Comparative Study of Sol-Gel and Coprecipitated Ni-Al Hydrotalcites

Hydrotalcite is an anionic clay mineral (layered double hydroxide) whose general formula is [M(II)_1–x M(III) _x (OH)₂] ^x+X _x/n ^n– ·mH₂O. Anionic clays with a hydrotalcite-type are widely used as useful precursors of multicomponent catalysts. Hydrotalcites with Ni/Al molar ratio 2.5 have been synthesised both by the coprecipitation method, starting with nickel and aluminium nitrates and by the sol-gel method, using nickel acetylacetonate and aluminium isopropylate as precursors. The NiO-Al₂O₃ oxidic forms have been obtained by the thermal treatment of the precursors at 450°C and 900°C, respectively, and were characterised by DTA, XRD, IR spectroscopy and temperature programmed reduction (TPR). TPR clearly demonstrated a higher reducibility of the oxidic forms derived from the sol-gel synthesised precursors.     

Bulk Free Radical Polymerization of Methyl Methacrylate and Vinyl Acetate: A Comparative Study

The model and methodology for estimating diffusion‐controlled rate coefficients for the methyl methacrylate (MMA) polymerization system is extended to the vinyl acetate (VAc) case. Comparison of the kinetic behavior and termination rate coefficients (k_t) of both monomers suggests that at low conversions the termination reaction is controlled by the chemical step, whereas at moderate and high conversions it is controlled by the diffusive step which in turn is determined by the segmental diffusion of the long radicals and not by the center of mass diffusion of short radicals. It is found that, for most of the conversion range, diffusion coefficient for VAc is lower than the one for MMA notwithstanding that k_tVAc > k_tMMA. An explanation of this apparent inconsistency on the base of the model results and in terms of segmental mobility is proposed.

     

Synthesis,chemistry, physicochemical properties and industrial applications of amino acid surfactants: A review

Surfactant use throughout mankind is extensive, from their initial applications as detergents extending to use in medicine, lubricant, cosmetics and even enhanced oil recovery. However, the image of surfactant use has in the past been tarnished by issues with low biodegradability and their synthesis from nonsustainable resources. Amino acid–based surfactants are a class of surfactants derived from a hydrophobe source coupled with simple amino acids, mixed amino acids from synthesis or from protein hydrolysates, and as such can be derived solely from renewable resources. There are several pathways for their synthesis and this allows for extensive structural diversity in this class of surfactants, resulting in widespread tuneable functionality in their physiochemical properties. This review includes the details of most of the available routes of synthesis for amino acid surfactants (AASs) and the impact of the diverse routes on their final physiochemical properties, including solubility, dispersability, toxicity and biodegradability. The diversity offered by the structural variation in AASs offers many exciting commercial opportunities for this ever-growing class of surfactants. It also includes a discussion on current and future potential uses of AASs.     

A Comparative Study of Chemical-Initiated and Radiation-Induced Graft Copolymerization of Methyl Methacrylate onto Bamboo by Infrared Spectroscopic Technique

Graft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate onto bamboo was evidenced by means of infrared spectroscopic technique. A comparative study of chemical initiated and radiation-induced grafting methods was made. The chemical-initiated copolymerization treatment with water as the swelling agent can yield high grafting percentage, whereeas the radiation-induced copolymerization treatment gives very low grafting percentage.     

Structural Stability of Azurin Encapsulated in Sol-Gel Glasses: A Fluorometric Study

In this study we investigated the structural features of azurin, a blue copper-containing enzyme, upon encapsulation in tetramethoxysilane derived sol-gel glasses. Fluorescence spectroscopy revealed that gelation of inorganic networks does not affect the protein tertiary structure and only after two months solvent phase loss altered protein stability. In case of organically modified sol-gel matrices, the protein stability was reduced after encapsulation into hosts modified by adding 3-Mercaptopropyl-trimethoxysilane, 3-Glycidyloxypropyl-trimethoxysilane and Trimethoxy octylsilane, while it was found to be enhanced in networks doped with 3-Trimethoxysilyl-propyl methacrylate and 3-Aminopropyl-trimethoxysilane. In order to better investigate the effects of silica glasses on azurin stability, unfolding experiments of the protein, in solution or entrapped, were also performed in the presence of both methanol and guanidinium hydrochloride (GdHCl). Our results suggest that the matrix protects azurin against the aggregation induced by alcohol, and that the free energy change value upon unfolding by GdHCl was lower than the value calculated for azurin in solution and was dependent on the surface chemistry of silica matrix.     

Thermal Decomposition and Crystallization of Aqueous Sol-Gel Derived Zirconium Acetate Gels: Effects of the Precursor Solution pH

Crystalline zirconia has previously been formed by desiccation and pyrolysis of a pH 3.4 zirconium acetate precursor solution. In this study, amorphous gels were formed by desiccation of zirconium acetate precursor solutions at pH 0.9 to 3.4 obtained by adding hydrochloric acid and at pH 8.0 by adding ammonium hydroxide to the available pH 3.4 precursor solution. The concentrations of the uncomplexed zirconium ion and the 1 : 1 and 1 : 2 zirconium acetate complexes varied with pH. Decomposition of the amorphous gel and its structure evolution to form crystalline zirconia by pyrolysis were studied. Several decomposition and structure transition temperatures occurring in the pyrolysis and the polymorph distribution in the pyrolysis products were dependent on the pH of the precursor solution. These variations of structure evolution with pH were also related to the relative concentrations of specific zirconium complexes in the precursor solutions. Removal of carbon by pyrolysis was improved by adding hydrochloric acid or ammonium hydroxide to the pH 3.4 precursor solution.     

邻位甲基红水溶液的光谱性质随pH值的变化：含时密度泛函理论计算与实验研究

探明影响甲基红光谱性质的各种因素,有助于拓宽偶氮苯衍生物在有机光电器件中的应用。采用密度泛函理论和实验相结合的方法研究了溶液酸碱性和溶剂水对邻位甲基红水溶液光谱的影响。溶液pH从13.1逐渐降低至0.5,邻位甲基红水溶液的最大吸收波长从430 nm红移至520 nm。在不同酸碱条件下,主要有三种物种共存于甲基红水溶液中,它们分别是双质子化的甲基红o-H₂MR⁺ (强酸性条件下),单质子化的甲基红o-HMR (弱酸条件下)和碱性甲基红o-MR^- (碱性条件下),通过密度泛函理论计算研究了三种不同形式的电子结构特征。采用含时密度泛函理论计算了甲基红偶极跃迁允许的最低激发能,分别采用连续介质模型和分子簇模型研究水溶剂对甲基红电子结构和光谱性质的影响。在酸性条件下,o-H₂MR⁺和o-HMR分子内氢键导致π共轭体系平面性增强,因而光谱红移。而在碱性条件下,溶剂对o-MR^-的光谱有显著影响：极性o-HMR和o-MR^-与水分子的偶极-偶极相互作用导致光谱进一步红移。     

Sol-Gel Deposition of ZrO2 Films in Air and in Oxygen-Free Atmospheres for Chemical Protection of 304 Stainless Steel: A Comparative Corrosion Study

ZrO₂ coatings for corrosion protection were deposited on 304 stainless steel by sol-gel method using zirconium propoxide as precursor and densified in air and in oxygen-free (argon or nitrogen) atmospheres. XRD and IR data of the films were practically independent of the atmosphere used in the densification step showing that the ceramic oxide is properly formed from the precursor. The corrosion behavior of the stainless steel substrate was studied by potentiodynamic polarization curves in the absence and the presence of ZrO₂ coatings prepared in air, argon or nitrogen. The coatings extended the lifetime of the material by a factor of almost eight in a very aggressive environment, independently of the preparation procedure. The possibility of depositing pure or mixed oxide films by sol-gel methods in the absence of additional oxygen will allow the preparation of specific coatings onto oxygen-reactive substrates.     

Thermal Decomposition and Crystallization of Aqueous Sol-Gel Derived Zirconium Acetate Gels: Effects of the Additive Anions

Zirconia powders were prepared by forming gels by desiccation of aqueous precursor solutions of zirconium acetate containing nitric or sulfuric acid at pH 2.4 and 1.4 and pyrolyzing the gels to temperatures up to 825°C. The structure development in the gels and solid pyrolysis products was investigated. The crystalline zirconia structures produced monoclinic (m), metastable cubic (c) and tetragonal (t) polymorphs. The structure transition temperatures were strongly dependent on the pH, the anions and the stoichiometry of the zirconium complex in the precursor solution. The monoclinic polymorph fraction in the zirconia formed by pyrolyzing the gel formed from the precursor solution containing sulfuric acid at pH 2.4 to 750°C approaches zero while this ratio in the zirconia formed by pyrolyzing the gel formed from the precursor solution containing nitric acid at pH 1.4 to 825°C is 0.7.     

Synthesis and characterization of fluorescent starch using fluorescein as fluorophore: potential polymeric temperature/pH indicators

A convenient method for attaching fluorescein (via its epoxy derivate) to natural starch and its temperature/pH‐sensitive qualities of fluorescence were investigated. 3‐epoxypropoxy fluorescein (EPF) was first synthesized through the reaction between fluorescein and epichlorohydrin, and starch‐bearing fluorescein (ST‐EPF) was prepared via ring‐opening reaction with EPF in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solution, in the presence of NaH as a catalyst. Both of them were characterized by the methods of ¹H NMR, MS, IR, XRD, UV–Vis, and luminescence spectra, respectively. The chemiluminescent and photophysical behaviors of the dye fluorescein derivative and the polymer‐containing fluorescein were studied. The results indicated that ST‐EPF could still provide temperature and pH sensitivity similar to that of fluorescein and could achieve better long‐term stability and fast equilibrium response. ST‐EPF had an excellent linear response between relative fluorescence intensity and temperature in the range of 0–60°C and a nonlinear relationship between relative fluorescence intensity and pH in the wide range of 0.0–12.0, and so it has promise as an optical transducer for temperature and pH value determinations. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparative Study of the Acidity of Sulphated Zirconia Supported on Alumina Prepared by Sol-Gel and Impregnation Methods

Sulphated and unsulphated alumina-zirconia with atomic ratio Zr/Al = 0.5 were prepared by sol-gel and impregnation methods. The solid prepared by the sol-gel method exhibits the higher specific surface area. The Kelvin probe shows that the value of unsulphated sample is around 400 mV. This value grows up to 1100 mV for sample prepared by impregnation of aerogel alumina by sulphated propoxide zirconium and up to 1450 mV for sulphated alumina-zirconia aerogel catalyst. The modification of the work function is probably due to the charge transfer from the zirconium and aluminium to an oxygen species, responsible for the increase of Lewis acidity. XPS results show that the aluminium and zirconium exist in oxide form as Al₂O₃ and ZrO₂. The sulphur is present as sulphate species in the solids bonded to the Al—Zr—O framework. Furthermore, the oxygen species exist in different types created by the introduction of sulphur in the bulk of solids.Compared to the impregnated catalyst the sol-gel sulphated alumina zirconia exhibits higher activity in the isopropanol dehydration reaction in the temperature range 423 K–523 K.     

The High‐Throughput Synthesis and Phase Characterisation of Amphiphiles: A Sweet Case Study

A new method for the discovery of amphiphiles by using high‐throughput (HT) methods to synthesise and characterise a library of galactose‐ and glucose‐containing amphiphilic compounds is presented. The copper‐catalysed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) “click” reaction between azide‐tethered simple sugars and alkyne‐substituted hydrophobic tails was employed to synthesise a library of compounds with systematic variations in chain length and unsaturation in a 24‐vial array format. The liquid–crystalline phase behaviour was characterised in a HT manner by using synchrotron small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SSAXS). The observed structural variation with respect to chain parameters, including chain length and degree of unsaturation, is discussed, as well as hydration effects and degree of hydrogen bonding between head groups. The validity of our HT screening approach was verified by resynthesising a short‐chain glucose amphiphile. A separate phase analysis of this compound confirmed the presence of numerous lyotropic liquid–crystalline phases.     

A Comparative Study of Methyl Methacrylate/Butyl Acrylate Copolymerization Kinetics by Atom‐Transfer and Conventional Radical Polymerization

Methyl methacrylate and butyl acrylate monomers are copolymerized by atom‐transfer radical polymerization, affording polymers with well‐controlled molecular weight and low polydispersity. A kinetic analysis of this system is compared with the corresponding free‐radical polymerization system. The copolymerization rate follows an opposite trend to that observed in conventional copolymerization. This fact is attributed to a smaller population of radicals generated in the reaction, since the relative fraction of propagating radicals is the same as that in classical copolymerization.     

Supramolecular Systems Based on Novel Mono‐ and Dicationic Pyrimidinic Amphiphiles and Oligonucleotides: A Self‐Organization and Complexation Study

Novel mono‐ and dicationic pyrimidinic surfactants are synthesized and their aggregation behavior is studied by methods of tensiometry and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) self‐diffusion. To estimate their potentiality as gene delivery agents, the complexation with oligonucleotides (ONus) is explored by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and zeta‐potential titration methods and ethidium bromide exclusion experiments. Bola‐type pyrimidinic amphiphile (BPM) demonstrates rather a weak affinity to ONus. Although it induces mixed associations with ONus, only slight charge compensation changes occur at a large excess of bola, with no recharging reached. Similarly, the ethydium bromide exclusion study reveals a slow increase in the binding capacity toward an ONu with an increment in BPM concentration. The monocationic pyrimidinic surfactant (MPM) and its gemini analogue (GPM‐1) are ranked as intermediates in both their aggregative activity and complexing properties toward ONus. They both form mixed associates with ONus well below the critical micelle concentrations (cmcs) of 2 and 15 mM respectively. However, GPM‐1 has a much lower isoelectric point at the molar ratio surfactant/ONu r～1 compared to r～3 for MPM. This probably indicates a larger electrostatic contribution to the ONu complexation in the case of GPM‐1. The most hydrophobic pyrimidinic surfactant (GPM‐2), bearing three alkyl tails, demonstrates enhanced aggregative activity and binding capacity toward ONus as compared to former pyrimidinic surfactants. Due to effective aggregative (low cmc of 0.04 mM ) plus binding properties (fraction of bound ONu β=0.76 at r=2.5), GPM‐2 may be ranked as a promising agent for wider biological applications.     

A Raman Scattering Study of PbTiO3 and TiO2 Obtained by Sol-Gel

The mechanisms that give rise to the broadening and the shifts of the Raman peaks of titanium dioxide and lead titanate nanocrystals prepared by sol-gel are discussed. Phonon confinement and oxygen deficiency are competitive mechanisms in TiO2 obtained by different sol-gel preparations whereas pressure effects on the nanocrystals predominate in ferroelectric PbTiO3.     

Three Spectrophotometric Methods for the Determination of Oxomemazine Hydrochloride in Bulk and in Pharmaceutical Formulations Using Bromocresol Green,Congo Red,and Methyl Orange

Abstract

Three simple, sensitive, and highly accurate spectrophotometric methods have been developed for the determination of oxomemazine hydrochloride (OXO‐HCl) in bulk and in pharmaceutical formulations. These methods are based on the formation of yellow ion‐pair complexes between the examined drug and bromocresol green (BCG), congo red (CR), and methyl orange (MO) as reagents in universal buffer solution of pH 3.0, 5.5, and 3.5, respectively. The formed complexes were extracted with chloroform and measured at 413, 495, and 484 nm, respectively for the three systems. The best conditions of the reaction were studied and optimized. Beer's law was obeyed in the concentration ranges 2.0–18.0, 2.0–14.0, and 2.0–16.0 µg ml^?1 with molar absorptivity of 4.1×10⁴, 1.1×10⁴, and 3.5×10⁴ mol^?1cm^?1, for the BCG, CR, and MO methods, respectively. Sandell's sensitivity, correlation coefficient, detection, and quantification limits are also calculated. The proposed methods have been applied successfully for the analysis of the drug in pure and in its dosage forms. No interference was observed from common pharmaceutical excipients and additives. Statistical comparison of the results with those obtained by HPLC method shows excellent agreement and indicates no significant difference in accuracy and precision.     

Interfacial Composition of Surfactant Aggregates in the Presence of Fragrance: A Chemical Trapping Study

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in daily-use chemical products providing a pleasant scent. The added fragrance molecules may induce microstructural transitions of surfactant aggregates, which further affect the physical and chemical properties of the products. Here, the effects of four types of aromatic alcohols (cinnamyl alcohol, phenyl ethanol, phenyl methanol and anisyl alcohol) on cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)/KBr aggregates were studied. The combined results from rheology, dynamic light scattering, and transmission electron microscopy measurements showed that cinnamyl alcohol induced significant micellar growth, while increases in micellar growth were less obvious for the other aromatic alcohols. The changes in the interfacial molarities of water, aromatic alcohol, and bromide ions during such transitions were studied using the chemical trapping method. Transitions resulting from added cinnamyl alcohol were accompanied by significant declines in interfacial water and bromide ion molarities, and a rise in interfacial alcohol molarity. The marked decrease in interfacial water molarity was not observed in previous studies of the octanol induced formation of wormlike micelles and vesicles, indicating that a different mechanism was presented in the current system. Nuclear magnetic resonance investigation showed that π–π stacking between cinnamyl alcohols, but not cation–π interactions between alcohols and CTAB headgroups, facilitated the tight packing of alcohol molecules in CTAB aggregates and the repulsion of water from the interfacial region. The current study may provide a theoretical basis for the morphological regulation of surfactant aggregates in the presence of additives.     

Surfactant‐Dependent Charge Transfer between Polyoxometalates and Single‐Walled Carbon Nanotubes: A Fluorescence Spectroscopic Study

Hybridizations of redox‐active polyoxometalates (POMs) with single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) have been widely investigated for their diverse applications. For the purpose of constructing high‐quality electronic devices, controlling charge transfer within POM/SWNT hybrids is an inevitable issue. As determined by means of fluorescence spectroscopy, electron transfer between SWNTs and a common POM dopant, phosphomolybdic acid (PMo₁₂), can be tuned simply by an alteration of nanotube surfactant type from anionic to nonionic. The mechanism is attributed to the influence of surfactant type on the stabilization of the electron donor–acceptor hybrid and effect of surfactant–nanotube interactions. These results will be important to control charge‐transport behavior in nanohybrids consisting of carbon nanotubes.     

A Study on the Vinyl Acetate-co-Butyl Acrylate Latexes in the Presence of N-Methylol Acrylamide and Mixed Type Emulsifiers

Summary: The properties of copolymer latexes depend on the copolymer composition, polymer morphology, initiator, polymerization medium and colloidal characteristics of copolymer particles. Poly(vinyl acetate-co-butyl acrylate) latexes with N-metylol acrylamide were prepared by applying semicontinuous emulsion polymerization. The systems studied were (a) the mixture of anionic sodium lauryl sulfate ether (SELES) with nonionic 30 moles ethoxylated nonyl phenol (NP 30) (50:50), (b) the mixture of anionic sodium lauryl sulfate ether (SELES) with nonionic 30 moles ethoxylated nonyl phenol (NP 30) (70:30), and (c) anionic sodium lauryl sulfate ether (SELES) (100%). The effects of the emulsifier and emulsifier composition on the physicochemical properties of obtained vinyl acetate-co-butyl acrylate latex properties in the presence of N-methylol acrylamide initiated by ammonium persulfate were investigated.