Multifunctional ToF-SIMS: combinatorial mapping of gradient energy substrates

We present a simple method for chemical modification of chlorosilane self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on Si surfaces by exposure to a gradient of UV-ozone radiation to create stable substrates with a range of contact angles (θ_H2O≈5–95°) and surface energies on a single substrate. These gradient energy substrates are developed to potentially generate libraries for combinatorial studies of thin film phenomenology, where a systematic variation of interfacial surface energy represents one of the significant parameters along one axis. The graded oxidation process presents a systematic variation of surface chemical composition. We have utilized contact angle measurements and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) to investigate this variation for a series of ions, among which are SiCH₃⁺, SiOH⁺ and COOH⁻. We show that the macroscopic measurements of surface free energy/contact angle correlate with the detailed analysis of surface chemistry (as assessed by ToF-SIMS) on these test substrates.     

An exponent bound on skew Hadamard abelian difference sets

A difference setD in a groupG is called a skew Hadamard difference set (or an antisymmetric difference set) if and only ifG is the disjoint union ofD, D(^–1), and {1}, whereD(^–1)={d^–1|dD}. In this note, we obtain an exponent bound for non-elementary abelian groupG which admits a skew Hadamard difference set. This improves the bound obtained previously by Johnsen, Camion and Mann.     

Interfacial and micellar properties of binary mixtures of surfactant and phospholipid in an aqueous medium

Mixed micelles formed by zwitterionic surfactant dimethyldodecylammniopropane sulfonate and short-chain phospholipid 1,2-diheptanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine in different proportions in an aqueous medium have been studied physicochemically at an air/water interface and in the bulk by using interfacial tension and pyrene fluorescence intensity measurements, respectively. The critical micellar concentration and free energies of micellization and of interfacial adsorption have been determined. The interfacial study reveals that a mixed monolayer is formed at the air/water interface by the adsorption of surfactant and phospholipid monomers. This has been confirmed by evaluating the interfacial parameters; the maximum surface excess, the minimum area per molecule of a surface-active compound, and the Gibbs surface excess related to surface pressure. The nonideality of mixing, expressed in the terms of the regular solution interaction parameter, #, has negative values over the whole mole fraction range. The negative # values indicate the mutual synergism between the surfactant and phospholipid monomers. The equilibrium distribution of components between micelle and monomer phases was evaluated using a theoretical treatment based on excess thermodynamics quantities evaluated by Motomura's formulation.     

Hydroxymethylation and cyanoethylation of nitroimidazoles

A series of nitroimidazoles were subjected to hydroxymethylations under a variety of conditions. Hydroxymethylation of 1-(2-hydroxyethyl), 1-(2-acetoxyethyl), and 1-(2-chloroethyl) substituted 5-nitroimidazoles with paraformaldehyde in dimethyl sulfoxide yielded the respective 2-hydroxymethyl analogs (5–7). However, attempts to hydroxymethylate 1-(2-hydroxyethyl), 1-(2-acetoxyethyl), 1-(2-cyanoethyl) substituted 4-nitroimidazoles and 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-nitroimidazole were unsuccessful. Treatment of 1-(2-acetoxyethyl)-5-nitro-2-imidazolecar-baldehyde(10) with hydroxylamine-O-sulfonic acid afforded a mixture of corresponding 2-carbonitrile (12) and 2-(N-hydroxy)carboximidamide (13). Hydrolysis of 10 with ethanolic hydrochloric acid yielded 8-ethoxy-5,6-dihydro-3-nitro-8H-imidazo[2,1-c] [1,4]oxazine (11) which, on subsequent reaction with hydroxylamine-O-sulfonic acid, afforded 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-5-nitroimidazole-2-(N-hydroxy)carboximidamide (15). Reaction of 4(5)-nitroimidazole with chloropropionitrile produced a mixture of the isomeric 1-(2-cyanoethyl) substituted 4- and 5-nitroimidazoles. Treatment of 2,4(5)-dinitroímidazole with chloropropionitrile afforded a mixture of 4(5)-chloro-5(4)-nitroimidazole and 1-(2-cyanoethyl)-4-nitro-5-chloroimidazoIe. Reaction of nitroimidazoles with acrylonitrile in the presence of Triton B yielded the corresponding 1-(2-cyanoethyl) substituted derivatives.     

Enantiomeric resolution of 2-aryl propionic esters with hyperthermophilic and mesophilic esterases: contrasting thermodynamic mechanisms

The enantiomeric resolution of 2-aryl propionic esters by hyperthermophilic and mesophilic esterases was found to be governed by contrasting thermodynamic mechanisms. Entropic contributions predominated for mesophilic esterases from Candida rugosa and Rhizomucor miehei, while enthalpic forces controlled this resolution by the esterase from the extremely thermoacidophilic archaeon, Sulfolobus solfataricus P1. This disparity in thermodynamic mechanism can be attributed to the differences in conformational flexibility of mesophilic and thermophilic enzymes as they relate to the temperature range (4-70 degrees C) examined.     

Influence of β‐Cyclodextrin on the Mixed Micellization Process of Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate and Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosine and Formation of Inclusion Complexes

In this work, we have studied the influence of different concentrations of β‐Cyclodextrin (β‐CD) on the mixed micellization of anionic surfactants sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and sodium lauroyl sarcosine (SLAS) at different SDS mole fractions (α_SDS). From conductivity data, the critical micellar concentration (cmc), the equivalent ionic conductivities of the monomeric species (Λ_m), the associated species (Λ_assc) and the micelle (Λ_mic), the degree of counterion dissociation (α) in the presence of β‐CD were evaluated from the slope of the conductivity versus concentration plots for the pure and binary mixtures. The apparent cmc of the surfactants vary linearly with the β‐CD concentrations. From the dependence of cmc of the surfactants on β‐CD concentration, we have deduced the association constant (K) of surfactant‐β‐CD inclusion complexes assuming 1∶1 stoichiometry. Theories of Clint, Regular solution, and Motomura's have been used for the evaluation of ideality or nonideality of the mixed system. Mixed micelles were found to be rich in SDS content at the cmc in the presence and the absence of β‐CD. The cmc values have been used to evaluate the transfer of standard free energy of micelles (ΔG⁰ _M,tr) from the aqueous medium to additive medium.     

Interactions of γ-Cyclodextrin with the Mixed Micelles of Anionic Surfactants and Their Inclusion Complexes Formation

Interactions of γ-cyclodextrin (γ-CD) with the single and mixed micelles of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and sodium lauroyl sarcosine (SLAS) have been studied at different concentrations of γ-CD by using conductivity measurements. From conductivity data, the pure and mixed critical micellar concentration (cmc), the equivalent ionic conductivities of the monomeric species (Λ _m), the associated species (Λ _assc) and the micelle (Λ _mic), the degree of counterion dissociation (χ) in the presence of γ-CD have been evaluated from the slope of the conductivity versus concentration plots for the pure and binary mixture of surfactants. From the dependence of cmc of the surfactantson γ-CD concentration, we have deduced the association constant (K) of surfactant-γ-CD inclusion complexes assuming 2:1 stoichiometry. Theories of Clint, regular solution, and Motomura's have been used for the evaluation of ideality or nonideality of the mixed system. Mixed micelles were found to be rich in SDS content in the presence and the absence of γ-CD. The cmc values have been used to evaluate the transfer of standard free energy of micelles (ΔG⁰ _M,tr) from the aqueous medium to additive medium.