Triterpenoid and caffeic acid derivatives in the leaves of ragweed, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ambrosia artemisiifolia</Emphasis> L. (Asterales: Asteraceae), as feeding stimulants of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ophraella communa</Emphasis> LeSage (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Summary. The leaf beetle Ophraella communa infests almost exclusively Ambrosia artemisiifolia in the fields of Japan, even though it normally feeds on several Asteraceous plants. A filter paper bioassay showed that the feeding of O. communa is strongly stimulated by methanolic extracts of A. artemisiifolia. The feeding stimulants for O. communa have been isolated from methanolic extracts of A. artemisiifolia. -Amyrin acetate, -amyrin acetate, 5-caffeoylquinic acid (chlorogenic acid) and 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid from A. artemisiifolia have been identified as feeding stimulants for O. communa. Triterpenoid derivatives (-amyrin acetate or -amyrin acetate) and caffeic acid derivatives (3, 5-dicaffoylquinic acid or 5-caffeoylquinic acid) showed feeding stimulant activity when mixed together.     

Improved method for the formation of recycled resins from depolymerized products of waste fiber-reinforced plastics: simple and effective purification of recovered monomers by washing with water

The synthesis of recycled plastics from recovered monomeric materials obtained from the depolymerization reaction of fiber-reinforced plastics (FRP) was examined. The depolymerization reaction of FRP in the presence of N,N-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) smoothly yielded the corresponding monomers, which mainly consisted of dimethyl phthalates. The polymerization reaction with this monomer failed to form the corresponding unsaturated polyesters due to contamination by N-methyl-4-pyridone, a decomposition product of DMAP. An efficient purification of the recovered monomer was achieved by washing with water, and the purified monomer successfully yielded the corresponding polymers. A hardness test revealed that the polymers were as hard as the polyester made from virgin materials. The present modification provides a practical method for the preparation of recycled plastics from depolymerized plastics.     

Unique aluminosilicate-based natural nanoparticles in the volcanogenic Goshiki-numa pond

We report here the occurrence of uniquely shaped nanoparticles newly discovered in natural ponds. Nanoparticles originate from the Goshiki-numa pond community in Japan, where volcanic activity facilitated the formation of four specific ponds. We built a steric three-dimensional image of nanoparticles by integrating 120 transmission-electron-microscope image fragments obtained from various angle ranges. The thick-walled, cylindrically shaped particle has an outer diameter that measures approximately 40 nm and a length that measures 70 nm. A 10-nm-thick wall surrounds a 30 nm hole located in the particle centre. Particles are composed of an aluminium silicate-based material with an Al₂O₃:SiO₂ ratio of 2:1. They also exhibit an amorphous X-ray diffraction pattern. Although the water solubility characteristics and the infrared spectrum of these newly discovered particles resembles imogolite, these two materials do not have identical structural characteristics.     

Formation of recycled plastics from depolymerized monomers derived from waste fiber-reinforced plastics

To develop a new method for the chemical recycling of plastics, we examined the formation of recycled polymers from the recovered monomeric materials of solubilized waste fiber-reinforced plastics (FRP) under supercritical alcoholic conditions. Treatment of waste FRP with supercritical MeOH resulted in the formation of monomeric organic compounds that mainly contained dimethyl phthalate (DMP) and propylene glycol. The presence of these materials was confirmed by gas chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance analyses and they were mixed with new DMP and glycols in various ratios to form unsaturated polyesters. The polymerization progressed successfully for all mixing ratios of the recovered and new DMP. Hardness tests on these recycled polymers indicated that the polymer made from a 1:1 mixture of recovered and new dimethyl phthalate had almost the same level of hardness as the polymers made from new materials. We also examined the formation of recycled FRP by using glass fibers and monomeric materials recovered through the present depolymerization method. Chemical Feedstock Recycling & Other Innovative Recycling Techniques 6