Visible-light-sensitive photocatalytic reaction on chromium-containing mesoporous silica: selective partial oxidation of propane with molecular oxygen

The photocatalytic reactivities of chromium-containing mesoporous silica molecular sieves (Cr-HMS) under visible light irradiation have been investigated. Cr-HMS involves tetrahedral chromium oxide (Cr-oxide) moieties which are highly dispersed and incorporated in the framework of molecular sieve with two terminal Cr=O groups. In the presence of propane with molecular oxygen, a partial oxidation proceeded under visible light irradiation to produce acetone and acrolein, with high selectivity, while a complete oxidation proceeded under UV light irradiation mainly to produce CO₂. The charge-transfer excited state of the tetrahedral Cr-oxide moieties plays a significant role in the photocatalytic reactions.     

Novel pattern formation in the collapse process of floating monolayer at the air-water interface

We have observed a remarkable two-armed spiral in the collapse process of a floating monolayer at the air-water interface by phase contrast microscopy. This demonstrates that the floating monolayer as a form of soft condensed matter reorganizes itself due to a certain kind of macroscopic or collective behavior of molecules as it collapses. This pattern formation is caused by the breakdown of a critical dynamical balance between the deformation of solid domain and the applied surface pressure. The fragility as well as the flexibility of the floating monolayer can be associated with the observed pattern growth. There are also observed interesting, periodically arranged collections of molecules in numerous collapsed regions. Received: 8 July 1997 / Accepted: 4 November 1997     

Preparation and condensation reactions of a new light-fluorous Mukaiyama reagent: reliable purification with fluorous solid phase extraction for esters and amides

A modified light-fluorous Mukaiyama reagent bearing a C₈F₁₇ tag was prepared and examined in ester and amide forming condensation reactions. Following the reactions, the desired product was effectively separated from the fluorous pyridone by-product using a simple fluorous solid phase extraction.     

Affine scaling algorithm fails for semidefinite programming

In this paper, we introduce an affine scaling algorithm for semidefinite programming (SDP), and give an example of a semidefinite program such that the affine scaling algorithm converges to a non-optimal point. Both our program and its dual have interior feasible solutions and unique optimal solutions which satisfy strict complementarity, and they are non-degenerate everywhere.     

The Heat Kernel on Hyperbolic Space

The purpose of this note is to provide a new proof for the explicitformulas of the heat kernel on hyperbolic space. By definition,the hyperbolic space Hⁿ is a (unique) simply connected completen-dimensional Riemannian manifold with a constant negative sectionalcurvature –1. 1991 Mathematics Subject Classification58G32, 58G11.     

Characteristic curved structure derived from collagen-containing tubular giant vesicles under static magnetic field

Collagen-containing tubular giant vesicles (Col–tGVs) under a high static magnetic field were found to constitute characteristic curved structures (e.g. circular, 8-figure, and hairpin-loop), which were sustained by polymerization of collagen units inside the tGV. We ascribed the formation of these structures to the elasticity of the tGV and to the competing diamagnetic anisotropies between collagen and the tGV. These curved structures can be well expressed by the equation of elastica.     

AC calorimetric study of phase transitions in phosphatidylcholine-cholesterol systems

Using an ac calorimetric method, detailed behaviour of the heat capacity in dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylcholine-cholesterol system was studied in the cholesterol concentration less than 5 mol%. It was revealed that the heat capacity near the main transition was composed of at least four anomalies, i.e., multipeak took place in the heat capacity. This fact indicates that a simple theory explaining coexistence of two phases in two component systems does not work in the multipeak region. Then, relation between the multipeak heat capacity and the change of the ripple structure with the cholesterol concentration should be taken into account, when we consider thermodynamical behaviour of the systems.

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Zusammenfassung Mittels AC-Kalorimetrie wurde bei Cholesterol-Konzentrationen von weniger als 5 mol% das Verhalten der Wärmekapazität im System Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholin-Cholesterol untersucht. Es wurde gezeigt, daß sich die Wärmekapazität in der Nähe der Hauptumwandlung aus mindestens vier Anomalien zusammensetzt, d.h. bei der Wärmekapazität kann ein Multipeak beobachtet werden. Diese Tatsache zeigt, daß eine einfache Theorie, welche die Koexistenz zweier Phasen in einem Zweikomponenten-System erklärt, für die Multipeakregion nicht geeignet ist. Weiterhin sollte bei Überlegungen zum thermodynamischen Verhalten von Systemen eine Beziehung zwischen der Multipeak-Wärmekapazität bzw. der Welligkeitsstruktur und der Cholesterol-Konzentration berücksichtigt werden.

     

Three-way-output response system by electric potential: UV-vis, CD, and fluorescence spectral changes upon electrolysis of the chiral ester of tetracyanoanthraquinodimethane

The newly prepared tetracyanoanthraquinodimethane (TCNAQ) derivatives 1a,b with a chiral auxiliary are good electron acceptors and exhibit weak circular dichroism (CD) based on the absorption of TCNAQ. The twin-type electron acceptor 1c with two TCNAQ units shows larger ellipticity by exciton coupling. UV-vis, CD, and fluorescence spectra were changed drastically upon electrochemical reduction of 1c, which demonstrates the unprecedented three-way-output response system.     

Preparation and characterization of nitrogen-doped TiO2 photocatalyst in different acid environments

Nitrogen-doped TiO₂ powders were successfully prepared by a wet method, i.e., a micro-emulsion-hydrothermal method, in different acid environments. Several characterization techniques, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectra, were combined to determine the crystal phase, concentration and chemical states of the nitrogen doped in TiO₂. The high photocatalytic activity of the nitrogen-doped TiO₂ was evaluated through the decomposition of rhodanmine B under visible light irradiation. It was suggested that the doped nitrogen formed oxynitride (NO) and produced impurity states at higher above the valence band of TiO₂. Therefore, the nitrogen doping could enhance the response of photocatalyst to the visible light and improve the photocatalytic activity because of the narrowing of band gap of TiO₂.