Mariko Ando

Halide-Stabilized LiBH4, a Room-Temperature Lithium Fast-Ion Conductor

Solid state lithium conductors are attracting much attention for their potential applications to solid-state batteries and supercapacitors of high energy density to overcome safety issues and irreversible capacity loss of the currently commercialized ones. Recently, we discovered a new class of lithium super ionic conductors based on lithium borohydride (LiBH(4)). LiBH(4) was found to have conductivity as high as 10(-2) Scm(-1) accompanied by orthorhombic to hexagonal phase transition above 115 degrees C. Polarization to the lithium metal electrode was shown to be extremely low, providing a versatile anode interface for the battery application. However, the high transition temperature of the superionic phase has limited its applications. Here we show that a chemical modification of LiBH(4) can stabilize the superionic phase even below room temperature. By doping of lithium halides, high conductivity can be obtained at room temperature. Both XRD and NMR confirmed room-temperature stabilization of superionic phase for LiI-doped LiBH(4). The electrochemical measurements showed a great advantage of this material as an extremely lightweight lithium electrolyte for batteries of high energy density. This material will open alternative opportunities for the development of solid ionic conductors other than previously known lithium conductors.

Polar cardenolide monoglycosides from stems and twigs of Nerium oleander and their biological activities

Twelve polar cardenolide monoglycosides, 1, 2, 4–13, and oleagenin (3) were isolated from the methanol extract of stems and twigs of Nerium oleander. Among these, oleagenin (3) and cardenolide monoglycosides named cardenolide B-1 (1) and cardenolide B-2 (2) were isolated from natural sources for the first time. The in vitro antiinflammatory activity of compounds 1–13 was examined on the basis of inhibitory activity against the induction of the intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1). Compounds 4–7 were active at an IC50 value of less than 0.4 μM. The cytotoxic activity of compounds 1–13 was evaluated against three human cell lines: normal human fibroblast cells (WI-38), malignant tumor cells derived from WI-38 (VA-13), and human liver tumor cells (HepG2). Compounds 4, 6, and 7 were active toward these three cell lines at IC50 values of less than 0.7 μM, and compounds 5 and 8 were active toward the cell lines at IC50 values of less than 1.5 μM. The multidrug resistance (MDR) cancer-reversal activity of compounds 1–13 was evaluated on the basis of the amount of calcein accumulated in MDR human ovarian cancer 2780AD cells in the presence of each compound. Compound 1 and 12 showed significant effects on calcein accumulation.