Control over Nanostructures and Associated Mesomorphic Properties of Doped Self‐Assembled Triarylamine Liquid Crystals

We have synthesized a series of triarylamine‐cored molecules equipped with an adjacent amide moiety and dendritic peripheral tails in a variety of modes. We show by ¹H NMR and UV/Vis spectroscopy that their supramolecular self‐assembly can be promoted in solution upon light stimulation and radical initiation. In addition, we have probed their molecular arrangements and mesomorphic properties in the bulk by integrated studies on their film state by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), variable‐temperature polarizing optical microscopy (VT‐POM), variable‐temperature X‐ray diffraction (VT‐XRD), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Differences in the number and the disposition of the peripheral tails significantly affect their mesomorphic properties associated with their lamellar‐ or columnar‐packed nanostructures, which are based on segregated stacks of the triphenylamine cores and the lipophilic/lipophobic periphery. Such structural tuning is of interest for implementation of these soft self‐assemblies as electroactive materials from solution to mesophases.     

Studying the Electrically Driven Switching of the Planar Light Guide

Liquid crystalline materials can be used as an active media for the new generation of planar light guides. The main characteristics which governs light-guiding and switching abilities of such devices are the spatial distributions of the refraction indices (defined via the distribution of nematic director) for the liquid crystal confined within a light-guiding pore. We aim to obtain these distributions from the molecular dynamics simulation of the liquid crystalline cell with the homeotropic boundary conditions being applied. We discuss the reorientation kinetics of the homeotropic-planar transition and obtain the equilibrium director profile upon application of the planar reorienting field.     

基于波长调制-直接吸收光谱方法的CO分子1567 nm处谱线参数高精度标定

直接吸收光谱(DAS)可直接测量分子吸收率函数,并通过拟合吸收率函数确定待测气体参数.波长调制-直接吸收光谱(WM-DAS)在DAS基础上,结合了波长调制光谱(WMS)中谐波分析思想,利用傅里叶变换复现吸收率函数,可有效提高吸收率函数的测量精度.本文利用WM-DAS方法结合长光程气体吸收池,在室温低压条件下,对CO分子1567 nm处R5-R11近红外弱吸收谱线吸收率函数进行了精确复现,其拟合残差标准差低至3×10^-5,随后根据测得的吸收率函数对谱线的碰撞展宽、Dicke收敛以及速度依赖的碰撞展宽系数等光谱参数进行了高精度标定,并将其与高灵敏度的连续波腔衰荡光谱(CW-CRDS)测量结果进行了比较,实验结果表明该方法与CW-CRDS测量结果具有高度一致性,更具有系统简单、测量速度快、对环境要求低等优点.     

Reversibly light‐responsive biodegradable poly(carbonate) micelles constructed via CuAAC reaction

Light‐responsive poly(carbonate)s PEG₁₁₃‐b‐PMPC_n‐SP were synthesized via copper catalyzed azide‐alkyne cycloaddition reaction between azide‐modified spiropyran (SP‐N₃) and amphiphilic copolymer PEG₁₁₃‐b‐PMPC_n. PEG₁₁₃‐b‐PMPC₂₅‐SP can self‐assemble to biocompatible micelles with an average diameter of ～96 nm and a critical aggregation concentration of 0.0148 mg mL^?1. Under 365 nm UV light irradiation, the characteristic absorption intensity of merocyanine (MC) progressively increased and most of the micellar aggregations were disrupted within 10 min, suggesting the completion of the transformation of hydrophobic SP to hydrophilic MC. Subsequent exposuring the micelles to 620 nm visible light, spherical micelles aggregated again. The light‐controlled release and re‐encapsulation behaviors of coumarin 102‐loaded micelles were further investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy. This study provides a convenient way to construct smart poly(carbonate)s nanocarriers for controlled release and re‐encapsulation of hydrophobic drugs. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 750–760     

Simultaneous determination of cinnamaldehyde and its metabolite in rat tissues by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

Cinnamaldehyde (CA), an active ingredient isolated from the traditional Chinese medicine Cortex Cinnamomi, has a wide range of bioactivities. To clarify the distribution characteristics of CA, a selective and sensitive method utilizing gas chromatography–mass spetrometry was initially developed for simultaneously determining the concentration of CA and its metabolite cinnamyl alcohol in rat tissues. Selected ion masses of m/z 131, 105 and 92 were chosen, and separation of the analytes was performed on a DB‐5 ms (30 m × 0.25 mm, 0.25 µm, thickness) capillary column by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The calibration curves demonstrated good linearity and reproducibility over the range of 20–2000 and 20–4000 ng/mL for various tissue samples. Recoveries ranged from 86.8 to 107.5%, while intra‐ and interday relative standard deviations were all <11.3%. The analysis method was successfully applied in tissue distribution studies for CA and cinnamyl alcohol. As CA and cinnamyl alcohol may inter‐convert to one another, simultaneous determination of both analytes provides a comparative and accurate data for tissue study. The concentrations of CA and cinnamyl alcohol remaining in spleen were the highest among the main organs, including heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney and brain. In addition, there was no long‐term accumulation of CA in rat tissues. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Zinc polyoxometalate on activated carbon: an efficient catalyst for selective oxidation of alcohols with hydrogen peroxide

[PW₁₁ZnO₃₉]^5? was immobilized on activated carbon and characterized using Fourier transform infrared, X‐ray diffraction, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller and elemental analysis techniques. Effective oxidation of various alcohols with hydrogen peroxide was performed in the presence of this catalyst. Easy separation of the catalyst from the reaction mixture, cheapness, high activity and selectivity, stability as well as retained activity in subsequent catalytic cycles make this supported catalyst suitable for small‐scale synthesis. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mechanism of Insertion Reactions between Silylenoid H2SiLiF and GeH3R (R =F,OH, NH2): a Theoretical Study

Theoretical investigations on the insertion reaction mechanisms of three- membered-ring silylenoid H2 Si Li F with GeH 3R(R = F, OH, NH2) have been systematically carried out by combined density functional theory(DFT) and ab initio quantum chemical calculations. The geometries of all stationary points for these reactions were optimized using the B3 LYP method and then the QCISD method was used to calculate the single-point energies. The calculated results indicate that, there are one precursor complex(Q), one transition state(TS), and one intermediate(IM) which connect the reactants and the products along the potential energy surface. The insertion reactions of three-membered-ring silylenoid with Ge H3 R proceed in a concerted manner, forming H2RSi-Ge H3 and Li F. The calculated potential energy barriers of the three reactions are 29.17, 30.90, and 54.07 k J/mol, and the reaction energies for the three reactions are –127.05, –116.91, and –103.31 k J/mol, respectively. The insertion reactions in solvents are similar to those in vacuum. Under the same situation, the insertion reactions should occur easily in the following order: GeH 3-F GeH 3-OH GeH 3-NH2. The elucidations of the mechanism of these insertion reactions provided a new mode of silicon-germanium bond formation.     

Conventional vs. Microwave- or Mechanically-Assisted Synthesis of Dihomooxacalix[4]arene Phthalimides: NMR,X-ray and Photophysical Analysis §

Direct O-alkylation of p-tert-butyldihomooxacalix[4]arene (1) with N-(bromopropyl)- or N-(bromoethyl)phthalimides and K₂CO₃ in acetonitrile was conducted under conventional heating (reflux) and using microwave irradiation and ball milling methodologies. The reactions afforded mono- and mainly distal di-substituted derivatives in the cone conformation, in a total of eight compounds. They were isolated by column chromatography, and their conformations and the substitution patterns were established by NMR spectroscopy (¹H, ¹³C, COSY and NOESY experiments). The X-ray structures of four dihomooxacalix[4]arene phthalimide derivatives (2a, 3a, 3b and 5a) are reported, as well as their photophysical properties. The microwave (MW)-assisted alkylations drastically reduced the reaction times (from days to less than 45 min) and produced higher yields of both 1,3-di-substituted phthalimides (3a and 6a) with higher selectivity. Ball milling did not reveal to be a good method for this kind of reaction.