Effects of different composition ratio on the dielectric relaxation and dynamic mechanical properties of poly(ω‐dodecalactam‐co‐ε‐caprolactam‐co‐propylene oxide) copolymers

The molecular dynamics of new poly (ω‐dodecalactam‐co‐ε‐caprolactam‐co‐propylene oxide) copolymers (DL/CL/PAC) has been investigated by using dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) and dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS) measurements. The copolymers were synthesized via anionic polymerization of relevant lactams activated with carbamoyl derivatives of telechelic hydroxyl terminated polypropylene oxide with isophorone diisocyanate (PAC). The calorimetric, X‐ray diffraction, and DMTA measurements were performed to recognize the influence of the composition ratio and the type of PAC on the physical, thermal, and mechanical properties of the synthesized copolymers. The DRS was used to study the frequency dependence of the dielectric permittivity of some isotherms from ?110 to 145 °C. Copolymerization of ε‐caprolactam with about 10 wt % ω‐dodecalactam results in a copolymer that has lower water absorption, a melting point close to that of polyamide 6 and has a high enough degree of crystallinity in respect to high storage modulus. Five dielectric relaxations have been observed in the dielectric spectra, three at lower temperature and two at higher temperature. The copolymers have two glass transition temperatures for polyamide segments and polyether blocks, indicating microphase separation in the copolymers. Other studies directed toward molecular dynamics of polyamide DL/CL/PAC copolymers have not been reported. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2010     

Rate and equilibrium constants of transfer of the dimethylcarbamoyl group between substituted pyridines and their N-oxides

Transfer of the dimethylcarbamoyl group from N-acyloxypyridinium salts to pyridines and from N-acylpyridinium salts to pyridine N-oxides was studied in acetonitrile. Equations relating the reaction rates and equilibria in the N-O and O-N acyl transfer series to the basicity of the nucleophile and leaving group were obtained. The reactions all are one-stage and occur by the forced concerted SN2 mechanism. The intersecting state model was used to obtain a modified Marcus equation that accounts for the asymmetry of the transition state with respect to reagents and products and allows uncontradictory analysis of the reaction mechanism.Translated from Zhurnal Obshchei Khimii, Vol. 74, No. 10, 2004, pp. 1720–1727.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2004 by Rybachenko, Shreder, Gokhfeld, Chotii, Kovalenko, Lenska.This revised version was published online in April 2005 with a corrected cover date.     

Quantitative determination of noncovalently bound acridinium in protein conjugates by liquid chromatography/electrospray ion trap mass spectrometry

A sensitive and robust liquid chromatography/electrospray ion trap mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method has been developed for the quantitative determination of noncovalently bound acridinium free acid in protein-acridinium conjugates. The lower level of quantitation (LOQ) for acridinium free acid was determined to be 0.6 ng. The assay was validated with a linear concentration range of 0.6-60 ng. The method requires minimum sample handling and is specific, reproducible, and provides a new aspect for protein-acridinium conjugate characterization.     

Variational principle for the thermodynamics of irreversible processes

A general variational principle equivalent to the balance equations is considered. Conditions of variation are based on stochastic ideas. A connection between the varied expression and the entropy is derived for both the relativistic case and the nonrelativistic approximation.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 5, pp. 47–51, May, 1980.     

Estimation of slow diffusion rates in confined systems: CCl4 in zeolite NaA

Often the rate of passage of gaseous molecules through model zeolites is too small to be computed directly. An estimate for the rate of passage of CCl₄ through the 8-ring window in a model of zeolite A has been obtained by combining a direct evaluation of the free energy profile and an adaptation of the rare events method. First the free energy profile is found from a direct evaluation of the canonical partition function at high dilution and the transition state theory rate constant obtained. The dynamic correction factor is then estimated from molecular dynamics runs and used to compute the actual rate k_eff. The method is used to estimate the rate of passage through the 8-ring window in a rigid model of zeolite A, and the results are compared with those obtained from rigid models with expanded windows and from the flexible model. Even a small expansion in the 8-ring window diameter increases the rate significantly, but the changes associated with a flexible cage are small.