Synthesis,characterisation, and electrical properties of novel nanostructured conducting poly(aniline-<Emphasis Type="Italic">co</Emphasis>-<Emphasis Type="Italic">m</Emphasis>-chloroaniline) with incorporated silver particles

Novel copolymers of poly(aniline-co-m-chloroaniline)-doped dodecylbenzenesulphonic acid (DBSA) with embedded silver nanoparticles were synthesised using the in situ chemical oxidative method. The structural properties of the copolymers were characterised using the UV-VIS and FTIR spectroscopic methods. The crystalline nature of the copolymer was demonstrated by way of the X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed the presence of particle agglomerates measuring 50 nm to 100 nm on the surface of the nanocomposites. The electrical conductivity of the copolymer was dependent on the monomer composition and was found to be in the range of 10^?2 S cm^?1 to 10^?6 S cm^?1 with an increasing chloroaniline content and exhibiting improved solubility.     

Ultrasound-assisted synthesis of block copolymers of chitosan and <Emphasis Type="Italic">D</Emphasis>,<Emphasis Type="Italic">L</Emphasis>-lactide: Structure and properties

The block copolymers of chitosan with D,L-lactide are synthesized under UV irradiation of the homogeneous solution of the corresponding homopolymers with the yield of the main product being 96 wt %. The polyblock structure of copolymer chains, in which the size of polylactide blocks is varied in the range of (2.9–22.0) × 10³ depending on the synthesis conditions, is demonstrated. The incorporation of polylactide blocks into the structure of chitosan leads to development of the material structure close to the structure of polylactide. The films of the block copolymers containing 16 wt % polylactide and having a molecular mass of its blocks of 22.0 × 10³ have increased values of breaking stress (47 MPa) and ultimate strain (20%) compared to chitosan (24 MPa and 1.9%, respectively). The obtained block copolymers possess bactericidal properties.     

Conducting materials prepared by the oxidation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-phenylenediamine with <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-benzoquinone

p-Phenylenediamine was oxidized with p-benzoquinone in the aqueous solutions of methanesulfonic acid (MSA). The conductivity of the products increased with increasing concentration of MSA from 1.5?×?10^?12 S cm^?1 in 0.1 M MSA up to 3.4?×?10^?4 S cm^?1 in 5 M MSA. The low-molecular-weight products are basically composed of one p-benzoquinone and two p-phenylenediamine molecules. Their molecular structure is discussed on the basis of mass, Fourier-transform infrared, Raman, NMR and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopies. The formation of 2,5-di(p-phenylenediamine)-p-benzoquinone protonated with methanesulfonic acid best complies with the information provided by spectroscopic techniques. Its conversion to hydroquinone tautomer explains the formation of unpaired spins observed by EPR and their potential contribution to the conduction.     

Copolymer of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>,<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-diallyl-<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>,<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-dimethylammonium chloride with maleic acid as drug carrier

A copolymer of N,N-diallyl-N,N-dimethylammonium chloride with maleic acid of constant composition was prepared under the conditions of radical initiation. The possibility of the functionalization of the copolymer with drugs containing amino groups by polymer-analogous transformations was examined. Conditions were found for preparing conjugates of the copolymer with isoniazid. The structures and the quantitative compositions of the conjugates were determined by ¹³С NMR spectroscopy, and the possibility of preparing conjugates with controlled drug content was demonstrated.     

Crystal and molecular structure of <Emphasis Type="Italic">tris</Emphasis>(<Emphasis Type="Italic">m</Emphasis>-chlorophenyl)phosphine selenide

The crystal and molecular structure of tris(m-chlorophenyl)phosphine selenide, C₁₈H₁₂Cl₃PSe (I), was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The trigonal rhombohedral structure of I (space group \(R\overline 3 c\), a = 14.110(2) Å, c = 32.360(4) Å, Z = 12) was solved by direct methods and refined by least squares in an anisotropic approximation (R = 0.029) for 1319 averaged measured reflections (CAD-4 automatic diffractometer, λCuK_α).     

RAFT polymerization of linear ABC triblock copolymer P<Emphasis Type="Italic">t</Emphasis>BA-<Emphasis Type="Italic">b</Emphasis>-PS-<Emphasis Type="Italic">b</Emphasis>-P2VP and regulation of its hierarchical self-assembly structure in solution

Linear ABC triblock copolymer PtBA₁₅₄-b-PS₃₀₀-b-P2VP₂₄₀ was successfully synthesized by RAFT polymerization. Block copolymer micelles were prepared by the two-step hierarchical self-assembly process. Size exclusion chromatography and ¹H NMR were used to characterize the structure of samples. Morphologies and size of micelles were determined by transmission electron microscope. The results showed that the densely dispersed spherical micelles of PtBA₁₅₄-b-PS₃₀₀-b-P2VP₂₄₀ were obtained in the first step of the hierarchical self-assembly process. In the second step, core-compartmentalized micelle strings with different lengths and distribution densities were obtained when the primary self-assembled solution was dialyzed in distilled water with pH ≈ 3. When distilled water with pH ≈ 3 was added drop-wise to this solution, uniformly dispersed spherical core-compartmentalized micelles of PtBA₁₅₄-b-PS₃₀₀-b-P2VP₂₄₀ were prepared. Thus, hierarchical self-assembly structure of linear ABC triblock copolymer was obtained successfully and the preparation of uniformly dispersed spherical micelles of triblock copolymers was realized simply by changing the secondary self-assembly methods.     

Emulsifier-free polymerization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-butyl acrylate involving trithiocarbonates based on oligomer acrylic acid

The effect of the chain length of oligomer acrylic acid obtained in the presence of a low-molecularmass trithiocarbonate and the position of trithiocarbonate fragment (within the chain or at the chain end) on the process of emulsion polymerization of n-butyl acrylate and characteristics of the resulting dispersions has been studied for the first time. It has been found that, when using an oligomer with trithiocarbonate group located within the chain in the emulsion polymerization of n-butyl acrylate in a wide range of monomer–water phase compositions, triblock copolymers self-organizing in aqueous medium to give stable particles with the core–shell structure are formed. Oligomers with M _n ～ (5–10) × 10³ are optimal for synthesis of stable dispersions. In this case, block copolymers with the controlled length of hydrophobic block and a rather narrow MWD may be obtained. Thin films formed from these copolymers retain the structure of the initial dispersions on solvent removal. If the trithiocarbonate group in the oligomer is located at the chain end, the main polymerization product is a diblock copolymer. In this case, the formation of polymer–monomer particles occurs during a longer period of time, the control of MWD is weakened, and the dispersions of particles lose the aggregative stability after thin film formation.     

Molecular and associative properties of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-vinylpyrrolidone copolymers with <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-crotonoylaminocaproic acid in dilute solutions

The random copolymers of N-vinylpyrrolidone and N-crotonoylaminocaproic acid attractive for the modification of drugs are studied by static and dynamic light scattering, viscometry, and sedimentation-diffusion analysis. The content of functional groups in the copolymers is 14.1–27.0 mol %. Analysis is performed in 0.1 N aqueous solutions of sodium acetate and dimethylformamide. The molecular characteristics of the copolymers with various composition are determined. It is shown that supramolecular structures are present in copolymer solutions and their amount depends on copolymer composition; the effect of solvent on the formation of these structures is ascertained.     

Electronic Structure and Relative Stabilities of 10- and 12-Vertex. <Emphasis Type="Italic">Closo</Emphasis>and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nido</Emphasis>-Heteroborane Clusters of Ga,Ge, and As Elements

A DFT method with the B3LYP functional and the 6-311++G(d,p) diffuse basis set is used to predict geometries, relative stabilities, electronic structures, and the bonding of closo- and nido-Ga_mB_n–mH _n ^2? , Ge_mB_n–mH _n ^m?2 , and As_mB_n–mH _n ^{2 m?2} (n = 10, 12 and m = 1, 2) Clusters are obtained by replacing BH with isolobal GaH, GeH⁺, and AsH²⁺ fragments, keeping the same skeleton electron pairs (SEP). Based on the polyhedral skeletal electron pairs theory (PSEPT), closo and nido structures are predicted and can be of significant interest for experimentalists working in the field of heteroboranes. Different cluster stabilities are studied according to Gimarc′s and Williams′ rules, where our calculations show that the monosubstituted clusters deviate from these rules, giving rise to open structures. As₂B₈H _n ²⁺ as 10-vertex structures lead to nido-type clusters, however, Ge_mB_n–mH _n ^m?2 (n = 10, 12 and m = 1, 2) give rise to closo isomers with close energies. All optimized structures exhibit large HOMO–LUMO gaps suggesting a good kinetic stability, thus predicting their isolation and characterization.     

Binuclear copper(II) complexes with acyldihydrazones of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-benzenesulfonyl-<Emphasis Type="Italic">L</Emphasis>-aspartic acid

The structure and the EPR spectra of copper(II) coordination compounds with acyldihydrazones of N-benzenesulfonyl-L-aspartic acid and salicylaldehyde (2-hydroxyacetophenone) were described. The compounds were studied by chemical and thermal analyses, IR spectroscopy, and EPR. The molecular and crystal structures of copper(II) complexes with N-benzenesulfonyl-L-aspartic acid bis(salicylidene)hydrazone (H₄L¹) [Cu₂L¹ · 2Py] · 1.5 H₂O was determined by X-ray diffraction. The crystals are triclinic: a = 10.4714(4) Å, b = 12.9702(5) Å, c = 14.6187(9) Å, α = 104.763(2)°, β = 93.082(2)°, γ = 111.4240(10)°, space group P \(\bar 1\), Z = 2. The binuclear complexes containing copper cations whose coordination polyhedra are connected by an aliphatic spacer (Cu...Cu, 8.669 Å) are additionally linked by phenoxy bridges (Cu...Cu, 3.398 Å). The EPR spectra of these compounds in solutions exhibit an isotropic signal of seven HFS lines due to two equivalent copper ions with the spin Hamiltonian parameters g = 2.115?2.120, a _Cu = (35.5?38.0) × 10^?4 cm^?1, which is indicative of weak exchange interactions between the paramagnetic sites.     

Effects of concentration and pH on the thermosensitive behavior of a graft copolymer with polyimide backbone and poly(<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>,<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-dimethylamino-2-ethyl methacrylate) side chains

Aqueous solutions of the graft copolymer with a polyimide backbone and poly(N,N-dimethylamino-2-ethyl methacrylate) side chains with a molecular mass of M = 4.7 × 10⁵ and a grafting density of side chains of 0.44 are investigated by light scattering and turbidimetry. Solutions are studied in a wide concentration range of 0.0008–0.0250 g/cm³ at рН values varying from 2 to 12 for each concentration. The temperature dependences of optical transmission, scattered light intensity, and hydrodynamic radii of scattering objects are obtained. It is shown that the copolymer is thermosensitive only at pH > 8.0. A decrease in acidity of the medium at a fixed concentration of the copolymer is accompanied by a decline in temperatures corresponding to the onset and end of phase separation Т ₁ and Т ₂, leading to the narrowing of this interval. At constant рН values, temperatures Т ₁ and Т ₂ rise with solution dilution, while the phase transition interval becomes wider.     

Secondary self-assembly behaviors of PEO-<Emphasis Type="Italic">b</Emphasis>-P<Emphasis Type="Italic">t</Emphasis>BA-<Emphasis Type="Italic">b</Emphasis>-PS triblock terpolymers in solution

A series of PEO₄₅-b-PtBA₅₃-b-PS _x (x = 42, 84, 165) triblock terpolymers were synthesized by the atom transfer radical polymerization and characterized by size exclusion chromatography and ¹H NMR. Their self-assemblies were conducted by a two-step hierarchical self-assembly method and a one-step dialysis method and the self-assembly behaviors were investigated. The morphologies, sizes, and size distributions of micelles produced by the self-assembly were determined by transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. The secondary self-assembled structure of PEO₄₅-b-PtBA₅₃-b-PS _x obtained by the two-step hierarchical self-assembly could be controlled by tuning the length of PS block, the core forming block. The micelles were uniform with diameters of 20–25 nm and their size distributions, except for that of PEO₄₅-b-PtBA₅₃-b-PS₁₆₅, were narrow with particle size distribution indexes ranging from 0.014 to 0.246. The one-step dialysis of the triblock terpolymers produced vesicular micelles with distinct vesicle walls that exhibited similar thicknesses. The vesicles did not show significant aggregation. The size distribution of PEO₄₅-b-PtBA₅₃-b-PS₄₂ vesicle was the narrowest with a particle size distribution index value of 0.135. The PEO₄₅-b-PtBA₅₃-b-PS₁₆₅ vesicles tended to overlap with each other.     

Synthesis of propylene-ethylene copolymers in liquid propylene using <Emphasis Type="Italic">ansa</Emphasis>-metallocenes of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">C</Emphasis><Subscript>1</Subscript> symmetry

The copolymerization of ethylene with propylene in the liquid propylene initiated by ansa-metallocenes of the C ₁ symmetry, rac-[1-(9-η⁵-fluorenyl)-2-(5,6-cyclopenta-2-methyl-1-η⁵-indenyl)ethane]zirconium dichloride and rac-[1-(9-η⁵-fluorenyl)-2-(5,6-cyclopenta-2-methyl-1-η⁵-indenyl)ethane]hafnium dichloride, activated by methylaluminoxane has been studied. Triisobutylaluminum has been used as a cocatalyst. The propylene-ethylene copolymers thus prepared contain 5–60 mol % ethylene units. The reactivity ratios have been measured. In the case of the zirconocene-based catalyst, the molecular mass of the copolymers decreases with an increase in the content of ethylene units. The reverse situation is observed in the case of the hafnocene-based catalytic system. The copolymers are characterized by the low T _g values (down to ?45°C). Incorporation of a small amount of ethylene units (5 mol %) results in a rise in the elastomeric behavior of the polymers.     

Synthesis of Block Copolymers of Styrene with <Emphasis Type="Italic">D</Emphasis>,<Emphasis Type="Italic">L</Emphasis>-Lactide by the Sequential Controlled Cationic Polymerization and Ring-Opening Anionic Polymerization

The cationic polymerization of styrene initiated by the system 2-chloro-2-phenylpropane–TiCl₄–pyridine is studied in a mixture CH₂Cl₂–n-hexane at a temperature of –80°С. It is shown that under these conditions polymerization occurs via the living mechanism at [monomer]: [initiator] ≤ 100. The method of preparing polystyrenes with terminal primary hydroxyl groups (M_n = 4000–10000 g/mol) by the sequential controlled cationic polymerization of styrene and the in situ alkylation of 4-phenoxy-1-butanol by polystyrene macrocations is proposed. The resulting functionalized polystyrenes are used as macroinitiators of anionic-coordination ring-opening polymerization of D,L-lactide in the presence of tin bis(2-ethyl hexanoate) [Sn(Oct)₂] in toluene at 80°С. Copolymers polystyrene-block-poly(D,L-lactide) with the controlled length of the poly(D,L-lactide) block (M_n = 10000–17000 g/mol) and a relatively low molecular-weight distribution (M_w/M_n = 1.6–1.8) are synthesized. Formation of the block copolymers is confirmed by ¹Н NMR spectroscopy, gel-permeation chromatography, and atomic force microscopy.     

Synthesis of amino acid conjugates of glycyrrhizic acid using <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-hydroxyphthalimide and <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>,<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide

Synthesis of amino acid conjugates of glycyrrhizic acid with the use of N-hydroxyphthalimide, N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, and tert-butyl esters of L-amino acids (valine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, and methionine) was performed followed by deprotection with trifluoroacetic acid. The target amino acid conjugates were isolated by column chromatography on silica gel in 40–45% yield. The structure of the prepared compounds was confirmed by IR and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy.     

Structural characterization of a mixed-ligand complex of copper(II) with 1,10-phenanthroline and the <Emphasis Type="Italic">m</Emphasis>-aminobenzoate ion

A new copper(II) complex of 1,10-phenanthroline (C1₂H₈N₂) and the meta-aminobenzoate ion (m-amb; C₇H₆NO ₂ ^? ), having the formula Cu(C₁₂H₈N₂)(C₇H₆NO₂)Cl?0.5H₂O, is prepared and characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The structure is built up from monomeric units in which the coordination environment around the metal ion is a square plane arising from a bidentate 1,10-phenanthroline molecule, a monodentate m-amb anion, and a chloride ion. A very long (Cu–N = 2.856(5) Å) bond to the nitrogen atom of an adjacent m-amb ion generates [101] polymeric chains in the crystal. The crystal structure is consolidated by N–H???O and O–H???O hydrogen bonds and C–H???O, C–H???Cl, and aromatic π–π stacking interactions. Crystal data: C₁₉H₁₅ClCuN₃O_2.5, M _r = 424.33, monoclinic, P2₁/n (No. 14), a = 9.8200(5) Å, b = 10.9291(7) Å, c = 16.3803(9) Å, β = 105.293(3)°, V = 1695.74(17) ų, Z = 4, R(F) = 0.043, wR(F ²) = 0.122.     

Features of self-organization of highly dilute solutions of (<Emphasis Type="Italic">S</Emphasis>)-, (<Emphasis Type="Italic">R</Emphasis>)-, and (<Emphasis Type="Italic">SR</Emphasis>)-methionines and related carbamides and glycolurils

Aqueous solutions of (S)-, (R)-, and (SR)-methionines (1–3); carbamide (4); (S)-, (R)-, and (SR)-N-carbamoylmethionines (5–7); glycoluril (8); and glycolurils containing (S)and (R)-methionine moieties (9 and 10) kept under natural and hypoelectromagnetic conditions were studied in comparison by a complex of physicochemical methods (dynamic and electrophoretic light scattering, conductometry, pH-metry, and dielcometry). The process of selforganization and the properties of dilute solutions (1.0?10^–15–10^–1 mol L^–1) of compounds 1–10 was shown for the first time to depend substantially on the structure of the solute and configuration of methionine (Met) enantiomers. In the series 1–3, the greatest ability to self-organization is observed for solutions of (SR)-Met in which supramolecular domains (1.0?10^–5–1.0?10^–1 mol L^–1) and nanoassociates (1.0?10^–11–1.0?10^–8 mol L^–1) are formed. The formation of nanoassociates in a concentration range of 1.0?10^–12–1.0?10^–6 mol L^–1 can be responsible for the appearance of nonmonotonic concentration dependences of the physicochemical properties of solutions of N-carbamoylmethionines 5–7, whereas the physicochemical properties are more pronounced in solution of (S)-N-carbamoylmethionine 5 than in solutions of 6 and 7. The strongest influence of the configuration of the Met enantiomer on the ability of solution to self-organization was revealed in a series of glycolurils 9, 10: solutions of 9 with the (S)-Met moiety are disperse systems in which nanoassociates are formed in a range of 1.0?10^–15–1.0?10^–5 mol L^–1, whereas in solutions of 10 with the (R)-Met fragment the ability to self-organization in the low-concentration range is absent.     

The <Emphasis Type="Italic">pVT</Emphasis> properties and phase equilibria in the <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-pentane-water binary system

The pVT properties of the 0.075 n-C₅H₁₂ + 0.925H₂O binary system were studied experimentally. Thermal properties were measured along nine different isochores over the density and temperature ranges 87–698 kg/m³ and 303–684 K at pressures up to 60 MPa. Measurements were performed using a constant-volume piezometer. Inflection and break points of the p(T) dependences were used to construct phase equilibrium curves, which were described by scaling equations.     

Neutron diffraction study of dehydrogenation of titanium carbohydrides TiC<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>H<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">y</Emphasis></Subscript>

The possibility of the synthesis of hydrogen-nonstoichiometric cubic titanium carbide ТiС _х of high purity from powdery nonstoichiometric cubic titanium carbohydride ТiС _х H _y or nonstoichiometric titanium carbide with admixture hydrogen by annealing in a continuously maintained vacuum of no worse than 1.33 × 10^–3 Pa at temperatures of 600–750°C for several hours has been shown. Similar annealing at higher temperatures (T ≥ 800°C) does not lead to the complete removal of hydrogen from a sample due to intensive sintering. In this case, it seems that pores between sintered particles are hydrogen traps, and the release of hydrogen through the surface of sintered particles is hindered.     

Formation of solvate structures by the <Emphasis Type="Italic">ortho</Emphasis>-, <Emphasis Type="Italic">meta</Emphasis>-, and <Emphasis Type="Italic">para</Emphasis>-isomers of hydroxybenzoic acid in supercritical fluid

The solvate structures formed by the ortho-, meta-, and para-isomers of hydroxybenzoic acid (o-HBA, m-HBA, and p-HBA) with a polar co-solvent (methanol at a concentration of 0.030 and 0.035 mole fractions) in supercritical carbon dioxide at a constant density of 0.7 g/cm³ and temperatures of 318 and 328 K have been studied by the classic molecular dynamics. It has been determined that a stable hydrogen-bonded complex with the co-solvent forms via the hydrogen of the carboxyl group for all isomers. The probability of this complex existence is high at all temperatures and concentrations. In the o-HBA molecule, the other functional groups are engaged in the intramolecular hydrogen bond, but not involved in interactions with methanol. It has been found that m-HBA and p-HBA can be involved in hydrogen bonds with methanol via hydroxyl hydrogen and oxygen atoms; they are characterized by the presence of one more co-solvent molecule (rarely, two molecules) in their solvation shell and intermittent formations/breakages of hydrogen bonds via other functional groups. These bonds are far less stable, and their formation is sensitive to change of temperature and co-solvent concentration. It has been concluded that the degree of selective solvation of m-HBA and p-HBA by co-solvent molecules is approximately the same, but the rate of structural rearrangements in the nearest environment of m-HBA is higher than that of p-HBA.