Pulsed NMR study of molecular motion in the uncured diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A

The diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A, an uncured epoxy resin, has been studied by pulsed NMR. Values of the proton relaxation times T₁, T_1p, and T₂ have been measured over the temperature range from ?160 to 200°C. The resin was studied in its monomeric form and in two mixtures containing higher oligomers. The relaxation times are interpreted in terms of the molecular motion in the resins. The motion responsible for relaxation in the solid monomer form is thought to be methyl group reorientation at low temperatures and general molecular motion at high temperatures. The motions are characterized by activation energies of 5 kcal/mole and 33 kcal/mole, respectively. The solid mixtures exhibit similar effects to the monomer, but an additional relaxation mechanism is observed which is attributed to segmental motion. This motion is characterized by an activation energy of 12–15 kcal/mole. The self-diffusion coefficient was measured in the liquid monomer, and the activation energy for self-diffusion is found to be 11 kcal/mole.     

Relation of the decay of free radicals in irradiated polyethylene to the molecular motion of the polymer and the configurations of the free radicals

Decay reactions of the free radicals produced in irradiated polyethylene (high-density and low-density materials) were examined in connection with the molecular motion of the matrix polymer. Three temperature regions, in which the free radicals decay very rapidly, at around 120, 200, and 250°K, were designated T_A, T_L, and T_B, respectively. The decay of the free radicals at these temperatures had activation energies in high-density polyethylene of 0.4 kcal/mole for T_A, 9.4 kcal/mole for T_L, and 18.4 kcal/mole for T_B. In low-density polyethylene these quantities were 0.7 kcal/mole for T_A, 23.1 kcal/mole for T_L, and 24.8 kcal/mole for T_B. Comparison of time constants for the decay reactions and for molecular motion of the matrix polymer indicate that the decay in T_A and T_B is closely related to molecular motion in the amorphous regions of the polymer. The decay of the free radicals at T_L in high-density polyethylene is due to molecular motion associated with local mode relaxation at lamellar surfaces, while that of low-density polyethylene is due to local mode relaxation in the completely amorphous region. Steric configurations of the free radicals which decay in the respective temperature regions were also investigated.     

Proton NMR study of molecular motion in polydimethylsiloxane

Proton spin–lattice relaxation times T₁ were measured for two samples of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), one with weight-average molecular weight M_w = 77,400 and the other with M_w = 609,000. Two T₁ minima and a T₁ discontinuity were observed for each compound. The high-temperature T₁ minima were attributed to a stretching and flexing motion of the PDMS chain. Quantitative comparison of the relaxation data with a theoretical model developed for this motion allowed the activation energy, 2.3 kcal/mole, and the maximum angular displacement of the methyl group symmetry axis to be determined. The latter was found to be 31°, independent of sample molecular weight. The low-temperature minima were ascribed to methyl reorientation with an activation energy of 1.6 kcal/mole. The T₁ discontinuities were attributed to melting and allowed the degree of crystallinity to be estimated.     

Isothermal and nonisothermal creep of lightly crosslinked cis-1,4 polybutadiene

A nonisothermal creep experiment has been analyzed to ascertain its suitability for determining the temperature dependence of low activation energy viscoelastic processes in elastomers far above T_g. The nonisothermal method was employed to determine the activation energy for creep near 35°C in a lightly crosslinked cis-1,4 polybutadiene elastomer at small strains within the linear viscoelastic region, and at various large deformations up to rupture. The observed activation energy was essentially independent of the level of strain, and the value of ΔH_a (～11 kcal/mole) determined via the nonisothermal creep method was in good agreement with the result (～12 kcal/mole) obtained via time-temperature superposition of isothermal linear viscoelastic creep data. The nonisothermal data allowed for an estimate of the volume of the “flow unit” associated with the controlling viscoelastic creep mechanism, attributed here to slippage of entanglements within the lightly crosslinked network.     

Molecular motion and spin relaxation in polydiethylsiloxane

Quantitative comparison of previously published NMR spin-relaxation data for polydiethylsiloxane with theoretical predictions for a variety of motional processes allowed both the nature and time scale of molecular motions to be identified. At the lowest temperatures, methyl reorientation produced a T₁ minimum and was found to proceed with an activation energy of 2.4 kcal/mole in both amorphous and crystalline phases. Reorientation of the ethyl groups in the amorphous phase was observed at a higher temperature with an activation energy of 9.3 kcal/mole. Relaxation in the melting region was influenced by flexing and stretching of the helical polymer chain. The maximum angular displacement of the chain was estimated to be 24°, with an activation energy for this process of 2.6 kcal/mole.     

Molecular orbital theory of the hydrogen bond. 24. Ground-state water–uracil complexes

Ab initio SCF calculations with the STO -3G basis set have been performed to investigate the structural, energetic, and electronic properties of mixed water–uracil dimers formed at the six hydrogen-bonding sites in the uracil molecular plane. Hydrogen-bond formation at three of the carbonyl oxygen sites leads to cyclic structures in which a water molecule bridges N₁? H and O₂, N₃? H and O₂, and N₃? H and O₄. Open structures form at O₄, N₁? H, and N₃? H. The two most stable structures, with energies of 9.9 and 9.7 kcal/mole, respectively, are the open structure at N₁? H and the cyclic one at N₁? H and O₂. These two are easily interconverted, and may be regarded as corresponding to just one “wobble” dimer. At 1 kcal/mole higher in energy is another “wobble” dimer consisting of an open structure at N₃? H and a cyclic structure at N₃? H and O₄. The third cyclic structure at N₃? H and O₂ collapses to the “wobble” dimer at N₃? H and O₄. The two “wobble” dimers are significantly more stable than the open dimer formed at O₄, which has a stabilization energy of 5.4 kcal/mole. Uracil is a stronger proton donor to water through N₁? H than N₃? H, owing to a more favorable molecular dipole moment alignment when association occurs through H₁. Hydration of uracil by additional water molecules has also been investigated. Dimer stabilization energies and hydrogen-bond energies are nearly additive in most 2:1 water:uracil structures. There are three stable “wobble” trimers, which have stabilization energies that vary from 7 to 9 kcal/mole per water molecule. Hydrogen-bond strengths are slightly enhanced in 3:1 water:uracil structures, but the cooperative effect in hydrogen bonding is still relatively small. The single stable water–uracil tetramer is a “wobble” tetramer, with two water molecules which are relatively free to move between adjacent hydrogen-bonding sites, and a stabilization energy of approximately 8 kcal/mole per water molecule. Within the rigid dimer approximation, successive hydration of uracil is limited to the addition of one, two, or three water molecules.     

Substituentenabhängigkeit der Ringinversion des Ungesättigten Siebenringes bei Benzocycloheptenderivaten. Konformative Beweglichkeit flexibler Ringsysteme—XIV: Untersuchungen mit Hilfe der Protonenresonanzspektroskopie

NMR spectroscopy has been used to investigate the ring inversions of the unsaturated seven membered ring system in a total of 20 benzocycloheptene derivatives with 1, 2 and 3 pairs of geminal substituents. For all compounds the inversion of the ring at ? 80°C is ‘frozen’ and at this temperature only one conformation is present in detectable quantity, presumably that of the chair form. The free activation enthalpies ΔG^≠ for the chair inversions lie between 9·9 and 13·7 kcal/mole. For disubstituted and tetrasubstituted benzocycloheptenes the ΔG^≠ values vary according to the positions of the ligands: for disubstituted derivatives ΔG^≠ is largest for the 5-position and smallest for the 3-position. For the tetrasubstituted derivatives the inversion of the ring—compared to that in the comparable dimethyl derivatives—is made more difficult when the ligands are in the 3,6- or 3,7- positions, but is facilitated when in the 3,5- or 4,6- positions. The effect observed in the 3,5- and 4,6- substituted rings is due to transanular repulsion of synaxial substituents, which leads to a flattening of the ring. Such a repulsion does not occur when the ligands are in the 3,6- positions. On the other hand, when the ligands are in 3,7- positions the transanular repulsion leads to a stronger puckering of the chair; the inversion could be hindered by this. For benzocycloheptene the activation energies for the inversions between chair, boat and twist (S, W, T) conformations were determined from model calculations. The best route for the inversion of the chair is the version way S → W via the transitional conformation V₄₅ and V₅₆. The calculated activation energy for this (14·6 kcal/mole) agrees well with the experimentally determined value (13 ± 1·5 kcal/mole). For the pseudorotation W → T a slightly lower calculated value of 11·1 kcal/mole was found.     

Calculations on the singlet-triplet energy separations of silaethylene

The total energy and the conformational hypersurface of the lowest singlet and triplet states of silaethylene, CH₂SiH₂ have been studied using ab initio SCF MO calculations with unrestricted and restricted Hartree-Fock methods. A minimal and an extended basis set was employed. The ground state is predicted to be a singlet and the lowest triplet state to lie 9.6 kcal/mole above. The estimated correlation energy correction would raise ΔE(T₁S₀) to ≈ 16 kcal/mole.     

Small elemental clusters. I. The structures of Be2, Be3, Be4, and Be5

The geometries and energies of beryllium clusters up to Be₅ are examined using ab initio molecular orbital theory. Allowances are made for electron correlation with Møller—Plesset perturbation theory to fourth order. Correlation is found to have a dramatic effect on the relative energies of the several structures examined for Be₄ and Be₅. Furthermore, the effect of d-type basis functions on the correlation energy results in an increased binding energy for the clusters. Be₂ is only weakly bound. For Be₃, the best estimate of the binding energy is 6 kcal/mole for the singlet equilateral triangle. Be₄ is tetrahedral in its ground state and the estimated binding is 56 kcal/mole. The best structure for Be₅ is a singlet trigonal bipyramid, and the binding energy is 88 kcal/mole at the highest level of theory used.     

AB initio SCF LCAO MO study of the HOH…Cl− hydrogen bond

Ab initio SCF LCAO MO calculations for the [H₂O…Cl]^? complex have been performed. The energy of the linear hydrogen bond has been found to be lower than the energy of the bifurcated one. The difference of the energies is about 3 kcal/mole. The calculated equilibrium distance between the oxygen and chlorine atoms equals 5.75 au. The interaction energy of the chlorine anion and the rigid water molecule amounts to ?19 kcal/mole. The optimization of the OH bond length in the complex (linear hydrogen bond) leads to an interaction energy of ?19.5 kcal/mole (the experimental value equals ?13.1 kcal/mole). As a result of the hydrogen bond formation the OH bond length increases by 0.08 au.     

Kinetics of the I2-catalyzed isomerization of allyl chloride to cis- and trans-1-chloro-1-propene. The stabilization energy of the chloroallyl radical

The I₂-catalyzed isomerization of allyl chloride to cis- and trans- l-chloro-l-propene was measured in a static system in the temperature range 225–329°C. Propylene was found as a side product, mainly at the lower temperatures. The rate constant for an abstraction of a hydrogen atom from allyl chloride by an iodine atom was found to obey the equation log [k,/M^?1 sec^?1] = (10.5 ± 0.2) ?; (18.3 ± 10.4)/θ, where θ is 2.303RT in kcal/mole. Using this activation energy together with 1 ± 1 kcal/mole for the activation energy for the reaction of HI with alkyl radicals gives DH⁰ (CH₂CHCHCl? H) = 88.6 ± 1.1 kcal/mole, and 7.4 ± 1.5 kcal/mole as the stabilization energy (SE) of the chloroallyl radical. Using the results of Abell and Adolf on allyl fluoride and allyl bromide, we conclude DH⁰ (CH₂CHCHF? H) = 88.6 ± 1.1 and DH⁰ (CH₂CHCHBr? H) = 89.4 ± 1.1 kcal/ mole; the SE of the corresponding radicals are 7.4 ± 2.2 and 7.8 ± 1.5 kcal/mole. The bond dissociation energies of the C? H bonds in the allyl halides are similar to that of propene, while the SE values are about 2 kcal/mole less than in the allyl radical, resulting perhaps more from the stabilization of alkyl radicals by α-halogen atoms than from differences in the unsaturated systems.     

Synthesis and EPR investigation of nitroxyl derivatives of fullerenes C<Subscript>60</Subscript> and C<Subscript>70</Subscript>

Nitroxide derivatives of C₆₀ and C₇₀ were obtained by [3+2] cycloaddition of 4-(4-azidophenyl)-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-3-oxy-2,5-dihydroimidazol-1-oxyl to fullerenes. The products were isolated by TLC and studied by EPR and optical spectroscopy. Molecular rotation of the adducts was shown to slow down on successive addition of the nitroxides, rotational correlation times depending nearly linearly on the number of the nitroxides added. Investigation of photochemical stability of nitroxide derivatives of C₆₀ and C₇₀ in benzene-ethanol medium reveal that the dissolved oxygen quenches efficiently the excitation of nitroxide (λ = 250–400 nm). In the absence of oxygen photoexcitation converts nitroxides to diamagnetic products, presumably, hydroxylamines formed through the interaction with the solvent.     

Structure electronique des complexes acide-base de Lewis. I. Structure electronique et conformation moléculaire des molécules F3P·BH3 et F2HP·BH3

The electronic structure and preferred conformations of F₃P·BH₃ and F₂HP·BH₃ are investigated in the framework of the CNDO /2 approximation. In complete agreement with microwave data, the staggered conformations are predicted to be the most stable ones. The barriers to internal rotation are in good agreement with experimental values (F₃P·BH₃: calc. = 3.03 kcal/mole, exp. = 3.24 ± 0.15 kcal/mole; F₂HP·BH₃: calc. = 3.63 kcal/mole, exp. = 4.05 ± 0.45 kcal/mole) and a bicentric energy partitioning shows that the variations of the total energy are completely reflected by the only variation of the interaction energy between phosphorus and H atoms bonded to boron. The analysis of the electron densities reveals the importance of the 3s(P) → 2p_x(B) transfer in the formation of the co-ordination. Finally, the computed dipole moment value and direction agree with corresponding experimental data.     

Further studies on the dissociation of HBr behind shock waves

Previously reported shock tube studies of the dissociation of HBr in the temperature range of 2100–4200°K have been extended to lower temperatures (1450–2300°K) in pure HBr. The course of reaction was followed by monitoring the radiative recombination emission in the visible spectrum from Br atoms. The results imply that, in the lower range of temperatures, the activation energy of dissociation, E in the expression AT^?2e^?E/RT, can be approximated by the HBr bond energy (88 kcal/mole). It was also found that, in this temperature range, the rate of HBr dissociation is sensitive to the Br₂ dissociation rate and the HBr + Br exchange rate. When these rates were adjusted to bring computed reaction profiles into agreement with experimental ones, it was found that the higher-temperature data could also be fitted reasonably well with an HBr dissociation activation energy of 88 kcal/mole, contrary to the conclusions of our previous work, which favored an activation energy of 50 kcal/mole. The “best value” for k₁^Ar, the rate coefficient for HBr dissociation in the presence of Ar as chaperone, appears to be 10^{21.78 ± 0.3} T^?2 10^?88/θ cc/mole sec, where θ = 2.3 RT/1000; that for k₁^HBr, is 10^22.66T^?210^?88/θ. A detailed review is given of the rate coefficients for the other pertinent reactions in the H₂–Br₂ system, viz., Br₂ dissociation and reactions of HBr with H and Br.     

Heterocycles. CII. Barriers to rotation in some N′-Heteroaryl N,N-dimethylformamidines

The free energies of activation about the =CH? NMe₂ bond in N′-heteroaryl N,N-dimethylformamidines have been found in the range from 15.6 kcal/mole to 23 kcal/mole.     

Equilibrium anionic polymerization of 4,7-dioxaoctanal and n-octanal

Equilibrium anionic polymerization of 4,7-dioxaoctanal (DOA) and n-octanal (OA) was carried out in tetrahydrofuran in the temperature range of ?90 to ?68°C, and thermodynamic parameters were evaluated as follows: ΔH_ss = ?4.0 ± 0.1 kcal/mole, ΔS_ss = ?18.4 ± 0.5 cal/mole-deg, and T_c,ss = ?56°C for the DOA system; ΔH_sc = ?3.4 ± 0.1 kcal/mole, ΔS_sc = ?15.7 ± 0.4 cal/mole-deg, and T_c,sc = ?59°C for the OA system. Comparison of these values with those in the cases of β-methoxypropionaldehyde and n-valeraldehyde made it clear that the aliphatic aldehyde having a longer alkyl group polymerizes with smaller changes of enthalpy and entropy and that the polar-substituted aldehydes have higher polymerizability than the corresponding unsubstituted aliphatic aldehydes in the temperature range studied. These effects of substituents are interpreted from the viewpoint of the intermolecular interactions of polar groups in monomers and their polymers.     

Aminolysis of n-butyl methacrylate–styrene copolymer with Di- and trifunctional amines

Aminolysis of a random copolymer of styrene and n-butyl methacrylate (2.54:1.00 mole ratio) with 6-aminohexanol has been studied. Kinetics were determined by covalently dyeing the functional polymer and spectrally measuring dye content. In the presence of 1,4-diaza[2,2,2]bicyclooctane (DABCO), an activation energy of 22.2 ± 1.0 kcal/mole was calculated from the temperature dependence of the overall rate of reaction. The rate is independent of solvent polarity. The rate at 189°C is 2.1-fold slower than that of poly(n-butyl methacrylate). The phenyl group of the styryl moiety inhibits the reaction, apparently via a steric effect. This aminolysis technique affords noncrosslinked (similar M?_n and M?_w) functional polymers. By a similar process an aminediol and an alcohol which contained a secondary and a primary amino group also yielded noncrosslinked functionalized polymers.     

Kinetics and thermochemistry of the gas phase reaction of methyl ethyl ketone with iodine. I. The resonance energy of the methylacetonyl radical

The gas phase reaction of iodine (2.8–43.3 torr) with methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) (7.4–303.4 torr) has been studied over the temperature range 280–355°C in a static system. The initial rate of disappearance of I₂ is first order in MEK and half order in I₂. The rate-determining step is the abstraction of a secondary hydrogen atom by an iodine atom: where k₁ is given by and θ = 2.303RT in kcal/mole. This activation energy is equivalent to a secondary C? H bond strength of 92.3 ± 1.4 kcal/mole and ΔH of the methylacetonyl radical = -16.8 ± 1.7 kcal/mole. By comparison with 95 kcal/mole for the secondary C? H bond strength, when delocalization of the unpaired electron with a pi bond is not possible, the resonance stabilization of the methylacetonyl radical is calculated to be 2.7 ± 1.7 kcal/mole. This value is 10 kcal/mole less than the stabilization energy of the isoelectronic methylallyl radical. The difference in pi bond energies in the canonical forms of the methylacetonyl radical is shown to account for the variation in stabilization energies.     

Diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A with 4,4′-methylenedianiline: A pulsed NMR study of the curing process

The curing process, during which the monomeric diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A is cured with 4,4′-methylenedianiline, has been studied by pulsed NMR. Values of the proton relaxation times T₁, T_1ρ, and T₂ have been measured as a function of time as the resin system cures at constant temperature. The relaxation times are interpreted in terms of the decrease in general molecular motion which results from the cure. Plots of correlation frequency versus time for the constant-temperature cure were constructed for three temperatures. It is shown that these three plots can be represented by a reduced curve. With certain simplifying assumptions, the shape of this reduced curve. With certain simplifying assumptions, the shape of this reduced curve can be accounted for in terms of the chemical rate constant and an exponent relating molecular weight to viscosity. The activation energy for the cure is estimated to be 11.7 kcal/mole.     

Very low-pressure pyrolysis (VLPP) of alkyl cyanides. II. n-propyl cyanide and isobutyl cyanide. The heat of formation and stabilization energy of the cyanomethyl radical

The very low-pressure pyrolysis (VLPP) technique has been used to study the pyrolysis of n-propyl cyanide over the temperature range of 1090–1250°K. Decomposition proceeds via two pathways, C₂? C₃ bond fission and C₃? C₄ bond fission, with the former accounting for >90% of the overall decomposition. Application of unimolecular reaction rate theory shows that the experimental unimolecular rate constants for C₂? C₃ fission are consistent with the high-pressure Arrhenius parameters given by where θ=2.303RT kcal/mole. The activation energy leads to DH₂₉₈⁰[C₂H₅? CH₂CN]=76.9±1.7 kcal/mole and ΔH(?H₂CN, g)=58.5±2.2 kcal/mole. The stabilization energy of the cyanomethyl radical has been found to be 5.1±2.6 kcal/mole, which is the same as the value for the α-cyanoethyl radical. This result suggests that DH[CH₂(CN)? H] ～ 93 kcal/mole, which is considerably higher than previously reported. The value obtained for ΔH_?⁰(?H₂CN) should be usable for prediction of the activation energy for C₂? C₃ fission in primary alkyl cyanides, and this has been confirmed by a study of the VLPP of isobutyl cyanide over the temperature range of 1011–1123°K. The decomposition reactions parallel those for n-propyl cyanide, and the experimental data for C₂? C₃ fission are compatible with the Arrhenius expression A significant finding of this work is that HCN elimination from either compound is practically nonexistent under the experimental conditions. Decomposition of the radical, CH₃CHCH₂CN, generated by C₃? C₄ fission in isobutyl cyanide, yields vinyl cyanide and not the expected product, crotonitrile. This may be explained by a radical isomerization involving either a 1,2-CN shift or a 1,2-H shift.