Reaction of 2-Methylsulfonyl-4H-4-chromenones with Nucleophiles

For the synthesis of 2-substituted 4H-4-chromenones, 2-methylsulfonyl-4H-4-chromenones as common intermediate were reacted with nucleophiles such as amines and thiophenol to afford the corresponding 2-substituted adducts in very high yields.     

Efficient and accurate procedure for selecting ground motions matching target response spectrum

Linear and nonlinear response history analyses have become popular in seismic design and seismic performance evaluation procedures. The accuracy of analysis results depends not only on the accurate analytic models for structures but also on the proper selection of input ground motions. The purpose of this study is to develop a computationally efficient and accurate procedure for selecting ground motions considering the target response spectrum mean and variance, and the correlations between response spectra of different periods. In this procedure, a number of response spectra are simulated equal to the number of ground motions to be selected, using a Monte Carlo simulation. Subsequently, ground motions are selected from a ground motion library to individually match the simulated response spectra, using the proposed selection procedure. This procedure is computationally efficient and accurate in selecting a ground motion that best matches a simulated response spectrum and in determining a scaling factor for the selected ground motion. In order to further improve the selection result, multiple sets of simulated response spectra are considered. The accuracy and efficiency of the proposed procedure are verified with numerical examples.     

Mapped WENO schemes based on a new smoothness indicator for Hamilton–Jacobi equations

In this paper, we introduce an improved version of mapped weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) schemes for solving Hamilton–Jacobi equations. To this end, we first discuss new smoothness indicators for WENO construction. Then the new smoothness indicators are combined with the mapping function developed by Henrick et al. (2005) [31]. The proposed scheme yields fifth-order accuracy in smooth regions and sharply resolve discontinuities in the derivatives. Numerical experiments are provided to demonstrate the performance of the proposed schemes on a variety of one-dimensional and two-dimensional problems.     

Site‐specific reversible immobilization and purification of His‐tagged protein on poly(2‐acetamidoacrylic acid) hydrogel beads

Ni²⁺‐complexed poly(2‐acetamidoacrylic acid) (PAAA) hydrogel beads were developed for the site‐specific reversible immobilization and purification of the histidine‐tagged green fluorescent protein (His‐tagged GFP). PAAA hydrogel beads were prepared by photopolymerization, and significantly improved mechanical properties of PAAA hydrogel beads were observed in comparison with PAAA hydrogel from our previous study. Confocal laser scanning microscopy was used to determine the binding of His‐tagged GFP to the hydrogel beads in three‐dimensional space. Photoluminescence spectroscopy revealed 89% of binding efficiency of His‐tagged GFP to the Ni²⁺‐PAAA hydrogel beads, 51% of yielding recovery. The maximum binding capacity of His‐tagged GFP was estimated to be 0.45 µg/mg of Ni²⁺‐PAAA hydrogel beads. The recombinant His‐tagged GFP from the soluble fraction of E. coli BL21(DE3) cell lysates was purified with Ni²⁺‐PAAA hydrogel beads. The major advantage of the Ni²⁺‐PAAA hydrogel beads system was simple preparation procedures of producing the matrix, because PAAA hydrogel beads had relatively enhanced mechanical strength than soft hydrogels. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characterization of Nitro-Substituted Polybenzimidazole Synthesized by the Reaction with Nitric Acid

Abstract

Nitro-substituted poly[2,2′-(m-phenylene)-5,5′-bibenzimidazole]s (PBIs) were synthesized by the reaction of PBI with nitric acid in sulfuric acid under various conditions. The number of nitro groups substituted on the aromatic ring of PBI per polymeric unit varied from 1.44 to 3.55 according to the reaction conditions. An increase in reaction temperature and concentration of the nitric acid increased the degree of substitution. The inherent viscosity of the substituted polymer increased as the reaction temperature decreased. When the reaction temperature was 30°C, the inherent viscosity of the polymer increased as the concentration of nitric acid increased. The nitro-substituted PBI exhibited polyelectrolyte behavior in formic acid. The nitro groups substituted on PBI were dissociated when the polymer was heated to 450°C, displaying exothermic behavior, and the decomposition of polymer was proportional to its nitro group content. All nitro-substituted PBIs showed better solubilities in polar aprotic and acidic solvents, such as dimethylacetamide, dimethylsulfoxide, dimethylformamide, N-methylpyrrolidone, formic acid, sulfuric acid, and trifluoromethanesulfonic acid.     

Determination of Monomer Unit Sequence Distribution and Linkage Configuration of Copolymers of Styrene and Citraconic Anhydride,and Possibility of a Participation of Electron Donor-Acceptor Complex in the Copolymerization

Abstract

The copolymerization system of styrene (ST) and citraconic (α-methymaleic) anhydride (CA) was found to form semi-alternating copolymers when polymerized with a total monomer concentration of 4 mol/L in CCl₄ at 50°C, with alternating copolymers being formed only when the CA mole fraction in feed was greater than 0.9. More than 50% of the linkage configurations at the cyclic CA units in the copolymers were found to be in cis configuration. This, together with the following observations, is consistent with a participation of the electron donor-acceptor (EDA) complex formed between ST and CA: (a) the complex participation model fits best, although only marginally, to the experimental triad mole fraction of alternating sequences; (b) the alternating monomer unit sequences and the cis linkage configuration at the cyclic CA units are more efficiently formed in non polar CCl₄ solutions than in polar methy ethyl ketone. The equilibrium constant for the EDA complexation of ST and CA in CCl₄ at 23°C is determined to be 0.142 ± 0.015 L/mol.