Synthesis of Main‐Chain Liquid‐Crystalline Polyesters Containing Diphenyl Mesogens by Chemo‐Enzymatic Route †

Main‐chain thermotropic liquid‐crystalline polyesters containing rigid biphenyl mesogens and flexible spacers were synthesized by chemo‐enzymatic route. The enzyme‐catalyzed polymerization showed high regio‐ and chemo‐ selectivity, and is environmentally friendly. The resulting polyesters were characterized with ¹H‐NMR, ¹³C‐NMR, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and polarized light optical microscopy (POM).     

Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization of MMA Initiated by 2‐(4‐chloromethyl‐phenyl)‐benzoxazole and Fluorescent Property of PMMA

Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of MMA was conducted using 2‐(4‐chloromethyl‐phenyl)‐benzoxazole as initiator, CuCl as catalyst, and PMDETA as ligand. The results show that the polymerization is a first order reaction with respect to monomer concentration. The polymerization displayed living character as evidenced by a liner increase of monomer weight with conversation and a relatively narrow distribution (Mn/Mw range from 1.30 to 1.45). The structure of PMMA was analyzed by ¹H‐NMR and proved the polymerization could be controlled to some degree. The optical property of the initiator was well preserved in the resulting PMMA, and the end‐functionalized PMMA exhibited fluorescent emission at 360 nm whether in DMF solution or in film state.     

Solvent effects on radical copolymerization of acrylonitrile and methyl acrylate: solvent polarity and solvent-monomer interaction

Abstract

New insights for the effects of organic solvent polarities and solvent-monomer interactions on the radical copolymerization for an important copolymer, poly(acrylonitrile-co-methyl acrylate) (PAN-co-MA), were provided in this research. Solvents, dimethylformamide (DMF), dimethylacetamide (DMAc) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), were used as reaction media. The polarity of these solvents was in the sequence of DMAc?<?DMF?<?DMSO. By studying the reactivity ratios of AN and MA, the triad fractions of the resultant copolymers, the interactions between monomers and solvents, and the compositions of copolymers at various conversions, we concluded that the solvent polarity had minimal influence on the copolymerization of AN and MA, while the solvent-monomer interactions played important roles. The interactions between monomer-monomer, monomer-solvent, and solvent-solvent, were calculated based on quantum chemistry methods. Both theoretical calculations and experimental results suggested that AN and MA in DMSO tended to aggregate locally, while they could be homogeneously dissolved in DMAc and DMF. The interactions between solvent and monomers could cause local monomer concentration variations, or ‘bootstrap’ effect, which is one of the critical factors affecting the copolymerization process of AN and MA and the chemical structures of the resultant polymers.     

Effect of the self-assembly of collagen on crystallisation of calcium carbonate in aqueous solution

In order to investigate how the self-assembly of organic matrix influences crystallisation and growth of inorganic minerals, we selected collagen as the matrix and conducted three experiments of crystallisation of CaCO₃ in different reaction systems: H₂O system, as-assembled collagen fibrils system and self-assembling of collagen system. It is found that (i) the self-assembly process of organic matrix had a remarkable effect on the morphology of inorganic minerals: CaCO₃ crystals formed in the as-assembled collagen fibrils system were global clusters and those formed in the self-assembling of collagen system appeared as interlaced networks and (ii) the organic matrix decided the polymorph of crystals: CaCO₃ crystals were calcite in the H₂O system and appeared vaterite in the collagen system. From this study, we can conclude that the self-assembly of collagen fibrils greatly affect the crystallisation and growth of CaCO₃. Such results are significant in understanding the mechanism of biomineralisation in calcified tissues in general, and useful in the synthesis of biominerals.

(a)?CaCO₃ formed in the as-assembled collagen fibrils system. (b)?CaCO₃ formed in the self-assembling of collagen monomer system.The TEM images of samples obtained in the as-assembled collagen fibrils and self-assembling of collagen monomer system, were observed, respectively. The result shows that crystals CaCO₃ formed in the as-assembled collagen fibrils system were global clusters; crystals CaCO₃ formed in the self-assembling of collagen monomer system appeared interlaced networks.     

Study on the structure and reactivity of COREX coal

COREX is the primary process in the current smelting reduction method. The process has strict coal quality standards. Combustion processes of coal used in the COREX operating system were analyzed using a synchronous thermogravimetric analyzer combined with a mass spectrometer. The microcosmic structure and macerals were observed by an electronic scanning microscope. The qualitative and quantitative determinations of oxygen functional groups, such as phenolic hydroxyl, carboxyl, carbonyl, and methoxy groups were detected by the Fourier Transform Infrared spectrometer (FT-IR) and through chemical analysis methods. In addition, the evolution of the chemical structure and transformation mechanism of organic oxygen functional groups during COREX coal combustion have been thoroughly investigated. This study proposes a new coal-requirement index system and coal blending method, which will increase the expansion of coal selection and decrease the overall usage of coal during COREX.     

Microcalorimetry study on the microbial activity of permafrost on the Tibetan plateau of China

Microcalorimetric techniques had been used to study the influence of different physicochemical parameters on microbial growth in different permafrosts on the Tibetan plateau. The total heat evolution of the permafrost samples amended with glucose, Q _T , the values of microbial growth rate constant, k, and the heat output power, P _t , were calculated from the power–time (P–t) curves. It is observed that the same coverage vegetation show similar P–t curves, which strongly suggest that the permafrost microorganisms of the homology vegetation coverage have similar structures of community. Furthermore, the vegetation degradation turns out to have significant influence, that is, the better the status of vegetation is, the higher the values of k, CFU and Q _T are.