Studies in Cyclocopolymerization. X. Cyclocopolymerization of Tetrahydronaphthoquinone and Dimethyl Tetrahydronaphthoquinone with Divinyl Ether

Abstract

Tetrahydronaphthoquinone (THNQ) and dimethyl tetrahydronaphthoquinone (DMTHNQ) were found by UV spectroscopy to form donor-acceptor complexes with divinyl ether (DVE), the latter being the electron donor. Since the participation of such complexed species has been considered in the cyclocopolymerization of a 1,4-diene with a monoolefin such as DVE-maleic anhydride (MA) and DVE-fumaronitrile (FN) systems, radical copolymerization of THNQ and DMTHNQ with DVE was studied. It was found that these copolymers have constant 1:1 composition regardless of the feed composition. The terpolymerization of DVE-THNQ-DMTHNQ confirmed the 1:1 donor-acceptor composition in the polymer. The integration of the NMR spectrum was used in determining the copolymer composition. The spectroscopic data suggest a cyclized repeating unit in which the copolymer main chain consists of only DVE units. There is a marked difference between these copolymers and the typical cyclo-copolymers, such as DVE-MA and DVE-FN, in which the copolymer main chains consist of DVE and the comonomer alternately, with the overall composition being 1:2. These results are interpreted in terms of the steric effect by the bulky acceptor monomers and the electronic interaction between the comonomers. The competition between an acceptor monomer and the charge-transfer (CT) complex toward the cyclized DVE radical in the propagation step appears to favor the CT complex.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Water-Soluble Starch-Acrylamide Graft Copolymers

A series of water-soluble starch-polyacrylamide graft copolymers (ST-g-PAM) were prepared by Ce⁴⁺-initiated graft copolym-erizations of acrylamide (AM) onto starch (ST) dissolved in water at 30°C. The copolymers were found to contain 3-33% (wt) of ST. The structure of the copolymers, including the average number of grafts per chain and the efficiency of the initiator, was determined by acid-catalyzed degradation of the ST followed by size exclusion chromatography (SEC) analysis of the PAM chains and was found to be consistent with the presence or absence of free ST in the polymerization product prior to hydrolysis. The average number of grafts per starch molecule was found to be three or less, depending on conditions. The initiator efficiency (6–43%) was shown to decrease with increasing [Ce⁴⁺] and decreasing [AM], and this was found to be qualitatively in accord with the proposed mechanism of initiation and polymerization. The low efficiency was shown to be due, in part, to the low rate of reaction of Ce⁴⁺ compared to the polymerization rate. The copolymers were characterized by ultra-centrifugation, SEC, and viscometry.     

The Fundamental Basis for Cyclopolymerization. VII. A Cyclopolymerization Study of Certain Allylcycloalkenes

The cyclopolymerization characteristics of 3-allylcyclopentene, 3 allylcyclopentene, 3-allylcyclohexene, and 4-allylohexene were studied and the extent of their cyclopolymerization by cationic initiation were compared with previously reported solvolysis results involving the same intermediate carbonium ion. The results of this study were also compared with previously reported results on 4-vinylcyclohexene and 1, 4-dimethylenecyclohexane. The allylcycloalkenes were also polymerized by metal alkyl coordination catalysts and the extent of cyclization in each case was determined. The polymers derived from these monomers invariably contained polymeric fractions (27 to 99%) which were soluble in non-polar organic solvents. Calculations based on NMR spectral data indicated the cationic polymers were 68 to 95% cyclized. The extent of cyclization was found to parallel the interolefinic separation in the monomer. Coordination polymerization yielded somewhat lower ratios of cyclizations (54 to 80%) in all cases except for 4-allylcyclohexene. 4-Allylcyclohexene gave only 5 to 54% cyclization, 4-Vinylcyclohexene, 3-allylcyclopentene, and 3-allylcyclohexene produced soluble copolymers with maleic anhydride. Elemental analysis indicated the composition of these copolymers to be 2:1 molar in maleic anhydride and diene units. A cyclic copolymerization mechanism suggested the formation of a multicyclic repeating unit. The other monomers gave crosslinked polymers since maleic anhydride could not be incorporated into a six-membered ring.     

Oligomeric phthalonitriles and tetrakis(phenylethynyl)benzene blends with improved processing and thermal properties

Blended resins were prepared from the resorcinol-based PEEK-like oligomeric phthalonitrile resin (RES) and tetrakis(phenylethynyl)benzene (TPEB), a high char yield arylacetylene resin. Initial probing of curing properties using differential scanning calorimetry, indicated that TPEB and RES co-cure when heated. Characterization of thermal properties using thermogravimetric analysis indicated that a 1:1 TPEB-RES blend (by weight) exhibited a char yield of 80% which was 6% larger compared to pure RES (74%). According to FTIR characterization, the enhanced thermal properties of TPEB-RES were the result of increased crosslinking density. Rheological studies of TPEB, RES, and TPEB-RES blends indicated that blended systems exhibit similar processing characteristics as RES resin. For example, resins display ideal viscosities and relatively large processing windows when cured at 175 °C. Alternatively, pure TPEB resin exhibits low viscosities when melted, which are not suitable for preparing composite materials. This study indicates that preparing TPEB-RES blends is an effect strategy for improving thermal performance of potential RES composites while still maintaining the required processability for fabrication of dense polymer composites. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2018 , 56, 2630–2640     

Rack-mounted chemistry IV: the thermal rearrangement of 7-oxabenzonorbornadienes into benzo[b]oxepines on and off the polycyclic rack

The thermal rearrangement of [3]polynorbornane bis-imide rack-mounted 7-oxabenzonorbornadienes has been conducted using flash vacuum pyrolysis (FVP) at 520 °C and is compared with the FVP of similar 7-oxabenzonorbornadienes off the rack. The isomerisation is considered to involve (a) C–O bond cleavage to a vinylogous 1,5-dipole, (b) formation of a benzene epoxide by nucleophilic ring-closure and (c) valence-isomerisation of the benzene epoxide to the oxepine. Competing fragmentation to the isobenzofuran by ejection of acetylene and other rearrangements become prominent pathways off the rack, whereas isomerisation to the oxepine is highly favored on the rack.     

The synthesis,structural characterization and biological evaluation of N‐(ferrocenylmethyl amino acid) fluorinated benzene‐carboxamide derivatives as potential anticancer agents

A series of N‐(ferrocenylmethyl amino acid) fluorinated benzene‐carboxamide derivatives 4b , 4c , 4d , 4e , 4f , 4g , 4h , 4i and 5b , 5c , 5d , 5e , 5f , 5g , 5h , 5i have been synthesized by coupling ferrocenylmethyl amine 3 with various substituted N‐(fluorobenzoyl) amino acid derivatives using the standard N‐(3‐dimethylaminopropyl)‐N′‐ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride, 1‐hydroxybenzotriazole protocol. The amino acids employed in this study were glycine and L‐alanine. All of the compounds were fully characterized using a combination of ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, ¹⁹F NMR, distortionless enhancement by polarization transfer (DEPT)‐135, ¹H–¹H correlation spectroscopy (COSY) and ¹H–¹³C COSY (heteronuclear multiple‐quantum correlation) spectroscopy. The compounds were biologically evaluated on the oestrogen‐positive MCF‐7 breast cancer cell line. Compounds 4g , 4i , 5h and 5i exhibited cytotoxic effects on the MCF‐7 breast cancer cell line. N‐(Ferrocenylmethyl‐L‐alanine)‐3,4,5‐trifluorobenzene‐carboxamide ( 5h ) was the most active compound, with an IC₅₀ value of 2.84 μm . Compounds 4i , 5h and 5i had lower IC₅₀ values than that found for the clinically employed anticancer drug cisplatin (IC₅₀ = 16.3 μm against MCF‐7). Guanine oxidation studies confirmed that 5h was capable of generating oxidative damage via a reactive oxygen species‐mediated mechanism. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Importance Sampling for p-value Computations in Multivariate Tests

Abstract

An importance sampling procedure is developed to approximate the distribution of an arbitrary function of the eigenvalues for a matrix beta random matrix or a Wishart random matrix. The procedure is easily implemented and provides confidence intervals for the p-values of many of the commonly used test statistics in multivariate analysis. An adaptive procedure allows for the control of either absolute error or relative error in this p-value estimation through the choice of importance sample size.     

Atomic Absorption Calibration Curves Using a Sophisticated Desk Calculation System

With the advance of atomic absorption spectroscopy and the degree of automation obtained in instruments today, the preparation of calibration curves and the ensuing calculations are, apart from the sample preparation in certain cases, the most time consuming part of an atomic absorption analysis. It is usually at this stage that errors are introduced, either as a result of miscalculation or of the operator's personal bias. Both these factors can be overcome by using a programmable desk calculating system, and would be of special importance to laboratories where routine analyses are conducted. It is also of use in cases where elements are only determined periodically.     

Copper activation of boronic acids: factors affecting reactivity

The generation of nucleophiles from the combination of aryl boronic acids and catalytic amounts of copper salt allows a reactivity distinct from other organometallic species, such as organolithiums or Grignard reagents. Here we examine how the electronic and steric properties of the boronic acid affect the formation of active nucleophiles and their subsequent reactivity with iminium‐type compounds, showing that electron‐rich substrates display reduced reactivity. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.