Polymer nanoparticles with a sensitive CO2‐responsive hydrophilic/hydrophobic surface

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanoparticles with a sensitive CO₂‐responsive hydrophilic/hydrophobic surface that confers controlled dispersion and aggregation in water were prepared by emulsion polymerization at 50 °C under CO₂ bubbling using amphiphilic diblock copolymers of 2‐dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) and N‐isopropyl acrylamide (NIPAAm) as an emulsifier. The amphiphilicity of the hydrophobic–hydrophilic diblock copolymer at 50 °C was triggered by CO₂ bubbling in water and enabled the copolymer to serve as an emulsifier. The resulting PMMA nanoparticles were spherical, approximately 100 nm in diameter and exhibited sensitive CO₂/N₂‐responsive dispersion/aggregation in water. Using copolymers with a longer PNIPAAm block length as an emulsifier resulted in smaller particles. A higher concentration of copolymer emulsifier led to particles with a stickier surface. Given its simple preparation and reversible CO₂‐triggered amphiphilic behavior, this newly developed block copolymer emulsifier offers a highly efficient route toward the fabrication of sensitive CO₂‐stimuli responsive polymeric nanoparticle dispersions. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 2149–2156     

Hybrid control for synchronizing a chaotic system

In this paper, a hybrid control based on pulse width modulator (PWM) is proposed to synchronize a class of master–slave chaotic systems with uncertainties. We use the Genetic Algorithm (GA) together with fuzzy logic to tune the switching time of PWM mode controller such that the output response of master–slave chaotic system can be synchronized. Finally, an example, uncertain master–slave Duffing–Holmes chaos system, is proposed to show the proposed method’s effectiveness for chaotic synchronization.     

Inverse nodal problem for differential pencils

An inverse nodal problem is studied for the diffusion operator with real-valued coefficients on a finite interval with Dirichlet boundary conditions. The oscillation of the eigenfunctions corresponding to large modulus eigenvalues is established and an asymptotic of the nodal points is obtained. The uniqueness theorem is proved and a constructive procedure for solving the inverse problem is given.     

Mono-Triflation of Carbohydrate Diols and Triols

ABSTRACT

For five carbohydrate substrates [methyl 4,6-O-(phenylmethylene)-1-thio-α-D-glucopyranoside 1a, 1-cyano-1-deoxy-4,6-O-(phenylmethylene)-α-D-galactopyranose 2a, methyl α-D-xylopyranoside 3a, methyl β-D-arabinopyranoside 4a, and methyl 5-O-(tert-butyldiphenylsilyl)-α-D-ribofuranoside 5a], selective mono-triflation was achieved where the reacting hydroxyl is cis and vicinal to a heteroatom.     

A Convenient Synthesis of 3, 4′-Bipyridine

3, 4′-Bipyridine was synthesized from 6-methoxy-3, 4′-bipyridine or 6-benzyloxy-3, 4′-bipyridine via 6-chloro-3, 4′-bipyridine. The chloro derivative was catalytically dechlorinated into the corresponding 3, 4′ -bipyridine.     

Trigonal‐Bipyramidal and Square‐Pyramidal Chromium?Manganese Chalcogenide Clusters, [E2CrMn2(CO)n]2− (E=S,Se, Te; n=9, 10): Synthesis,Electrochemistry, UV/Vis Absorption,and Computational Studies

The reactions of E powder (E=S, Se) with a mixture of Cr(CO)₆ and Mn₂(CO)₁₀ in concentrated solutions of KOH/MeOH produced two new mixed Cr? Mn? carbonyl clusters, [E₂CrMn₂(CO)₉]^2? (E=S, 1 ; Se, 2 ). Clusters 1 and 2 were isostructural with one another and each displayed a trigonal‐bipyramidal structure, with the CrMn₂ triangle axially capped by two μ₃‐E atoms. The analogous telluride cluster, [Te₂CrMn₂(CO)₉]^2? ( 3 ), was obtained from the ring‐closure of Te₂Mn₂ ring complex [Te₂Mn₂Cr₂(CO)₁₈]^2? ( 4 ). Upon bubbling with CO, clusters 2 and 3 were readily converted into square‐pyramidal clusters, [E₂CrMn₂(CO)₁₀]^2? (E=Se, 5 ; Te, 6 ), accompanied with the cleavage of one Cr? Mn bond. According to SQUID analysis, cluster 6 was paramagnetic, with S=1 at room temperature; however, the Se analogue ( 5 ) was spectroscopically proposed to be diamagnetic, as verified by TD‐DFT calculations. Cluster 6 could be further carbonylated, with cleavage of the Mn? Mn bond to produce a new arachno‐cluster, [Te₂CrMn₂(CO)₁₁]^2? ( 7 ). The formation and structural isomers, as well as electrochemistry and UV/Vis absorption, of these clusters were also elucidated by DFT calculations.     

Synchronization of the chaotic secure communication system with output state delay

In this paper, we utilize a proper Lyapunov function and Lyapunov theorem, combined with LMIs method, in order to design a controller L, which ensures the synchronization between the transmission and the reception ends of the chaotic secure communication system with time-delay of output state. Meanwhile, for the purpose of increasing communication security, we encrypt and decrypt the original to-be-transmitted message with the techniques of n-shift cipher and public key. The result of simulation shows that the proposed method is able to synchronize the transmission and the reception ends of the system, and moreover, to recover the original message at the reception end. Therefore, the method proposed in this paper is effective and feasible to apply in the chaotic secure communication system.     

Inverse nodal and inverse spectral problems for discontinuous boundary value problems

Inverse nodal and inverse spectral problems are studied for second-order differential operators on a finite interval with discontinuity conditions inside the interval. Uniqueness theorems are proved, and a constructive procedure for the solution is provided.