Polyacetylene and Polynorbornene Derivatives Carrying TEMPO. Synthesis and Properties as Organic Radical Battery Materials

Summary: 2,2,6,6‐Tetramethylpiperidine 1‐oxyl (TEMPO)‐containing N‐propargylamide HCCCH₂NHCO‐4‐TEMPO ( 1 ), propargyl ester HCCCH₂OCO‐4‐TEMPO ( 2 ), phenylacetylene derivative HCCC₆H₃‐3,4‐(CO₂‐4‐TEMPO)₂ ( 3 ), and norbornene diester monomers, NB‐2,3‐exo,exo‐(CH₂OCO‐4‐TEMPO)₂ ( 4 ), NB‐2,3‐endo,exo‐(COO‐4‐TEMPO)₂ ( 5a ), NB‐2,3‐endo,endo‐(COO‐4‐TEMPO)₂ ( 5b ) (NB = norbornene, TEMPO = 2,2,6,6‐tetramethyl‐1‐piperidinyloxyl) were synthesized and polymerized with rhodium and ruthenium catalysts. Monomers 2 , 5a , and 5b gave polymers with number‐average molecular weights of 47 000–185 000 in 59–100% yields, while 1 , 3 , and 4 gave polymers insoluble in common organic solvents in 88–100% yields. The capacities of cells fabricated with poly( 1 ), poly( 2 ), and poly( 3 ) were 67, 82, and 23 Ah · kg⁻¹ based on the weight, respectively. The capacity of poly( 5a )‐based cell reached the theoretical value (109 Ah · kg⁻¹) of the polymer.

Charge–discharge curves of poly( 5a ) at a current density of 0.13 mA · cm⁻² (100 mA · g⁻¹_{‐cathode active material}) in the voltage range of 2.5–4.2 V.     

Structure and Mechanical Properties of Chitosan/Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) Blend Films

Summary: The origins of the thermal and mechanical properties of chitosan and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) with inter- and intra-hydrogen bonds were investigated systematically by using X-ray, DSC, positron annihilation and viscoelastic measurements. Based on their individual properties, the characteristics of the blend films were estimated in relation to their morphology and mechanical properties as a function of chitosan content. The characteristics of the blend films were also analyzed in terms of the deviation from a simple additive rule of chitosan and PVA content. These results suggested that the miscibility of chitosan and PVA could be ensured by entanglement of the amorphous chain segments of chitosan and PVA. Further detailed analysis revealed that the chitosan content on the film surface is higher than that of the admixture content of chitosan after elongation, although the chitosan and PVA chains were crystallized independently. The elongation could be achieved for the blend films whose PVA content was higher than 50% and the drawn blend films were transparent. Thus, it may be expected that sufficiently entangled meshes formed between chitosan and PVA amorphous chains within the film, the PVA content being higher than 50%, were maintained under the elongation process.     

Growth of GaN single crystals with extremely low dislocation density by two-step dislocation reduction

We have discovered a mechanism which can significantly reduce the dislocation density during the growth of GaN single crystals in the Na flux method. The significant reduction of the dislocation density occurs in the later stage of LPE growth, rather than solely at the seed-LPE interface for which we have already reported evidence indicating the presence of bundling dislocations. The two-step dislocation reduction is the key in achieving extremely low dislocation density using this method.     

On singularities arising from the contraction op the minimal section of a ruled surface

We will discuss the Gorenstein property of the singularity which is blown down from the minimal section of a ruled surface in terms of the extension class. In the case that the base field has positive characteristic, we find a new example (3.4) of Gorenstein singularity in connection with Theorem B.     

Theoretical study of the inclusion properties of 1,2,4,5-tetra(morpholinocarbonyl)benzene

Molecular inclusion by the new amide host molecule (TMB) has been reconsidered by calculating the crystal stabilization energies for the guest molecules in the TMB + guest system from the simple intermolecular potential functions of Caillet and Claverie. Water, ethylene glycol, methanol, and ethanol have been employed as guest molecules and their relative stabilities have been considered. Water has been found to be the most suitable guest molecule in the TMB + guest system. It also has been found that the guest host interaction is the most important contributor in determining the relative stabilities of the guest molecules in the TMB + guest system, but the guest guest interaction is very important, too. Moreover, the electrostatic interaction has been found to be the most important contributor to the total interaction energy in the TMB + guest system.     

Controlled ring-opening polymerization of cyclic carbonates and lactones by an activated monomer mechanism

This article reviews recent topics in the controlled synthesis of polycarbonates and polylactones with small polydispersity indices by activated monomer cationic ring-opening polymerizations, especially with new initiator systems, such as alcohol/protonic acid and boron alkoxide/protonic acid. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 2190–2198, 2002     

Synthesis and chiral recognition properties of poly(N‐propargylamide) gels derived from ornithine and lysine

Copolymerization of ornithine‐ and lysine‐derived N‐propargylamides, N‐α‐tert‐butoxycarbonyl‐N‐δ‐fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl‐L ‐ornithine N′‐propargylamide ( 1 ), N‐α‐tert‐butoxycarbonyl‐N‐ε‐fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl‐L ‐lysine N′‐propargylamide ( 2 ), N‐α‐fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl‐N‐δ‐tert‐butoxycarbonyl‐L ‐ornithine N′‐propargylamide ( 3 ), and N‐α‐fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl‐N‐ε‐tert‐butoxycarbonyl‐L ‐lysine N′‐propargylamide (4) with dipropargyl adipate was carried out using (nbd)Rh⁺[η⁶‐C₆H₅B^?(C₆H₅)₃] as a catalyst in THF to obtain polymer gels in 80–93% yields. The gels adsorbed N‐benzyloxycarbonyl L ‐alanine, N‐benzyloxycarbonyl L ‐alanine methyl ester, and (S)‐(+)‐1‐phenyl‐1,2‐ethanediol preferably than the corresponding optical isomers. The order of chiral discrimination was poly( 1 ) > poly( 4 ) > poly( 2 ), poly( 3 ) gels. The fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl groups of the gels could be partly removed by piperidine treatment, leading to increase of adsorptivity but decrease of chiral recognition ability. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 4175–4182, 2008     

Asymmetric reduction of aromatic ketimines in the presence of helical polymer as catalyst

Novel optically active ethynyl monomers were synthesized from L ‐valine and N‐methyl‐L ‐valine, and polymerized with a rhodium catalyst to provide the polymers with number‐average molecular weights over 200,000 in good yields. The CD and UV‐vis spectra of the polymers indicated that they took helical structures with predominantly one‐handed screw sense in solution. The polymers served as catalysts of asymmetric reduction of aromatic ketimines to afford optically active amines in moderate yields. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 4971–4981, 2009