Analysis of degradation products by thermal volatilization analysis at subambient temperatures

In the subambient thermal volatilization analysis (TVA) technique, degradation products initially at ?196°C are allowed to warm up to ambient temperature in a controlled manner under vacuum conditions, and volatilization from the sample tube to a trap at ?196°C is monitored by means of a Pirani gauge. The technique is discussed in relation to earlier TVA work in which volatilization from a heated polymer sample was followed. Design and operation of a subambient TVA system are described, and examples of the application of the technique to the study of the degradation products of seven polymers are considered.     

Organic–inorganic nanocomposites prepared from fluoro-aramid and silica

Fluoro-aramid-based sol/gel-derived nanocomposites were synthesized by condensing a mixture of 4,4′-(hexafluoro-isopropylidene)dianiline and 1,3-phenylenediamine with terephthaloylchloride (TPC) in dimethylacetamide. TPC was added in slight excess to produce amide chains with carbonyl chloride end groups and then replaced with alkoxy groups using aminophenyltrimethoxysilane to develop bonding with the silica network. Mechanical, dynamic mechanical thermal, water absorption and morphological measurements were carried out on the thin hybrid films. Increase in the tensile strength and modulus was observed as compared to pristine polyamide. The thermal decomposition temperature was found in the range of 400–500 °C. The water absorption was found to be reduced with higher silica content. The glass transition temperature and the storage moduli increased with increasing silica concentration. The maximum increase in the T _g value (345 °C) was observed with 20 wt% silica. Scanning electron microscopy revealed the uniform distribution of silica in the matrix with an average particle size ranging from 8 to 50 nm.     

Thermal degradation of a series of polyester polyurethanes

A series of polyester polyurethanes with a range of polyester contents was prepared from an ethylene glycol/propylene glycol/adipic acid polyster, butane diol, and methylene bis (4-phenyl isocyanate) (MBPI). They were thermally degraded under vacuum and the products of degradation were identified. The urethane linkages decompose first as the temperature is increased and the stability increases with polyester content. Reaction mechanisms were proposed which account for the principal features of the reaction and the products of degradation.     

New resveratrol oligomers in the stem bark of Vatica pauciflora

Five new resveratrol oligomers; pauciflorols A-C (1-3), isovaticanols B (6) and C (8), and three new oligostilbene glucosides; pauciflorosides A (11), B (13), C (14), were isolated from the stem bark of Vatica pauciflora (Dipterocarpaceae) together with known 17 resveratrol oligomers (4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12 and 15-25) and bergenin (26). The structures of isolates were established on the basis of detailed spectroscopic analysis. The typical and characteristic spectral properties of some resveratrol oligomers were also discussed.     

Chemical fingerprint analysis and quantitative determination of steroidal compounds from Dioscorea villosa,Dioscorea species and dietary supplements using UHPLC‐ELSD

Ultra high‐performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) with evaporative light scattering detection was used for the quantification of steroidal saponins and diosgenin from the rhizomes or tubers of various Dioscorea species and dietary supplements that were purported to contain Dioscorea. The analysis was performed on an Acquity UPLC? system with an UPLC? BEH Shield RP₁₈ column using a gradient elution with water and acetonitrile. Owing to their low UV absorption, the steroidal saponins were observed by evaporative light scattering detection. The 12 compounds could be separated within 15 min using the developed UHPLC method with detection limits of 5–12 µg/mL with 2 μL injection volume. The analytical method was validated for linearity, repeatability, accuracy, limits of detection and limits of quantification. The relative standard deviations for intra‐ and inter‐day experiments were <3.1%, and the recovery efficiency was 97–101%. The total content of standard compounds was found to be in the ranges 0.01–14.5% and 0.9–28.6 mg daily intake for dry plant materials and solid commercial preparations, respectively. UHPLC–mass spectrometry with a quadrupole mass analyzer and ESI source was used only for confirmation of the identity of the various saponins. The developed method is simple, rapid and especially suitable for quality control analysis of commercial products. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthetic approaches toward stilbenes and their related structures

Compounds belonging to the stilbene family have gained remarkable significance in pharmaceutical as well as material chemistry. The current review covers the various synthetic approaches for the syntheses of stilbene scaffold and related structures over last 30 years. In addition, this review also highlights the role of stilbene intermediates used in the synthesis of important molecules with diverse applications in the field of pharmaceutics and material science.     

Detection of molecular weight changes in solid polymer samples without dissolution: A novel approach

Changes in the molecular weight of poly(methyl acrylate) (PMA) films as a result of crosslinking during photolysis in vacuo at 30°C have been followed by sorption of styrene dichloride, labelled with chlorine-36, from a solvent/non-solvent medium and radiochemical measurement of the absorbed solvent. The count rate falls sharply with extent of irradiation, showing a clear indication of the development of crosslinks in the film. Corresponding behaviour with several concentrations of benzoin as additive has also been examined: the sorption method gives a valuable insight into the effect of benzoin on the crosslinking process.Sorption has also been applied to films of a series of heterodisperse linear PMA samples, with interesting results. A clear molecular weight dependence of the amount of styrene dichloride absorbed in a fixed time has been observed.     

Low temperature magnetic properties of Cr0.25Co0.25Zn0.5Fe2O4 nano particles

Low temperature Mössbauer and AC susceptibility have been used to study relaxation phenomena in nano-sized particles of Cr_0.25Co_0.25Zn_0.5Fe₂O₄. From these studies, the energy density constant for this system has been estimated to be 4 x 10⁶ erg/cm³. Cation distribution has also been determined and the observed results are correlated to calculated relaxation times.