Asymmetric reduction of 2-substituted 2-butenolides with reductase from Marchantia polymorpha

A p68 reductase participating in the asymmetric reduction of the C–C double bond of 2-substituted 2-butenolides was isolated from Marchantia polymorpha. The enzyme reduced 2-substituted 2-butenolides to give (R)-butanolides, and the reduction of citraconic anhydride afforded (R)-methylsuccinic anhydride.     

Fracture mechanism of liquid‐crystalline epoxy resin systems with different phase structures

A liquid‐crystalline epoxy resin was cured at two different temperatures. The phases of the cured systems clearly showed isotropic and nematic polydomain structures, which depended on the curing temperature. The fracture toughness of the systems was measured, and the fracture mechanism was investigated with polarized IR measurements. The nematic polydomain structure system showed considerably higher fracture toughness than the isotropic structure. Moreover, both systems exhibited a reorientation of the network chains near the fracture surface during the fracture process, and the region of the network reorientation in the nematic polydomain structure system was larger than that in the isotropic structure system. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 4044–4052, 2004     

Effect of plasma treatment on interface property of BCN/GaN structure

Interface properties of BCN/GaN metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structures are investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and capacitance versus voltage (C-V) characteristics measurements. The BCN/GaN samples are fabricated by in situ process consisting of plasma treatment and deposition of BCN film in the plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition (PACVD) apparatus. XPS measurement shows that the oxide formation at the BCN/GaN interface is suppressed by nitrogen (N₂) and hydrogen (H₂) plasma treatment. The interface state density is estimated from C-V characteristics measured at 1 MHz using Terman method. The minimum interface state density appears from 0.2 to 0.7 eV below the conduction band edge of GaN. The minimum value of the interface state density is estimated to be 3.0 × 10¹⁰ eV⁻¹ cm⁻² for the BCN/GaN structure with mixed N₂ and H₂ plasma treatment for 25 min. Even after annealing at 430 °C for 10 min, the interface state density as low as 6.0 × 10¹⁰ eV⁻¹ cm⁻² is maintained.     

Dianion of sulfinylacetone as a synthetic equivalent of beta-enolate of propionic acid: a novel synthesis of carboxylic acids from alkyl halides with three-carbon elongation

The reaction of the dianion of phenylsulfinylacetone with alkyl halides afforded beta-keto sulfoxides, which were first chlorinated with hexachloroethane and then treated successively with KH and t-BuLi to give carboxylic acids in three-steps in moderate overall yields from the alkyl halides. This procedure affords a good method for a synthesis of carboxylic acids from alkyl halides with three-carbon elongation.     

Design and synthesis of highly sensitive and selective fluorescein-derived magnesium fluorescent probes and application to intracellular 3D Mg2+ imaging

The role of intracellular magnesium ions is of high interest in the fields of pharmacology and cellular biology. To accomplish the dynamic and three-dimensional imaging of intracellular Mg2+, there is a strong desire for the development of optimized Mg2+ fluorescent probes. In this paper we describe the design, synthesis, and cellular application of the three novel Mg2+ fluorescent probes KMG-101, -103, and -104. The compounds of this series feature a charged beta-diketone as a binding site specific for Mg2+ and a fluorescein residue as the fluorophore that can be excited with an Ar+ laser such as is widely used in confocal scanning microscopy. This molecular design leads to an intensive off-on-type fluorescent response toward Mg2+ ions. The two fluorescent probes KMG-103 and -104 showed suitable dissociation constants (Kd,Mg2+ = 2 mM) and nearly a 10-fold fluorescence enhancement over the intracellular magnesium ion concentration range (0.1-6 mM), allowing high-contrast, sensitive, and selective Mg2+ measurements. For intracellular applications, the membrane-permeable probe KMG-104AM was synthesized and successfully incorporated into PC12 cells. Upon application of the mitochondria uncoupler FCCP to the probe-incorporated cells, the resulting increase in the free magnesium ion concentration could be followed over time. By using a confocal microscope, the intracellular 3D magnesium ion concentration distributions were satisfactorily observed.     

Crystal structure of hexagonal SrAl2O4 at 1073 K

The crystal structure of SrAl₂O₄ at 1073 K was determined from conventional X-ray powder diffraction data using direct methods, and it was further refined by the Rietveld method. The structure was hexagonal (space group P6₃, Z=6) with a=0.89260(3) nm, c=0.84985(2) nm and V=0.58639(3) nm³. Final reliability indices were R_wp=7.87%, R_p=5.87% and R_B=4.19%. The [AlO₄] tetrahedra are linked to form trigonally distorted rings and they are joined in layers. These layers are stacked with a two-layer repeat and connected by the tetrahedral apices. All of the Sr atoms occupy the centers of the rings when viewed along the c-axis. The structure is described as a stuffed derivative of tridymite.     

Reaction of 2-dialkylamino-5-phenyl-1,3-oxathiolium cation with sulphur ylides

The reaction of 2-dialkylamino-5-phenyl-1,3-oxathiolium cation 1 with sulphur ylides 2 was investigated. The behavior of 1 was solvent-dependent. In CH₂Cl₂, carbamate ester 3 was obtained: in CH₃CN, the intermediate sulphonium salt 5, which on hydrolysis gave 3, was isolated. On the other hand, reaction in MeOH gave the diphenacyl derivative 6. The reaction mechanism is discussed.     

Snowballs of radioactive ions — nuclear spin polarization of core ions

Short-lived ions¹²B (beta-radioactive, T_1/2=20.3 ms) sustaining nuclear spin polarization were introduced into superfluid helium at 1.7 K. It was found that the¹²B ions were transported as charged entities under a static electric field and that the nuclear polarization was maintained throughout the lifetime of¹²B nuclei. Polarization of¹²B was determined through beta-NMR method. Snowball, a singly charged microcluster of helium atoms formed around an impurity ion, is responsible for the behaviour and thus constitutes a suitable environment for preserving nuclear polarization of the core ions¹²B. In a separate experiment snowballs were produced by implanting⁸Li (T_1/2=830 ms) into liquid helium and detected by means of alpha particles from the core ions to guarantee that the snowballs survive longer than the lifetime of¹²B.     

Positive heterotropic cooperativity for selective guest binding via electronic communications through a fused zinc porphyrin array

Upon binding with C60 and diamines, such as 4,4'-bipyridine (bpy) and N,N,N',N'-tetramethylhexane-1,6-diamine (TMHDA), cyclic host 1 possessing two electronically coupled binding sites displays negative homotropic cooperativity and positive heterotropic cooperativity, and their ternary mixtures preferentially form inclusion complexes with hetero-guest pairs 1 supersetC60*bpy and 1 supersetC60*TMHDA under appropriate conditions. Spectroscopic titration profiles in toluene at 20 degrees C demonstrated that the association constants (Kassoc) of C60 with monodiamine complexes 1 supersetbpy (2.8 x 105 M-1) and 1 supersetTMHDA (1.5 x 105 M-1) are 8.5 and 4.5 times greater than that of C60 with guest-free 1 (3.3 x 104 M-1), respectively. On the other hand, mono-C60 complex 1 supersetC60 was 6.1 times more accessible than guest-free 1 toward TMHDA. Absorption spectroscopy in the absence of 1 indicated no direct interaction between C60 and diamines.