The increase in the activity depends on the enhancement of acidity of catalyst by the addition of Nb, Mo or W oxide. In contrast, the addition of V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni or Cu oxide to TiO₂ lowered the photo-SCR activity, although addition of metal cations also changed the acidity of TiO₂. We guess that the reduction of the activity was caused by two reasons; the first is that the sites newly formed on these transition metal oxides is not photoactive and the second is that TiO₂ supporting V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni or Cu oxides had low stabilities under the reaction conditions, i.e., the chemical state of the cations changed during the reaction. Therefore, we concluded that the increase in the acid sites that are active sites for photo-SCR and the stability of the catalysts are important for the photo-SCR.