Crystallization in poly(n-octadecyl methacrylate) monolayers

The crystallization kinetics of poly(n-octadecyl methacrylate) has been studied at the air–water interface. The rate of the crystallization has been measured by the decrease in the area of monolayers with time at various temperatures and surface pressures. The crystallization isotherms have been analyzed by the general mathematical treatment of the kinetics of phase changes, and the results show linear growth to be dominant. The variation of the rate constant with temperature and pressure has been illustrated by the difference in the supersaturation defined by introducing the equilibrium pressure-area isotherms.     

Novel acyl alpha-pyronoids, dictyopyrone A, B, and C, from Dictyostelium cellular slime molds

For the elucidation of the diversity of secondary metabolites of Dictyostelium cellular slime molds, we investigate the constituent of three species of slime molds. From the methanol extract of their fruit bodies, we obtained three novel compounds, dictyopyrone A (1) and B (2) from D. discoideum and D. rhizoposium and dictyopyrone C (3) from D. longosporum. They possess a unique alpha-pyrone moiety with a side chain at the C-3 position. Their relative structures were elucidated by spectral means, and the absolute configuration was confirmed by asymmetric synthesis of 1. Since these compounds were obtained from different species of Dictyostelium slime molds, they may be a type of compound common to this genus.     

The counterion releasing effect and the partition coefficient of branched alkanols in ionic micellar solution

In the micellar solution of SDS, the partition coefficient (K_x) of following branched alkanols at infinite dilution was determined by applying a differential conductivity method: the alkanols used were i-C_mH_2m+1OH (m=4-9, i=1-5) in which the position of OH group (i) shifts from an end to the center of a hydrocarbon chain. The method provides two significant quantities, d!/dX_am and dC_sf/dC_af in addition to K_x. The following results have been obtained. (1) The dependence of K_x on i indicates that the hydrophobicity of alkanol is weakened with increasing i, whereas the increase in m strengthens the hydrophobicity. (2) The degree of counterion disossiation of micelles (!) is accelerated by the solubilized alkanols in micelles (mole fraction: X_am) and the acceleration rate, d!/dX_am (=0.17), depends on neither m nor i. (3) In the bulk water, the monomerically dissolved alkanols (concentration: C_af) depresses the concentration of free monomer surfactant (C_sf), and the depressing rate, dC_sf/dC_af, in micellar solution is identical with the corresponding quantity, ((CMC/(C_a)_o at CMC.     

Analysis to obtain precise density fluctuation of supercritical fluids by small-angle X-ray scattering

A procedure of analysis for small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) data has been established to obtain density fluctuation of supercritical fluids near the critical point. It is indispensable for the certain analysis to utilize both of high-quality SAXS data measured under stable thermodynamic condition and accurate P–ρ–T data in supercritical region. As a standard example, SAXS measurements have been performed for supercritical CO₂, which is a suitable sample satisfying the condition for both experiment and analysis. The measurements were carried out along four isothermal conditions at reduced temperature of T_r = T/T_c = 1.020, 1.022, 1.043 and 1.064. Comparing the experimental density fluctuation with calculated one from the most reliable equation of state, the differences are within 8% at most.     

Thermally-induced radical rearrangement of 2-(2-thienylmethoxy)-and 2-(2-benzo[b]thienylmethoxy)tropones

Upon heating at ca. 160°, 2-(2-thienylmethoxy)tropone afforded 3- and 5(2-thienylmethyl)tropolones. Formation of 3,5-bis(2-thienylmethyl)tropolone and unsubstituted tropolone indicated a radical chain mechanism for the thermolysis.     

Two stereoisomers of an S-bridged RhIII2PtII2 tetranuclear complex [{Pt(NH3)2}2{Rh(aet)3}2]4+ that lead to a discrete and a 1D RhIII2PtII2AgI structures by reacting with AgI (aet = 2-aminoethanethiolate)

An S-bridged RhIII2PtII2 tetranuclear complex having two nonbridging thiolato groups, [{Pt(NH3)2}2{Rh(aet)3}2]4+ ([1]4+), in which two fac(S)-[Rh(aet)3] units are linked by two trans-[Pt(NH3)2]2+ moieties, was synthesized by the 1:1 reaction of fac(S)-[Rh(aet)3] (aet = 2-aminoethanethiolate) with trans-[PtCl2(NH3)2] in water. Complex [1]4+ gave both the meso (DeltaLambda) and racemic (DeltaDelta/LambdaLambda) forms, which were separated by fractional crystallization. Of two possible geometries, syn and anti, which arise from the arrangement of two nonbridging thiolato groups, the meso and racemic forms of [1]4+ selectively afforded the anti and syn geometries, respectively. The DeltaLambda-anti and DeltaDelta/LambdaLambda-syn isomers of [1]4+ reacted with Ag+ using two nonbridging thiolato groups to produce a {RhIII2PtII2AgI}n) polymeric complex, {[Ag{Pt(NH3)2}2{Rh(aet)3}2]5+}n) ([2]5+), and a RhIII2PtII2AgI pentanuclear complex, [Ag{Pt2(mu-H2O)(NH3)2}{Rh(aet)3}2]5+ ([3]5+), respectively, which contain octahedral RhIII, square-planar PtII, and linear AgI centers. In [2]5+, each DeltaLambda-anti-[{Pt(NH3)2}2{Rh(aet)3}2]4+ tetranuclear unit is bound to two AgI atoms to form a one-dimensional zigzag chain, indicating the retention of the parental S-bridged structure in DeltaLambda-anti-[1]4+. In [3]5+, two Delta- or Lambda-fac(S)-[Rh(aet)3] units are linked by a [Pt2(mu-H2O)(NH3)2]4+ dinuclear moiety, together with an AgI atom, indicating that two NH3 molecules in [1]4+ have been replaced by a water molecule that bridges two PtII centers, while the parental DeltaDelta/LambdaLambda-syn configuration is retained. The complexes obtained were characterized on the basis of electronic absorption, CD, and NMR spectra, along with single-crystal X-ray analyses.     

Effect of pressure on the adsorption and micelle formation of aqueous dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride solution-hexane system

The interfacial tension of aqueous dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride (DTAC) solution/hexane interface has been measured as a function of pressure at concentrations around the critical micelle concentration (CMC). The derivative of the interfacial tension with respect to pressure has been observed to change abruptly at the CMC as in the case of aqueous dodecylammonium chloride (DAC) solution-hexane system studied already. The volume changes associated with the adsorption of DTAC from its monomeric and micellar states have been calculated. The results have indicated that the micelle formation of surfactant is treated like the appearance of a new macroscopic phase in the system. It has also been concluded that the micelle solubilizing hexane bears resemblance to the adsorbed film in terms of the volume. The difference in the pressure dependence of the volume of micelle formation ^MW between DTAC and DAC has been attributed to a larger polar group of DTAC. The fact that the value of ^MW is larger than that estimated from the conductivity data has been explained by the solubilization of hexane into the micelle.     

Orientation-selected 15N-HYSCORE detection of weakly coupled nitrogens around the archaeal rieske [2Fe-2S] center

The weakly coupled 15N atoms around a reduced Rieske [2Fe-2S] cluster of the uniformly 15N-labeled, hyperthermostable archaeal Rieske protein appear to produce readily observable cross-peaks in the HYSCORE spectra, with the well-resolved couplings of 0.3-0.4 MHz for the Nepsilon and 1.1 MHz for the peptide backbone nitrogens, in addition to the contributions from the coordinated Ndelta atoms. These features can be used for structure-mechanism studies of the biological redox protein system involving the weakly coupled nitrogens in coupled electron-proton transfer reactions.     

Rhodamine B amine as a highly sensitive fluorescence derivatization reagent for saccharides in reversed-phase liquid chromatography

6-Rhodamine B amine functions as a highly sensitive fluorescence derivatization reagent for mono- and oligosaccharides; it reacts with the reducing end of saccharides under acidic conditions. The fluorescent derivatives of five monosaccharides can be separated within 25 min by reversed-phase liquid chromatography with isocratic elution. The detection limits (S/N = 3) for mono-, di-, and oligosaccharides are 7-51, 13, and 9-35 fmol/20 microl injection, which correspond to analyte concentrations of 35-255, 65, 45-175 nM, respectively. We have applied this derivatization method successfully to the analysis of the components of oligosaccharides in glycoproteins (ribonuclease B and fetuin) following their acidic or enzymatic hydrolysis. The results from these analyses are in good agreements with the reported values established previously.