Adsorbed state and vibrational excitation of N2 on Pd(110)

High-resolution vibrational electron energy loss spectroscopy, low-energy electron diffraction and Auger electron spectroscopy have been used to study the interactions of nitrogen with the Pd(110) surface. At 120 K, N₂ is chemisorbed molecularly on the Pd(110) surface, and the (2 × 1)-N₂ structure is formed. Most probably, the N₂ molecules are chemisorbed in the on-top sites of the bulk-like Pd(110) surface in the upright-linear structure. The Pd---N₂ bond energy is estimated to be ˜ 6 kcal/mol. The Pd---N₂ and N---N stretching vibrations of N₂ admolecules on Pd(110) are observed at 30 and 278 meV, respectively. The primary-energy dependence and angle dependence of their excitation cross sections agree reasonably well with the prediction of the dipole theory. The electron beam-induced effects are briefly discussed.     

Measurements of short-lived cosmogenic nuclides in rain samples

Summary Extremely low activity levels of cosmic ray induced nuclides have been measured in freshly precipitated rainwater by quick chemical separation coupled with ultra low background gamma-spectrometry. The nuclides detected were ³⁸S (T_1/2 = 2.83 h)-³⁸Cl (37.2 m), ³⁹Cl (55.6 m), ²⁴Na (14.96 h), ²⁸Mg (20.9 h), ⁷Be (53.3 d) and ²²Na (2.602 y). The number of atoms in rain water were evaluated to be ranging from 400-1900 l^-1 for ³⁹Cl (n = 6, mean: 1200), 30-1500 l^-1 for ²⁴Na (n = 16, mean: 520), 80-600 l^-1 for ²⁸Mg (n = 13, mean: 260), 1 ^. 10⁶-4 ^. 10⁷ l^-1 for 7Be (n = 16, mean: 7 ^. 10⁶) and 2 ^. 10³-1 ^. 10⁵ l^-1 for ²²Na (n = 9, mean: 2 ^. 10⁴). Measurements of activity levels and activity ratios of short-lived cosmic-ray induced short-lived nuclides will open new method to understand atmospheric processes occurred at the altitude of rain cloud.     

Effect of hydrophobic amino acids on the conformational change of decapeptides in micellar environments

A series of peptides containing various hydrophobic amino acids [methionine (Met), leucine (Leu), norleucine (Nle), phenylalanine (Phe), 2-aminooctanoic acid (Aoc), and 2-aminodecanoic acid (Ade)] were synthesized and their conformations were studied using circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy in different solvents such as water, methanol, and aqueous solution of ammonium tetradecanesulfonate. Peptides containing hydrophobic amino acids with linear side chains formed -sheets in water and methanol. Electrostatic interaction between the charged side chain (lysine) and a micelle consisting of an anionic surfactant, ammonium tetradecanesulfonate, is necessary for the formation of -helices in micellar environments. The conformational transition from -helix to -sheet structure required moderate hydrophobicity and linear side chains. This conformational transition depended on the surfactant concentration.     

Synthesis of optically active forms of (E)-6-isopropyl-3,9-dimethyl-5,8-decadienyl acetate,the pheromone of the yellow scale

Highly optically pure enantiomers of (E)-6-isopropyl-3,9-dimethyl-5,8-decadienyl acetate, the sex pheromone of the yellow scale (Aniodiella citrina), were stereoselectively from synthesized from(R)-(+)-citronellic acid. Only the (s)-enantiomer was bioactive.     

Chemical studies on the anobiidae: Sex pheromone of the drugstore beetle, stegobium paniceum (L.) (coleoptera)

Chemical an spectroscopic evidence is presented to show that 2,3-dihydro-2,3,5-trimethyl-6-(1-methyl-2-oxobutyl)-4H-pyran-4-one (10) is the sex pheromone produced by the female drugstore beetle, Stegobium paniceum L.     

Synthesis and biological activity of both (E)- and (Z)-isomers of optically pure (S)-14-methyl-8-hexadecenal (trogodermal), the antipodes of the pheromone of the khapra beetle

Both (E)- and (Z)-isomers of (S)-14-methyl-8-hexadecenal (trogodermal) were synthesized from 100% optically pure (R)-(+)-citronellic acid. These antipodes of the khapra beetle pheromone were 1/500 to 1/1000 times as active as the natural (R)-pheromone. Determination of the optical purities of citronellic acid and related compounds was achieved by hplc method. Warning was made not to forget the measurement of density in expressing the optical rotation of a neat liquid as [α]_D (neat).