Effect of ionization on the temperature- and pressure-induced phase transitions of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) gels

The ionization effects on the pressure-induced phase transition of weakly charged poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid) (PNIPA-AAc) gels have been investigated by small-angle neutron scattering. At low temperature, T, and pressure, P, the structure factor of PNIPA-AAc gels was well represented by a Lorentzian (L) function, which was similar to noncharged PNIPA gels. However, at high Ps, the contribution of inhomogeneities became large and a squared-Lorentzian term had to be added in addition to the L term. At high Ts, on the other hand, a scattering maximum appeared, indicating microphase separation. This scattering maximum was suppressed by increasing P up to P approximately 100 MPa and then reincreased at higher Ps. The following facts were disclosed: (1) The peak position and height were very sensitive to P, which is mainly ascribed to strong pressure dependence of hydrophobic interaction, (2) ionization leads to microphase separation at elevated temperatures, (3) the re-entrant phase behavior is commonly observed in the P-T plane due to the parabolic variation of the polymer-solvent interaction with P, and (4) the pressure and temperature dependence of the structure factor was reproduced with the Rabin-Panyukov theory and was interpreted with a convexity of hydrophobic interaction with respect to pressure.     

Kinetics of craze initiation in polystyrene in N-alcohols

The kinetics of craze initiation has been investigated for unmodified and rubber-modified polystyrenes in n-alcohols. The dependence on time and temperature of the critical strain at which crazes could be detected visually was determined with a Bergen elliptical strain device. Sorption studies were also conducted at room temperature on films exposed to the saturated vapor of n-alcohol. The analysis of crazing data in terms of the Eyring model gave activation energies from 9.4 to 17.4 kcal/mole, increasing with increasing chain length of n-alcohol and increasing rubber content. The activation volume multiplied by a stress concentration factor decreased with increasing rubber content and was nearly independent of the chain length of the n-alcohol. The larger the diffusion coefficient, which we measured by sorption experiments, the smaller was the activation energy for craze initiation. The values of diffusion coefficients, estimated from the experimental data on craze initiation, were found to be comparable with those from the sorption experiments. It was concluded that the rate of craze initiation on exposure to liquids is controlled by the diffusion of the molecules of liquid into polymer.     

Boron rings enclosing planar hypercoordinate group 14 elements

Sets of boron rings enclosing planar hypercoordinate group 14 elements (ABn(n-8); A = group 14 element; n = 6-10) are designed systematically based on geometrical and electronic fit principles: the size of a boron ring must accommodate the central atom comfortably. The electronic structures of the planar minima with hypercoordinate group 14 elements are doubly aromatic with six pi and six in-plane radial MO systems (radial MOs are comprised of boron p orbitals pointing toward the ring center). This is confirmed by induced magnetic field and nucleus-independent chemical shift (NICS) computations. The weakness of the "partial" A-B bonds is compensated by their unusually large number. Although a C7v pyramidal SiB8 structure is more stable than the D8h isomer, Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics simulations show the resistance of the D8h local minimum against deformation and isomerization. Such evidence of the viability of the boron ring minima with group 14 elements encourages experimental realization.     

Heterodimeric particle assemblies: preparation of anisotropically connected spherical silica particles via surface-bound gold nanoparticles

Assemblies of heterodimeric particles were prepared through selective coupling of two kinds of spherical silica particles of different sizes by connection with gold nanoparticles attached anisotropically to the particles.     

Difference in lower critical solution temperature behavior between random copolymers and a homopolymer having solvatophilic and solvatophobic structures in an ionic liquid

The solubility and phase behavior of poly(benzyl methacrylate) (PBzMA) and poly(styrene-co-methyl methacrylate) (P(St-co-MMA)) in a hydrophobic ionic liquid, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethane sulfone)imide ([C(2)mim][NTf(2)]), have been explored as a function of temperature. Although both polymers have solvatophobic phenyl groups and solvatophilic methacrylate groups in the structure, their distribution on the polymer chains is quite different. In PBzMA, both structures are incorporated in each monomer unit, whereas in P(St-co-MMA)s the distribution is statistically determined by the monomer reactivity ratio of St and MMA. Both polymer solutions in [C(2)mim][NTf(2)] become turbid with an increase in temperature (lower critical solution temperature (LCST) behavior). The turbidity change occurs sharply at 100 degrees C for PBzMA, whereas it is sluggish for P(St-co-MMA)s. The LCST-type phase-separation temperature for P(St-co-MMA)s decreases with an increase of the St composition. The sluggish phase separation for P(St-co-MMA)s has been explained in terms of the presence of the MMA sequences along the polymer chain, which inhibits the St aggregation to a certain extent. The dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements for PBzMA reveal that the hydrodynamic radius of PBzMA suddenly changes at 100 degrees C; below this temperature, no aggregation is observed. This result strongly implies that the coil-to-collapse transition is of the first-order type. It has been demonstrated that the LCST-type phase separation of the polymers in an ionic liquid is greatly affected by the distribution of the solvatophilic and solvatophobic groups on the polymer chains.     

Sequence control on the ring-opening oligomerization of cyclic imino ethers

Sequence-controlled oligomers of cyclic imino ethers were synthesized by the one-pot multi-stage feeding method. Selective formation of the sequence was clearly demonstrated by equimolar reactions between the monomers and 1:1 adducts of an initiator with the monomers. Efficiency of the sequence control is determined by the difference of reactivities of the active ends. A new general prerequisite to synthesize a well-defined sequence by multi-stage oligomerization was proposed.     

Stereoselective synthesis of optically active disilanes and selective functionalization by the cleavage of silicon-naphthyl bonds with bromine

Optically active disilanes with one chiral silicon center, (R)-1,2-dimethyl-1-(naphth-1-yl)-1,2,2-triphenyldisilane and (R)-1,2,2-trimethyl-2-(4-methoxynaphth-1-yl)-1-(naphth-1-yl)-1-phenyldisilane, were obtained by the reaction of (S)-methyl(naphth-1-yl)phenylchlorosilane (> 99% ee) with methyldiphenylsilyllithium or by the reaction of methyldiphenylchlorosilane with optically active (S)-methyl(naphth-1-yl)phenylsilyllithium and by the reaction of (S)-methyl(naphth-1-yl)phenylchlorosilane (> 99% ee) with dimethyl(4-methoxynaphth-1-yl)silyllithium. Under the optimized conditions, the reactions proceeded with almost complete inversion for the cholorosilanes and retention for the silyl anions. Optically active disilanes with two chiral centers, (1R,2R)-1,2-dimethyl-1,2-di(naphth-1-yl)-1,2-diphenyldisilane and (1S,2S)-1,2-di(4-methoxynaphth-1-yl)-1,2-dimethyl-1,2-diphenyldisilane, were obtained in high optical purity by the reactions of corresponding optically active halogenosilanes (Cl or F) with optically active silyllithiums. The silicon-silicon bond and the silicon-naphthyl bond of (R)-1,1,2-trimethyl-1,2-di(naphth-1-yl)-2-phenyldisilane and (1R,2R)-1,2-dimethyl-1,2-di(naphth-1-yl)-1,2-diphenyldisilane were cleaved without selectivity on bromination. The silicon-(4-methoxynaphth-1-yl) bond of (R)-1,2,2-trimethyl-2-(4-methoxynaphth-1-yl)-1-(naphth-1-yl)-1-phenyldisilane was regiospecifically cleaved, followed by the stereoselective cleavage of the remaining chiral silicon-naphthyl bond (94% inversion). Although the silicon-(4-methoxynaphth-1-yl) bonds of (1S,2S)-1,2-di(4-methoxynaphth-1-yl)-1,2-dimethyl-1,2-diphenyldisilane (> 99% ee) were regioselectively cleaved without silicon-silicon bond scission, remarkable racemization could not be avoided during the one-pot reaction.