Control on the porosity of disk-like hematite particles prepared from a forced hydrolysis reaction using polyvinyl alcohol

The effects of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) molecules on the porosity of disk-like hematite particles produced from the forced hydrolysis reaction using two kinds of PVA molecules with a well-defined molecular weight and a high degree of saponification (PVA-105 and PVA-124) were investigated. It is evident from TEM and field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) measurements that a fraction of particles lost their spherical habit and acquired a disk-like shape by the addition of small amounts of both PVA molecules, though no difference in the particle size between the two PVA systems was observed. FE-SEM images of the particles revealed that the disk-like hematite particles are made up of small cluster particles with a diameter of approx. 5–10 nm. The disk-like particles produced a rather lower concentration for PVA-124 with a higher molecular weight than that for PVA-105 with a lower molecular weight. This fact was due to the large number of hydroxy groups in PVA-124 molecules than in PVA-105; hydroxy groups act as adsorption sites onto polynuclear (PN) primary particles and cause pronounced effects on the formation and structure of particles during the aggregation of PN particles. It was clarified from N₂ adsorption measurements at 77 K that the porosity of the hematite particles can be controlled from microporous to mesoporous by changing the concentrations of PVA-105 and PVA-124, as was classified into three groups, i.e., groups 1, 2, and 3. The control particles produced without PVA molecules, classified into group 1, showed type IV adsorption isotherms, and only the voids produced between spherical particles were detected as mesopores. On the other hand, the particles produced with small amounts of PVA produced micropores as classified in group 2. In this group, the particles produced uniform micropores after being outgassed at 100–200 °C. The hematite particles produced with high concentrations of PVAs were classified into group 3. In this group, the particles after being outgassed at lower temperature produced micropores with diameters between 0.6 and 2.0 nm, though the micropores in the particles changed to mesopores after outgassing at 300 °C. This mesopore formation was attributed to the elimination of the PVA-adsorbed layer by evacuation at 300 °C, i.e., the large voids residing in the disk-like hematite particles make the particles mesoporous. This mesopore formation was further confirmed by adsorption experiments of C₆H₆(benzene) and CCl₄ molecules at 298 K.     

Measurement of mephenytoin (3-methyl-5-ethyl-5-phenylhydantoin) and its demethylated metabolite by selective ion monitoring

Mephenytoin (3-methyl-5-ethyl-5-phenylhydantoin) and its demethylated metabolite Nirvanol (5-ethyl-5-phenylhydantoin) were measured by a selective ion monitoring technique. This method was used in the analysis of both compounds in plasma from a patient receiving 50 mg and 400 mg of mephenytoin in single oral doses. Both compounds were extracted from plasma and ethylated prior to analysis by electron-impact mass spectrometry. Alkylation, using ethyl iodide in 2-butanone, occurred in the N-1 and N-3 positions of the hydantoin ring when concentrated KOH was added to the reaction mixture. The lower limits of quantitation for mephenytoin and Nirvanol were 10 ng/ml and 50 ng/ml, respectively, and were found to be reproducible within 8% upon repeated quantification.     

Synthesis of novel thermosetting imide compounds having phenylethynyl carbonyl groups at both terminal ends and production of new network polymers based on the imide compounds

A novel thermosetting imide compound having a respective phenylethynyl carbonyl group at both terminal ends was newly synthesized from an acid anhydride having a phenylethynyl carbonyl group and various diamine compounds. The thermosetting behavior of the obtained novel thermosetting imide compound having phenylethynyl carbonyl groups was analyzed through differential scanning calorimetry measurements and infrared spectroscopic analysis. As a result, it became clear that a curing reaction of phenylethynyl carbonyl groups proceeds at approximately 200°C and that the curing reaction thereof proceeds at a temperature that is lower by 150°C or more compared with that of phenylethynyl groups. Examination of the polymerization reaction of the imide compounds having phenylethynyl carbonyl groups using model compounds revealed that a reaction that imparted an alkene C=C and polycyclic aromatic structure progressed. Moreover, a network polymer obtained from a thermosetting imide compound having respective phenylethynyl carbonyl groups at both terminal ends exhibited extremely superior heat resistance and thermal decomposition resistance. These superior thermal properties are thought to be due to the strong molecular interaction (molecular packing) that results from the polycyclic aromatic structures and alkenes produced through polymerization of the phenylethynyl carbonyl groups and to the suppression of the movement of the molecular chains.     

Application of Kalman Filter Finite Element Method and AIC

This paper presents a numerical simulation for application of the Kalman filter finite element method. The Kalman filter is employed frequently for the solution of time series analysis including observation and system noises. Applying the Kalman filter to the finite element method, the present method is capable of the estimation in time and space directions. In this method, the matrix generated by the finite element method is applied to the state transition matrix. Using the Kalman filter finite element method, the characteristics of both the Kalman filter and the finite element method can be strengthened. In this paper, the state transition matrix is based on the shallow water equations which are approximated by the finite element method. This method can estimate the tidal current not only in time but also in space directions.     

Host–guest complexation‐triggered chiroptical change of poly(phenylacetylene)s bearing binaphthocrown ether moieties on the main chain

Diacetylene monomers with respective lengths of the oxyethylene chains were cyclopolymerized with a rhodium catalyst to produce novel poly(phenylacetylene)s bearing a different cavity size of the chiral crown ether in the repeating units ( 2a – c ). In the circular dichroism spectra of the resulting polymers, characteristic Cotton effects were observed in the range from 350 to 500 nm corresponding to the absorption of the conjugated polymer backbone, indicating that the polymers possessed a helical structure with an excess single screw sense induced by the covalently bonded binaphthyl units. The host–guest complexation of 2a – c with achiral guests produced a chiroptical change based on the fluctuation in the main chain conformation. The behavior of the complexation‐induced chiroptical change was essentially dictated by the cavity size of the binaphthocrown ether units. Additionally, a chirality‐responsive helicity change was observed in the case of the complexation of 2a – c with chiral guests, which also depended on the crown ether size. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 1197–1206, 2010     

Determination of 4-aminobutyric acid, aspartate, glutamate and glutamine and their 13C stable-isotopic enrichment in brain tissue by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A selected-ion monitoring method was developed for measuring 4-aminobutyric acid, aspartate, glutamate, and glutamine in brain tissue. Natural isotopes of these amino acids and their stable-isotopic enrichment following intravenous infusion of a precursor, [13C]glucose, were quantitated. Frozen mouse brain tissue was homogenized in cold 80% ethanol, and the supernatant, equivalent to 1 mg of wet weight brain tissue, was extracted using solid-phase bonded silica ion-exchange columns. Aspartate and glutamate (dicarboxylic acids) were isolated from strong anion-exchange columns, whereas 4-aminobutyric acid and glutamine (neutral amino acids) were isolated from strong-cation exchange columns. n-Butyl ester pentafluoropropionyl amide derivatives of these amino acids were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry using a methane positive chemical ionization mode after gas chromatographic separation on a wide-bore, fused-silica capillary column. The method is applicable to determination of brain concentrations of these amino acids as well as their fluxes following administration of a stable-isotopic tracer.     

Micellar size, shape and counterion binding of N-(1,1-Dihydroperfluoroalkyl)-N,N,N-trimethylammonium chloride in aqueous solutions

Under the limiting conditions, light-scattering method was applied to determine the size and shape of fluorinated micellar structure in aqueous solution. The hydrodynamic radii (r _h) of molecular aggregates were investigated for four amphiphiles with different alkyl chain length: N-(1,1-dihydroperfluorooctyl)-, N-(1,1-dihydroperfluorodecyl)-, N-(1,1-dihydroperfluorododecyl)-, and N-(1,1-dihydroperfluorotetradecyl)-N,N,N-trimethylammonium chloride by dynamic light scattering. Size of these molecular aggregates drastically increased with increasing carbon number of alkyl chain and the concentration. For example, the r _h values were 35, 63, 95, and 136 nm for C8, C10, C12, and C14 of the alkyl chain, respectively, at the concentration of 15× critical micelle concentration (cmc) and at 298.2 K. On the other hand, the mean radius of gyration (r _g) and the apparent molecular weight of these aggregates were measured using static light scattering. The r _g value was found to be 34, 73, and 125 nm for C8, C10, and C12 of the alkyl chain, respectively, at the same condition above. The shape of aggregate was analyzed by comparing the dependence of r _g/r _h with theoretical values. The plots of r _g against r _h almost corresponded with the theoretical line of oblate ellipsoid (disk-like), and which was also expected from calculation of packing parameter value. The measurement for chloride ion activity was made by a chloride ion selective electrode to know the degree of counterion binding to the aggregates, whose values increased with increasing total concentration and with the carbon number of alkyl chain. The chloride ion binding to aggregates neutralized cationic head groups under their electrostatic repulsion and partly promoted the growth of aggregates.     

Intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of nitrile N-oxide accompanied by dearomatization

Intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of 2-phenoxybenzonitrile N-oxides to benzene rings, accompanied by dearomatization, formed the corresponding isoxazolines in high yields. The X-ray single-crystal structure analysis revealed that the reaction formed the cis-adduct as a single isomer. The substituents on the benzene rings markedly affected the reaction rate, yield, and structure of the final product.     

Synthesis,properties and X‐ray structure of 5‐azido‐2‐methoxy‐1,3‐xylyl‐18‐crown‐5

5‐Azido‐2‐methoxy‐1,3‐xylyl‐18‐crown‐5 has been prepared by reacting p‐toluenesulfonyl azide with the carbanion generated from the reaction of 5‐bromo‐2‐methoxy‐1,3‐xylyl‐18‐crown‐5 with n‐butyl lithium. The asymmetric N₃ stretch of this product has been observed as a single band at 2110 cm^?1 in dichloromethane solution. Addition of solid NaSCN, KSCN and CsSCN shifts this band to 2115, 2113 and 2112 cm^?1, respectively. Computational studies of this azide at the B3LYP‐6‐31G* level in the presence and absence of Na⁺ predicted these bands to be at 2173 cm^?1 and 2184 cm^?1. For the salt‐containing solutions, additional bands were observed at 2066 cm^?1, 2056 cm^?1 and 2055 cm^?1, respectively, which are in the range expected for CN stretches. The X‐ray structure of this azide has been determined. The terminal and internal N? N bond lengths were found to be 1.127(2) and 1.245(2) Δ, respectively, which is the usual pattern for aromatic azides. The crown ether is looped over the face of the aromatic ring resulting in an angle of 38.94° between the plane defined by the aromatic ring and that defined by the five ring oxygen atoms. In addition, the CH₃ group is rotated out of the plane of the phenyl ring with C1‐C18‐O181‐C182 and C17‐C18‐O181‐C182 dihedral angles of 93.81(14)° and ‐90.54(14)°, respectively.