Thermal decomposition of a generation 4.5 PAMAM dendrimer platinum drug conjugate

A nanoscale multivalent platinum drug based on a poly(amidoamine) [PAMAM] dendrimer (generation 4.5, carboxylate surface) has been synthesized and fully characterized using a variety of spectroscopic, chromatographic and thermal methods. Treatment of the dendrimer with an aqueous solution containing an excess diaquo(cis-1,2-diaminocyclohexane)platinum(II) produces a conjugate containing approximately forty (diaminocyclohexane)platinum(II) moieties at the surface of the dendrimer. This material undergoes smooth two-stage thermal decomposition to provide residual platinum oxide reflecting the platinum loading in the drug.     

Thermal properties of poly(styrene) containing brominated aryl phosphate additives

General purpose poly(styrene) is a large volume commodity polymer widely used in a range of applications. For many of these the presence of an additive to impart some flammability resistance is required. Most commonly, brominated aromatics are used for this purpose. As the polymer undergoes combustion these compounds decompose to generate bromine atoms and/or hydrogen bromide which escape to the gas phase and trap flame propagating radicals. While these species are effective in inhibiting flame propagation they present the opportunity for loss of halogen to the atmosphere. For this reason, the use of these compounds is being limited in some parts of the world. Phosphorus compounds, on the other had, impart a flame retarding influence by promoting char formation at the surface of the burning polymer. This prevents heat feedback to the polymer and consequent pyrolysis to generate fuel fragments. The combination of both bromine and phosphorus present in a single compound might generate a superior flame-retarding additive in that both modes of retardancy might be promoted simultaneously. Should this be the case smaller amounts of additive might be necessary to achieve a satisfactory level of flame retardancy. A series of such additives, brominated aryl phosphates, has been synthesized and fully characterized spectroscopically. Blends of these additives, at various levels, with poly(styrene) have been examined by DSC, TG and in the UL-94 flame test. The flammability of the polymer is dramatically diminished by the presence of the additive.     

Yeast cell microfiltration: Flux enhancement in baffled and pulsatile flow systems

The filtration performance of yeast cell harvesting was greatly improved by using an oscillatory flow mixing technique in both tubular and flat sheet membrane systems; flux increases of several fold were achieved. The effects of various operating parameters such as frequency, amplitude and ratio of net forward flow rate to oscillatory flow rate were investigated. A simple alternative to the dual head pump, which involved the use of solenoid valves for producing flow reversal, was developed. The flux was significantly increased using this new operating mode. As the only increase of power consumption was from inertia loss due to change of flow direction the additional power consumption is minimal.     

Raman spectroscopic and structural studies of indigo and its four 6,6'-dihalogeno analogues

The Raman and electron impact mass spectra of synthetic indigo and its four 6,6'-dihalogeno analogues are reported and discussed. The influence of varying the halogen on these Raman spectra is considered. Particular emphasis is laid on distinguishing indigo from 6,6'-dibromoindigo and differentiating between the dihalogenocompounds, so as to develop protocols for determining whether artefacts are coloured with dyes of marine or terrestrial origin and whether such artefacts are dyed with genuine "Tyrian Purple" or with dihalogenoindigo substitutes that do not contain bromine. The value of even low resolution electron impact mass spectrometry in a forensic context as a means of identifying authentic 6,6'-dibromoindigo and distinguishing it from its dihalogenoanalogues is emphasised     

Identification of Earth Pigments by Applying Hierarchical Cluster Analysis to Solid State Voltammetry. Application to Severely Damaged Frescoes

Multivariate chemometric methods are applied for identifying earth pigments from square‐wave voltammetric measurements performed at pigment‐modified paraffin‐impregnated graphite electrodes allowing for a separation between hematite‐based earths, French ochres, Spanish ochres, siennas, umbers and green earths. This methodology is applied to the identification of the pigments in samples from the ceiling frescoes of Antonio Palomino (dated 1707) in the vaulted nave of the Sant Joan del Mercat church in Valencia (Spain). These frescoes suffered considerable damage by fire during the Spanish Civil War in 1936, resulting in severe chemical and chromatic alterations. Electrochemical data, supported by scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X‐ray microanalysis and Raman spectroscopy, indicate that thermal stress induced the transformation of goethite‐based yellow ochres into hematite and magnetite.     

Straightforward synthesis of sphinganines via a serine-derived Weinreb amide

Sphinganines can be synthesized in just three steps from easily prepared serine-derived Weinreb amide 4. Pre-deprotonation of the acidic (N-H and O-H) protons of 4 allows for its efficient conversion to amino ketones 5. Such ketones can be selectively reduced to either erythro- or threo-sphinganines. Partially protected sphinganines 11 are also readily accessible in five steps from 4. Thus, Weinreb amide 4 represents one of the most versatile templates described to date for sphinganine synthesis.     

Thermal degradation of vinylidene chloride/[4-(t-butoxycarbonyloxy)phenyl]methyl acrylate copolymers

Vinylidene chloride polymers containing comonomer units capable of consuming evolved hydrogen chloride to expose good radical-scavenging sites might be expected to display greater thermal stability than similar polymers containing simple alkyl acrylates as comonomer. Incorporation of a comonomer containing the phenyl t-butyl carbonate moiety into a vinylidene chloride polymer has the potential to afford a polymer with pendant groups which might interact with hydrogen chloride to expose phenolic groups. Copolymers of vinylidene chloride with [4-(t-butoxycarbonyloxy)phenyl]methyl acrylate have been prepared, characterized, and subjected to thermal degradation. The degradation has been characterized by thermal and spectroscopic techniques. The degradation of vinylidene chloride/[4-(t-butoxycarbonyloxy)phenyl]methyl acrylate copolymers is much more facile than the same process for similar copolymers containing either [4-(isobutoxycarbonyloxy)phenyl]methyl acrylate or methyl acrylate, a simple alkyl acrylate, as comonomer. During copolymer degradation, [4-(t-butoxycarbonyloxy) phenylmethyl acrylate units are apparently converted to acrylic acid units by extensive fragmentation of the sidechain. Thus, the phenyl t-butyl carbonate moiety does function as a labile acid-sensitive pendant group but its decomposition in this instance leads to the generation of a phenoxybenzyl carboxylate capable of further fragmentation.     

The detection of drugs of abuse in fingerprints using Raman spectroscopy I: latent fingerprints

This paper describes the application of Raman spectroscopy to the detection of exogenous substances in latent fingerprints. The scenario considered was that of an individual handling a substance and subsequently depositing a contaminated fingerprint. Five drugs of abuse (codeine phosphate, cocaine hydrochloride, amphetamine sulphate, barbital and nitrazepam) and five non-controlled substances of similar appearance, which may be used in the adulteration of drugs of abuse (caffeine, aspirin, paracetamol, starch and talc), were studied in both sweat-rich and sebum-rich latent fingerprints. The substances studied could be clearly distinguished using their Raman spectra and were all successfully detected in latent fingerprints. Photobleaching was necessary to reduce the fluorescence background in the spectra of some substances. Raman spectra obtained from the substances in sweat-rich latent fingerprints were of a similar quality to spectra that obtained from the substances under normal sampling conditions. Interfering Raman bands arising from latent fingerprint material were present in the spectra obtained from the substances in sebum-rich fingerprints. These bands did not prevent identification of the substances and could be successfully removed by spectral subtraction. The most difficult aspect of the detection of these substances in latent fingerprints was visually locating the substance in the fingerprint in order to obtain a Raman spectrum.