Synthesis of semitelechelic POSS‐polymethacrylate hybrids by thiol‐mediated controlled radical polymerization with unusual thermal behaviors

We have developed an efficient and versatile method for the synthesis of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS)‐polymethacrylate hybrids, such as POSS‐poly(methyl methacrylate) (POSS‐PMMA), POSS‐poly(ethyl methacrylate) (POSS‐PEMA), and POSS‐poly(benzyl methacrylate) (POSS‐PBzMA) of controllable molecular weights and low polydispersities by thiol‐mediated radical polymerization at elevated temperature (100 °C). By tuning the reactant concentrations and degree of polymerization of the grafted polymethacrylate chains, POSS content in these hybrid materials could be varied. MALDI‐TOF‐MS analysis of the hybrid molecule shows that the nanoscale POSS moiety is connected to the end of polymethacrylate chain through the sulfur atom bridge. These hybrid materials were further characterized using various techniques such as FTIR, XRD, NMR, TGA, and DSC. In all synthesized hybrids, the incorporation of POSS moiety at the end of polymethacrylate chain resulted in the decrease of glass transition temperature (T_g) compared to that of neat polymethacrylates of comparable molecular weights. Surprisingly, POSS‐PMMA hybrids only with relatively high POSS content (～ 10 and 16 wt %) showed physical aging behavior as reveled by DSC study. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 1111–1123, 2008     

Benzimidazole conjugate of 1,1'-thiobis(2-naphthol) as switch-on fluorescence receptor for Ag+ and the complex as secondary recognition ensemble toward Cys, Asp, and Glu in aqueous methanolic solution: synthesis, characterization, ion and amino acid recognition, computational studies, and microscopy features

A new 1,1'-thiobis(2-naphthoxy)-based receptor molecule (L) containing a benzimidazole moiety has been synthesized and characterized by (1)H NMR, ESI-MS, and elemental analysis. The selectivity of L has been explored in aqueous methanol, resulting in selective (7.5 ± 0.5)-fold switch-on fluorescence response toward Ag(+) among 14 different transition, alkali, and alkaline earth metal ions studied. The complexation of Ag(+) by L has been addressed by ESI-MS, (1)H NMR, and UV-vis spectra. Microstructural features of L and its Ag(+) complex have been measured by AFM and TEM. The morphological features of L alone and L in the presence of Ag(+) differ dramatically both in shape and size, and the ion induces the formation of chains owing to its coordinating ability toward benzimidazole. Further, the in situ [Ag(+)-L] complex was titrated against 20 naturally occurring amino acids and found that this complex acts as a secondary recognition ensemble toward Cys, Asp, and Glu by switch-off fluorescence.     

Distorted cubic tetranuclear vanadium(IV) phosphonate cages: double-four-ring (D4R) containing transition metal ion phosphonate cages

The reaction of VCl(3) with 3,5-dimethylpyrazole (3,5-Me(2)PzH) and trichloromethylphosphonic/tert-butylphosphonic acid in the presence of triethylamine as a hydrogen chloride scavenger afforded the tetranuclear V(IV) assemblies, [(VO)(4)(3,5-Me(2)PzH)(8)(CCl(3)PO(3))(4)] (1) and [(VO)(4)(3,5-Me(2)PzH)(4)(t-BuPO(3))(4)] (2). Both of these compounds possess a distorted cubic framework structures containing V(IV) ions and phosphorus atoms in the alternate corners of the cube. The edges of the cube contain oxygen atoms derived from the phosphonate ligand. The phosphonate ligand in both of these compounds is dianionic and helps to bind to three V(IV) centers. The faces of the cubic ensembles contain puckered V(2)P(2)O(4) eight-membered rings. The V(IV) center in 1 is six-coordinate in a distorted octahedral geometry while in 2 it is five-coordinate in a distorted square-pyramidal geometry. Magnetic studies carried out on 1 and 2 reveal that the V(IV) centers are anti-ferromagnetically coupled to each other, albeit weakly, through the mediation of the phosphonate ligands.     

Detection of bacteria by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

The detection and identification of dilute bacterial samples by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy has been explored by mixing aqueous suspensions of bacteria with a suspension of nanocolloidal silver particles. An estimate of the detection limit of E. coli was obtained by varying the concentration of bacteria. By correcting the Raman spectra for the broad librational OH band of water, reproducible spectra were obtained for E. coli concentrations as low as approximately 10³ cfu/mL. To aid in the assignment of Raman bands, spectra for E. coli in D₂O are also reported. Figure Light scattering apparatus used to detect bacteria     

Vinyl sulfone- and vinyl sulfoxide-modified tetrahydrofurans: a preliminary account of the enantiomeric synthesis of and diastereoselectivity of addition to new classes of Michael acceptors

Enantiomerically pure 2-hydroxymethylene substituted-2,5-dihydro-3-(arylsulfonyl)- and 2-hydroxymethylene substituted-2,5-dihydro-3-(arylsulfinyl)-furans have been prepared from easily accessible carbohydrate derivatives for the first time. The strategy for accessing both these sulfones and sulfoxides is more efficient than the methods reported so far for the synthesis of this type of compounds. Hydroxymethylene group is sufficient to impose diastereoselectivity on the addition of a wide range of nucleophiles to vinyl sulfone-modified tetrahydrofurans. The benzyl protected hydroxymethylene group also suppresses the influence of chirally pure sulfoxides as two diastereomeric vinyl sulfoxide-modified tetrahydrofurans afforded the Michael adducts with same configurations at C-3 and C-4; this has been established by oxidizing the adducts, which were found to be identical to the products obtained by adding the same nucleophiles to the corresponding vinyl sulfones. These highly reactive Michael acceptors may be considered as a new addition to the arsenals of synthetic chemists interested in the functionalization of tetrahydrofurans.     

Fluorescence spectroscopic studies on binding of a flavonoid antioxidant quercetin to serum albumins

Binding of quercetin to human serum albumin (HSA) was studied and the binding constant measured by following the red-shifted absorption spectrum of quercetin in the presence of HSA and the quenching of the intrinsic protein fluorescence in the presence of different concentrations of quercetin. Fluorescence lifetime measurements of HSA showed decrease in the average lifetimes indicating binding at a location, near the tryptophan moiety, and the possibility of fluorescence energy transfer between excited tryptophan and quercetin. Critical transfer distance (R _o ) was determined, from which the mean distance between tryptophan-214 in HSA and quercetin was calculated. The above studies were also carried out with bovine serum albumin (BSA).     

A numerical solution of the Stefan problem

A two-dimensional Stefan problem is solved for a prism and a cylinder by approximating the enthalpy formulation of the problem byC ⁰ piecewise linear finite elements in space combined with a semi-implicit scheme in time. The numerical integration in space makes the scheme easy to implement.This work was partially supported by GA CR grant No. 106/93/0638.