Thermal stability of the silica-aminopropylsilane-polyimide interface

Thermal degradation of the silica–aminopropylsilane–amic acid/imide interface was studied by modifying a high-surface-area, neutral silica gel with a number of substituted aminopropylsilanes (APS). These substrates were reacted further with phthalic anhydride or aromatic amic acid monomers and the thermal decomposition of the adsorbed/reacted materials was monitored by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and infrared (IR) spectroscopy. The 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane/poly[N,N′-(p,p′-oxydiphenylene)pyromellitimide] interface was also evaluated by this method. Comparison clearly distinguishes the thermal decomposition of surface-bound APS from surface-bound alkylphthalimides, the adhesion product of alkylamines and aromatic amic acids. Alkylamine imidization with the elimination of aromatic amine (analogous to polymer scission) and the decomposition of the surface-bound imide are shown in the amic acid TGA profiles. This imidization and the accompanying aniline elimination begin at about 130°C, under nitrogen, to form the surface alkyl imide which slowly decomposes at 400°C. TGA analysis indicates that the surface-bound imide undergoes minimal degradation under nitrogen at 370 ± 10°C; temperatures above this threshold range produce changes in the APS–imide interface.     

Spectrophotometric and direct-reading methods for the analysis of gas phase peroxyacetic acid

A new method for the determination of peroxyacetic acid (PAA) in gas phase samples is described. It is based on the oxidation of ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline)-6-sulfonate) by PAA with formation of a radical cation which is characterized by four strong absorption maxima between 405 nm and 810 nm. These allow for sensitive spectrophotometric determination of the peracid. The selectivity of the method towards hydrogen peroxide is strongly dependent on the sampling method used. Impinger sampling and sampling based on the use of coated solid sorbents (test tubes) was performed. Limits of detection are 10(-8) mol, limits of quantification are 5 x 10(-8) mol, the linear range consists of 1.5 concentration decades in both cases. Using ABTS-coated test tubes above 1 x 10(-7) mol, direct reading of the results is possible and may be used as rapid screening method for the PAA concentration.     

Total cross sections for electron scattering by polyatomic molecules at 10–1000 eV: C2H2, C2H4, C2H6, C3H6, C3H8 and C4H8

A model complex optical potential (composed of static, exchange, polarization and absorption terms) is employed to calculate the total (elastic and inelastic) electron-atom scattering cross sections from the corresponding atomic wave function at the Hartree-Fock level. The total cross sections (TCS) for electron scattering by their corresponding molecules (C₂H₂, C₂H₄, C₂H₆, C₃H₆, C₃H₈ and C₄H₈) are firstly obtained by the use of the additivity rule over an incident energy range of 10–1000 eV. The qualitative molecular results are compared with experimental data and other calculations wherever available, good agreement is obtained in intermediate-and high-energy region.     

Experimental evidence for multiple oxidation pathways in the (salen) Mn-catalyzed epoxidation of alkenes

The substrate electronic effects on the selectivity in the catalytic epoxidation of para-substituted cis stilbenes 2a-i were investigated by using (R,R)-[N,N'-bis(3,5-di-tBu-salicylidene)-1,2-cyclohexanediamine]manganese(III) chloride 1 in benzene as the catalyst with iodosobenzene as the terminal oxidant. A Hammett study of the selectivity results reveals a stronger electrophilic character than previously assumed in the (salen)Mn-catalyzed reaction. In general, the best correlations with the experimental values were obtained by using the Hammett sigma + values, which gave rho = -1.37 for the rate of cis-epoxide formation and rho = -0.43 for the rate of the stepwise process leading to the corresponding trans product. The reaction involves two separate pathways as indicated also by the competitive breakdown of the intermediate on the path to trans epoxide for methoxy-substituted substrates. The asynchronicity in the concerted pathway leading to cis epoxide is apparent for 4-methoxy-4'-nitrostilbene, which yields cis epoxide with 75% ee entirely as a result of electronic effects.     

On the Problem of Initial Conditions for Inflation

I review the present status of the problem of initial conditions for inflation and describe several ways to solve this problem for many popular inflationary models, including the recent generation of the models with plateau potentials favored by cosmological observations.