Hydrogen Peroxide Formation by Electric Discharge with Fine Bubbles

Pulsed discharge plasma is typical oxidation technology for disposing organic compounds in aqueous solutions. When this electrical discharge plasma was applied in water, it may produce hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) without any catalyst or chemical agent. In order to increase H₂O₂ production by electrical discharge plasma in water, fine bubbles were introduced into the electrical discharge plasma in this experiment. Bipolar pulsed voltages were applied to cylindrical electrodes in the water while Ar or O₂ bubbles were introduced, generating a pulsed discharge plasma. The introduction of the bubbles seemed to enhance the dissociation of water molecules and increased H₂O₂ formation, especially with O₂ bubbling. Dissolved oxygen in the water contributed to H₂O₂ formation by pulsed discharge plasma with the bubbles, while dissociation of water molecules was the cause of H₂O₂ formation by pulsed discharge plasma without bubbles. More H₂O₂ was formed by pulsed discharge plasma with O₂ bubbles, because the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water increased upon bubbling with O₂.     

Preparation of a cycloheptane ring from a 1,2-diketone with high stereoselectivity

Treatment of 1,6-dialkylhexa-1,5-diene-3,4-diones with bis(iodozincio)methane gave zinc alkoxides of cis-5,6-dialkylcyclohepta-3,7-diene-1,3-diol in good yields at room temperature. The reaction proceeded with high stereospecificity. Bis(iodozincio)methane converted the diketone into the cis-divinylcyclopropane-1,2-diol stereoselectively; this diol transformed into the corresponding cycloheptane derivative stereospecifically via Cope rearrangement.     

Superconducting characteristics and microstructure of polycrystalline Zn-doped In2O3 films

In order to investigate the relation among the superconducting transition T_c, carrier density n, resistivity ρ and the microstructure in the polycrystalline (In₂O₃)_1?x–(ZnO)_x films, we prepared specimen films by post annealing of amorphous films with x = 0.025 at various annealing temperature T_a and for annealing time t_a = 1 h and 4 h. As for microstructures, we have investigated the distribution of elements by scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS). We have found followings: (1) The annealed films clearly show the superconductivity of which T_c depends on T_a, t_a and n. This indicates that the superconductivity is determined by the combination of crystallinity and carrier density. (2) The data on STEM–EELS spectra mapping of indium plasmon indicate that droplets of the pure indium phase exist inside a film, where the distribution of these droplets dispersed. Therefore, it seems that droplets do not form an electrical conducting path, that is, it is possible that observed superconductivity is due to intrinsic characteristic of polycrystalline (In₂O₃)_1?x–(ZnO)_x films.     

Investigation of void formation beneath thin AlN layers by decomposition of sapphire substrates for self-separation of thick AlN layers grown by HVPE

Void formation at the interface between thick AlN layers and (0 0 0 1) sapphire substrates was investigated to form a predefined separation point of the thick AlN layers for the preparation of freestanding AlN substrates by hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE). By heating 50–200 nm thick intermediate AlN layers above 1400 °C in a gas flow containing H₂ and NH₃, voids were formed beneath the AlN layers by the decomposition reaction of sapphire with hydrogen diffusing to the interface. The volume of the sapphire decomposed at the interface increased as the temperature and time of the heat treatment was increased and as the thickness of the AlN layer decreased. Thick AlN layers subsequently grown at 1450 °C after the formation of voids beneath the intermediate AlN layer with a thickness of 100 nm or above self-separated from the sapphire substrates during post-growth cooling with the aid of voids. The 79 μm thick freestanding AlN substrate obtained using a 200 nm thick intermediate AlN layer had a flat surface with no pits, high optical transparency at wavelengths above 208.1 nm, and a dislocation density of 1.5×10⁸ cm⁻².     

Time periodic solutions to the Navier–Stokes equations in the rotational framework

We consider the Navier–Stokes equations in the rotational framework with the time periodic external force. We give sufficient conditions on the size of the external forces for the existence of time periodic solutions in terms of the Coriolis parameter. It follows from our conditions that the unique existence of time periodic solutions is guaranteed for large external forces provided the speed of rotation is sufficiently fast.     

Synthetic Studies on Sialoglycoconjugates 95: Total Synthesis of Sulfated Glucuronyl Lactosaminyl Paraglobosides

ABSTRACT

3-O-Sulfo glucuronyl neolactohexanosyl ceramide derivatives (heptasaccharides) have been synthesized. Condensation of 2-(trimethylsilyl)ethyl 2,4,6-tri-O-benzyl-β-D-galactopyranoside (2) with 4-O-acetyl-3,6-di-O-benzyl-2-deoxy-2-phthalimido-β-D-glucopyranosyl trichloroacetimidate (1) gave the desired β-glycoside 3, which was converted into 2-(trimethylsilyl)ethyl O-(2-acetamido-3,6-di-O-benzyl-2-deoxy-β-D-glucopyranosyl)-(1→3)-2,4,6-tri-O-benzyl-β-D-galactopyranoside (4) via removal of the O-acetyl and N-phthaloyl groups, followed by N-acetylation. Glycosylation of 4 with O-(methyl 4-O-acetyl-2-O-benzoyl-3-O-levulinoyl-β-D-glucopyranosyluronate)-(1→3)-2,4,6-tri-O-benzoyl-α-D-galactopyranosyl trichloroacetimidate (5) using trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate gave the target tetrasaccharide 6, which was transformed via removal of the benzyl group, O-benzoylation, removal of the 2-(trimethylsilyl)ethyl group and imidate formation into the tetrasaccharide donor 9. Glycosylation of 2-(trimethylsilyl)ethyl O-(2-acetamido-3,6-di-O-benzyl-2-deoxy-β-D-glucopyranosyl)-(1→3)-O-(2,4,6-tri-O-benzyl-β-D-galactopyranosyl)-(1→4)-2,3,6-tri-O-benzyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (10) with the imidate donor 9 using trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate gave the desired heptasaccharide 11, which was transformed into the heptasaccharide imidate donor 14. Glycosylation of (2S, 3R, 4E)-2-azido-3-O-benzoyl-4-octadecene-1,3-diol (15) with 14 gave β-glycoside 16, which was transformed into the four target compounds, via reduction of the azido group, coupling with octadecanoic acid or tetracosanoic acid, selective removal of the levulinoyl group, O-sulfation, hydrolysis of the methyl ester group and O-deacylation.     

Bit-rate Flexible Picosecond Pulse Width Conversion with All-optical Mono-stable Multivibrator Laser Diode

An optical mono-stable multivibrator laser diode (MM-LD) is realized by using a multi-electrode distributed feedback laser diode. All-optical pulse-width conversion of ultra-short pulses to non-return-to-zero (NRZ) is achieved using an MM-LD. The MM-LD is adopted for a wide range of bit-rates between 2-10 Gbit/s by tuning the DC bias. Data format transformation from 10-Gbit/s return-to-zero optical signals to NRZ optical-signals is achieved with error free operation. Converted optical signals, which have a narrower spectral bandwidth and lower peak power than when input, are transmitted using a 1.3-μm zero dispersion fiber (1.3Aλ₀-SMF).     

Structure and dynamics of ovalbumin gels

Solvent effects on dynamical and thermal behaviors of ovalbumin (OVA) gels induced by thermal denaturation at high temperature of 160°C were studied from dynamic shear modulus measurement, shear creep and creep recovery measurement, and DSC measurement. Two organic solvents, glycerin (G) and ethylene glycol (EG), and their mixtures with water (W)(G/W and EG/W) were used as solvent for preparation of gels. Stable gels formed in pure glycerin took a fractal structure at OVA concentration C range of 15–45wt% at a temperature specific to respective C, whereas a fractal structure was not observed for gels prepared in EG, G/W, and EG/W. The results were consistent with thermal denaturation behaviors of OVA in these solvents. Morphologies of two gels prepared in water and glycerin were explored using high resolution SEM, which showed that a basic unit responsible for formation of OVA gels was spheres with a diameter ranging from 20 to 40 nm, being much larger than 5.6 nm of the diameter of native OVA, and a fractal structure was related to network formation accompanied by melting of those spheres.Dedicated to Prof. John D. Ferry on the occasion of his 85th birthday.