Analysis method of the angiotensin-I converting enzyme inhibitory activity based on micellar electrokinetic chromatography.

A micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) method was developed for estimating the angiotensin-I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity by separating the hippuric acid liberated in the ACE reaction mixture in the presence of an inhibitor, captopril. The hippuric acid was successfully separated and detected by MEKC with a 25 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate solution in a 25 mM phosphate-50 mM borate buffer at pH 7.0; the total analysis took about 5 min. A good linear relationship was observed between the inhibitor and the peak area of hippuric acid release. No significant difference in the ACE inhibitory activity (IC50) of captopril (an antihypertensive medicine) or autolyzed-mushrooms (functional foods) was observed between the conventional method and the MEKC method. The MEKC method was found to be a useful technique for a rapid assay of the ACE inhibitory activity.     

Effect of annealing on structure and permeability of poly [(l-trimethylsilyl)-l-propyne]

The permeability of annealed poly (l-(trimethylsilyl)-l-propyne) was studied from the viewpoint of structural information obtained from x-ray diffraction and density. The sample cast from benzene solution had low density (0.82 g/cm³) and high permeability, whereas the annealed sample had a higher density (0.88 g/cm³) and permeability lower by two orders of magnitude. The smaller-angle x-ray diffraction peak for each sample, which was likely to reflect the distance between intermolecular chains, increased in intensity and shifted toward higher angle, corresponding to the change of the density with annealing. The logarithmic oxygen permeability was proportional to the density, namely the free volume fraction correlated with the diffusion coefficient and controlled by annealing and swelling by alcohols.     

Uptake and excretion of total inorganic arsenic by the freshwater alga Chlorella vulgaris

Arsenic-tolerant freshwater alga Chlorella vulgaris which had been collected from an arsenicpolluted environment were tested for uptake and excretion of inorganic arsenic. Approximately half the quantity of arsenic taken up by C. vulgaris was estimated to be adhered to the extraneous coat (10 wt %) of the cell. The remainder was bioaccumulated by the cell. Both adhered and accumulated arsenic concentrations increased with an increase in arsenic(V) concentration of the aqueous phase. Arsenic(V) accumulation was affected by the growth phse: arsenic was most actively accumulated when the cell was exposed to arsenic during the early exponential phase and then accumulation decreased with an increase in culture time exposed to arsenic. The alga grew well in the modified Detmer (MD) medium containing 1 mg As(III) dm^?3 and the growth curve was approximated by a ‘logistic equation’. Arsenic(III) was accumulated up to the second day of the culture time and arsenic(III) accumulation decreased with an increase in the culture time after that. Arsenic accumulation was also largely affected by various nutrients, especially by managanese, iron and phosphorus compounds. A modified MD medium with the three nutrients was proposed for the purpose of effective removal of arsenic from the aqueous phase. Using radioactive arsenate (Na₂H⁷⁴AsO₄), the arsenic accumulated was found to be readily excreted under conditions which were unfavourable for the multiplication of C. vulgaris.     

Micro-phase sorbent extraction for trace analysis via in situ sorbent formation: application to the spectrophotometric determination of nitrite in environmental waters.

A micro-phase sorbent in situ formation from an aqueous solution was proposed for the sensitive spectrophotometric determination of nitrite in environmental waters. Nitrite in a 10 mL sample solution was converted into a cationic azo dye by the reaction with 4-trifluoromethylanilinium ion and N-1-naphthylethylenediammonium ion in an acidic medium. Addition of dodecylbenzenesulfonate ion caused the formation of a suspension of ion associate in the solution. Centrifugation of the solution led to the isolation of a liquid organic phase that extracted the azo dye at the bottom of the centrifuge tube. The volume of the new phase was ca. 5 microL. After the aqueous phase was discarded, the organic phase was dissolved with 1 mL of 2-methoxyethanol to measure the absorbance. Nitrogen as NO2- at concentrations from 1.5 to 30 microg L(-1) was determined with sufficient precision. When 0.2 mL of 2-methoxyethanol was applied to dissolve the organic phase, 0.3-4.8 microg NO2--N L(-1) was determined. The recovery tests for nitrite added to some river water and seawater were satisfactory. This method is very simple and rapid. It takes only 30 min from the dye formation to the measurement of the absorbance.     

Permeability,permselectivity, and penetrant‐induced plasticization in fluorinated polyimides studied by positron lifetime measurements

The ortho‐positronium (o‐Ps) lifetime τ₃ and its intensity I₃ in various fluorinated polyimides were determined by the positron annihilation technique and were studied with the spin–lattice relaxation time T₁ and the propylene permeability, solubility, diffusivity, and permselectivity for propylene/propane in them. τ₃, I₃, and the distribution of τ₃ changed when the bulky moieties in the polyimides were changed. The polyimides, having both large τ₃ and I₃ values, exhibited a short T₁ and a high permeability with a low permselectivity. The propylene permeability and diffusivity were exponentially correlated with the product of I₃ and the average free‐volume hole size estimated from τ₃. In highly plasticized states induced by the sorption of propylene, the permeability increased with the propylene pressure in excellent agreement with the change in the free‐volume hole properties probed by o‐Ps. The large and broad distribution of the free‐volume holes and increased local chain mobility for the 2,2‐bis(3,4‐decarboxyphenyl) hexafluoropropane dianhydride‐based polyimides are thought to be important physical properties for promoting penetrant‐induced plasticization. These results suggest that o‐Ps is a powerful probe of not only the free‐volume holes but also the corresponding permeation mechanism and penetrant‐induced plasticization phenomenon. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 308–318, 2003     

Structure induced by irradiation of femtosecond laser pulse in dyed polymeric materials

We investigated the structures induced by an irradiation of a near‐infrared (NIR) femtosecond laser pulse in dye‐doped polymeric materials {poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), thermoplastic epoxy resin (Epoxy), and a block copolymer of methyl methacrylate and ethyl acrylate‐butyl acrylate [p(MMA/EA‐BA) block copolymer]}. Dyes used were classified into two types—type 1 with absorption at 400 nm and type 2 with no absorption at 400 nm. The 400‐nm wavelength corresponds to the two‐photon absorption region by the irradiated NIR laser pulse at 800 nm. Type 1 dye‐doped PMMA and p(MMA/EA‐BA) block copolymer showed a peculiar dye additive effect for the structures induced by the line irradiation of a NIR femtosecond laser pulse. On the contrary, dye‐doped Epoxy did not exhibit a dye additive effect. The different results among PMMA, p(MMA/EA‐BA) block copolymer, and Epoxy matrix polymers are supposed to be related to the difference of electron‐acceptor properties. The mechanism of this type 1 dye‐additive‐effect phenomenon for PMMA and p(MMA/EA‐BA) block copolymer is discussed on the basis of two‐photon absorption of type 1 dye at 400 nm by the irradiation of a femtosecond laser pulse with 800 nm wavelength and the dissipation of the absorbed energy to the polymer matrix among various transition processes. Dyes with a low‐fluorescence quantum yield favored the formation of thicker grating structures. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 40: 2800–2806, 2002     

Determination of hexabromocyclododecane diastereoisomers and tetrabromobisphenol A in water and sediment by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry.

A method to determine alpha-, beta- and gamma-hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) in water and sediments was presented using solid phase extraction (SPE) and/or solvent extraction. Recoveries from sediments were approximately 100% for all the chemicals, while recoveries of alpha-, beta- and gamma-HBCDs from water were dependent on the extraction method. In the case of dichloromethane (CH2Cl2) extraction, recoveries of alpha-, beta- and gamma-HBCD from landfill leachates were 77%, 88% and 92%, respectively. Technical difficulties in HBCD measurement are discussed in terms of the physico-chemical properties of HBCD isomers. The method was applied to landfill samples and marine sediment.     

Reaction paths of some open-shell reactive intermediates

The intermolecular interaction energy for reacting systems in singlet, triplet and doublet states was partitioned by the perturbation expansion method into the chemically meaningful five interaction terms: the Coulomb, exchange-repulsion, induction, dispersion, and charge-transfer energies. In the local ZDO approximation, these energy terms were evaluated for the dimerization of methylenes (^1,3CH₂), the additions of carbenes (^1,3CH₂ and^1,3CF₂) as well as amino radicals (²NH₂ and²NF₂) toward ethylene, and the hydrogen abstractions by methylenes (^1,3CH₂), nitrene (³NH), and hydroxyl radical (²OH) from methane. It has been found that the reaction path is much influenced by the spinmultiplicity, and that the charge-transfer and exchange-repulsion terms play a dominant role in determining the course of reactions.     

Ab initio calculations on the clustering energies and stable structures of H(M)+ + M → H(M)2+ (M = CO and N2)

The clustering energies of the reactions, H(M)⁺+ M → H(M)⁺₂ (M = CO and N₂), were calculated by ab initio single configuration LCAO SCF MO and SCEP methods. The calculated energies are in good agreement with the experimental enthalpies.     

Gap states at organic-metal interfaces: A combined spectroscopic and theoretical study

A systematic understanding and controlling of gap states formed at the organic-metal interfaces is a key factor for fabricating functional organic-metal systems, as in case of heterojunctions in semiconductor devices. We report here the characterization of gap states near the Fermi level of metal substrate by metastable atom electron spectroscopy and first-principles density functional calculations. The gap states in organic-metal systems are classified into two types, i.e., chemisorption-induced gap states (CIGSs) and complex-based gap states (CBGSs). CIGSs can be further classified whether the metal wave function tails a short distance into the chemisorbed species with the exponential decay (damping type) or is exposed sufficiently to the chemisorbed species by mixing with the organic orbitals (propagating type). CIGSs observed in alkanethiolate and C₆₀ on Pt(1 1 1) are their typical examples, respectively. As a consequence, alkanethiolate serves as a poor mediator of metal wave function, whereas C₆₀ acts as a good mediator, which is responsible for tunneling mechanism and eventually electric conductivity in the relevant metal-organic-metal junctions. CBGSs are identified in bathocuproine films deposited on K-covered Au, where the K atoms migrate into the film to form an organic-metal complex. The CBGSs are distributed over the multilayer film, in contrast to the case of CIGS. With increasing film thickness, the CBGSs exhibit incommensurate energy shifts with the valence band top of the film, indicating that the Schottky-Mott model breaks down as evaluating charge transport in organic-metal systems.