Parametric oscillation at 2.1 μm in periodically poled RbTiOAsO4

An Nd:YAG laser-pumped periodically poled RbTiOAsO₄ (PPRTA) optical parametric oscillator (OPO) near degeneracy is reported. At a pump power of 3.7 W, a net conversion efficiency of 43% was obtained. These crystals were found to be phase-matchable for the higher order quasi-phase-matched second-harmonic generation (SHG) in the visible range. Detailed analyses of the phase-matching properties for these processes were made by using the published Sellmeier and thermo-optic dispersion formulas.     

Identification of Al(III) species in a solution containing equimolar concentrations of Al(III) and citric acid using varying-temperature 27Al NMR spectrometry.

27Al NMR spectra of an equimolar (10 mM) Al(III)-citrate system were obtained at different temperatures. The linewidths of the signals decreased in the spectra recorded at elevated temperatures, which enabled us to unequivocally identify the resonance lines. From the spectrum recorded at 65 approximately C, a mononuclear Al(III)-citrate complex was identified at a solution pH of 3.0 in addition to trinuclear Al(III)-citrate complex, which dominated at pH 4.0.     

Heterogeneous structure of silk fibers from Bombyx mori resolved by 13C solid-state NMR spectroscopy

The molecular conformation of silk fibrion is characterized by solid-state 13C NMR before spinning (silk I structure) and after spinning (silk II structure). We compare native silk fibers with the quasi-crystalline Cp-fraction and a synthetic model peptide (Ala-Gly)15, both of which can be converted either into silk I by dialysis from 9 M LiBr or into silk II by treatment with formic acid. Our results demonstrate that silk II fibers are intrinsically heterogeneous, consisting of beta-sheets, distorted beta-turns, and distorted beta-sheets. This higher-order heterogeneity is revealed by the 13C-NMR Cbeta-peak of Ala, indicating that the Ala side chains are stacked partially in parallel and partially face-to-face, at a ratio of 1:2.     

Langmuir-Blodgett films of a clay mineral and ruthenium(II) complexes with a noncentrosymmetric structure

Mono- and multilayers of amphiphilic [Ru(phen)(2)(dcC12bpy)](2+) (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, dcC12bpy = 4,4'-caboxyl-2,2'-bipyridyl didodecyl ester) hybridized with a clay mineral have been prepared by a modified Langmuir-Blodgett method, and their structures and properties have been investigated. Formation of a hybrid monolayer of the Ru(II) complex cations and the clay platelets at an air-clay suspension interface was confirmed by surface pressure-molecular area (pi-A) isotherm measurement and atomic force microscopic (AFM) observation. Multilayers were fabricated by depositing the hybrid monolayers onto glass substrates. The absorbance at 492 nm due to the Ru(II) complex cation in the multilayer increased linearly with the increase in the layer number, indicating layer-by-layer deposition of the hybrid monolayers. Because no increase in the second-harmonic generation (SHG) signal from the multilayers against the layer number was observed, the orientation of the Ru(II) complex cations in the layer would be disturbed. The hydrophilic surface of the transferred hybrid monolayer can be converted to a hydrophobic surface by dipping it in an aqueous solution of octadecylammonium chloride (ODAH(+)Cl(-)). The multilayers modified with ODAH(+) showed a quadratic relation between the SHG intensity and the layer number. This means that the Ru(II) complex cations in the multilayer are successfully oriented in a noncentrosymmetric way by the conversion of the surface property. Both a racemic mixture and an enantiomer of the Ru(II) complex cations were employed to examine the chiral effect on the film properties. The chiral contribution to the SHG signal was enhanced in the multilayer modified with ODAH(+).     

Sensitive measurement of methylene blue active substances by attenuated total reflection spectrometry with a trimethylsilane-modified glass slab optical waveguide

Attenuated total reflection spectrometry with a slab optical waveguide (SOWG) was explored for the simple, rapid and sensitive measurement of total anionic surfactants by the methylene blue active substance (MBAS) method. A fused-silica sheet used as a guiding layer was modified with trimethylsilane (TMS) to extract and concentrate the MBASs on the SOWG surface. Based on preliminary studies of the adsorption behavior and visible ATR spectrum of MB on the modified silica surface, a detection wavelength of 600 nm was chosen for the sensitive measurement of anionic surfactants. When the concentration of MB was set at 10 microM in the final measurement solution, the calibration curve for a typical anionic surfactant (sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate) was linear up to 0.6 microM and the detection limit was 0.07 microM. The proposed method was applied to the determination of total anionic surfactants in river water.     

Vibrational spectra,normal coordinate analyses,and molecular configurations of crystalline propionic acid

Temperature dependence of the IR spectra of crystalline propionic acid were examined in the temperature range 242–50 K. The intensities of most absorption bands increased on lowering the temperature, but some bands diminished until they disappeared at temperatures lower than about 120 K. Normal coordinate analyses indicate that the former bands are due to the stable cis dimer and the latter due to the less stable trans dimer which would be produced from the cis dimer by simultaneous proton transfer along two hydrogen bonds.     

Evaluation of molecular structure in Langmuir monolayers of zinc stearate and zinc 12-hydroxystearate by IR external reflection spectroscopy

 In situ polarized Fourier transform IR external reflection spectra of Langmuir monolayers of zinc stearate and zinc 12-hydroxystearate on a water surface were recorded for various surface areas, and their molecular structures were estimated. In the zinc stearate monolayer, the wavenumbers and the absorbances of the antisymmetric and symmetric methylene stretching bands did not change during monolayer compression, which means that orientational and conformational changes of the hydrocarbon chain did not occur. However, wavenumber changes of the antisymmetric and symmetric carboxylate stretching bands were observed during surface compression. The change in the binding nature of the zinc cation to the carboxylate group was speculated. Moreover, it was elucidated that the structure of the hydrocarbon chain in the zinc 12-hydroxystearate monolayer was different from that in the zinc stearate monolayer. Received: 21 March 2001 Accepted: 6 July 2001     

Speciation of mercury in salmon egg cell cytoplasm in relation with metallomics research

Speciation of mercury in salmon egg cell cytoplasm was investigated by surfactant-mediated high-performance liquid chromatography/inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC/ICP-MS), where an ODS (octadecylsilica) column coated with a bile acid derivative, CHAPS (3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)-dimethylammonio]-1-propane sulfonate), was used for species separation. Prior to the speciation analysis, total Hg in the cell cytoplasm was determined by ICP-MS at m/z 202 in a flow injection mode. For the precise measurement, salmon egg cell cytoplasm was diluted five-fold with 0.1 M Tris (Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane)-HNO₃ buffer solution, and the standard addition method was employed. Thus, the total concentration of Hg in cell cytoplasm was estimated to be 12.4 ng g⁻¹ on the wet weight basis. Next, the cell cytoplasm diluted five-fold with 0.1 M Tris-HNO₃ buffer solution was analyzed by surfactant-mediated HPLC with the dual detection system of a UV absorption detector and an ICP-MS instrument. Two peaks corresponding to some proteins and small molecules were mainly observed in those chromatograms. When salmon egg cell cytoplasm was diluted five-fold with 0.01 M Tris buffer solution or pure water, some precipitates appeared probably because of precipitation of hydrophobic proteins in cytoplasm. After the precipitates were eliminated with a membrane filter, the filtrate was subjected to the analysis by surfactant-mediated HPLC/UV/ICP-MS. As a result, the peaks for small molecular species of Hg were clearly observed at the retention time near 4.0 min (corresponding to low-molecular weight zone) in the chromatograms with UV absorption detection as well as with Hg- and S-specific ICP-MS detections. The small molecule bound with Hg was identified as cysteine through the cysteine-spiked experiment. In addition, the protein fraction on the chromatogram obtained by using the CHAPS-coated ODS column was further analyzed by SEC (size exclusion chromatography). Consequently, several protein peaks with molecular weight of 300, 50 and 12 kDa were observed in all the detections of UV absorption, Hg and Se, although two peaks among them were coincident in the case of S. These results indicate that Hg in salmon egg cell cytoplasm binds with proteins containing selenocysteine and/or cysteine residues in proteins.     

Size distribution and characteristics of chemical components in ambient particulate matter.

Ambient particulate matter and gas in Kyoto were investigated by gravimetric analysis, X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, and ion chromatography in order to clarify their behavior and origin. The size distribution and characteristics of the chemical components in ambient particulates collected on PTFE membrane filters using an Andersen air sampler were examined from August 2001 to April 2004. A four-stage filter pack method was used to sample the atmosphere for the determination of gas (SO2, HNO3, HCl, NH3) and particulate matter (SO42, NO3, Cl-, Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, NH4+) concentrations from October 2002 to April 2004. The concentration of SPM mass was in the range of 6.7 - 80.2 microg/m3. The size distributions of SPM mass were bimodal, peaking at around 0.65 - 1.1 and 3.3 - 4.7 microm, and 40 - 85% of SPM mass was fine particles (< 2.1 microm). Na, Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Cl, and Fe were mainly present in coarse particles (2.1 to 11.0 microm), while S was present in fine particles. The concentrations of Al, Si, Ca, Mg, and Fe in fine particles increased from March to April in 2002, and those in coarse particulates increased in November 2002 and from March to April in 2004. This may be the effect of the continental yellow sand "Kosa." The differences in the size distributions of Al, Si, Ca, Mg, and Fe in particles may depend on differences in their place of occurrence and course of transport from China to Japan. The concentration of HCl gas was higher than that of particulate chloride ion in summer. Nitric acid gas existed at higher concentrations in summer, but fine particulate nitrate ion was observed in winter. The gaseous-to-fine aerosol nitrate fraction became higher at warmer temperatures. Coarse sulfate was below 10%, and SO2 gas and fine particulate sulfate were above 90%.