Cyclooctatetraene made easy

Cyclooctatetraene, C₈H₈, has been made readily available from 1,5-cyclooctadiene in 65% yield without the need of using hazardous or toxic reagents by the straightforward oxidation of the intermediate [Li(tmeda)]₂C₈H₈ (3, tmeda=N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine) with di-tert-butylperoxide.     

Random copolymers of N-isopropylacrylamide and methacrylic acid monomers with hydrophobic spacers: pH-tunable temperature sensitive materials

Two series of random copolymers of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) and comonomers derived from methacrylic acid with a different number of methylene units as hydrophobic spacers (n=4, 7 and 10) were synthesized via free radicals. The first series was prepared having the acid groups methoxy-protected while the second series have the acid groups free. The NIPAAm-copolymers of both series were prepared varying the comonomer content from 5 to 20 mol%. All the copolymers were characterized by FTIR, DSC, ¹H NMR and SLS. The aqueous solution behaviour of the copolymers having methoxy-protected acid groups shows that the comonomer increases the hydrophobicity of the copolymer chain and decreases its lower critical solution temperature (LCST). For the copolymers having free acid groups, hydrogen-bonding is responsible for a further decrease in the LCST of these copolymers in pure water. In buffer solutions, every acid comonomer have a critical ionization degree (α_crit) above which the LCST increases with increasing comonomer content while at an ionization degree lower than α_crit the LCST decreases with increasing comonomer content. In dependence of comonomer content, number of methylene units in the spacer and the pH of the buffer solution, the LCST of the copolymers can be varied widely, showing that these random copolymers have pH-tunable temperature sensitivity.     

Single-step conversion of N-benzyl, N-trityl and N-diphenylmethyl amines to t-butyl carbamates using polymethylhydrosiloxane

t-Butyl carbamates were obtained efficiently in high yields from the corresponding N-benzyl, N-trityl and N-diphenylmethyl precursors in a single-step reductive transformation employing polymethylhydrosiloxane and di-t-butyl dicarbonate under Pd(OH)₂/C catalysis.     

Synthesis and characterization of novel vinyl copolymers containing N-vinylphthalimide: Comonomers reactivity ratios and thermal stability

N-Vinylphthalimide (NVPh) was copolymerized with p-methylstyrene (PMS), p-methoxystyrene (PMOS) and p-chlorostyrene (PClS) at 60 °C, with 2,2′-azo-bis-isobutyronitrile as an initiator. Copolymer composition was determined by elemental analysis in case of the N-vinylphthalimide and p-methylstyrene comonomer pair, whereas proton nuclear magnetic resonance was used for the analysis of the two other copolymers.The reactivity ratios for each comonomer pair were estimated by the classical Fineman-Ross and Kelen-Tüdõs linear techniques. These data showed that N-vinylphthalimide was less reactive in all the cases and that the comonomer distribution, that was basically random in the poly(N-vinylphthalimide-co-p-methylstyrene) and poly(N-vinylphthalimide-co-p-chlorostyrene) copolymers, was rather alternate in the third poly(N-vinylphthalimide-co-p-methoxystyrene) copolymer. The difference observed in the reactivity ratios was discussed in reference to the structure of the comonomer units and the parent radicals. The thermal properties of the copolymers and model homopolymers were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis.     

Graft copolymerisation of acrylamide onto cashew gum

The synthesis of cashew gum-g-polyacrylamide was carried out at 60 °C by a radical polymerisation using potassium persulphate as the redox initiator under N₂ atmosphere. A series of graft copolymers, varying in acrylamide concentration and keeping the concentration of the initiator and polysaccharide constant, was prepared. These graft copolymers were characterised by elemental analysis, infrared and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, rheological studies, differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. Comparisons amongst grafting parameters of the reaction of various natural polysaccharides with polyacrylamide (PAM) were carried out. High percentages of acrylamide conversion (%C) and grafting efficiency (%E) were obtained for cashew gum (CG), even with a low acrylamide/gum ratio. All copolymers had intrinsic viscosity and thus the hydrodynamic volume much higher than the CG value and closer to the PAM. The CG-g-PAM solution had an absolute viscosity at 2.5% concentration (wt./vol.) up to 33 and 3.3 times the CG and PAM values, respectively. Grafting of PAM chains onto the polysaccharide enhances its thermal stability.     

Crystallization and mesomorphic disordering of di-n-hexylsilylene/di-n-pentylsilylene copolymers

A series of di-n-hexyl/di-n-pentylsilylene copolymers with monomodal molecular weight distribution have been prepared by Wurtz-coupling of dichlorosilanes using isooctane as a co-solvent. Crystallization and mesomorphic disordering were studied with regard to thermochromic effects and the silicon-chain conformation by DSC, MAS²⁹Si-NMR, and UV-spectroscopy. The results show that the formation of a columnar mesomorphic phase is little affected by copolymerization of DHS and DPS units. Due to the preordering in the mesophase, three-dimensional ordering in the crystal is not hindered by topological constraints and isodimorphic mixed crystal formation was observed over the whole copolymer composition range. The predominantly all-trans structure, which is observed for crystalline poly(di-n-hexylsilylene), is maintained for copolymers containing up to 20%n-pentyl substituents.     

Studies on microstructure and aqueous solution properties of block copolymer of acrylamide-styrene

Three series of block copolymers of acrylamide (AM) and styrene (St) as hydrophobic comonomer with varied microstructures were prepared in microemulsion medium by changing feed ratio of monomers, ratio of St to surfactant, and amount of initiator, respectively. The effects of microstructure factors of the amphiphilic block copolymers PAM-b-PSt on their aqueous solution properties were investigated by fluorescence probe technique and surface tension measurement in detail. The experimental results show that the aqueous solution properties of PAM-b-PSt are strongly dependent on their microstructure factors, such as the length and content of PSt hydrophobic blocks in the copolymers and their molecular weight. It was found that the main microstructure factors which effect the hydrophobic association behavior of the copolymer PAM-b-PSt are the length and content of PSt hydrophobic blocks in the copolymer, whereas the hydrophobic association behavior of the copolymer is not affected nearly so much by molecular weight in more dilute regions. At the same time, it was also found that the main microstructure factors which affect the surface activity of the copolymer are the content of PSt hydrophobic blocks in the copolymer and molecular weight, whereas the length of PSt blocks in copolymer does not affect surface activity of the copolymer nearly so much under fixed content of PSt hydrophobic blocks and molecular weight in the copolymer.     

Aggregation behavior of acrylamide/2-phenoxyethyl acrylate and its interaction with sodium dodecyl sulfate in aqueous solution studied by proton 1D and 2D NMR

¹H NMR self-diffusion coefficient, spin-lattice relaxation time, spin-spin relaxation time, and two-dimensional nuclear Overhauser enhancement (2D NOESY) measurements have been used to study the association behavior of a novel hydrophobically associating copolymer composed of acrylamide (AM) and a small amount of 2-phenoxyethyl acrylate (POEA), and its interaction with the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). Three sets of copolymers with approximately the same composition but with different hydrophobic POEA contents were investigated. The POEA contents for these copolymers were about 1.41, 1.03, and 0.56 mol% respectively, as validated by ¹H NMR spectra. Self-diffusion coefficient measurements show that the aggregation process occurs in a relative narrow concentration range and the critical association concentrations (cacs), of these copolymers are within this narrow concentration range, which are in agreement with those measured by viscosity measurements (6 g L^–1). Above this concentration, the hydrophobic POEA moieties are found to associate and possibly build a transitory three-dimensional network along the polyacrylamide (PAM) backbones, which induces a strong decrease in NMR parameters including self-diffusion coefficients and relaxation times. The surfactant SDS showed a significant interaction with the copolymer in the dilute solution. Addition of SDS resulted in the binding of SDS on copolymer POEA-PAM segments and reinforced the interchain transient network formation of copolymer at a concentration below its cac. In the SDS/POEA-PAM mixed systems, the hydrophobic methylene groups of the SDS molecules were preferentially located in the vicinity of the phenoxy groups of the POEA hydrophobes.     

Microstructure and association property of hydrophobically modified polyacrylamide of a new family

A new family of hydrophobically modified polyacrylamides was synthesized via copolymerization of acrylamide (AM) and anionic surface-active monomer of acrylamide-type, sodium 2-acrylamido-tetradecane sulfonate (NaAMC₁₄S), in aqueous solution. In the copolymerization, by varying various factors, such as the feed ratio of NaAMC₁₄S to AM and the amount of added electrolyte NaCl and initiator, we prepared copolymers NaAMC₁₄S/AM with different block structures. The relationship between structures and hydrophobic association properties of copolymer chains was studied by using fluorescence probe and viscosimetry. Effects of the content and length of the hydrophobic blocks and the total molecular weight on hydrophobic association of the copolymers in pure water and in brine solution were examined, respectively. The results show that in pure water, hydrophobic association of the copolymers was enhanced as the content and length of the hydrophobic block increase. On the other hands, for a given content and length of the hydrophobic block, the hydrophobic association of the copolymers was enhanced as the total molecular weight increases. For all the copolymers studied, the apparent viscosity of their solutions in pure water has a limited value, but the apparent viscosities of the copolymer brine solutions are much higher than that of their corresponding water solutions, and show strong positive salinity sensitivity. Similarly, the hydrophobic association of the copolymer in brine solutions was enhanced as the content and length of the hydrophobic block increase.     

Glass transition temperature and architecture of branched poly(methyl methacrylates)

It has been shown that, for a number of MMA-based copolymers prepared through the copolymerization of MMA with a bifunctional comonomer in the presence of a chain-transfer agent, an increase in the concentration of the comonomer (the branching agent) is accompanied by a rise in the molecular mass of the copolymers and a reduction in their glass transition temperature T _g by 30–40°C. This phenomenon provides evidence for the presence of branches in the copolymers and the incorporation of the chain-transfer agent into the branches. The value of T _g linearly declines with an increase in the between the concentration of the branching agent and the molecular mass of the copolymer, that is, with an increase in the number of branches (and end groups) in a macromolecule. A correlation between the glass transition temperature and the rheological and diffusion-sorption characteristics of the branched copolymers has been established. The number of end groups in the copolymers under study has been calculated in accordance with the previously advanced model for the formation of branched macromolecules. The experimental dependences of T _g on the content of the branching agent, the number of end groups, and the molecular mass of the copolymers confirm this model.     

Facile N-tert-butoxycarbonylation of amines using La(NO3)3·6H2O as a mild and efficient catalyst under solvent-free conditions

Facile N-tert-butoxycarbonylation of amines is described by the treatment of various primary, secondary, benzylic and aryl amines with di-tert-butyl dicarbonate in the presence of catalytic amounts of La(NO₃)₃·6H₂O under solvent-free conditions at room temperature to afford N-tert-butylcarbamates in excellent yields.     

Synthesis, characterizations and crystal structures of di-n-butyltin(IV) complexes with heteroatomic (N, O or S) acid

Two types of di-n-butyltin(IV) complexes {[ⁿBu₂Sn(O₂CR)]₂O}₂ · L 1-4 and ⁿBu₂Sn(O₂CR)₂Y 5-8 (when L=H₂O, R=2-pyrazine 1; L=0, R=2-pyrimidylthiomethylene 2, 1-naphthoxymethylene 3; L=C₆H₆, R=2-naphthoxymethylene 4; when Y=H₂O, R=2-pyrazine 5; Y=0, R=2-pyrimidylthiomethylene 6, 1-naphthoxymethylene 7, 2-naphthoxymethylene 8) have been prepared in 1:1 or 1:2 molar ratios by reactions of di-n-butyltin oxide with the heteroatomic (N, O or S) carboxylic acids. The complexes 1-8 are characterized by elemental, IR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra. And except for complexes 6 and 7, the complexes 1-5 and 8 are also characterized by X-ray crystallography diffraction analyses, which reveal that the tin atom of complex 5 is seven-coordinated, while the complexes 1-4 and 8 are all hexa-coordinated. The nitrogen atom of the aromatic ring in complexes 1 and 5 participates in the interactions with the Sn atom.     

Synthesis of biocompatible and biodegradable polymer particles in supercritical carbon dioxide

The free radical copolymerization of N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone and 2-methylene-1,3-dioxepane was carried out in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂) using three kinds of dispersants and 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile as the initiator. Polymerization was performed with fluorinated polymeric dispersants synthesized in scCO₂ using the solution polymerization method and commercially available siloxane-based surfactant. Spherical biocompatible and biodegradable polymeric particles were prepared within the sub-micron size range. The effect of various ratios of the comonomer, reaction temperature, and concentration of initiator, in addition to the types and concentrations of the dispersants, on the particle size and morphology was investigated. The particle size and particle size distribution of copolymer particles were controlled using the above mentioned experimental parameters. Glass transition temperatures of copolymers were varied according to the comonomer ratios used.     

Synthesis,characterization, and properties of copolymer of acrylamide and complex pseudorotaxane monomer consisting of cucurbit[6]uril with butyl ammonium methacrylate

The novel copolymers of acrylamide (AM) with complex pseudorotaxane monomer (BAMACB) of butyl ammonium methacrylate (BAMA) and cucurbit[6]uril (CB[6]) were prepared via free‐radical polymerization in aqueous solution. The copolymers containing pseudorotaxane (PAM/BAMACB) were characterized by ¹H‐NMR, FTIR, elemental analysis, TGA, and DSC. The glass transition temperature (T_g) of the copolymer PAM/BAMACB are higher than that of the copolymer of acrylamide and butyl ammonium methacrylate (PAM/BAMA) because of the enhanced rigidity and the bulky steric hindrance of BAMACB side chain in PAM/BAMACB. The molecular weights of copolymer PAM/BAMACB were obtained via static light scattering. The hydrodynamic radii of coils or aggregates were investigated by dynamic light scattering. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 5999–6008, 2008     

H NMR and IR study of temperature-induced phase transition of negatively charged poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide-co-sodium methacrylate) copolymers in aqueous solutions

¹H NMR and IR spectroscopies were used to investigate the temperature-induced phase transition behaviour of poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide-co-sodium methacrylate) [P(IPMAAm/MNa)] copolymers, containing in aqueous solutions negatively charged MNa units (i = 1-10 mol%), and the obtained results were compared with those obtained for poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide) (PIPMAAm) homopolymer. For PIPMAAm/H₂O solution, IR spectra indicate that the transition temperatures for the hydrophilic CO groups are slightly higher (by ∼ 2 K) in comparison with hydrophobic CH₃ groups. The decreasing values of phase-separated fraction p_max and the decrescent hysteresis during gradual heating and cooling, both with increasing content of MNa units i in the copolymer, show that for copolymers with i ? 5 mol% the globular-like structures formed at temperatures above the respective LCST are rather porous and disordered with relatively low degree of polymer-polymer hydrogen bonding. While for P(IPMAAm/MNa) copolymers with i ? 5 mol% most water molecules are expelled from globular structures, for i < 5 mol% a certain portion of water (HDO) molecules is rather tightly bound in globular structures; at the same time no releasing process was detected for the bound water even for 90 h.     

Anti-microbial activity of anhydride copolymers and their derivatives prepared by ionizing radiation

Methyl methacrylate/maleic anhydride (MMA/MAn) copolymers were synthesized using gamma rays. Preparation conditions such as irradiation dose, comonomer composition and type of diluent affecting the degree of comonomer conversion were investigated. The suitable diluent for obtaining reasonable MMA/MAn copolymer yield was acetone. The higher copolymer yield was achieved when the amount of methyl methacrylate in comonomer feed solutions as well as irradiation dose increased. The effect of ZnCl₂ on the MMA/MAn copolymer yield and structure was studied. Characterization of the prepared MMA/MAn copolymers was performed using FTIR, and thermogravimetric and viscometric analysis. The derivatives of MMA/MAn copolymers were obtained by treating them with different reagents such as sulpha-drugs, hydroxylamine hydrochloride and 4-amino sodium salyciliate. The antimicrobial activity of MMA/MAn copolymers and their derivatives was examined. The activity of such copolymers against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli increased by increasing MAn content in the copolymer. The MMA/MAn copolymers treated with sulpha-drugs exhibited particularly high biological activity against different microorganisms. These results revealed that the prepared MMA/MAn copolymer and its derivatives have a broad antimicrobial activity.     

ESR and pH-potentiometric study of the mixed-ligand complex formation in the copper(II)-4-fluorosalicylic acid-N,N-diethylnicotinamide system: Structure and spectral properties of [Cu(4-fluorosalicylate)2(N,N-diethylnicotinamide)2(H2O)2] complex

EPR simulation method together with pH-potentiometry combined with UV-Vis spectrophotometry were used for the study of the ternary system 4-fuorosalicylic acid (HA)-N,N-diethylnicotinamide (B)-copper(II) in aqueous solution. The N,N-diethylnicotinamide ligand is a weak donor, its mixed-ligand complexes with 4-fluorosalicylate anions are more favoured. The number of coordinated N,N-diethylnicotinamide molecules increases with decreasing temperature: up to four ones were detected in the coordination sphere of copper(II) in frozen solutions. The formation of [CuH₋₁AB₂] and [CuH₋₁A] was detected by all methods at neutral pH. At lower pH values, [CuA₂B₂] and [CuB] become dominant, and this fact is in good agreement with [CuA₂B₂(H₂O)₂] crystals obtained from similar solutions. The structural unit of the [CuA₂B₂(H₂O)₂] complex consists of a copper(II) ion, which is monodentately coordinated by a pair of 4-fluorosalicylate anions and by a pair of N,N-diethylnicotinamide in trans positions in the basal plane, and by two water molecules in the axial positions of a tetragonal bipyramid.     

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)/poly[(N-acetylimino)ethylene] thermosensitive block and graft copolymers

Block and graft copolymers with poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) and poly[(N-acetylimino)ethylene] (PNAI) sequences were synthesized via PNAI derivatives (macroinitiators or macromers). The polymerization yields for block copolymers synthesized in ethanol, using the PNAI macroinitiator, were low (<10%), except where photochemical polymerization was applied. By contrast, for the copolymerizations of N-isopropylacrylamide with the PNAI macromers, performed in alcoholic solution, quite high polymerization yields, around 80-90%, were reached. ¹H-NMR and IR spectral and differential scanning calorimeter thermal data confirmed the copolymer formation. Thermosensitivity of the copolymers was investigated by means of turbidimetric technique as a function of their nature, average molecular weight and composition. It was found that the length of the chain of the PNAI macromer and the content in hydrophilic PNAI units of the resulted copolymer affected this behavior.     

Synthesis, characterization and intercalation property of layered zirconium benzylamino-N,N-dimethylphosphonate phosphate materials

Layered zirconium benzylamino-N,N-dimethylphosphonate phosphate (ZBMPA) was prepared by the reaction of zirconyl chloride with benzylamino-N,N-dimethylphosphonic acid (H₂BMPA) and phosphoric acid in the presence of hydrofluoric acid. The intercalation of n-alkylamines (n-butylamine, n-heptylamine and n-decylamine) into ZBMPA was primarily investigated at room temperature. These materials were characterized by elemental analysis, ICP, XRD, SEM, FT-IR, Raman spectra, TG and DSC. The composition of ZBMPA is Zr(HPO₄)(C₆H₅CH₂N(CH₂PO₃)₂)_0.5 · 2.0H₂O. The interlayer distance of ZBMPA, n-butylamine, n-heptylamine and n-decylamine intercalation compounds is 2.03, 2.58, 2.52 and 3.17 nm, respectively. ZBMPA and the n-alkylamine intercalation compounds are different in the morphology and vibration spectra. Thermogravimetries of all materials obtained reveal three step mass losses at temperatures of up to 1000 °C. These results indicate that n-alkylamines are intercalated into the galleries of host ZBMPA.     

RAFT synthesis of thioether-based,AB diblock copolymer nanocarriers for reactive oxygen species–triggered release

A well-defined AB diblock copolymer of 2-vinyl-4,4-dimethylazlactone (VDA) and N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMA) was generated by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) radical polymerization. The VDA-DMA diblock copolymer was reacted with 2-(methylthio)ethylamine (MTEA) and 3-(methylthio)propylamine (MTPA) to yield two novel thioether functional diblock copolymers whose structure was confirmed using ¹H NMR and FTIR spectroscopy. Both diblock copolymers formed micelles (20–30 nm) in aqueous media as confirmed by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy. The self-assembled micelles were loaded with Nile Red, a model hydrophobic drug to study their ROS-triggered release mechanism. On addition of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), the most common ROS species, the hydrophobic thioether core of these micelles oxidized, and both diblock copolymers became more hydrophilic. This triggered their disassembly and subsequent cargo release as characterized by UV–visible spectroscopy. The Nile Red loaded micelles demonstrated similar in-vitro ROS-mediated release when exposed to endogenous oxidants in a model inflammation environment simulated by the presence of activated macrophages. The responsive nanomaterials developed in this article have promising potential as drug carriers in applications where ROS-triggered delivery of cargo is required such as in inflammatory conditions.