Formation of uniform silver particles from bis (1,2-ethanediamine)silver(I) complex

Uniform spherical silver particles were produced by decomposing the bis(1,2-ethanediamine)silver(I) complex, by aging a solution of 1.0×10^–3 mole dm^–3 in silver (I) nitrate, 1.0 mole dm^–3 in 1,2-ethanediamine, and 2.5×10^–1 mole dm^–3 in nitric acid (basic solution) at 100°C for 42 min. The average modal diameter was estimated to be 0.52 m with a relative standard deviation of 0.10. A moderately oxygenrich layer, 40 Å thick, on the surface of the particles was detected by means of photoelectron surface microanalysis (XPS). The silver particles grew through a polynuclear-layer mechanism, as judged from the concentration change in soluble silver(I) species in the supernatant solution. The particles' point of zero charge (PZC) was estimated at pH 6.5 by potentiometric titration.     

Preparation of asymmetric polymer film by emulsion blend technique

Two kinds of anionic polymer emulsions, of which particle sizes were greatly different, were blended and then cast on a release-paper at 30 °C. One was poly(butyl acrylate) emulsion, 0.46n in diameter, produced by emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization, and the other was ethyl acrylate-methyl methacrylate (1/1, mole ratio) copolymer emulsion, 0.02m in diameter, produced by emulsifier-containing emulsion polymerization. The film produced had asymmetric surface properties: the air-side surface was nontacky and the bottom-side surface was tacky. The forming mechanism is discussed.     

Preparation of micron-size monodisperse polymer microspheres having cationic groups

Micron-size monodisperse crosslinked polymer microspheres having chloromethyl groups were prepared by seeded copolymerization of styrene, divinylbenzene, and chloromethylstyrene in the presence of 2.1- monodisperse polystyrene seed particles produced by dispersion polymerization. The modification reaction of chloromethyl groups on the surfaces with polyamines such as triethylenetetramine and ethylenediamine was carried out. From the measurements of potential and the amount of chloride ion released, the introduction of a large number of cationic groups at the surfaces was confirmed.Part CXXXI of the series Studies on suspension and Emulsion.     

Formation of monodisperse poly(1-methacryloxybenzotriazole) particles by radiation-induced dispersion polymerization

Radiation-induced dispersion polymerization of 1-methacryloxybenzotriazole (MABt) in ethyl propionate starts as homogeneous mixture and the resulting polymer precipitates as spherical particles. Formation, size, and shape of polymer particles are strongly dependent on the initial monomer concentration. Three regions can be distinguished: formation of deformed particles at concentrations of 15 w/v-% MABt; formation of spherical particles at concentrations from 18 to 35 w/v-% MABt; no precipitation of polymer at concentrations of 40 w/v-% MABt. The spherical particles at 20 w/v-% MABt had a diameter of 0.54 ± 0.31 m for 3 kGy irradiation and 2.93±0.68 m for 30 kGy. The number distribution of the microspheres shows that the spherical particles with small sizes formed at low irradiation dose (low conversion) disappears with increasing irradiation dose because of multi-coating by newly produced polymer.     

Separation of linear gramicidins using carbon dioxide-containing mobile phases

Packed-column supercritical-fluid chromatography (pSFC) is presented as a novel method for separating and analyzing gramicidin samples. By use of methanol-modified carbon dioxide as a mobile phase the pentadecapeptides gramicidin A (gA), gramicidin B (gB), and gramicidin C (gC) are readily separated and eluted from a PRP-1 poly(styrene–divinylbenzene) column. Although optimum separation conditions are typically achieved near a column temperature of 40°C, a column pressure of 11 MPa, and 30% methanol modifier, pressure and modifier gradients around these values are also found to improve the overall separation time. Measurements indicate that the mobile phase solubility of gramicidin under these conditions is 5.0±0.4 g mL^–1. Collection of individual peaks during chromatography achieved analytical-scale isolation of 2 g refined gC from 20 g injected gramicidin D. Further, supercritical-fluid extraction of 200 g gramicidin D from a Chromosorb 102 support packed into the vessel produced 57 g gA in 90% purity. The results establish that carbon dioxide-based mobile phases can be successfully used for the separation of individual gramicidin species.     

New organosols of ZnS and HgS in N,N-dimethylformamide and dimethyl sulfoxide. Use in the preparation of semiconductive polymer-metal sulfide composite films

Organosols of ZnS and HgS in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) were prepared by reaction of Zn and Hg salts with H₂S. ZnS in the DMF organosol has a particle size of about 300 Å, determined by an argon laser scattering technique. The form of HgS in the organosols varies with temperature, concentration of HgS, and type of solvent;-HgS in a DMF organosol is converted into-HgS at –30 °C or above. Poly(acrylonitrile)-ZnS or -HgS composite films prepared from organosols are semiconductive, and the electrical conductivity of the film increases by a factor of 10²–10³ on exposure to moisture or alcohol vapour. Poly(acrylonitrile)--HgS composite films, prepared from heated-HgS, show electrical conductivity of a range of 10^–1–10^–2 S cm^–1 and a large electron mobility.     

Bioactive polymers 67: isosorbide dinitrate retardation in xanthan-based hydrogels

Xanthan and its crosslinked beads have many biomedical applications. Xanthan has been reticulated with epichlorohydrin, thus becoming a hydrogel with a swelling ratio in the range 1–10 and having a solvent content of 80–90%. Through its diffusion from alcohol/water mixture (5/1–5/4,v/v) of various concentrations, isosorbide dinitrate has been inserted into the hydrogel. The content of isosorbide dinitrate in the hydrogel varies in the range 40–150 mg/g. The drug is released according to zero-order kinetics at a constant rate of 1.5 g/h, for a duration of 9 h.     

A fluorescence detection system for the analytical ultracentrifuge and its application to proteins,nucleic acids,and viruses

A fluorescence detection system was developed for the analytical ultracentrifuge Spinco model E. Fluorescence is excited by a laser beam which is focussed into the cell and illuminates an area with a dimension of 60 m in radial direction. For scanning the laser beam is moved in radial direction. After passing the cell, the laser beam is quenched by a carbon light trap and a set of optical filters. Fluorescence emission intensity is monitored by a photomultiplier located behind the light trap and the set of filters. The sensitivity of the detection system was tested by applying it to the sedimentation analysis of proteins and nucleic acids. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was covalently labelled with the fluorescence-dye fluorescein-isothiocyanate (FITC), and its sedimentation coefficient could be determined even if BSA was analyzed in a concentration as low as 10^–10 M. Nucleic acids were labelled non-covalently by the intercalating dye ethidium bromide. Only 8 ng RNA were needed for the determination of the sedimentation coefficient. The particular advantages of the fluorescence detection system were exploited for the establishment of a new method for quantitative virus detection. To tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) a monoclonal anti-TMV antibody from mouse was bound, and to this a second, anti-mouse antibody that carried the fluorescence-label FITC was attached. Either by UV-irradiation or by incubation with glutaraldehyde, the first antibody was covalently crosslinked to TMV, and the second antibody to the first. In CsCl density centrifugation with fluorescence detection as little as 3.2 ng virus/80 l or 6×10⁸ virus particles/ml were recorded in a well expressed band at the corresponding buoyant density. Tenfold lower concentration would result still in a significant band. The sensitivity compares well with those of the most advanced techniques from immunology. Due to the specific labelling of viruses by antibodies it will be possible to carry out quantitative physical characterization of virus containing samples without purifying the virus. Future applications of the fluorescence detection system and of the virus detection technique are discussed.This paper was presented at the VI. Symposium on Analytical Ultracentrifugation, Marburg, FRG, February 16–17, 1989.     

Potentiometric studies of the thermodynamics of iodine disproportionation from 4 to 209°C

The equilibrium constant for the disproportionation of iodine in aqueous solution was determined as a function of temperature from 3.8 to 209.0°C using emf measurements in low ionic strength media. The equilibrium constant and associated molal thermodynamic quantities at 25°C are: K₁=1.17±0.62×10^–47, H^o=273±3 kJ-mol^–1, S^o=16±9 J-K^–1-mol^–1, and C _p ^o =–1802±41 J-K^–1-mol^–1. Although the value of K₁ is in excellent agreement with a previous emf measurement at 25°C, these results conflict with the corresponding parameters obtained from the NBS tables. Moreover, at temperatures above ca. 100°C, our measured values for the equilibrium constant diverge strongly from all previous estimates and predictions.     

Sol-Emulsion-Gel Synthesis of Alumina-Zirconia Composite Microspheres

Oxide microspheres in the system Al₂O₃-ZrO₂ (AZ), with the Al₂O₃:ZrO₂ molar ratios as 87:13, 78:22, 74:26 and 64:36 were obtained from emulsified bi-component sols by the sol-emulsion-gel method. The surfactant concentration and viscosity of the sols were found to affect the characteristics of the derived microspheres. The gel and calcined microspheres were investigated by using thermogravimetry analysis (TGA), differential thermal analysis (DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and particle size analysis. TGA indicated the removal of most of the volatiles, i.e. 40 ± 2 wt% up to about 500°C. Crystallization of gel microspheres at about 900°C was confirmed by DTA and XRD. XRD results also indicated the retainment of tetragonal (t-)ZrO₂, in the absence of stabilizers, at 1600°C. The optical and scanning electron microscopy confirmed the spherical morphology of the gel and calcined particles. The particle size distribution of the AZ microspheres calcined at 1200°C for 1 h exhibited a size range of 5–60 m with the average particle size (d ₅₀) varied from 23 to 26 m.     

Electrically conducting,thermally stable,and mechanically strong CuS-poly(parabanic acid) composite films and their shielding effect of electromagnetic wave

Poly(parabanic acid)-CuS composite film (wt-% of CuS=20–50) prepared by using organosol of CuS (=1500 Å) showed electrical conductivity of 0.1–70 S cm^–1, high thermal stability up to 250°C, high mechanical strength (breaking stress=7.0–12 × 10⁷ Pa), and good shielding effect of electromagnetic wave.     

Microscopic observation of ordered colloids in sedimentation equilibrium and the importance of the Debye-screening length. 9. Compressed crystals of giant colloidal spheres (diam. 2–66 μm)

Compressed crystal-like structures of very large polystyrene spheres (specific gravity=1.05, diameter=2–66 m) are observed directly by a metallurgical microscope in sedimentation equilibrium and in deionized aquueous and 20 vol % methanol aqueous suspensions. Spheres of 2–42 m in diameter float above the cover glass apart from each other. The center-to-center intersphere distance decreases as the initial concentration of spheres increases, from which Young's elastic moduli (G) for the crystal-like structures are estimated to be between 1 to 10 dyn/cm², irrespective of the spheres size.G's in aqueous suspension are smaller than those in methanol aqueous mixtures. The crystal-like structures are compressed substantially by the gravitational field. These results are consistent with the significant role of the electrical double layers under the influence of purely electrostatic repulsive forces in the effective hard-sphere model.     

Capillary rise of liquids in rectangular tubings

The capillary rise of liquids was investigated in square capillary tubings of different dimensions (e. g. 300 m · 300 m to 1000 m · 1000 m) in the temperature range 25° to 35°C.The data were fitted to an equation:=1/2 · ·g · (S · (C ·H/2 +C ·S)) where is the surface tension of the liquid,S is the side length of the square tubing,H is the capillary rise,C (= 1.089) is a capillary constant.     

The effect of particle concentration on zeta potential in extremely dilute solutions

The electroporetic mobility of hexadecane particles in water and in very dilute CTAB solutions was measured. The technique of microelectrophoresis was applied. Zeta potential was calculated according to the Hückel formula, applying Henry's correction factors. Electrokinetic charge density was calculated according to the formula used by Delgado et al., and previously discovered empiricaly by Loeb et al. and derived mathematicaly by Ohshima et al. It was found that the particle concentration in emulsion limits their charge in solutions of very low ion concentration (10^–7:10^–6 M), because the greater the particle concentration, the smaller the extent of the ions adsorbed at the surface of one particle. The zeta potential was found to be independent of particle concentration if the ratio of the number of bulk ions to particle number is not lower than 1.6×10⁶. This ratio depends on particle size, and the value 1.6×10⁶ relates to particles of diameter 1.6 m.     

Effect of protein content on the surface activity and viscosity of emulsan

Emulsan, produced byAcinetobacter calcoaceticus RAG-1, consists of a lipoheteropolysaccharide-protein complex. The amount of protein in the complex depends on the purification procedure. Maximum hexadecane-in-water emulsifying activity of emulsan was obtained with preparations containing 8–16 % protein. Neither deproteinized preparations (apoemulsan) nor protein-rich preparations emulsified hexadecane-in-water; however, mixtures of these preparations (containing 10–15 % total protein) were potent emulsifiers.Emulsifying activity was also obtained with a mixture of apoemulsan and polysaccharide-free emulsan protein. The stimulatory role of protein in the activity of emulsan was also demonstrated by pronase treatment of the complex. The presence of protein in the complex was important for lowering interfacial tension between hexadecane and water. Apoemulsan solutions showed _i values of 30 mN/m whereas, emulsan containing more than 6% protein showed values of 13–15 mN/m. Viscosity studies showed that: (i) The higher the protein content in the complex, the lower its intrinsic viscosity, indicating that association of protein with the polysaccharide backbone results in less extended conformation; (ii) the complex appears to be stable between 30 ° and 80 °C; and (iii) mixtures of apoemulsan and emulsan had intrinsic viscosities close to the value predicted from addition of the weight-fraction contribution of the individual components. The synergistic emulsifying activity of emulsan mixtures is explained in terms of surface tension lowering by the protein component and formation of stable interfacial films by the high molecular weight polysaccharide component.Preliminary results of this work were presented at the 5th International Conference on Surface and Colloid Science, Potsdam, N.Y., June 1985.     

Thermally stimulated currents in poly(bis(p-fluorophenoxy)phosphazene)

Thermally stimulated currents (TSC) were examined for poly(bis(p-fluorophenoxy)phosphazene) (PBFPP) film. TSC showed peaks at the glass transition temperature (Tg=–4 °C) and atT(1) (160 °C – 170 °C), where-form crystal phase transformed to mesophase of-form structure. Another peak was found atT _cc betweenTg andT(1). Linear relationship between polarization field and peak current ofT _cc -peak was found, which shows thatT _cc -peak was caused by motion of dipolar groups in crystalline phase. When heating (up to 200 °C) and cooling (down to 20 °C) thermal process was repeated,T _cc -peak shifted to higher temperature region approachingT(1) and simultaneously, the peak current ofT(1)-peak became smaller. Activation energy, time constant of dipolar relaxation and charge mobility were evaluated forT _cc -peak. From these results, it was concluded that-form and more ordered- form crystalline phases coexisted in PBFPP once heated aboveT(1) and the content of- form phase increased by repeated thermal hysteresis.     

Incongruent dissolution of hydroxyapatite in the presence of phosphoserine

Concentrations of phosphate and calcium ions, liberated from the surface of hydroxyapatite (HAP) during the adsorption of phosphoserine (PSer), were determined at 30°C. HAP showed a marked incongruent dissolution behavior in the presence of PSer. That is, the concentration of phosphate ion in solution increases with the addition of PSer due to the ion-exchange between PSer and phosphate ion on HAP (molar ratio of the former to the latter=32), whereas the concentration of calcium ion decreases with this release of phosphate ion, because the solubility product of HAP restricts the concentrations of both ions in solution (calculated values of — log (Ca²⁺)¹⁰ (PO ₄ ^3– )⁶ (OH^–)² were 115.8±1.0). The affinity of PSer to HAP was highest at pH 5.8 where the PSer and the HAP surface had the opposite charges. This electrostatic attraction force between PSer and HAP was shielded to some extent by the addition of KCl.     

Electrical properties of poly(bis(β-phenoxyethoxy)phosphazene) and its complexes

Electrical and dielectrical properties of poly(bis(-phenoxyethoxy)phosphazene) (I) and its complexes with various content ratios of AgSO₃CF₃ to monomeric unit (0.25/1 (II) and 0.5/1 (III) in molar ratio) were investigated.Dc conductivity of respective samples at 18 °C were 6.1×10^–12, 4.4×10^–9, and 7.1×10^–8 S/m.Dc conduction was considered to be due to ion hopping. Charge mobility ranged from 3×10^–12 to 6× 10^–11 m²/Vs depending on the applied field in sample II. In sample I, a tan peak was found which can be ascribed to molecular relaxation of main chains. The peak vanished upon introducing AgSO₃ CF₃. Temperature dependence of total conductivity ( _T ) measured byac method in the temperature range between –150 °C and 50 °C showed several peaks at the temperatures corresponding to the peak temperatures of tan. Total conductivities of respective samples at 100 kHz were 4.9×10^–7 (69 °C), 1.7×10^–4 (45 °C), and 1.5×10^–4(40°C)S/m.     

Reactivity of the carbocation generated in the photolysis of 1,2,2,4,6-pentamethyl-1,2-dihydroquinoline toward azide ion

The reaction of the azide ion with the carbocation generated in the photolysis of 1,2,2,4,6-pentamethyl-1,2-dihydroquinoline in methanol was studied by pulse (conventional and laser) and steady-state photolysis techniques. The adduct of the azide ion was characterized by ¹H NMR spectrum. Experimental results were interpreted taking into account a competition between the addition of methanol and azide ion to the carbocation. The rate constants for the reaction of the azide ion with the carbocation (k _Az) were measured at 2—48 °C in a wide range of [N₃ ^–]₀ concentrations from 2·10^–7 to 0.1 mol L^–1 at different ionic strengths () of the solution. The resulting k _Az values are more than an order of magnitude lower than those for diffusional-controlled reactions and vary from 3.2·10⁸ ( = 0) to 4.5·10⁶ L mol^–1 s^–1 ( = 0.8 mol L^–1) in the presence of NaClO₄ (18 °C). The activation energy of addition of the azide ion to the carbocation is 21 kJ mol^–1, which is by 12 kJ mol^–1 lower than the activation energy of the reaction of the carbocation with methanol. The features of the reaction under study are discussed from the viewpoint of the structures of carbocations generated in the photolysis of dihydroquinolines.     

A rapid and sensitive GC–MS method for determination of 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol in water

A rapid analytical method for sensitive determination of 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol (1,3-DCP) in river water has been developed. 1,3-DCP is extracted from water with ethyl acetate. After filtration through sodium sulfate the ethyl acetate phase is analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The method uses 1,3-DCP-d₅ as internal standard. Different extraction solvents, concentrations of ammonium sulfate in the water samples, and the effect of humic acid were tested and their influence on the recovery of DCP has been evaluated. The method quantification limit was 0.1 g L^–1. For spiked water samples (0–5.2 g L^–1, n=21) a repeatability coefficient of variation of 5.4% was obtained. The average recovery rate of 1,3-DCP was 105±3% (n=21). Stability tests, which were carried out with Danube river water, led to an estimated 1,3-DCP degradation rate of 0.008±0.0008 day^–1 at 6°C.