2D-PIV analysis of loach motion and flow field

The propulsion methods of the aquatic lives are the results of optimization by evolution and are useful for the design of swimming-robot, etc. Among them, loach has unique propulsion technique both bending its long body and shaking caudal fin. Our purpose of the research is to clarify its swimming mechanism through flow field analysis. Two dimensional motion and flow around it have been experimentally visualized by particle image velocimetry (PIV). Vortices around a loach and the interactions between the loach body and surrounding water are analyzed. Generating and growing vortices by bending its body, it pushes water backward to gain repulsing force, and it seems that moves through vortices reducing the resistance force at the same time. When a vortex reaches to the caudal fin, it accelerates both sides of the vortex pushing water backward and seems gaining propulsion utilizing the caudal fin. After moving forward, loach leaves a vortex street like reverse Karman vortices, which means that loach gains propulsion.     

Temperature dependence of ion and water transport in perfluorinated ionomer membranes for fuel cells

To clarify the mechanisms of transport of ions and water molecules in perfluorosulfonated ionomer membranes for fuel cells, the temperature dependence of their transport behaviors was investigated in detail. Two types of Flemion membranes having different equivalent weight values (EW) were utilized along with Nafion 117 as the perfluorinated ionomer membranes, and H-, Li-, and Na-form samples were prepared for each membrane by immersion in 0.03 M HCl, LiCl, and NaCl aqueous solutions, respectively. The ionic conductivity, water self-diffusion coefficient (D(H)(2)(O)), and DSC were measured in the fully hydrated state as a function of temperature. The ionic conductivity of the membranes was reflected by the cation transport through the intermediary of water. Clearly, H(+) transports by the Grotthuss (hopping) mechanism, and Li(+) and Na(+) transport by the vehicle mechanism. The differences of the ion transport mechanisms were observed in the activation energies through the Arrhenius plots. The D(H)(2)(O) in the membranes exhibited a tendency similar to the ionic conductivity for the cation species and the EW value. However, no remarkable difference of D(H)(2)(O) between H- and the other cation-form membranes was observed as compared with the ionic conductivity. It indicates that water in each membrane diffuses almost in a similar way; however, H(+) transports by the Grotthuss mechanism so that conductivity of H(+) is much higher than that of the other cations. Moreover, the D(H)(2)(O) and DSC curves showed that a part of water in the membranes freezes around -20 degrees C, but the nonfreezing water remains and diffuses below that temperature. This fact suggests that completely free water (bulk water) does not exist in the membranes, and water weakly interacting with the cation species and the sulfonic acid groups in secondary and higher hydration shells freezes around -20 degrees C, while strongly binding water in primary hydration shells does not freeze. The ratio of freezing and nonfreezing water was estimated from the DSC curves. The D(H)(2)(O) in the membranes was found to be influenced by the ratio of freezing and nonfreezing water. DFT calculation of the interaction (solvation) energy between the cation species and water molecules suggested that the water content and the ratio of freezing and nonfreezing water depend strongly on the cation species penetrated into the membrane.     

Effects of electrolytes on the configuration change of cobalt(II)-halide complexes in chloroform/water reverse micelle systems.

The effects of various salts and HClO4 on the configuration change of cobalt(II)-halide complexes in CHCl3/CTAC or CTAB/H2O reverse micelle systems were examined at 25 degrees C by means of spectrophotometry, where CTAC and CTAB represent cetyltrimethylammonium chloride and bromide, respectively. The formation of the [CoCl4]> or [CoBr4]2- species of the tetrahedral configuration from [Co(H2O)6]2+ of the octahedral configuration in the reverse micelles was greatly promoted not only by a decrease in the W value (W = [H2O]/[surfactant]), but also, at a constant W value (e.g., W = 2.0), by the addition of relatively low concentrations of salts or the acid (e.g., 4.0 mol dm(-3) in the aqueous phase or 4.0 x 10(-2) mol dm(-3) in the whole reverse micelle system). The effects of perchlorate salts increased as Na+ < or = Li+ approximately H+ < Sr2+ < Ca2+ < Mg2+. Non-metallic salts, various tetraalkylammonium (R4N+) salts at lower concentrations, gave minor effects. The enhanced effects of metal salts on the configuration change of the cobalt(II)-halide complexes were interpreted by a further distortion of the hydrogen-bonded structure of the water in a "water pool" in the presence of salts of even relatively low concentrations. A conformation change with increasing temperature was also attributed to a further distortion of the water structure. An almost completed formation of [CoBr4]2- as well as [CoCl4]2- was attained in the reverse micelles at a low W value of 0.69 containing LiClO4 or HClO4. A partial transfer of the [CoX4]2- species from a "water pool" into the CHCl3 phase by the addition of the metal salts may be suspected. An examination of cobalt(II)-bromide complexes in dichloromethane/CTAB/H2O at W = 1.3 - 5.55 justified all the arguments concerning the chloroform systems. The Raman spectra of D2O containing concentrated LiBr and LiClO4 have supplied conclusive evidence that the hydrogen-bonded structure of the bulk water is completely distorted by extremely concentrated salts.     

Ring‐Opening Reactions of 3‐Aryl‐1‐benzylaziridine‐2‐carboxylates and Application to the Asymmetric Synthesis of an Amphetamine‐Type Compound

Nucleophilic ring‐opening reactions of 3‐aryl‐1‐benzylaziridine‐2‐carboxylates were examined by using O‐nucleophiles and aromatic C‐nucleophiles. The stereospecificity was found to depend on substrates and conditions used. Configuration inversion at C(3) was observed with O‐nucleophiles as a major reaction path in the ring‐opening reactions of aziridines carrying an electron‐poor aromatic moiety, whereas mixtures containing preferentially the syn‐diastereoisomer were generally obtained when electron‐rich aziridines were used (Tables 1–3). In the reactions of electron‐rich aziridines with C‐nucleophiles, S_N2 reactions yielding anti‐type products were observed (Table 4). Reductive ring‐opening reaction by catalytic hydrogenation of (+)‐trans‐(2S,3R)‐3‐(1,3‐benzodioxol‐5‐yl)aziridine‐2‐carboxylate (+)‐trans‐ 3c afforded the corresponding α‐amino acid derivative, which was smoothly transformed into (+)‐tert‐butyl [(1R)‐2‐(1,3‐benzodioxol‐5‐yl)‐1‐methylethyl]carbamate((+)‐ 14 ) with high retention of optical purity (Scheme 6).     

Study of adsorption of methylene blue and new methylene blue in liquid-solid interface by slab optical waveguide spectroscopy

A slab optical waveguide (SOWG) has been used for study of adsorption of both methylene blue (MB) and new methylene blue (NMB) in liquid–solid interface. Adsorption characteristics of MB and NMB on both bare SOWG and silanized SOWG by octadecyltrichlorosilane (ODS) were compared. Effect of pH on adsorption on MB and NMB was investigated. Binding rate constant analysis showed that both MB and NMB on bare SOWG demonstrates larger association constants than those on ODS-SOWG. Interactions of MB and NMB on bare SOWG and ODS-SOWG were analyzed by molecular mechanics calculation method. The binding energy change was in the following order: E_NMB–bare > E_MB–bare > E_NMB–ODS > E_MB–ODS.     

Electrochemical Characteristics of a Triphenylamine Derivative by Microelectrode Voltammetry

With the objective of understanding the kinetic redox properties of triphenylamine derivatives in association with chemical reactions, for their future application in functional organic semiconductor devices, the electrochemical characteristics of 4‐(2,2‐diphenylethenyl)‐N,N‐bis(4‐methylphenyl)‐benzenamine (TPA) were evaluated. Based on cyclic voltammograms of TPA on Pt disk electrodes with diameters of 300 μm and 10 μm at slow and fast scan rates in an acetonitrile solution, the TPA^.+ is stable, while the TPA²⁺ is unstable. Importantly, the unstable TPA²⁺ appears to break down by a subsequent chemical reaction. A Cottrell plot analysis from chronoamperometry of a solution containing TPA reveals that both the first and second oxidations are one‐electron reactions. Concerning the stabilization mechanism of the first oxidation state of TPA, the results of molecular orbital calculations indicate that the electrons of the HOMO level are distributed in the triphenylamine group, which induces a resonance‐stabilized TPA^.+. Based on these results, TPA/TPA^.+ is suggested to have a sufficient stability for further application in organic semiconductor devices.     

Mechanistic action of ferric oxide in the hydrosilylation of 1,6-divinyl(perfluorohexane) with trichlorosilane

In the hydrosilylation of 1,6-divinyl(perfluorohexane) (FDV) with trichlorosilane (TCS) in the presence of catalytic chloroplatinic acid (Pt-Cat) under an air atmosphere (0.99 MPa), a runaway reaction accompanied by a severe pressure release occurred when Fe₂O₃ was present as an impurity in the system. In this study, we investigated the mechanism of action of Fe₂O₃ on this hydrosilylation by monitoring the thermal behavior of TCS/FDV/Pt-Cat/Fe₂O₃ mixtures with various compositions, using an accelerating rate calorimeter (ARC). In the case of TSC/FDV/Pt-Cat, a typical hydrosilylation composition in the industrial process, heat release, possibly due to hydrosilylation, began at 90 °C. On the other hand, for TCS/FDV/Pt-Cat/Fe₂O, the heat release due to hydrosilylation was hardly observed, but abrupt heat and pressure releases occurred at higher temperatures (>170 °C). Like TCS/FDV/Pt-Cat/Fe₂O₃, TCS/FDV, which contain neither Pt-Cat nor Fe₂O₃, released heat and pressure at high temperatures (>210 °C), while the heat and pressure release rates were comparatively low. From these results, the runaway reaction may occur when hydrosilylation is prevented, and Fe₂O₃ behaves as a negative catalyst for hydrosilylation. In the FT-IR spectrum of TCS/FDV/Pt-Cat/Fe₂O₃ after heating, an absorption peak at approximately 1,710 cm^?1, which may be attributed to a carbonyl group, was observed. Thus, it is considered that the runaway reaction observed during the hydrosilylation results from the action of Fe₂O₃ as a negative catalyst for hydrosilylation as well as as an oxidation catalyst for the by-product generated from the reaction between TCS and FDV.     

Geometrical Evolution and Formation of the Photoproduct in the Cycloreversion Reaction of a Diarylethene Derivative Probed by Vibrational Spectroscopy

The geometrical evolution of the reactant and formation of the photoproduct in the cycloreversion reaction of a diarylethene derivative were probed using time-resolved absorption spectroscopies in the visible to near-infrared and mid-infrared regions. The time-domain vibrational data in the visible region show that the initially formed Franck-Condon state is geometrically relaxed into the minimum in the excited state potential energy surface, concomitantly with the low-frequency coherent vibrations. Theoretical calculations indicate that the nuclear displacement in this coherent vibration is nearly parallel to that in the geometrical relaxation. Time-resolved mid-infrared spectroscopy directly detected the formation of the open-ring isomer with the same time constant as the decrease of the closed-ring isomer in the excited state minimum. This observation reveals that no detectable intermediate, in which the population is accumulated, is present between the excited closed-ring isomer and the open-ring isomer in the ground state.