Observation of bubble layer formed on hydrogen and oxygen gas-evolving electrode in a magnetic field

The evolution of hydrogen and oxygen gasses in a 0.36-M KOH electrolyte was observed in a magnetic field, and the void fraction was calculated by a hydrodynamic model. Both gasses evolving on a platinum working electrode formed a bubble layer which increased the ohmic resistance. In addition to natural convection, magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) convection in a magnetic field improved the electrolytic conductivity by supplying a fresh solution (pumping effect) and removing gas bubbles. The MHD convection reduced the void fraction of hydrogen gas more than that of oxygen, which can be explained by the poor wettability of the oxygen evolving electrode.     

Chemical constituents of Blumea balsamifera of Indonesia and their protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B inhibitory activity

A methanol extract of the leaves of Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC. (Asteraceae) afforded a new guaian-type sesquiterpene, epiblumeaene K (1), together with four known guaian-type sesquiterpenes (2-5), three known sesquiterpenes (6-8), and nine known flavonoids (9-17) by a combination of chromatography and preparative TLC techniques. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic methods and comparison with the literature data. Among the isolated compounds, a known sesquiterpene, beta-caryophyllene 8R,9R-oxide (6), exhibited a significant PTP1B inhibitory activity in a dose-dependent manner, with an IC50 value of 25.8 microM (5.62 microg/mL).     

Gold nanoparticles located at the interface of anatase/rutile TiO2 particles as active plasmonic photocatalysts for aerobic oxidation

Visible-light irradiation (λ > 450 nm) of gold nanoparticles loaded on a mixture of anatase/rutile TiO(2) particles (Degussa, P25) promotes efficient aerobic oxidation at room temperature. The photocatalytic activity critically depends on the catalyst architecture: Au particles with <5 nm diameter located at the interface of anatase/rutile TiO(2) particles behave as the active sites for reaction. This photocatalysis is promoted via plasmon activation of the Au particles by visible light followed by consecutive electron transfer in the Au/rutile/anatase contact site. The activated Au particles transfer their conduction electrons to rutile and then to adjacent anatase TiO(2). This catalyzes the oxidation of substrates by the positively charged Au particles along with reduction of O(2) by the conduction band electrons on the surface of anatase TiO(2). This plasmonic photocatalysis is successfully promoted by sunlight exposure and enables efficient and selective aerobic oxidation of alcohols at ambient temperature.     

Molecular engineering and solvent dependence of excitation energy hopping in self-assembled porphyrin boxes

It has been demonstrated that the direction and magnitude of transition dipole moments, and hence rates in the excitation energy hopping in the self-assembled porphyrin boxes can be tuned by insertion of ethynyl groups as well as the dielectric constant of solvent.     

Effect of substituent on the enantioselectivity for lipase-catalyzed kinetic resolution of glycerol derivatives

The lipase-catalyzed transesterifications of various substituted diphenyl 1,2-ketals of glycerol have been investigated. Efficient modification of the substrate structure with bis(4-bromophenyl) ketal was found to enhance the enantioselectivity up to E=57 at 0 °C.     

One-pot synthesis of phenol and cyclohexanone from cyclohexylbenzene catalyzed by N-hydroxyphthalimide (NHPI)

Synthesis of phenol and cyclohexanone in one pot was examined by means of the NHPI-catalyzed aerobic oxidation of cyclohexylbenzene. The aerobic oxidation of cyclohexylbenzene catalyzed by NHPI followed by treatment with sulfuric acid afforded phenol and cyclohexanone in good selectivities. Thus, the reaction of cyclohexylbenzene under atmospheric dioxygen (1 atm) by NHPI at 100 °C for 3 h followed by treatment with 0.3 M sulfuric acid at room temperature for 2 h resulted in phenol and cyclohexanone in 96 and 91% selectivity, respectively, at 25% conversion. This method was successfully extended to the one-pot synthesis of 4-hydroxyacetophenone and cyclohexanone.     

Aerobic oxidation of 1,3,5-triisopropylbenzene using N-hydroxyphthalimide (NHPI) as key catalyst

The first systematic study on the aerobic oxidation of 1,3,5-triisopropylbenzene was examined by the use of N-hydroxyphthalimide (NHPI) as a key catalyst. It was found that 1,3,5-triisopropylbenzene was efficiently oxidized with O₂ in the presence of a catalytic amount of NHPI and azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) at 75 °C. Upon treatment of the resulting products with sulfuric acid followed by acetic anhydride led to 5-acetoxy-1,3-diisopropylbenzene and 3,5-diacetoxy-1-isopropylbenzene as major products and a small amount of 1,3,5-triacetoxybenzene. When t-butylperoxypivalate (BPP) was employed as a radical initiator, the oxidation could be achieved in good yield even at 50 °C. This oxidation provides a facile method for preparing phenol derivatives bearing an isopropyl moiety, which can be used as pharmaceutical starting materials.     

Osmotic coefficients of vinylic polyelectrolyte solutions without added salt

 The osmotic pressures of –polyelectrolyte solutions without added salt was measured in the concentration ranges 0.001–0.02 and 0.2–1.9 mol kg^-1. Our results show that the osmotic coefficients φ_p were strongly dependent on the chemical structures of polyelectrolyte through the polyion radius and the interaction between the ionic moiety and counterions. The osmotic pressures in polyelectrolyte solutions without added salt, calculated on the basis of the counterion contribution, are in agreement with the experimental results. We conclude that the counterion contribution is dominant in the osmotic pressures and thus, the polymer contribution is negligible in the examined concentration range 0.2–1.9 mol kg^-1. The P–B approach gave a fair prediction of the absolute values of the osmotic pressures with λ=4.5, where λ is the charge density parameter, except for NaPA. In other words, the concentration dependence of the φ_p values can be explained in terms of the counterion contribution. Received: 11 June 1997 Accepted: 19 August 1997     

Broad spectrum and mode of action of an antibiotic produced byScytonema sp. TISTR 8208 in a seaweed-type bioreactor

A photobioreactor was constructed using anchored polyurethane foam strips (1 x 1 x 40 cm) fixed onto a stainless-steel ring to prevent flotation, as a biomass support material (BSM). This type of reactor was named a seaweed-type bioreactor. A filamentous cyanobacterium, Scytonema sp. TISTR 8208, which produces a novel cyclic dodecapeptide antibiotic, was immobilized in seaweed-type photobioreactor and cultivated with air containing 5% CO₂ sparged at a gas flow rate of 250 mL/min under illumination at a light intensity of 200 μmol photon m^-2s^-1. The antibiotic produced in the seaweed-type photobioreactor was purified by HPLC and examined regarding its spectrum and mode of action. The antibiotic effectively inhibited the growth of Gram-positive bacteria, pathogenic yeasts, and filamentous fungi, but it had only a weak effect on Gram-negative bacteria. Scanning electron micrograph analysis showed that the most characteristic change was swelling of the cells after exposure to the antibiotic. The antibiotic seems to alter the conformation of the microbial cell membrane, thereby changing its permeability, leading to osmotic shock.