Photodegradation of aramids. I. Irradiation in the absence of oxygen

The photolysis reactions of a series of isomeric fully aromatic polyamides (aramids) have been investigated in the absence of oxygen by ultraviolet and luminescence spectroscopy. Several of the aramids were found to undergo photo-Fries rearrangements to give 2-aminobenzophenone backbone units when irradiated either as films, fibers, or dissolved in liquids. Quantum yields for this rearrangement were low, < 1 × 10^?6 mole/einstein, and increased with decreasing aramid glass transition temperature and increasing backbone mobility. The formation of gel, carbon monoxide, and a strong ESR signal were consistent with a free-radical mechanism for the rearrangement.     

PHOTOCHIMIE DES ACIDES AMINES AROMATIQUES EN SOLUTION - I. dl-PHENYLALANINE, dl-TYROSINE ET l-DOPA

Abstract— The action of ultraviolet radiation on dl -phenyldanine, dl -tyrosine and l -dopa has been studied in dilute aqueous solutions (10^-2M–5 × 10^-3M). Irradiation was performed in nitrogen or in air, at a wavelength of 254nm. The photoproducts of low molecular weight (amino acids, carboxylic acids, amines) were isolated either by chromatography on an ion exchange column or by thin-layer chromatography and identified mainly by ultraviolet absorption and staining with ninhydrin. The isolation of photopolymers was carried out by chromatography on a Biogel column; identification of these photoproducts was mainly achieved by ultraviolet and infrared spectroscopy. With phenylalanine, which is the most photosensitive amino acid, the principal reaction results in splitting of the side chain, giving alanine, glycine, and four other amine compounds whose structure has not been determined. In air, additional minor products resulting from photooxydation are obtained: ortho, meta and paratyrosine. Traces of phenylethylamine were isolated after irradiation in an inert atmosphere. The polymers produced under air and nitrogen are similar. They probably result from rearrangement of aromatic radicals formed by splitting of the side chain. Tyrosine and dopa, irradiated in air, yield mainly melanin; before polymerization, tyrosine is first converted into dopa. In a inert atmosphere, these aromatic aminoacids also polymerize, giving monophenolic and biphenolic compounds with structure close to that of melanin. The biphenolic polymer (thus obtained from dopa) shows the properties of a leuco derivative of melanin. The monophenolic polymer can be converted into melanin by the combined action of oxygen and ultraviolet radiation. Other reactions give only minor products: parahydroxy-phenyllactic acid and 3,4-dihydroxyphenyllactic acid by deamination-hydroxylation of tyrosine and dopa (in air): meta and paratyrosine by dehydroxylation of dopa, either in air or in nitrogen.     

Radiation-chemical transformations of humic acid in aqueous solutions

The transformations of kinetically stable aqueous humic acid solutions saturated with Ar, N₂O, or air by the action of fast electrons at absorbed doses to 20 kGy were studied. In radiolytic and postradiation processes, humic acid was converted into insoluble compounds, whose precipitation accelerated with dose. The formation of insoluble compounds was enhanced in neutral and acidified solutions saturated with air and/or N₂O. As low-molecular-mass carboxylic acids that resulted from the radiolytic fragmentation of humic acid were accumulated in solution, the phase transformation weakened. The irradiated solutions were easy to purify by chemical coagulation.     

Synthesis,characterization and thermal degradation kinetics of ferrocene‐containing aramids

Low‐temperature solution‐phase polycondensation of 1,1′‐ferrocenedicarboxylic acid chloride with different aromatic diamines was carried out in tetrahydrofuran in the presence of triethylamine to afford ferrocene‐containing aramids. The products were characterized by their solubilities, inherent viscosities, elemental analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetry. All of them were insoluble in common solvents tested, except aramid‐IV (derived from 1,8‐naphthalene diamine), which was slightly soluble in N,N′‐dimethylacetamide, N,N′‐dimethylformamide, dimethylsulfoxide and formic acid. However, all were miscible with concentrated H₂SO₄, forming red‐coloured solutions. These all show a reduction in their solution viscosities at ambient conditions in concentrated H₂SO₄ which may be attributed to their non‐Newtonian behaviour. The glass transition temperature for each aramid was quite high, and stable up to 390 °C. The integral procedural decomposition temperatures for the products were calculated using Doyle's method and were found to be intermediate to that of Nylon 66 (419 °C) and Teflon (555 °C), and the activation energy for decomposition of each product was calculated by the Horowitz and Metzger method. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reaction of cis-2,3-dioctylaziridine with carboxylic acids

A series of aliphatic and aromatic carboxylic acids reacted with 2,3-dioctylaziridine to yield β-hydroxyalkyl amides in 69–89% yields and 2-substituted 4,5-di-n-octyl-δ²-oxazolines in amounts ranging from traces to 12% of the theoretical. No correlation could be found between carboxylic acid strength and either hydroxyamide or δ²-oxazoline yields. Solvents affected the product distribution.     

Metastable ion studies. XII—Molecular and fragment ion structures for isomeric C4H6O2 acids

Metastable peak characteristics, ionization and appearance energy data and isotopic labelling experiments have been applied to a study of the fragmentation behaviour of the molecular ions of the isomeric C₄H₆O₂C acids, cis and trans-crotonic acids, methacrylic acid, butenoic acid and cyclopropane carboxylic acid. Prior to the losses of H₂O and CH₃, all the metastable molecular ions rearrange to [cis-crotonic acid]⁺? ions. Loss of H₂O, which generates a composite metastable peak, is proposed to yield vinylketene and/or cyclobutenone molecular ions. Detailed mechanisms are presented for the isomerizations of the various molecular ions and for the above fragmentations. Ionized 3-butenoic and cyclopropane carboxylic acids display a major loss of CO from their metastable ions, a minor process in the other isomers. The metastable peaks consist of two components and these are ascribed to the formation of propen-1-ol and allyl alcohol as daughter ions. Some comparative data are presented for the isomeric C₅H₈O₂ acids, tiglic acid, angelic acid and senecioic acid.     

Physico-chemical aspects of polyethylene processing in an open mixer. Part 17. Effect of oxygen availability

The gas in contact with polyethylene has considerable impact on its oxidation. The rate of oxidation product formation is mostly larger with oxygen blanketing than in air. Similarly, the rate in air is larger than that under nitrogen blanketing. Moreover, the relative effect of the surrounding gas is depending heavily on the particular oxidation product considered. The effect on the alcohol concentration on passing from air to pure oxygen is the same as that on the hydroperoxide concentration. It is only under pure nitrogen that alcohol formation is relatively more affected than hydroperoxide formation. The overall carbonyl groups as well as the ketones show the expected ranking, i.e. faster rate in pure oxygen than in air and faster rate in air than under pure nitrogen. However, carboxylic acids are formed much faster in oxygen than in air. For the acids the results in air and under nitrogen are significantly closer in the initial stages of processing than the results obtained under pure oxygen. This is different for γ-lactones for which formation is faster in oxygen than in air where it is faster than under nitrogen. With trans-vinylene groups the situation is opposite to that observed for carboxylic acids: the rate of formation is close for the experiments performed under air and under oxygen and significantly faster than under nitrogen. The results for hydroperoxides, alcohols and ketones are easily interpreted taking into account the kinetics developed in previous work. Fitting the data to the heterogeneous kinetics shows the effect of the oxygen concentration on this kinetics. It is especially unexpected with respect to its impact on the initiation rate. It is discussed taking into account various possibilities. The only one that is compatible with all the data envisages chain initiation resulting from interaction of oxygen with strained polymer molecules.     

Preparation and properties of disilane-containing photodegradable aromatic polyamides from bis(p-aminophenyl)tetramethyldisilane and aromatic diacid chlorides

1,2-Bis(p-aminophenyl)tetramethyldisilane was synthesized from 1,2-dichlorotetramethyldisilane and 4-[N,N-bis(trimethylsilyl)amino]phenyllithium. The diamine was reacted with various aromatic diacid chlorides giving disilane-containing aromatic polyamides (aramids), whose inherent viscosities were between 0.27 and 0.70 dL/g, depending on the diacid chlorides used. The aramids had glass transition temperatures between 194 and 255°C. No weight loss was observed below 350°C. Some of the polymers were found to be semicrystalline based on their x-ray diffractograms. The aramid films showed a strong ultraviolet (UV) absorption at 287 nm, which decreased during irradiation with UV light, suggesting that cleavage of the silicon-silicon bond in the aramid backbone occurs. A decrease in the inherent viscosity and molecular weight of the soluble aramid derived from phenylindanedicarbonyl chloride was also observed by irradiation with UV light.     

PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS OF THYMINE WITH CARBOXYLIC ACIDS. A MODEL FOR NUCLEIC ACID-PROTEIN PHOTOCROSSLINKING

When nucleic acid bases are UV-irradiated in the presence of carboxylic acids or carboxylate anions new photoproducts are formed as compared to the bases irradiated in the absence of carboxylic acids. The behavior of thymine and thymidine has been examined in detail. At least four photoproducts are formed in the presence of propionic acid and three in the presence of butyric acid. None of them appears to be a cyclobutyl dimer. From the concentration dependence of the rate of photoproduct formation it is concluded that the reactive excited species is the first excited singlet state of thymine. When ¹⁴C-labelled thymine is irradiated in the presence of polyglutamic acid an important part of the radioactive material is covalently linked to the polymer. Photochemical reaction of thymine with glutamic (or aspartic) acid could thus induce crosslinks between proteins and nucleic acids. It is also shown that these photoproducts are stable under usual conditions of acidic hydrolysis of UV-irradiated DNA.     

Hydrogen migrations in mass spectrometry. VI—the chemical ionization mass spectra of substituted benzoic acids and benzyl alcohols

The H₂ and CH₄ chemical ionization mass spectra of a series of series of substituted benzoic acids and substituted benzyl alcohols have been determined. For the benzoic acids the major fragmentation reactions of the protonated molecule involve elimination of H₂O or elimination of CO₂, the latter reaction involving migration of the carboxylic hydrogen to the aromatic ring. For the benzyl alcohols the major fragmentation reactions of [MH]⁺ involve loss of H₂O or CH₂O, analogous to the CO₂ elimination reaction for the benzoic acids. It is shown that the CO₂ and CH₂O elimination reactions occur only when a conjugated aromatic ring system is present, and that for the carboxylic acid systems, methyl groups and, to a lesser extent, phenyl groups are capable of migrating. The only discernible effect of substituents on the fragmentation of [MH]⁺ is an enhancement of the H₂O loss reaction in the benzoic acid system when an amino, hydroxyl, or halogen substituent is ortho to the carboxyl function. This ‘ortho’ effect, which differs in scope from that observed in electron impact mass spectra, is attributed to an intramolecular catalysis by the ortho substituent of the 1,3 hydrogen migration in the carbonyl protonated acid followed by H₂O elimination. Apparently, this route is favoured over the direct elimination of H₂O from the carbonyl protonated acid, since the latter has a high activation energy barrier because of unfavourable orbital symmetry restrictions.     

Microwave‐improved polymerization of ϵ‐caprolactone initiated by carboxylic acids

The ring‐opening polymerization of ε‐caprolactone (ε‐CL), initiated by carboxylic acids such as benzoic acid and chlorinated acetic acids under microwave irradiation, was investigated; with this method, no metal catalyst was necessary. The product was characterized as poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) by ¹H NMR spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet spectroscopy, and gel permeation chromatography. The polymerization was significantly improved under microwave irradiation. The weight‐average molecular weight (M_w) of PCL reached 44,800 g/mol, with a polydispersity index [weight‐average molecular weight/number‐average molecular weight (M_w/M_n)] of 1.6, when a mixture of ε‐CL and benzoic acid (25/1 molar ratio) was irradiated at 680 W for 240 min, whereas PCL with M_w = 12,100 and M_w/M_n = 4.2 was obtained from the same mixture by a conventional heating method at 210 °C for 240 min. A degradation of the resultant PCL was observed during microwave polymerization with chlorinated acetic acids as initiators, and this induced a decrease in M_w of PCL. However, the degradation was hindered by benzoic acid at low concentrations. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 13–21, 2003     

Synthesis of carboxylic acids based on the closo-decaborate anion

A series of new boron-containing carboxylic acids was prepared by the ring-opening reaction of cyclic oxonium derivatives of the closo-decaborate anion [B₁₀H₁₀]²⁻ with methyl esters of hydroxybenzoic acids or the cyanide anion followed by hydrolysis of the obtained nitrile and esters. Acid hydrolysis of the esters results in protonation of the oxygen atom connected to the boron cage, with the formation of the corresponding O-protonated acids, isolated in the solid state. The compounds synthesized can be used in radionuclide diagnostics and boron neutron capture therapy of cancer.     

Decomposition of aqueous fluorene by γ-rays and product analysis

Fluorene degradation was investigated in aqueous solution, saturated with air or N₂O as a function of the absorbed radiation dose. The observed initial degradation yields (Gi values) are 2.41 and 1.04, respectively. In addition to these series, also studies were performed in media containing: 90% air and 10% N₂O (Gi=1.1), 50% air and 50% N₂O (Gi=0.9) and 10% air and 90% N₂O (Gi=0.5). In all cases, as major degradation products 9-fluorenone and 9-fluorene carboxylic acid were found in addition to a mixture of aldehydes and carboxylic acids. Their yield depends on the starting pollutant concentration, absorbed radiation dose and oxygen content in the solution. For explanation of the results, probable reaction mechanisms are given.     

Ultrathin self-assembled polymeric films on solid surfaces. I. Synthesis and characterization of acrylate copolymers containing alkyl disulfide side chains

Copolymers of 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate and 2-methoxyethyl acrylate with variable compositions were synthesized, fractionated, and characterized by ¹H-NMR, IR, GPC, and viscometry. These copolymers were further modified via polymer analog esterification of copolymer hydroxy groups by a series of disulfide-containing carboxylic acids including lipoic acid and (n-pentyldithio) alkyl carboxylic acids (n-C₅H₁₁SS(CH₂)m? COOH, m = 10, 15, 22) in the presence of 1,3-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC). Esterification reactions were quantitative for copolymers possessing hydroxy monomer contents ≤ 40% when excess acid and DCC were present for sufficiently long reaction times (2–4 days) at room temperature. Copolymer DSC analysis demonstrates a systematic variation of T_g with copolymer composition in good agreement with ideal mixing theory. These disulfide-bearing copolymers spontaneously yield two-dimensional ultrathin polymer films with side chain-dependent layer thicknesses of 20–45 Å by solution adsorption onto freshly deposited gold surfaces. Such ultrathin polymer films are expected to have diverse applications as bound polymeric surface modification reagents. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis and properties of aramids and polyarylates having perfluoro-substituents on the benzene ring

A new series of 16 aramids and 16 polyarylates having perfluoro-substituents on the benzene ring was prepared by a low temperature solution or an interfacial polycondensation. The effects of fluorine substituents on the structure and properties of polymers were examined. Fluorinated aramids exhibited higher crystallinity, while fluorinated polyarylates show lower crystallinity. The melting point (T_m) of aramids decreased with fluorine substitution, whereas T_m of polyarylates from fluorinated aromatic diols was higher than that of those from unfluorinated ones. The temperature of 10% weight loss and the residue at 900°C decreased with fluorine substitution except for the aramids from fluorinated diamines. Solubility and contact angle also increased with fluorine substitution. Some polyarylates were found to exhibit an optical anisotropy.     

Highly redox‐stable and electrochromic aramids with morpholinyl‐substituted triphenylamine units

A novel morpholinyl‐substituted, triphenylamine‐based diamine monomer, namely 4,4′‐diamino‐4″‐(4‐morpholinyl)triphenylamine, was synthesized and polymerized with various aromatic dicarboxylic acids via the phosphorylation polyamidation reaction leading to a series of electroactive aromatic polyamides (aramids). All aramids were readily soluble in polar organic solvents and could be solution cast into tough and flexible films with high thermal stability. Cyclic voltammograms of the aramid films on the indium‐tin oxide‐coated glass substrate exhibited a pair of reversible oxidation waves with very low onset potentials of 0.36 − 0.41 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) in acetonitrile solution. The polymer films showed reversible electrochemical oxidation accompanied by strong color changes with high coloration efficiency, high contrast ratio, and rapid switching time. The optical transmittance change (Δ%T) at 650 nm between the neutral state and the fully oxidized state is up to 90%. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 1289–1298     

Der Mechanismus der Umlagerung substituierter Aminoacrylderivate

Thioacetic acid and dithioacetic acid react with alkynederivatives of the type (CH₃)₂N? C?C? CO? R ( 1 ) in the same way as other carboxylic acids: The addition to dimethylaminopropinal ( 1a ) at low temperatures yields, after rearrangement of the very instable primary adducts, Z-3-acetoxy-N,N-dimethyl-thioacrylamide ( Z-16 ) and Z-3-thioacetoxy-N,N-dimethylthioacrylamide ( Z-17 ) respectively. The structure of the two compounds can be proved by spectroscopic evidence of 16 and 18 , the latter being formed by elimination of thioketene from 17 . According to the distribution of S-atoms in 16 and 17 , two reaction pathways including 4-membered rings can be ruled out. Thus the rearrangement of 3-acyloxy-N,N-dimethyl-acrylamides most probably proceeds by a mechanism including a dipolar six-membered intermediate. This mechanism cannot be valid for the rearrangement of the adducts 2 of hydrohalogen acids, alcohols and amines to the alkyne-derivatives 1 . The acid-catalysed reaction of 3-chloro-3-dimethylamino-propenal ( 2 , X?Cl), labelled at position 1 with ¹³C, yields 3-chloro-N,N-dimethyl-acrylamide ( 3 , X?Cl), containing the label exclusively at position 3 . This result supports a mechanism including an immonium-oxetene 21 (X?Cl) as intermediate. - The experiments are in accord with kinetic investigations.     

Mass spectrometry of N-(Pyrimidin-2-yl)amino acids and their methyl esters

N(Pyrimidin-2-yl)-glycine, -alanine and -phenylalanine (1-3) and their methyl esters (4-6) were investigated using electron impact (EI) mass Spectrometry. The results showed that EI-induced decomposition occurs on the carboxylic group or involves the loss of R₂OH. In contrast to earlier investigations on N-(pyrimidin-4-yl)amino acids, elimination of water (in 1-3) or methanol (in 4-6) was found to be of EI-induced nature. The loss of 'COOH from M⁺ of ester 4 suggests the occurrence of a skeletal rearrangement leading to the isomeric N-methylamino acid.     

Umlagerung und Spaltung von α, β-Dioxopropionsäureestern in alkalischem Milieu. 28. Mitt. über Reduktone und Tricarbonylverbindungen [1]

The behaviour of α,β-dioxopropionic acid derivatives of the type R? CO? CO? COX (R = phenyl, p-substituted phenyls, CF₃, mesityl; X = OC₂H₅, NH₂) was investigated under benzilic acid rearrangement conditions. Nearly all compounds were cleaved by alkali to give the corresponding acids R? COOH and glyoxylic acid. Only the sterically hindered ethyl β-mesityl-α,β-dioxopropionate underwent rearrangement (after hydrolysis of the ester group); it was shown by ¹⁴C-labelling that the carboxylate group migrates to the β-carbonyl group.     

Analysis of α‐acyloxyhydroperoxy aldehydes with electrospray ionization–tandem mass spectrometry (ESI‐MSn)

A series of α‐acyloxyhydroperoxy aldehydes was analyzed with direct infusion electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI/MSⁿ) as well as liquid chromatography coupled with the mass spectrometry (LC/MS). Standards of α‐acyloxyhydroperoxy aldehydes were prepared by liquid‐phase ozonolysis of cyclohexene in the presence of carboxylic acids. Stabilized Criegee intermediate (SCI), a by‐product of the ozone attack on the cyclohexene double bond, reacted with the selected carboxylic acids (SCI scavengers) leading to the formation of α‐acyloxyhydroperoxy aldehydes. Ionization conditions were optimized. [M + H]⁺ ions were not formed in ESI; consequently, α‐acyloxyhydroperoxy aldehydes were identified as their ammonia adducts for the first time. On the other hand, atmospheric‐pressure chemical ionization has led to decomposition of the compounds of interest. Analysis of the mass spectra (MS² and MS³) of the [M + NH₄]⁺ ions allowed recognizing the fragmentation pathways, common for all of the compounds under study. In order to get detailed insights into the fragmentation mechanism, a number of isotopically labeled analogs were also studied. To confirm that the fragmentation mechanism allows predicting the mass spectrum of different α‐acyloxyhydroperoxy aldehydes, ozonolysis of α‐pinene, a very important secondary organic aerosol precursor, was carried out. Spectra of the two ammonium cationized α‐acyloxyhydroperoxy aldehydes prepared with α‐pinene, cis‐pinonic acid as well as pinic acid were predicted very accurately. Possible applications of the method developed for the analysis of α‐acyloxyhydroperoxy aldehydes in SOA samples, as well as other compounds containing hydroperoxide moiety are discussed. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.