Stimuli-responsive hydrogel hollow capsules by material efficient and robust cross-linking-precipitation synthesis revisited

Monodisperse stimuli-responsive hydrogel capsules were synthesized in the 100-nm-diameter to 10-μm-diameter range from poly(4-vinylpyridine) (P4VP) and poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) through a simple, efficient two-step cross-linking-precipitation template method under conditions of a good solvent. In this method, the core-shell particles were obtained by the deposition (heterocoagulation mechanism) of the cross-linked P4VP, PEI, or their mixtures on the surfaces of the template colloidal silica particles in nitromethane (for PEI) or a nitromethane-acetone mixture (for P4VP and P4VP-PEI mixtures) in the presence of cross-linker 1,4-diiodobutane. The cross-linked polymeric shell swollen in a good solvent stabilized the core-shell colloids. This mechanism provided the conditions for the synthesis of core-shell colloids in a submicrometer range of dimensions with an easily adjusted shell thickness (wall of the capsules) ranging from a few to hundreds of nanometers. The chemical composition of the shell was tuned by varying the ratio of co-cross-linked shell-forming polymers (P4VP and PEI). In the second step, the hollow capsules were obtained by etching the silica core in HF solutions. In this step, the colloidal stability of the hollow capsules was provided by ionized P4VP and PEI cross-linked shells. The hollow capsules demonstrate that the pH- and ionic-strength-triggered swelling and shrinking result in size-selective uptake and release properties. Cross-linked via quaternized functional groups, P4VP capsules undergo swelling and shrinking transitions at a physiologically relevant pH of around 6. The 200-nm-diameter hollow capsule with 25-nm-thick walls demonstrated a factor of 2 greater capacity to accommodate cargo molecules than the core-shell particles of the same dimensions because of an internal compartment and a combination of radial and a circumferential swelling modes in the capsules.     

On connected domination in unit ball graphs

Given a simple undirected graph, the minimum connected dominating set problem is to find a minimum cardinality subset of vertices D inducing a connected subgraph such that each vertex outside D has at least one neighbor in D. Approximations of minimum connected dominating sets are often used to represent a virtual routing backbone in wireless networks. This paper first proposes a constant-ratio approximation algorithm for the minimum connected dominating set problem in unit ball graphs and then introduces and studies the edge-weighted bottleneck connected dominating set problem, which seeks a minimum edge weight in the graph such that the corresponding bottleneck subgraph has a connected dominating set of size k. In wireless network applications this problem can be used to determine an optimal transmission range for a network with a predefined size of the virtual backbone. We show that the problem is hard to approximate within a factor better than 2 in graphs whose edge weights satisfy the triangle inequality and provide a 3-approximation algorithm for such graphs. We also show that for fixed k the problem is polynomially solvable in unit disk and unit ball graphs.     

Complexation of thiacalix[4]arene methylphosphonic and sulphonic acids with amino acids

In this paper, host–guest complexation process of thiacalix[4]arene tetrakis–methylphosphonic and tetrakis–sulphonic acids with amino acids by HPLC and molecular modelling methods has been studied. It was shown that thiacalix[4]arene tetrakis–methylphosphonic acid due to transformability of macrocyclic skeleton and flexibility of methylphosphonic substituents can adopt its conformation for strong multicentre binding of the amino acids with association constant values 530–10,140 M^? 1 in water.     

Dibutylphosphinoylmethyloxythiacalix[4]arenes. Synthesis,structure, americium,europium and technetium extraction

A series of thiacalix[4]arenes bearing one, two or four chelating dibutylphopshinoylmethoxy groups have been synthesised and studied in the context of this paper. The synthesis consisted of precise Williamson alkylation of thiacalixarene tetrols with tosylate of dibutylhydroxymethyl phosphine oxide in the presence of alkali metal carbonates or sodium hydride. Stereochemical yield of the reaction (cone or 1,3-alternate conformer) depends on the nature of alkali metal. Small-sized ‘hard’ sodium cation organises the macrocyclic platform in the cone conformation, but larger and ‘soft’ potassium and cesium cations stabilise the macrocycle in the 1,3-alternate conformation. All synthesised compounds (except monophosphine monoxide) possess either moderate or high extraction ability towards pertechnetate ion. The cone-shaped thiacalix[4]arene tetraphosphine tetraoxide due to cooperative (macrocyclic) effect of eight oxygen atoms of the phosphinoylmetoxy-binding groups effectively extract spherical americium, europium cations due to cooperative (macrocyclic) effect of eight oxygen atoms of the phosphinoylmetoxy-binding groups. The extraction ability is very similar to that of calix[5]arene pentaphosphine pentaoxide existing in the cone conformation.     

Thin film nonstoichiometric chromium oxide-based cathode material for rechargeable and primary lithium batteries

The application of nonstoichiometric chromium oxide-based thin film cathodes in lithium rechargeable and primary batteries operating at high rates has been demonstrated. Films of varying composition have been obtained by anionic Cr (VI) species electrodeposition on a 1X18N10Т grade stainless steel cathode from fluoride-containing electrolytes. The effect of film doping by Li⁺ ions during its electrosynthesis has been сonsidered. As-prepared films were studied by scanning and transmission electron microscopies, 3D optical profiler, thermogravimetric analysis, chemical analysis, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The main phase components of the electrodeposited films regardless of Li⁺ in an electrolyte are Cr₂O₃, α-CrOOH, β-CrOOH, and metallic chromium as shown by XRD pattern refinement. The electrochemical reduction rate in a non-aqueous electrolyte (1 M LiClO₄ in PC/DME) correlates with the chromium oxide-hydroxide component content of film. Primary CrO _x -Li CR2325 mock-up cathode coating can be discharged in a pulsed mode at 10 Ω external resistance with 80–84 mA cm^?2 current densities for 10–100 ms. Thin film cathodes electrodeposited in the presence of lithium ions become rechargeable when the lithium content of the film reaches 0.02 wt.%. Mock-ups of CR2325 coin battery with a thin film cathode doped with lithium ions can be discharged more than 40 times with 136 mAh g^?1 specific capacity, 461 Wh kg^?1 specific energy and 154 W kg^?1 power density at 30 kΩ external resistance. The simplicity of thin film preparation makes this technology promising for thin film lithium batteries.     

Stimuli‐Responsive Biointerface Based on Polymer Brushes for Glucose Detection

The construction and characterization of a biosensor based on polymer brushes is reported. The use of polymer brushes combined with nanoparticles was applied to show its suitability as a biosensor platform – with glucose oxidase as an enzyme probe. The biosensor demonstrated a pH‐sensitive on‐off property, and it was further used to control or modulate the electrochemical responses. In terms of the kinetic behavior, we were able to show the changing in the kinetic parameters of glucose oxidase operating in “on” and “off” state of the polymer brushes. The performance of the bioelectrode was investigated by chronoamperometry, impedance electrochemistry and cyclic voltammetric techniques. At optimized experimental conditions the dynamic concentration range was 2.0 to 16.0 mmol L^?1 with a detection limit of 5.6×10–⁶ mol L^?1. The repeatability of current responses for injections of 5.0 mmol L^?1 glucose was evaluated to be 5.3 % (n=10). The resulting biosensor seemed to provide the enzymes with a biocompatible nanoenvironment as it sustained the enhanced enzyme activity for an extended time and promoted possible good electron transfer through the polymer brushes to the electrode.     

Energy and energy gradient matrix elements with N-particle explicitly correlated complex Gaussian basis functions with L=1

In this work we consider explicitly correlated complex Gaussian basis functions for expanding the wave function of an N-particle system with the L=1 total orbital angular momentum. We derive analytical expressions for various matrix elements with these basis functions including the overlap, kinetic energy, and potential energy (Coulomb interaction) matrix elements, as well as matrix elements of other quantities. The derivatives of the overlap, kinetic, and potential energy integrals with respect to the Gaussian exponential parameters are also derived and used to calculate the energy gradient. All the derivations are performed using the formalism of the matrix differential calculus that facilitates a way of expressing the integrals in an elegant matrix form, which is convenient for the theoretical analysis and the computer implementation. The new method is tested in calculations of two systems: the lowest P state of the beryllium atom and the bound P state of the positronium molecule (with the negative parity). Both calculations yielded new, lowest-to-date, variational upper bounds, while the number of basis functions used was significantly smaller than in previous studies. It was possible to accomplish this due to the use of the analytic energy gradient in the minimization of the variational energy.     

Spectroscopic and Electrochemical Evaluation of Salt Effects on Electron‐Transfer Equilibria between Donor/Acceptor and Ion‐Radical Pairs in Organic Solvents

Addition of “inert” tetrabutylammonium hexafluorophosphate (Bu₄NPF₆) to a solution of TMDO/DDQ in dichloromethane (where TMDO= 2,2,6,6‐tetramethylbenzo[1,2‐d;4,5‐d]bis[1,3]‐dioxole, donor, and DDQ= diclorodicyano‐p‐benzoquinone, acceptor) is accompanied by drastic changes in the electronic spectrum, which are related to the appearance of the DDQ ^{? .} and TMDO ^+. ion radicals and a decrease in the concentration of the neutral molecules and the charge‐transfer complex [ TMDO,DDQ ]. These changes point to a considerable rise (of about three orders of magnitude) in the apparent electron‐transfer equilibrium constant (K_ET) for this donor/acceptor pair upon increasing the electrolyte concentration from 0 to 0.5 M . Accordingly, the ion‐radical fractions and K_ET values are higher in dichloromethane, at high electrolyte concentrations, than in acetonitrile (where the effect of Bu₄NPF₆ is less pronounced). Similar trends of the apparent equilibrium constants are observed for the tetramethyl‐p‐phenylenediamine/tetracyanoethylene pair. Electron‐transfer equilibrium constants for both donor/acceptor dyads obtained from spectral measurements are related to those derived from the redox potentials of the reactants. The effects of media variations on the electron‐transfer equilibria are discussed within the ion‐pairing and ionic‐activity frameworks.     

Azabrendanes V. Synthesis and reactions of stereoisomeric exo- and endo-5-aminomethylbicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene-based ureas

A number of stereoisomeric ureas (N-[aryl(benzyl, or cycloalkyl)carbamoyl]-exo(endo)-5-aminomethylbicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-enes) have been synthesized from bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-en-exo(endo)-5-carbonitrile by reduction with lithium aluminum hydride and subsequent reaction of the resulting amines with aryl (benzyl, or cycloalkyl) isocyanates. Regioselective alkylation of stereoisomeric ureas has been performed with benzyl chloride under liquid/solid phase-transfer catalysis. The outcome of the reactions of ureas with peroxy acids is dependent upon the orientation of substituents in the bicyclic fragment. Exo-isomeric ureas are transformed into corresponding epoxy-derivatives, while reactions of the endo-isomers are accompanied by intramolecular cyclization, resulting in the formation of azatricyclononane derivatives. Quantum-chemical calculations have established a decisive role for additional hydrogen bonding in the stabilization of transition states in these heterocyclization reactions of ureas. The structures and stereochemical homogeneity of the products have been confirmed by the analysis of ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra and correlation spectroscopy. The mechanism of the intramolecular heterocyclization reaction of ureas and carboxamide of endo-5-aminomethyl-exo-2,3-epoxybicyclo[2.2.1]heptane series has been studied at the BHandHLYP/6-31G(d) level of theory.