A mechanism of photo-oxidative destruction for polythylene polymers in the presence of ferrocene derivative additives

The effect of ferrocene additive concentrations on the stability of polythylene polymers under atmospheric ageing and ultraviolet irradiation is reported. At concentrations under ca 5 × 10^?3 mol kg^?1 polymer the ferrocene compound is shown to diminish polymer resistance to light, whereas above this concentration such a compound stabilizes the polymeric matrix. Another purpose of the work is to look into the photo-oxidative destruction of polyethylene doped with ferrocene compound by using an EPR technique. A mechanism of photo-oxidative destruction of polyethylene polymers in the presence of ferrocene compounds is proposed.     

Electrochemical formation of stable ferrocene anion and the formal rate constant of the ferrocene0/− electrode

A reversible cyclic voltammogram for the one-electron reduction of ferrocene in 1,2-dimethoxyethane is recorded under experimental conditions that enable the ferrocene anion to exist for a few minutes. The formal rate constant of the ferrocene^0/? electrode, determined by cyclic voltammetry at ?45°C, ca. 10^?3 cm s^?1, is in striking contrast with that of ferrocene^+/0, > 10^?1 cm s^?1. The distortion of the ferrocene molecule caused by reduction may be a reason for this difference in electron-transfer rate.     

The dynamics of ring rotation in ferrocene,nickelocene and ruthenocene by incoherent quadi-elastic neutron scattering

Incoherent quasi-elastic neutron scattering has been used to study the reorientational motions of the cyclopentadienyl rings in ferrocene, nickelocene and ruthenocene. The results for ferrocene show that the activation energy for ring rotation drops above the 164 K phase transition to 4.4 ± 0.5 kJ mol^?1 (which is approximately half its low temperature value) but the rings still appear to jump between only five orientations on the observable time scale. At room temperature, the rings in nickelocene appear to behave the same as in ferrocene but in ruthenocene they reorientate much less frequently and resemble those in ferrocene below 164 K.     

Free-radical polymerization of vinyl ferrocene

The results of quantitative studies of the rates of free-radical polymerization of vinyl ferrocene indicate that the latter has polymerization characteristics similar to those of styrene. The rates of homopolymerization of these two monomers in benzene at 70°C. were measured with the use of azobisisobutyronitrile as catalyst. The rate constants (k = R_p/[M][I]^1/2) are k_VF = (1.1 ? 1.8) × 10^?4, k_STY = 1.65 × 10^?4. Small amounts of vinyl ferrocene and styrene have similar effects on the rates of polymerizations of methyl methacrylate and ethyl acrylate and on the molecular weights of the resulting polymer. Polystyrene and poly(vinyl ferrocene) with similar molecular weights are isolated from polymerizations carried out under identical conditions. The rates of copolymerization of vinyl ferrocene—methyl methacrylate, vinyl ferrocene—styrene, and styrene—methyl methacrylate were determined by following the disappearance of monomers by means of gas chromatographic analyses. The relative reactivity for vinyl ferrocene is slightly lower than that for styrene.     

Grafting of polymers onto a carbon‐fiber surface by ligand‐exchange reaction of poly(vinyl ferrocene‐co‐vinyl monomer) with polycondensed aromatic rings of the surface

To improve the surface of carbon fiber, the grafting reaction of copolymer containing vinyl ferrocene (VFE) onto a carbon‐fiber surface by a ligand‐exchange reaction between ferrocene moieties of the copolymer and polycondensed aromatic rings of carbon fiber was investigated. The copolymer containing VFE was prepared by the radical copolymerization of VFE with vinyl monomers, such as methyl methacrylate (MMA) and styrene, using 2,2′‐azobisisobutyronitrile as an initiator. By heating the carbon fiber with poly(VFE‐co‐MMA) (number‐average molecular weight: 2.1 × 10⁴) in the presence of aluminum chloride and aluminum powder, the copolymer was grafted onto the surface. The percentage of grafting reached 46.1%. On the contrary, in the absence of aluminum chloride, no grafting of the copolymer was observed. Therefore, it is considered that the copolymer was grafted onto the carbon‐fiber surface by a ligand‐exchange reaction between ferrocene moieties of the copolymer and polycondensed aromatic rings of carbon fiber. The molar number of grafted polymer chain on the carbon‐fiber surface decreased with increasing molecular weight of poly(VFE‐co‐MMA) because the steric hindrance of grafted copolymer on the carbon‐fiber surface increases with increasing molecular weight of poly(VFE‐co‐MMA). © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 1868–1875, 2002     

An improved method for the polymerization of ethynylferrocene. Conducting properties of doped polyethynylferrocene

The catalytic activity of the [Rh(cod)Cl]₂ complex (cod  cis, cis-cyclo-octa-1,5-diene) with respect to the polymerization of ethynylferrocene (EFc) was examined. A good yield (about 80%) of polyethynylferrocene (PEFc) was obtained in benzene by addition of sodium hydroxide as co-catalyst. PEFc was insoluble in most organic solvents. The conductivity (s̀) of the undoped polymer is about 10⁻¹¹ ohm⁻¹ cm⁻¹; upon doping PEFc with iodine in tetrahydrofuran the conductivity can be increased to 10-100 ohm⁻¹ cm⁻¹. The influence of other doping agents was also examined.     

A ferrocene‐containing porous organic polymer linked by tetrahedral silicon‐centered units for gas sorption

A novel ferrocene‐containing porous organic polymer (FPOP) has been prepared by Sonogashira‐Hagihara coupling reaction of 1,1′‐dibromoferrocene and tetrakis(4‐ethynylphenyl)silane. Compared with other polymers, the resulting polymer possesses excellent thermal stability with the decomposition temperature of 415°C and high porosity with Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area of 542 m² g^?1 as measured by nitrogen adsorption‐desoprtion isotherm at 77 K. For applications, it shows moderate carbon dioxide uptakes of up to 1.42 mmol g^?1 (6.26 wt%) at 273 K/1.0 bar and 0.82 mmol g^?1 (3.62 wt%) at 298 K/1.0 bar, and hydrogen capacity of up to 0.45 mmol g^?1 (0.91 wt%) at 77 K/1.0 bar, indicating that FPOP might be utilized as a promising candidate for storing carbon dioxide and hydrogen. Although FPOP possesses lower porosity than many porous polymers, the gas capacities are higher or comparable to them, thereby revealing that the incorporation of ferrocene units into the network is an effective strategy to enhance the affinity between the framework and gas.     

Synthesis,X‐ray Structure of Ferrocene Bearing Bis(Zn‐cyclen) Complexes and the Selective Electrochemical Sensing of TpT

The new ligand, [Fc(cyclen)₂] ( 5 ) (Fc=ferrocene, cyclen=1,4,7,10‐tetraazacyclododecane), and corresponding Zn^II complex receptor, [Fc{Zn(cyclen)(CH₃OH)}₂](ClO₄)₄ ( 1 ), consisting of a ferrocene moiety bearing one Zn^II‐cyclen complex on each cyclopentadienyl ring, have been designed and prepared through a multi‐step synthesis. Significant shifts in the ¹H NMR signals of the ferrocenyl group, cf. ferrocene and a previously reported [Fc{Zn(cyclen)}]²⁺ derivative, indicated that the two Zn^II‐cyclen units in 1 significantly affect the electronic properties of the cyclopentadienyl rings. The X‐ray crystal structure shows that the two positively charged Zn^II‐cyclen complexes are arranged in a trans like configuration, with respect to the ferrocene bridging unit, presumably to minimise electrostatic repulsion. Both 5 and 1 can be oxidized in 1:4 CH₂Cl₂/CH₃CN and Tris‐HCl aqueous buffer solution under conditions of cyclic voltammetry to give a well defined ferrocene‐centred (Fc^0/+) process. Importantly, 1 is a highly selective electrochemical sensor of thymidilyl(3′‐5′)thymidine (TpT) relative to other nucleobases and nucleotides in Tris‐HCl buffer solution (pH 7.4). The electrochemical selectivity, detected as a shift in reversible potential of the Fc^0/+ component, is postulated to result from a change in the configuration of bis(Zn^II‐cyclen) units from a trans to a cis state. This is caused by the strong 1:1 binding of the two deprotonated thymine groups in TpT to different Zn^II centres of receptor 1 . UV‐visible spectrophotometric titrations confirmed the 1:1 stoichiometry for the 1 :TpT adduct and allowed the determination of the apparent formation constant of 0.89±0.10×10⁶ M ^?1 at pH 7.4.     

An evaluation of discarded tires as a potential source of fuel

The destructive distiliation of rubber tire samples was studied by thermogravimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, combustion calorimetry, and mass spectroscopy. The decomposition reaction was found to be exothermic and produced a mass loss of sixty-five percent. The products from the distillation process were a solid residue with a heating value of about ?3 × 10⁷ J kg^?1. a liquid with a heating value of about ?4 × 10⁷ J kg^?1, and a combustible gas of undetermined heating value. The gas evolution curves which were obtained indicate that a variety of organic materials are evolved simultaneously during decomposition of the rubber polymer.     

Exploring Alkylated Ferrocene Sulfonates as Electrocatalysts for Sulfide Detection

Alkylated ferrocene sulfonate compounds, 1,1′‐dimethyl ferrocene sulfonate, t‐butyl ferrocene sulfonate, ethyl ferrocene sulfonate, and n‐butyl ferrocene sulfonate are explored for the electrocatalytic detection of sulfide at a boron‐doped diamond electrode. Voltammetric interrogation of the ferrocene sulfonate compounds is investigated to determine oxidizing potentials, diffusion coefficients and responses towards sulfide. In the latter case, measurement of the electrocatalytic rate constants by means of chronoamperometry indicates a high electrocatalytic activity (ca. 10³ M^?1 s^?1) towards sulfide.     

A lipase-based electrochemical biosensor for target DNA

A lipase-based electrochemical biosensor has been fabricated for the quantitative determination of target DNA. It is based on a stem-loop nucleic acid probe labeled with ferrocene containing a butanoate ester that is hydrolyzed by lipase. The other end of the probe DNA is linked, via carboxy groups, to magnetic nanoparticles. The binding of target DNA transforms the hairpin structure of the probe DNA and causes the exposure of ester bonds. This results in the release of electro-active ferrocene after hydrolysis of the ester bonds, and in an observable electrochemical response. The quantity of target DNA in the concentration range between 1?×?10^?12 mol·L^?1 and 1?×?10^?8 mol·L^?1 can be determined by measuring the electrochemical current. The method can detect target DNA with rapid response (30 min) and low interference.

Effect of the catalyst MCM-41 on the kinetic of the thermal decomposition of poly(ethylene terephthalate)

The aim of this work is to determine the activation energy for the thermal decomposition of poly(ethylene terephthalate)—PET, in the presence of a MCM-41 mesoporous catalyst. This material was synthesized by the hydrothermal method, using cetyltrimethylammonium as template. The PET sample has been submitted to thermal degradation alone and in presence of MCM-41 catalyst at a concentration of 25% in mass (MCM-41/PET). The degradation process was evaluated by thermogravimetry, at temperature range from 350 to 500 °C, under nitrogen atmosphere, with heating rates of 5, 10 and 25 °C min^?1. From TG, the activation energy, determined using the Flynn–Wall kinetic method, decreased from 231 kJ mol^?1, for the pure polymer (PET), to 195 kJ mol^?1, in the presence of the material (MCM-41/PET), showing the catalyst efficiency for the polymer decomposition process.     

Vapor pressure measurements of ferrocene,mono- and 1,1′-di-acetyl ferrocene

By using different techniques the vapor pressure of ferrocene, mono-acetyl ferrocene and 1,1′-di-acetyl ferrocene was measured. The following pressure—temperature equations were derived ferrocene log P(kPa)= 9.78 ± 0.14 ? (3805 ± 46)/T mono-acetyl ferrocene log P(kPa) = 14.83 ± 0.14 ? (5916 ± 48)/T 1,1′-di-acetyl ferrocene log P(kPa) = 8.82 ± 0.11 ? (4289 ± 44)/T By second- and third-law treatment of the vapor data the ΔH⁰_sub,298 = 74.0 ± 2.0 kJ mole^?1 for the sublimation process of ferrocene was calculated and compared with the literature data. For the sublimation enthalpy of mono- and 1,1′-di-acetyl ferrocene the values ΔH⁰_sub,298 = 115.6 ± 2.5 kJ mole^?1 and ΔH⁰_sub,298 = 91.9 ± 2.5 kJ mole^?1 were derived by second-law treatment. Thermal functions of these compounds were also estimated.     

Voltammetric Immunoassay for the Detection of Protein Biomarkers

A strategy for a fast (ca. 20 min), specific, electrochemical immunoassay for the cardiac biomarker creatine kinase (CK) and the human cytokine interleukin 10 (IL10) has been developed in this paper. The polyaniline modified gold surface formed from electrochemical reduction of diazonium salt supplies a solid substrate to link the activated carboxylic acid groups from the antibodies, which were labelled with ferrocene. The direct electrochemistry of ferrocene allows the analysis of protein markers with good sensitivity. The creatine kinase sensor demonstrates limit of detection of 0.5 pg mL^?1 in a physiological Krebs‐Henseleit solution. The anti‐IL10 antibody retained fluorescence activity after further coupling to ferrocene and covalent immobilization on to a gold electrode, showing a linear detection range for IL‐10 from 0.001 ng mL^?1 to 50 ng mL^?1 in PBS. We attribute the high sensitivity to the well‐controlled modified surface which results in end–on antibodies that can specifically capture the antigen with ease.     

Addition polymerization of 2-cyano-1, 4-benzenedithiol to 1,4-diethynylbenzene and properties of polymers

A novel addition polymerization of 2-cyano-1,4-benzenedithiol to 1,4-diethynylbenzene was carried out by UV irradiation in toluene at 50°C under nitrogen atmosphere. The polymerization proceeded readily, and a pale-yellowish conjugated polymer contain-ing sulfur atoms and cyano groups (M?_n = 20,400–80,800) was obtained in a 60–80% yield for 120–250 min. The polymer was found to be 1 : 1 alternating structure of anti-Markownikoff's type and was insolu-ble in conventional organic solvents. Since the polymer having molecular weight of the order of 10⁴ had a softening point at 115°C, a thin polymer film was obtained by heat press. TG analysis of the polymer indicated its decomposition point at about 620°C under argon atmosphere. The electrical conductivity of the polymer pellet was 10^?10 S/cm at 300 K without doping and on the order of 10^?5 S/cm on I₂ doping. Fur-thermore, the electrical conductivity of the undoped polymer pellet reversibly changed from the order of 10^?10 S/cm at 300 K to 10^?7 S/cm at 435 K with temperature variation, accompanying with increasing carrier density and mobility. The polymer pellet (M?ⁿ = 80,800) aged at 250°C for 5 min under nitrogen atmosphere exhibited the order of 10^?7 S/cm at 300 K. Thermal treatment of the polymers was thought to cause spreading of conjugated system through molecular rearrangement supported by x-ray diagrams. An absorption edge of diffuse reflectance spectra of the polymer (M?ⁿ = 80,800) was 635 nm and shifted to 880 nm by heat treatment of the polymer. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Polymer films on electrodes: Part XVIII. Determination of heterogeneous electron transfer kinetics at poly(vinylferrocene) and nafion/Ru(bpy)2+3 polymer-modified electrodes by convolution voltammetry

Convolution voltammetry was used to evaluate the rates of heterogeneous charge transfer to ferrocene groups in poly(vinylferrocene) and to Ru(bpy)²⁺₃ in Nafion-modified electrodes under semi-infinite conditions. This technique allows correction for uncompensated resistance and double layer capacitance, as well as detrmination of the diffusion coefficient, D, transfer coefficient, α, and half-wave potential, E_1/2, from a single cyclic voltammogram. Vinylferrocene in solution and a bound copolymer of vinylferrocene and styrene in a ratio of 58:42 were also examined. For the polymer films, the heterogeneous charge transfer rate constants, k°, are 10^?4 ≥ k° ≥ 10^?5 cm/s; these values are about two order of magnitude smaller than those for the similar species in homogeneous solution. The values of k°/D^1/2, however, are comparable to those in soluton; 10 > (k°/D^1/2) > 0.1 s^?1/2.     

1,2-Dinitrile polymers. I. Hompolymers and copolymers of fumaronitrile,maleonitrile, and succinonitrile

Homopolymers and copolymers of fumaronitrile, maleonitrile, and succinonitrile have been prepared by using medium high temperature free-radical initiators. Black, nonfusible but soluble polymers were obtained. The spectroscopic and chemical evidence indicated a structure containing α-pyrrolenine rings and no free nitrile groups in the fumaronitrile and maleonitrile polymers and 1-pyrroline rings and free nitrile groups in the succinonitrile polymers. The polymers possessed good thermal stability, free spin concentration of 10¹⁷–10¹⁸ spins/g, and an ac conductivity at room temperature in nitrogen of 10^?6 to 10^?8 ohm^?1 cm^?1.     

Electro‐optical properties of electropolymerized poly(3‐hexylthiophene)/carbon nanotube composite thin films

3‐hexylthiophene was electropolymerized on a carbon nanotube (CNT)‐laden fluorine‐doped tin oxide substrate. Scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy revealed that the polymer was infused throughout the thickness of the 150‐nm thick CNT mat, resulting in a conducting composite film with a dense CNT network. The electropolymerized poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (e‐P3HT)/CNT composites exhibited photoluminescence intensity quenching by as much as 92% compared to the neat e‐P3HT, which provided evidence of charge transfer from the polymer phase to the CNT phase. Through‐film impedance and J‐V measurements of the composites gave a conductivity (σ) of 1.2 × 10^?10 S cm^?1 and zero‐field mobility (μ₀) of 8.5 × 10^?4 cm² V^?1 s^?1, both of which were higher than those of neat e‐P3HT films (σ = 9.9 × 10^?12 S cm^?1, μ₀ = 3 × 10^?5 cm² V^?1 s^?1). In electropolymerized samples, the thiophene rings were oriented in the (010) direction (thiophene rings parallel to substrate), which resulted in a broader optical absorbance than for spin coated samples, however, the lack of long‐range conjugation caused a blueshift in the absorbance maximum from 523 nm for unannealed regioregular P3HT (rr‐P3HT) to 470 nm for e‐P3HT. Raman spectroscopy revealed that π‐π stacking in e‐P3HT was comparable to that in rr‐P3HT and significantly higher than in regiorandom P3HT (ran‐P3HT) as shown by the principal Raman peak shift from 1444 to 1446 cm^?1 for e‐P3HT and rr‐P3HT to 1473 cm^?1 for ran‐P3HT. This work demonstrates that these polymer/CNT composites may have interesting properties for electro‐optical applications. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 49: 1269–1275, 2011     

Comparative combustion study of some polymers with oil shale

In this study, the combustion kinetics of G?ynük oil shale, polyethylene, polyethylene glycol (PEG), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polyvinyl chloride, and polymer?Coil shale blends were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis. Experiments were conducted at non-isothermal conditions with a heating rate of 5?K?min^?1 in the 298?C1173?K temperature interval under air atmosphere. An increase in the total conversion values with increasing mass percentage of polymers of the blends was observed. Differential thermogravimetric data were analyzed by an Arrhenius model. Effects of blending ratio of oil shale and polymer on the combustion kinetics were investigated. Kinetic parameters were determined and the results were discussed. An increase was observed in the frequency factor and activation energy values as the weight percentage of polymer in blends were increased. The minimum activation energy, 16.1?kJ?mol^?1, was calculated for PEG/oil shale with 2/3 blending ratio.     

Noncovalent assembly of ferrocene on modified gold surfaces mediated by uracil–adenine base pairs

Redox-active ferrocene was assembled on gold surfaces through the hydrogen bonding interactions between adenine-substituted ferrocene and a uracil-terminated organothiol monolayer. The surface coverage of ferrocene Γ could be varied from ca. 4 × 10^? 11 to 2.0 × 10^? 10 mol cm^? 2 by diluting the thiol-modified uracil derivative with inert 1-octanethiol. A decrease in the apparent electron transfer rate constant for ferrocene, k_app, from ca. 50 to 10 s^? 1 was observed upon increasing Γ.