Dendrimers with both polar and apolar nanocontainer characteristics

Amphiphilic dendrimers with a custom-designed biaryl repeat unit have been synthesized. These dendrimers afford hydrophobic nanocontainers in polar solvents and hydrophilic nanocontainers in apolar solvents. These container properties were investigated using dye incorporation studies. The aggregation states of these dendrimers are also reported using DLS studies.     

Characterization of mineral oxide charging in apolar media

This paper presents an investigation of the charging behavior of mineral oxide particles dispersed in apolar media. There are a growing number of applications that seek to use electrostatic effects in apolar media to control particle movement and improve aggregation stability. Progress is limited, however, by incomplete knowledge of the mechanism(s) of particle charging in these systems. It has been shown in a number of cases that the acid-base properties of both the particles and the surfactants used to stabilize charge play key roles. A mechanism for acid-base charging has previously been established for mineral oxides in aqueous systems, where the surface hydroxyl groups act as proton donors or receivers depending on the pH of the surrounding solution. In water, the pH at which the surface charge density is zero, i.e., the point of zero charge (PZC), can be used to characterize the acid-base nature of the mineral oxide particles. The current work explores the possible extension of this charging behavior to apolar systems, with the key difference that the surface hydroxyl groups of the mineral oxides react with the surfactant molecules instead of free ions in solution. The apolar charging behavior is explored by measuring the electrophoretic mobility of a series of mineral oxides dispersed in a solution of Isopar-L and AOT, a neutral surfactant in water. The electrophoretic mobility of the particles is found to scale quantitatively, with respect to both sign and magnitude, with their aqueous PZC value. This provides support for the theory of acid-base charging in apolar media and represents a method for predicting and controlling particle charge of mineral oxides dispersed in apolar media.     

Conformational ordering of apolar, chiral m-phenylene ethynylene oligomers

A series of m-phenylene ethynylene oligomers containing nonpolar, (S)-3,7-dimethyl-1-octanoxy side chains have been synthesized and studied. In apolar alkane solvents, oligomers of sufficient length (n > 10) were found to adopt a helical conformation with a large twist sense bias. In contrast, in chloroform the oligomers adopt a random coil conformation. Surprisingly, the strong twist sense bias was determined to be highly time dependent and is partially attributed to intermolecular aggregation.     

Quantitative analysis of apolar polysiloxane phases in large-bore capillary columns

Summary A technique is described for determination of the amount of bonded phase in commercial columns. It is adapted to the determination of the real nature and the thickness of a siloxane bonded film. Ten-centimeter samples of column are used. The method is tested for large-bore capillary columns. Applications to kinetic studies are suggested.     

Preparation of apolar glass capillary columns by the barium carbonate procedure

As an extension of previous reports, the barium carbonate procedure has been optimized in detail for the preparation of apolar columns. The aim was to produce optimum overall column characteristics, and to maintain them unchanged under the prolonged influence of the highest possible temperature. The main parameters under optimization were glass variety, leaching of glass surface with aqueous HCl, and amount of barium carbonate deposited, while deactivation and coating were kept constant. The basic column characteristics were adsorption properties and thermostability of deactivation, acid/base behaviour and separation efficiency. They were determined by a new, quantitative testing procedure. Intense leaching was able to eliminate almost totally the differences between glass varieties and to create a well-defined glass surface. While untreated glass, leached glass, and barium carbonate treated glass showed specific weak points in the respective column quality, the combination of leaching and barium carbonate treatment yielded the highest and most stable quality. Some technical modifications of the preparation procedure are described, including deactivation in the gas phase, and use of pentane as a solvent for static coating.     

Rheological characterisation of bis-urea based viscoelastic solutions in an apolar solvent

The rheological properties of hydrogen bonded reversible aggregates in apolar solvent have been investigated. The zero shear viscosity, the plateau modulus and the terminal viscoelastic relaxation time exhibit power laws dependencies with the concentration that have been compared with the behaviours expected for reversible polymers. It appears that the dynamics originate from scission/recombination mechanisms. Moreover, the growth of the aggregates with concentration follows the laws observed and predicted for worm-like micelles at low concentrations allowing the length of the aggregates to be estimated 500 nm at 3 g L(-1). However, at the highest concentrations investigated, deviations from the power laws suggest the presence of some intrinsic chain stopper poisons in the solutions.     

Rheological and electrical characteristics of carbon black dispersions in apolar dielectric medium

Results of the study of the rheological characteristics, as well as of the electrical resistance and capacity of vaseline oil suspensions of carbon blacks with different degrees of oxidation under the action of shear and vibration are reported. Possible mechanisms of suspension conductivity as a function of the regime of dynamic loading are considered. The reasons for the appearance and displacement of dilatant peaks in vaseline oil suspensions of carbon black are proposed as being dependent on the content of particles of solid phase and the degree of surface oxidation.     

Effects of dehydration on the apolar surface energetics of inorganic paper fillers

The surface energies of various inorganic fillers including kaolin clay, titanium dioxide, and talc were examined using inverse gas chromatography (IGC). In an earlier investigation that examined calcium carbonate fillers, dehydration by heating under a dry nitrogen purge had a substantial influence on the apolar (gammaS(LW)) and polar (gammaS(AB)) components of surface energy as measured using IGC. Using the same approach, the influence of such conditioning on several inorganic fillers used in papermaking were determined using preconditioning IGC from 100 to 300 degrees C, and sequential isothermal analysis at 100 degrees C. Results from IGC analysis of titanium dioxides (rutile and anatase) were similar to precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) for temperatures up to 200 degrees C. PCC was significantly more energetic after preconditioning at 300 degrees C, which may indicate the onset of significant thermal decomposition that titanium dioxides will not exhibit. Kaolin clay samples had relatively high apolar surface energy similar to that of the chalk samples. Calcination gave lower gammaS(LW) values that could not be accounted for by changes in the microporous structure. More likely the differences resulted from contamination of highly energetic surface sites with adsorbates other than water. Talc samples exhibited relatively high apolar surface energies that increased with preconditioning temperature. The results provided insight into the significance of water on the final adhesion properties of fillers in the sheet structure or coating layer.     

Is water critical to the formation of micelles in apolar media??

Photon correlation studies in H₂O/sodium di-2-ethylhexylsulfosuccinate (AOT)/i-C₈H₁₈-systems, pertinent IR. investigations, and vapor pressure osmometric measurements with alkylated quaternary ammonium di-2-ethylhexylsulfosuccinates strongly suggest water to be pre-requistite for the micellization in apolar media.     

Gas chromatographic separation of polychlorinated biphenyls on a new apolar capillary column

Eighty one polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and nineteen chlorinated pesticide standards have been analyzed on a newly developed apolar high resolution gas chromatography (HRGC) column. Emphasis was placed on the determination of PCB indicator congeners which are part of national regulations, and of toxic coplanar PCB congeners. The new column enables almost unambiguous quantification of the PCB indicator congeners (PCB 138 can be separated from both PCB 163 and PCB 164; PCB 28 and PCB 31 were also separated and no coelution was observed for PCB 52, PCB 118, and PCB 180). The new column furnished better results than CP-Sil 8 for the analysis of PCB indicator congeners in a sample of seal blubber.     

The use of silicon in the preparation of apolar glass capillary columns

As an extention of previous reports, variables affecting the performance of columns modified by silicon deposition have been optimized. The aim of this work was to produce thermostable apolar glass capillary columns regardless of the glass type used and to maintain column performance under stressful conditions. The main parameters studied were the influence of glass type, leaching effects, and silicon layer thickness on column activity. Deactivation and stationary phase conditions were held constant. Both coated and uncoated columns were tested. The thickness of the silicon layer was found to be relatively unimportant. There was no difference whether soft glass or borosiiicate glass was used and leaching before silicon deposition did not influence column activity. Bare silicon surfaces showed considerable activity especially in respect to interactions with free acids and bases. There are indications that the surface consists of silicon oxide and other oxygenated forms of silicon rather than of the element. Treatment of the silicon layers with dilute hydrofluoric acid and the strict exclusion of traces of oxygen and water did not improve the situation. In spite of such specific interactions, silicon surfaces were easily deactivated by heat treatment with polysiloxanes. Silicon surfaces deactivated by baking with octamethyltetrasiloxane at 400°C are inert and temperature stable and show characteristics similar to persilylated surfaces.     

Novel zigzag-shaped compounds exhibiting apolar columnar mesophases with oblique and rectangular lattices

The design, synthesis and characterisation of some compounds whose constituent molecules have a completely new shape have been carried out. A total of eight different series/part of series of these zigzag-shaped compounds that are either symmetrical or unsymmetrical were synthesised. Only two mesophases were observed, and on the basis of polarising optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction and electro-optical studies, these have been characterised as columnar phases with a rectangular or an oblique lattice. Perhaps, these represent the first examples of a rigid zigzag-shaped compound exhibiting a mesophase.     

Utilizing dual responsive supramolecular gel to stabilize graphene oxide in apolar solvents

Here, we report a dual stimuli-responsive organogel which can stabilize graphene oxide (GO) in apolar solvents. The gelator 1-octadecyl-ureido-naphthalene (OUN) was synthesized, and it could form organogel in toluene and xylene. The resultant gels can respond to thermal and anion stimuli, bringing about fluorescent changes. Thin nanoribbons are entangled together to form three dimensional networks that can immobilize solvents in gel, providing large superficial area to interact with GO sheets. The addition of GO influences the gel properties, which are studied through rheological, fluorescent, and DSC measurements.     

Contribution enthalpic in the interaction of activated carbon with polar and apolar solvents

A method is presented for calculating the contribution that enthalpies make for every component of mixtures of activated carbon–water and activated carbon–hexane to the immersion enthalpy using the concepts that are used in the solution enthalpies. The immersion enthalpies of microporous activated carbon in water and in hexane have values from ?18.97 to ?27.21 and ?25.23 to ?47.89 J g^?1, respectively. From the immersion enthalpies and mass relation of the activated carbon in each of the solvents, the differential enthalpies are calculated for the activated carbon in water, Hw_DIFac, with values between ?15.95 and ?26.81 J g^?1, as are the differential enthalpies for the activated carbon in hexane, ΔHh_DIFac, with values between ?6.86 and ?46.97 J g^?1. For a low mass relation of the mixture components the contributions to the immersion enthalpy of the activated carbon and water differ by 3.20 J g^?1, while the difference between the contributions of the activated carbon and hexane is 19.41 J g^?1.     

Binding of methyl orange and its homologs by polycations containing apolar pendant groups

The binding of methyl orange, ethyl orange, and propyl orange by polycations involving various apolar pendant groups such as methyl, ethyl, benzyl, or dodecylbenzyl groups has been examined quantitatively by an equilibrium dialysis method at 5, 15, 25, and 35°C. The first binding constants and the thermodynamic parameters in the course of the binding have been calculated. The favorable free energy of the binding is accompanied by an entropy gain and an exothermic enthalpy change. The shorter the alkyl chain of the dyes or the polymers, the more negative is the enthalpy change and hence the smaller is the entropy change. Furthermore, an increase in binding affinity can be created in the polycation upon introduction of hydrophobic groups. In particular, the binding ability of the polycation containing a dodecylbenzyl group for methyl orange is almost 300-fold that of bovine serum albumin. Therefore it is clear that hydrophobic interactions, as well as electrostatic ones, are involved in the binding.     

Effect of surface roughness and softness on water capillary adhesion in apolar media

The roughness and softness of interacting surfaces are both important parameters affecting the capillary condensation of water in apolar media, yet are poorly understood at present. We studied the water capillary adhesion between a cellulose surface and a silica colloidal probe in hexane by AFM force measurements. Nanomechanical measurements show that the Young's modulus of the cellulose layer in water is significantly less (~7 MPa) than in hexane (~7 GPa). In addition, the cellulose surface in both water and hexane is rather rough (6-10 nm) and the silica probe has a comparable roughness. The adhesion force between cellulose and silica in water-saturated hexane shows a time-dependent increase up to a waiting time of 200 s and is much (2 orders of magnitude) lower than that expected for a capillary bridge spanning the whole silica probe surface. This suggests the formation of one or more smaller bridges between asperities on both surfaces, which is confirmed by a theoretical analysis. The overall growth rate of the condensate cannot be explained from diffusion mediated capillary condensation alone; thin film flow due to the presence of a wetting layer of water at both the surfaces seems to be the dominant contribution. The logarithmic time dependence of the force can also be explained from the model of the formation of multiple capillary bridges with a distribution of activation times. Finally, the force-distance curves upon retraction show oscillations. Capillary condensation between an atomically smooth mica surface and the silica particle show less significant oscillations and the adhesion force is independent of waiting time. The oscillations in the force-distance curves between cellulose and silica may stem from multiple bridge formation between the asperities present on both surfaces. The softness of the cellulose surface can bring in additional complexities during retraction of the silica particle, also resulting in oscillations in the force-distance curves.