Interconvertible multiple photoluminescence color of a gold(i) isocyanide complex in the solid state: solvent-induced blue-shifted and mechano-responsive red-shifted photoluminescence

In this study, we report the interconvertible tetracolored solid state photoluminescence of gold(i) isocyanide complex 2 upon various external stimuli through solid state structural changes. Soaking complex 2 in acetone yields blue emission as a result of the formation of 2B. The subsequent removal of acetone yields 2G through a crystal-to-crystal phase transition, which exhibits green emission. This green-emitting solid 2G exhibits stepwise emission color changes to yellow and then to orange upon mechanical stimulation by ball-milling, which corresponds to the formation of 2Y and 2O, respectively. 2B could be recovered upon the addition of acetone to 2G, 2Y, and 2O. Thus, these four emitting solid states of 2 can be switched between repeatedly by means of acetone soaking and the application of mechanical stimulation. Importantly, single crystal and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) studies fully show the detailed molecular arrangements of 2B, 2G, and 2Y. This is the first mechanochromic compound to show interconvertible four color emission in the solid state. We also present the first example of using PXRD measurements and the Rietveld refinement technique for the structural analysis of a ground powder in a luminescence mechanochromism study. We obtained complete molecular-level structural information of the crystalline states of 2B, 2G, 2Y, and 2O. In comparison with a more solvophobic analogue 1, we suggest that the weak interaction of 2 with acetone in the solid state would allow a solvent inclusion/release mode, which is an important structural factor for the unprecedented multicolor mechanochromic luminescence.     

Structural analysis of alanine tripeptide with antiparallel and parallel beta-sheet structures in relation to the analysis of mixed beta-sheet structures in Samia cynthia ricini silk protein fiber using solid-state NMR spectroscopy

The structural analysis of natural protein fibers with mixed parallel and antiparallel beta-sheet structures by solid-state NMR is reported. To obtain NMR parameters that can characterize these beta-sheet structures, (13)C solid-state NMR experiments were performed on two alanine tripeptide samples: one with 100% parallel beta-sheet structure and the other with 100% antiparallel beta-sheet structure. All (13)C resonances of the tripeptides could be assigned by a comparison of the methyl (13)C resonances of Ala(3) with different [3-(13)C]Ala labeling schemes and also by a series of RFDR (radio frequency driven recoupling) spectra observed by changing mixing times. Two (13)C resonances observed for each Ala residue could be assigned to two nonequivalent molecules per unit cell. Differences in the (13)C chemical shifts and (13)C spin-lattice relaxation times (T(1)) were observed between the two beta-sheet structures. Especially, about 3 times longer T(1) values were obtained for parallel beta-sheet structure as compared to those of antiparallel beta-sheet structure, which could be explicable by the difference in the hydrogen-bond networks of both structures. This very large difference in T(1) becomes a good measure to differentiate between parallel or antiparallel beta-sheet structures. These differences in the NMR parameters found for the tripeptides may be applied to assign the parallel and antiparallel beta-sheet (13)C resonances in the asymmetric and broad methyl spectra of [3-(13)C]Ala silk protein fiber of a wild silkworm, Samia cynthia ricini.     

X-ray magnetic circular dichroism at rare-earth L23 absorption edges in various compounds and alloys

Theoretical interpretations of X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) at rare-earth (called R hereafter) L₂₃ absorption edges are reviewed using differing models, depending on the material under investigation. In the first chapter, we present an overview of recent developments for XMCD in XAS with a few general remarks, especially at R atom absorption edges. In Section 2, we first describe basic mechanism of XMCD at L₂₃ edges of R systems, and then we essentially discuss two examples of XMCD spectra in: (i) R₂Fe₁₄B metallic compounds, with the help of a cluster model, and (ii) RFe₂ Laves-phase compounds, using a tight-binding approximation for R 5d and Fe 3d conducting states. A good agreement between theory and experiment for R₂Fe₁₄B suggests that a cluster model provides a valuable method to quantitatively calculate XMCD spectra of R systems, even with quite complicated atomic arrangements. For RFe₂ systems the XMCD spectral shape, especially for the L₂ edge of heavy R elements, is more complicated than those of R₂Fe₁₄B systems, and this is explained by the competition of some different XMCD mechanisms. In Section 3, we focus on special series of Ce systems, related to XAS and XMCD studies at the Ce L₂₃ edges. Two clearly differing cases are interpreted: (i) A well localized 4f¹ system, i.e. CeRu₂Ge₂; (ii) A less localized 4f¹ system, i.e. CeFe₂, with a 3d partner. Then, from a more experimental point of view, we investigate the influence of substitution on the low temperature properties of CePd₃ compounds, i.e. Ce(_Pd1-xMnx)3$\mathrm{Ce}({\mathrm{Pd}}_{1-x}{\mathrm{Mn}}_x{)}_3$ alloys where x   is about 0.03, giving rise to (_CePd3)8Mn$({\mathrm{CePd}}_3{)}_8\mathrm{Mn}$ ordered structure. We give another example: Ce(_Pd1-xNix)3$\mathrm{Ce}({\mathrm{Pd}}_{1-x}{\mathrm{Ni}}_x{)}_3$ alloys with x taken up to about 0.25. Also the Ce L₂₃ XMCD signal measured in pure CePd₃ demonstrates that in the Ce based dense Kondo materials, only the 4f¹ channel yields a magnetic response.     

Gelation of colloidal crystals without degradation in their transmission quality and chemical tuning

A single-domain colloidal crystal with high transmission quality, prepared by a shear-induced process, was fixed as a hydrogel film by photopolymerization. Upon gelation, the original optical quality was almost perfectly preserved. By replacing the solvent, the gelled crystal could be converted to smaller lattice constant crystals without significant degradation in its transmission characteristics. The conversion results in a stop-band wavelength coverage across the entire visible light range.     

Unique incorporation behavior of amino acid-type surfactant into phospholipid vesicle membrane

The incorporation behavior of some anionic surfactants, including amino acid-type surfactants, on phospholipid vesicles was investigated. This was done by measuring the release of a vesicle-entrapped fluorescence probe and the scattered light intensities of vesicle particles in the surfactant solution as a function of surfactant concentration and time. Sodium dodecyl sulfate, sodium dodecanesulfonate, sodium dodecanoyl sarcosinate, and sodium dodecanoyl glutamate were employed in this study. All surfactants ruptured the phospholipid vesicle at around each critical micelle concentration by mixed micelle formation with phospholipid. While leakage of the fluorescence probe took place at a very low concentration in the sulfate- or sulfonate-type surfactant systems, it occurred at the concentration just below the CMC in the amino acid-type surfactant systems. Kinetic analysis of the release of the probe from the vesicles showed that the former surfactants adsorbed independently and homogeneously onto the phospholipid vesicles, while the latter surfactants were cooperatively incorporated.     

Microanalytical Techniques Applied to Phase Identification and Measurement of Solute Redistribution at the Solid/Liquid Interface of Frozen Fe-4.3Ni Doublets

 A Fe-4.3Ni alloy has been solidified directionally by using the Bridgman system. The solidification conditions were chosen to obtain an oriented cellular structure of δ-ferrite. These are: a positive temperature gradient of about 60 K/cm and a growth rate of 6.6 μm/s. A change in these conditions can lead either to the formation of austenite or to the competitive growth of δ-ferrite/γ-austenite. The solid/liquid interface of δ-ferrite cells has been frozen and double instability has been revealed at the tip of the cells. The instability is described as the first harmonic wave of fundamental undulation, which appeared at the formerly planar solid/liquid interface. This means that a doublet structure is formed only with the imposed specific conditions of solidification. The Ni-solute redistribution after back-diffusion has been measured across the δ-ferrite doublet. Results of energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) measurements on the distribution of Ni and Fe correspond well to the theoretical prediction for redistribution developed especially for oriented structure formation (two dimensional solidification). Additionally, electron backscattered diffraction from the bulk Fe-4.3Ni alloy sample allowed us to determine the local structure, i.e. the distribution of single crystallite orientations in the microstructure. A unique correlation between fluctuations of the Ni-solute redistribution and crystalline orientations in the δ-ferrite doublets has been demonstrated. Moreover, a relationship between geometrical asymmetry of the doublets and solute redistribution has also been found.     

Scattering characteristics of a beam mode in dielectric-slab optical waveguide

Scattering of the light beam propagating through a dielectric-slab optical waveguide occurs due to refractive index inhomogeneities of the thin film region and due to boundary irregularities of the filmsubstrate and the film-air interfaces. The quantity and direction of the scattered light are evaluated by means of a perturbation method together with the use of a stationary phase method, for a variety of correlation lengths and variances and the thin film thicknesses. The results show that for a slab waveguide of t/=10.0,t and being the thickness of thin film and the wavelength of light, the effect of refractive index inhomogeneities is pronounced in comparison with that of waveguide wall irregularities. In this case, therefore, the scattering pattern is determined mainly by the correlation length of refractive index inhomogeneities.     

Stereochemical regulation of polypropylenes prepared with various Ziegler-Natta catalysts

The 220-MHz proton magnetic resonance and infrared spectra of stereoregular polypropylenes polymerized with a number of Ziegler-Natta catalysts and isotactic polymers of low molecular weight obtained by thermal degradation of a highly isotactic polypropylene were measured in an attempt to obtain some information on the local regularity. The fraction of thermally degraded polymer soluble in diethyl ether shows stereorandomness (tactie sequence length is quite short), and the portion soluble in n-pentane has stereoblock character. The results so obtained provide strong evidence that racemic dyads of whole polymer consist of two models of racemic dyad isolated and racemic dyads in groups. The polymers prepared with vanadium catalyst systems show stereorandom character and these polymers have \documentclass{article}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}$\hbox{-\hskip-1pt-}\hskip-4pt({\rm CH}_2 \rlap{--} )$\end{document} groups formed by two propylene units in a tail-to-tail linkage. Syndiotactic polypropylene has head-to-head and tail-to-tail arrangements of two propylene units and this is the origin of randomness of syndiotacticity.     

Synthesis and evaluation of novel pyrimido-acridone, -phenoxadine, and -carbazole as topoisomerase II inhibitors

As part of a series of studies to discover new topoisomerase II inhibitors, novel pyrimidoacridones, pyrimidophenoxadines, and pyrimidocarbazoles were synthesized, and in vitro and in vivo antitumor activities and DNA-protein and/or DNA-topoisomerase II cross-linking activity as an indicator of topoisomerase II-DNA cleavable complex formation were evaluated. The pyrimidocarbazoles possessed high in vitro and in vivo potencies. Compound 26 (ER-37326), 8-acetyl-2-[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl]-1H-pyrimido[5,6,1-jk]carbazole-1,3(2H)-dione, showed in vitro growth inhibitory activity with respective IC(50) values of 0.049 microM and 0.35 microM against mouse leukemia P388 and human oral cancer KB. In vivo, this compound inhibited the tumor growth of mouse sarcoma M5076 implanted into mice with T/C values of 42% and 13% at 3.13 and 6.25 mg/kg/d respectively without significantly affecting the body weight. In addition, compound 26 (ER-37326) increased the formation of DNA-topoisomerase II cross-linking in P388 cells.