NANOMECHANICAL MAPPING OF CARBON BLACK REINFORCED NATURAL RUBBER BY ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY

Atomic force microscopy （AFM） has the advantage of obtaining mechanical properties as well as topographic information at the same time. By analyzing force-distance curves measured over two-dimensional area using Hertzian contact mechanics, Young＇s modulus mapping was obtained with nanometer-scale resolution. Furthermore, the sample deformation by the force exerted was also estimated from the force-distance curve analyses. We could thus reconstruct a real topographic image by incorporating apparent topographic image with deformation image. We applied this method to carbon black reinforced natural rubber to obtain Young＇s modulus distribution image together with reconstructed real topographic image. Then we were able to recognize three regions; rubber matrix, carbon black （or bound rubber） and intermediate regions. Though the existence of these regions had been investigated by pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance, this paper would be the first to report on the quantitative evaluation of the interfacial region in real space.     

The hydrogen bonding properties of cytosine: a computational study of cytosine complexed with hydrogen fluoride, water, and ammonia

Density functional theory is used to study the hydrogen bonding pattern in cytosine, which does not contain alternating proton donor and acceptor sites and therefore is unique compared with the other pyrimidines. Complexes between various small molecules (HF, H(2)O, and NH(3)) and four main binding sites in (neutral and (N1) anionic) cytosine are considered. Two complexes (O2(N1) and N3(N4)) involve neighboring cytosine proton acceptor and donor sites, which leads to cooperative interactions and bidendate hydrogen bonds. The third (less stable) complex (N4) involves a single cytosine donor. The final (O2-N3) complex involves two cytosine proton acceptors, which leads to an anticooperative hydrogen bonding pattern for H(2)O and NH(3). On the neutral surface, the anticooperative O2-N3 complex is less stable than those involving bidentate hydrogen bonds, and the H(2)O complex cannot be characterized when diffuse functions are included in the (6-31G(d,p)) basis set. On the contrary, the anionic O2-N3 structure is the most stable complex, while the HF and H(2)O N3(N4) complexes cannot be characterized with diffuse functions. B3LYP and MP2 potential energy surface scans are used to consider the relationship between the water N3(N4) and O2-N3 complexes. These calculations reveal that diffuse functions reduce the conversion barrier between the two complexes on both the neutral and anionic surfaces, where the reduction leads to a (O2-N3) energy plateau on the neutral surface and complete (N3(N4)) complex destabilization on the anionic surface. From these complexes, the effects of hydrogen bonds on the (N1) acidity of cytosine are determined, and it is found that the trends in the effects of hydrogen bonds on the (N1) acidity are similar for all pyrimidines.     

The first example of regiospecific magnesium carbenoid 1,3-CH insertion: its mechanism and stereochemistry

Addition reaction of two geometrical isomers of 1-chlorovinyl p-tolyl sulfoxides, derived from unsymmetrical ketones and chloromethyl p-tolyl sulfoxide, with lithium enolate of tert-butyl acetate gave single isomers of the adduct, respectively. Treatment of each diastereomer with i-PrMgCl resulted in the formation of magnesium carbenoids. Highly regiospecific 1,3-CH insertion reaction was found to take place from the magnesium carbenoids to afford cyclopropanes in high yields. Stereochemistry of the adducts, reaction mechanism, and origin of the regiospecificity are discussed.     

Metabolite profiling in rat urine by liquid chromatography/electrospray ion trap mass spectrometry. Application to the study of heavy metal toxicity

This work reports the use of reverse-phase liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ion trap (QIT) mass spectrometry for the analysis of the metabolome in rat urine. An injection of 20 microL of urine into the chromatographic system is followed by a slow gradient elution and mass spectrometric detection in the scanning mode from m/z 100-1000 in both positive and negative modes. Over a time scale of 90 min, 30 and 20 resolved peaks were observed in the positive and the negative modes, respectively, corresponding to the presence of a few hundred m/z ratios. By using a QIT analyzer, data-dependent tandem mass spectrometry of selected m/z ratios identified several compounds in rat urine and characterized various chemical families, including carboxylic acids, amines, sulfated compounds, glucuronides and glycosides, by the observation of characteristic fragment ions or neutral losses. The method has been applied to the investigation of the chronic toxicity of heavy metals in rat urine. A few tens of m/z ratios, differing in intensity more than threefold from control values, were observed in both positive and negative modes. The time variations for some selected ions suggest that LC/ESI-MS could allow selective characterization of biomarkers in response to specific toxic compounds.     

A deterministic algorithm for constrained enumeration of transmembrane protein folds

A deterministic algorithm for enumeration of transmembrane protein folds is presented. Using a set of sparse pairwise atomic distance constraints (such as those obtained from chemical cross-linking, FRET, or dipolar EPR experiments), the algorithm performs an exhaustive search of secondary structure element packing conformations distributed throughout the entire conformational space. The end result is a set of distinct protein conformations, which can be scored and refined as part of a process designed for computational elucidation of transmembrane protein structures.     

Microchip electrophoretic protein separation using electroosmotic flow induced by dynamic sodium dodecyl sulfate-coating of uncoated plastic chips

Separation of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-protein complexes is difficult on plastic microchips due to protein adsorption onto the wall. In this paper, we elucidated the reasons for the difficulties in separating SDS-protein complexes on plastic microchips, and we then demonstrated an effective method for separating proteins using polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) microchips. Separation difficulties were found to be dependent on adsorption of SDS onto the hydrophobic surface of the channel, by which cathodic electroosmotic flow (EOF; reversed flow) was generated. Our developed method effectively utilized the reversed flow from this cathodic EOF as a driving force for sample proteins using permanently uncoated but dynamic SDS-coated PMMA microchips. High-speed (6 s) separation of proteins and peptides up to 116 kDa was successfully achieved using this system.     

Starburst dendrimer-supported pseudostationary phases for electrokinetic chromatography

Pseudo-stationary phases for electrokinetic chromatography were prepared by the alkylation of starburst dendrimers (SBDs). The SBD-supported pseudo-stationary phase with dodecyl groups showed higher efficiency than short-akyl derivatives, and maintained the hydrophobic property inthe presence of methanol. The dodecyl-modified SBD provided wide migration time windows ar high methanol content to effect the separation of sixteen aromatic hydrocarbons, the priority pollutants designated by EPA, in 65% methanol. The selectivity of polymer-supported pseudo-stationary phase can be varied simply by changing the length of the alkyl groups. The dodecyl SBD showed relatively similar selectivity as sodium dodecyl culfate micelle, whereas short alkyl derivatives showed preference towards rigid and planar compounds based on the rigid and planar compounds based on the rigid polymer backbones. The selectivity of SBD-supported pseudo-stationary phases was dominated by the chain length of the alkyl groups, with the minor effect of the structure of the core and the generation of SBD where alkyl groups were attached.