Hydrogen-bonded liquid crystals built from hydrogen-bonding donors and acceptors. Infrared study on the stability of the hydrogen bond between carboxylic acid and pyridyl moieties

Abstract

The stability of a hydrogen-bonded complex built through inter-molecular hydrogen bonding between carboxylic acid and pyridine fragments has been examined using infrared spectroscopy. Infrared spectra as a function of temperature have been recorded for the 1:1 complex of 4-hexyloxybenzoic acid and trans-4-propoxy-4′-stilbazole from the crystalline state to the isotropic state. A dependence of the stability of the hydrogen bond on molecular orientation is observed clearly in the infrared spectra. The spectra also suggest that the hydrogen bond is an unionized type with a double minimum potential energy.     

Photochromic chiral liquid crystalline systems containing spiro-oxazine with a chiral substituent I. Synthesis and characterization of compounds

Photochromic acrylates containing both biphenylene and spiro-oxazine moieties with a chiral substituent and the related polymers were prepared and yielded photochromic chiral liquid crystalline systems. The photochromic acrylates containing both an undecamethylene group and a (2S, 3S)-2-chloro-3-methylpentanoyloxy group (A11SOP) or a (-)-menthoxyacetoxy group (A11SOM) gave a supercooled mesophase; the latter reflected right-handed visible light (blue colour) at room temperature. On the other hand, the photochromic acrylate containing both the (R)-(-)-2-methylpropylene and (2S, 3S)-2-chloro-3-methylpentanoyloxy groups (A3SOP) showed no mesophase. The related homopolymers, PA11SOP and PA11SOM, did not exhibit mesophases because of steric hindrance between the side groups of the polymers. However, only PA11SOM exhibited shear-induced birefringence under 100-104°C. Several copolymers consisting of the nematogenic monomer, 4-[4-(6-acryloyloxyhexyloxy)benzoyloxy]benzonitrile (A6CN), and A11SOP or A11SOM possessed a smectic phase due to reduction of the steric hindrance between the potentially smectogenic A11SOP or A11SOM moieties.     

Stereochemistry in cationic polymerization of alkenyl ethers. V. Stereochemistry of acetal additions as model reactions for the polymerization of alkenyl ethers

Acetal additions to β-substituted vinyl ethers having a variety of substituents (alkenyl ethers) were stereochemically investigated as model reactions for their cationic polymerization. The reactions catalyzed by BF₃O(C₂H₅)₂ in CH₂Cl₂ at O°C gave 1:1 adducts, the steric structure of which was determined by means of ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy. trans-Alkenyl ethers always gave adducts with a single structure stereospecifically, indicating that the intermediate carbocation attacks a trans-alkenyl ether from a definite direction independent of the bulkiness of substituents. On the other hand, cis-alkenyl ethers formed adducts with two steric structures, and the direction of cation addition was found to depend on the bulkiness of the alkoxy group involved. The above trends were in agreement with the results for poly(alkenyl ether)s and allowed detailed discussion of the stereochemistry of the propagation processes in alkenyl ether polymerizations.     

Synthesis of polystyenes with different stereoregularities by anionic polymerization

The stereoregularity of polystyrene prepared by anionic polymerization was determined by means of ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy. The stereoregularity changed with such polymerization conditions as catalyst, solvent, and temperature. Sodium naphthalene as catalyst gave a syndiotactic-rich polystyrene of 66–68% syndiotactic dyads independently of solvent and temperature, while potassium and cesium naphthalenes as catalyst produced polystyrenes with different stereoregularities ranging from syndiotactic-rich to isotactic-rich configurations, depending on solvent and temperature. The mechanism of anionic polymerization which caused the difference in stereoregularity was discussed from the viewpoint of growing ionic species.     

Cationic ring-opening polymerization of 1,4-anhydro-2,3-di-O-benzyl-α-L-arabinopyranose and synthesis of L-arabinofuranan

1,4-Anhydro-2,3-di-O-benzyl-α-L -arabinopyranose (=1,5-anhydro-2,3-di-O-benzyl-β-L -arabinofuranose) (ABAP) was synthesized and underwent cationic ring-opening polymerization with several kinds of Lewis acids. All the polylmers prepared by Lewis acids as catalyst were found to consist of two different structural units, α-furanosidic and β-furanosidic units, and the structure of the polymers greatly depended on the polymerization conditions. Polymerization of ABAP with antimony pentachloride catalyst at 0°C for 42 h gave a polymer with the highest α content of 93%, and that at ?20°C for 3 h gave a polymer with the lowest (25%) α content. The other catalysts such as phosphorus pentafluoride, boron trifluoride etherate, niobium pentafluoride, and tantalum pentafluoride also afforded polymers with mixed structure of α-and β-furanosides. After debenzylation of poly(ABAP), a new polysaccharide, L -arabinofuranan was obtained.     

Influence of the Coordination of Donor Solvent Molecules to 1,4,7,10-Tetramethyl-1,4,7,10- tetraazacyclododecanenickel(II) and Analogous Nickel(II) Complexes on Their Steric Factors

Coordination equilibrium constants (K _NiS) of some donor solvent molecules to 1,4,7,10-tetramethyl-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecanenickel(II) ([Ni(Me₄[12]aneN₄)]²⁺) were determined in nitrobenzene (a noncoordinating bulk solvent). The first (K _NiS1) and second stepwise coordination equilibrium constants (K _NiS2) for 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecanenickel(II) ([Ni([12]aneN₄)]²⁺), 1,4,8,11-tetraazac yclotetradecane- nickel(II) ([Ni([14] aneN₄)]²⁺), 1,4,8,11-tetrathiacyclotetra-decanenickel(II) ([Ni([14]aneS₄)]²⁺) were also reinvestigated. The K _NiS values for [Ni(Me₄[12]aneN₄)]²⁺ were compared to those of [Ni([12]aneN₄)]²⁺, (1R,4S, 8R,11S)-1,4,8,11-tetramethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecanenickel(II) (R,S,R,S-[Ni(Me₄[14]aneN₄)]²⁺), R,R,S,S-[Ni(Me₄[14]aneN₄)]²⁺, [Ni([14]aneN₄)]²⁺, and [Ni([14]aneS₄)]²⁺. Coordination of pyridine (Py), N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylurea (TMU), and N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA) to [Ni(Me₄[12]aneN₄)]²⁺ was observed, although these donor solvent molecules did not coordinate to R,S,R,S-[Ni(Me₄[14]aneN₄)]²⁺. The K _NiS values for Py, TMU, and DMA are 7.9, 2.8, and 9.0 dm³⋅mol⁻¹, respectively. Some hydrogen-bonding waters were coordinated to R,S,R,S-[Ni(Me₄[14]aneN₄)]²⁺, but such waters did not coordinate to [Ni(Me₄[12] aneN₄)]²⁺. Also, the K _NiS2 values were larger than the corresponding K _NiS1 values for [Ni([14]aneS₄)]²⁺. Furthermore, the K _NiS1 values for [Ni([12]aneN₄)]²⁺ were the largest among these nickel(II) complex cations. The K _NiS, K _NiS1, and K _NiS2 values are discussed in terms of properties of the donor solvents and steric strains of these nickel(II) complex cations.     

Liquid-Crystalline copolymers and polymer blends containing electron donor and acceptor groups: Effects of mesogenic structures on the smectic phase and the miscibility

Side-chain liquid-crystalline copolymers and polymer blends containing an electron-donating (carbazolylmethylene)aniline group and electron-accepting nitrophenyl groups with various central linking groups between aromatic groups in the mesogenic units, i.e., N?CH, CH?CH, N?N, and COO, were prepared to examine effects of the mesogenic structure on thermal behaviours. The most remarkable effects of the central linking group on the thermal properties and the miscibility were observed for the polymer blends. The 1:1 miscible polymer blends were prepared from the electron-donating polymer containing (carbazolylmethylene)aniline group (PM6C_z) and the electron-accepting polymers with similar central linking groups, i.e., N?CH, CH?CH, and N?N. For example, the 1: 1 polymer blend of PM6C_z and the electron-accepting polymer containing the nitrostilbene group induced a smectic phase from 73 to 207°C. This isotropic temperature was 46°C higher than the calculated value (161°C) based on the composition without the electron donor-acceptor interaction. On the other hand, the 1: 1 polymer blend of PM6C_z and the electron-accepting polymer containing the nitrophenylbenzoate group showed phase separation. Thus, the remarkable thermal stability and the miscibility of the polymer blends containing the electron donor and acceptor groups might be caused by planar structures between the mesogenic side groups which have similar central linking groups through the electron donor-acceptor interaction. A similar tendency was seen for copolymers and binary mixtures of both low-molecular-weight compounds containing the same mesogenic groups. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis of spherical and hemispherical sugar‐containing poly(ornithine) dendrimers

A novel sugar‐containing poly(ornithine) dendrimer is synthesized for possible antigen delivery and related applications. The dendrimer contains an ornithine dendron as interior scaffolding and oligosaccharides on the periphery, which provide an attachment site for a peptide antigen. Maltose or lactose is bound to both hemispherical and spherical poly(ornithine) dendrimer generation 3 (G3) by reductive amination between its reducing end and the peripheral amino group of the dendrimer using a borane‐pyridine complex in a buffer solution at 50 °C. The degree of substitution of sugar is changed by varying the molar ratio of sugar to dendrimer. When the surface of spherical poly(ornithine) dendrimer G3 is modified by binding β‐alanine to the 16 amino groups, highly substituted maltose‐ or lactose‐β‐alanine‐poly(ornithine) dendrimer G3 is obtained in high yield after 7 days of reaction. The structures of these sugar‐containing dendrimers are characterized by NMR and matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry analyses. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 1400–1414, 2004     

Hole transport in polymers of (N-ethylcarbazol-3-yl) methyl acrylate and methacrylate

(N-Ethylcarbazol-3-yl)methyl acrylate and methacrylate were polymerized anionically and radically. Anionically-polymerized polyacrylate using ethylmagnesium chloride-benzalacetophenone as catalyst is an isotactic rich polymer with 85% isotactic dyad. All polymers except anionically polymerized polymethacrylate showed good film forming property. Hole drift mobilities measured by the time-of-flight method at room temperature and at 5 × 10⁵ V/cm are in the following order: isotactic polyacrylate (1.0 × 10^-5 cm²/V s) > atactic polyacrylate (1.8 × 10^-6 cm²/V s) > atactic polymethacrylate (1.2 × 10^-6 cm²/V s) at 5 × 10⁵ V/cm. These results are discussed in terms of the hopping model between localized sites.     

Chemo-enzymatic production of fuel ethanol from cellulosic materials utilizing yeast expressing β-glucosidases

Ethanol was produced in a considerably high yield by fermenting hydrolyzates from cellulosic materials by means of a recombinant laboratory yeast expressing β-glucosidases. Tissue paper, cotton, and sawdust were hydrolyzed by two-step sulfuric acid hydrolysis to give mixtures containing glucose, cellobiose, and higher cello-oligosacc arides. After the cellulosic material was partially hydrolyzed with 80% sulfuric acid, the hydrolysis was continued with 5% sulfuric acid. Except for non-carbohydrate components, all constitutents in the hydrolyzates were fermented by the yeast that was preincubated in the medium that the plasmid encoded by the β-glucosidases gene was kept in the muliplicated yeast. A solution containing 4% hydrolyzates from paper was fermented to give as high as 1.9% maximum ethanol concentration and 70% ethanol conversion. Cotton also gave a similar result. Sawdust was converted into ethanol in approx 22% conversion. Accordingly, it was revealed that the β-glucosidases-expressing yeast can ferment the cello-oligosaccharides obtained by hydrolysis of cellulosic materials into ethanol. In addition, a hydrolyzate containing a high glucose proportion gave a high ethanol concentration in a short time.