Chemical modifications of polycyclopentadiene

Polycyclopentadiene, which is known to undergo extremely fast autoxidation resulting in insoluble products, was chemically modified, leading to derivatives no longer sensitive to oxygen. Soluble and stable products can be obtained in high conversions by Diels-Alder addition of hexachlorocyclopentadiene (96.5 mole-%), by epoxidation (93.5 mole-%), and by addition of thioglycolic acid (97.9 mole-%). A prerequisite is an efficient purification of polycyclopentadiene via reprecipitations in an oxygen-free atmosphere. Other attempted alterations of the double bond were the hydroxyformylation and the free-radical addition of haloalkanes, which, however, resulted in completely insoluble products. Typical addition reactions were carried out with the epoxy derivative of polycyclopentadiene, e.g., additions of hydrogen chloride, monochloracetic acid, chlorophenol, thiophenol, piperidine, hydrolysis to glycols. Easily initiated polymerization of the epoxy group is believed to be a conversion-limiting side reaction in certain addition reactions, such as addition of hydrochloric acid or hydrolysis to glycols.     

Chemical surface modifications of microfibrillated cellulose

Microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) was prepared by disintegration of bleached softwood sulphite pulp through mechanical homogenization. The surface of the MFC was modified using different chemical treatments, using reactions both in aqueous- and organic solvents. The modified MFC was characterized with fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Epoxy functionality was introduced onto the MFC surface by oxidation with cerium (IV) followed by grafting of glycidyl methacrylate. The length of the polymer chains could be varied by regulating the amount of glycidyl methacrylate added. Positive charge was introduced to the MFC surface through grafting of hexamethylene diisocyanate, followed by reaction with the amines. Succinic and maleic acid groups could be introduced directly onto the MFC surface as a monolayer by a reaction between the corresponding anhydrides and the surface hydroxyl groups of the MFC.     

Consistent modifications of SINDO1: I. Approximations and parameters

A consistent modification, MSINDO, of the semiempirical MO method SINDO1 is presented. Different basis sets are used for one- and two-center interactions. The treatment of the core matrix elements in the nonorthogonal basis is retained with changes only for hydrogen and 3d orbitals. Orthogonalization corrections are now restricted to nonvanishing core matrix elements in the INDO approximation. The set of atomic parameters is increased, but bond parameters are no longer used. An automatic nonlinear least-squares algorithm with a restricted step constraint is used for the optimization of parameters. Heats of formation are adjusted with inclusion of zero-point energies obtained by a scaling procedure of the force constant matrix. The present version MSINDO provides significant improvements over previous versions. A brief comparison for ground-state properties of the elements H, C, N, O, F, and Na to Cl is given. ©1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Comput Chem 20: 563–571, 1999     

Chemical algebra. I: Fuzzy subgroups

Using the notion of fuzzy subset, the algebraic formulation of the constant of stereogenic pairing equilibria between skeletal analogs (previously disclosed) is connected to symmetry group theory. A distinction is introduced between geometrical (skeletal) symmetry and topographical (numerical parameters) symmetry. In order to describe topographical symmetry, a formal extended definition of a subgroup is proposed. Fuzzy subsets of the skeletal groupG are endowded with a structure which can be defined without referring to the geometrical representation of the abstract group isomorphic toG. The relevance of these propositions is evidenced by their integer interpretation meeting basic definitions of group theory, as well as by their role in expressing chemical pairing constants.     

Chemical modification of polynorbornene. I. Sulfonation in dilute solution

The sulfonation of dilute solutions of polynorbornene (PN) in CCl₄ has been carried out using SO₃–triethylphosphate complexes of various stoichiometries dissolved in dichloroethane (DCE) or trifluoro-trichloro-ethane (TTE). This leads to an electrophilic substitution, with very few side reactions, yielding high sulfonation ratios (ca. 85%). The initial reaction is first order in both reactants (PN and SO₃) and has an activation energy of 17.5 kJ mol^?1. The reaction becomes diffusion-controlled after ca. 30 min at room temperature due to the precipitation of the partially sulfonated polymer. The initial rate is almost independent of the isomeric structure (cis or trans) and the molecular weight of the polymer, as well as on the stoichiometry of the SO₃–TEP complex; it is higher when TTE is used as solvent. The final sulfonation ratio is strongly dependent on the concentration of SO₃ and seems to be controlled by the conditions of diffusion inside the precipitated solid.     

Facile modifications of a polyimide via chloromethylation. I. Novel synthesis of a new photosensitive polyimide

A soluble aromatic polyimide was chloromethylated via a reaction with chloromethyl methyl ether in the presence of tin(IV) chloride to produce a new starting material for the modification of aromatic polyimides. The chemical structure of the resulting polymer was confirmed by ¹H NMR and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The maximum number of chloromethyl groups per repeat unit was 1.81. The chloromethylated polyimide was stable up to 250 °C and soluble in both chloroform and tetrahydrofuran. So that its utilization for further modification could be demonstrated, cinnamic acid was reacted with the formed polyimide, and it produced a new photosensitive polyimide with a cinnamoyl side chain. The photosensitivity of the resulting polyimide was investigated with ultraviolet spectroscopic methods. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 22–29, 2003     

Polymorphism in polymers. I. The equilibrium melting temperature of two crystalline modifications of trans-1,4-polyisoprene

Dilatometric, calorimetric, and dissolution studies have been made of two crystalline modifications of trans-1,4-polyisoprene in order to determine their equilibrium melting temperatures. This parameter is of fundamental importance in the formal treatment of polymorphism in crystalline polymers. A consistent set of thermodynamic parameters has been derived for both crystalline modifications. The equilibrium melting temperature of the polymorph, which was previously observed to melt from carefully crystallized bulk material at 64°C, was calculated to be at least 82.4°C. The other form, which melts from the bulk at 74°C, has an equilibrium melting temperature of 79.5 ± 0.5°C. The trans-1,4-polyisoprene, crystallized by stirring n-butyl acetate solutions at 49°C, was found by x-ray diffraction to be in the first form and melts at 81.2 ± 0.5°C when very slow heating rates are applied. This melting temperature is very close to the independently derived equilibrium melting temperature and lends support to the possibility that extended chain crystals are present in these solution crystallized crystals. Using the newly found melting temperatures of the two crystalline modifications it can be derived from the free energies of fusion that the first crystalline form is more stable at temperatures above approximately 66°C, whereas the other form is more stable below this temperature.     

Chemical modifications of AFM tips for the study of molecular recognition events

The use of AFM to study molecular recognition events at an incredible level of sensitivity is currently a very active field of research. In order to get information at the single molecule level, it is mandatory to modify in a precise manner the AFM tip to anchor either ligand or receptor molecules. In the following lines, we review the achievements in tip modifications and illustrate the scope and limitations of the different strategies that have been reported.     

Synthetic modifications of ascomycin - I. A chemoselective removal of the cyclohexyl residue of ascomycin

An efficient semisynthetic preparation of des-28-(cyclohexyl)methylene-28-oxo-ascomycin derivatives starting from 24,33-O-bis(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-ascomycin (1) is described. The strategy for preparing 28-oxo-ascomycin derivatives involves the reduction of C-22 carbonyl group, followed by 5-endo-cyclization of the resulting C-22 alcohol with the C-19/C-20 double bond using an oxymercuration reaction; ozonolysis of the C-28/C-29 double bond and regeneration of the C-19/C-20 double bond. Further, the 20-mercury-substituted ascomycin derivatives could be reduced to the corresponding metal free cyclic ethers using n-Bu₃SnH.     

Chemical reactivity of alkylguanines. I. Methylation of O6-methylguanine derivatives

Reaction of O⁶-methylguanine (1) with CH₃I gave O⁶,3-dimethylguanine, 3,7-dimethylguanine and 3-methylguanine. In the presence of K₂CO₃, O⁶,9-dimethylguanineand imidazole ring-opened products of O⁶,7,9-trimethylguanine were produced. Methylations of O⁶,9-dimethylguanine and O⁶-methyguanosine with CH₃I gave the corresponding 7-methylated derivatives. Reaction of 1 with (CH₃)₄N⁺OH⁻ gave 1,7-, 1,9-, 3,7- and O⁶,9-dimethylguanines.     

Chemical modifications of inert organic monolayers with oxygen plasma for biosensor applications

In this paper we present a study of using oxygen plasma for chemically modifying inert hydrocarbon self-assembled monolayers of octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS-SAMs) and rendering active surfaces for protein immobilization. Detailed surface modification and protein immobilization were characterized by using ellipsometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared-attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy, and fluorescence microscopy. Our XPS results showed that the surface reaction between OTS-SAMs and oxygen plasma can generate new surface functional groups such as alcohol (C-O), aldehyde (C=O), and carboxylic acid (O-C=O), and their compositions can be controlled by using different treatment times and powers. A short treatment time ( approximately 1 s) and high power (10 W) can lead to a higher density of aldehyde groups, which can serve as linker groups for protein immobilization through the formation of Schiff bases with the amine groups of proteins. By using the fluorescence immunostaining method, we confirmed that human immunoglobulin (IgG) can be immobilized on a glass slide, only if the surface was decorated with OTS-SAMs and if the OTS-SAMs were pretreated with oxygen plasma. The protein immobilized on the oxygen-plasma-treated surface can only be recognized by using a highly specific antibody, FITC-anti-IgG, but not FITC-anti-biotin.     

Sphingolipids and glycerolipids. I. Chemical structures and ionophoretic activities of soya-cerebrosides I and II from soybean

Two glycosphingolipids named soya-cerebrosides I and II were isolated from soybean, the seeds of Glycine max Merrill (Leguminosae), and their chemical structures have been elucidated on the basis of physicochemical evidence and several chemical degradation reactions. By using a newly constructed liquid membrane-type apparatus (W-08) for measurement of ion-transport and ion-binding activities and by employing a method using human erythrocyte membranes for measurement of ion-permeability, it has been found that soya-cerebroside II exhibits ionophoretic activity for Ca2+ ion.     

The Selectivity of Chemical Reactions Disguised by Diffusion. Part I: Chemical Selectivity Disguised by Mixing

A mixing-reaction model (MIRE) is used to develop criteria, readily accessible by experiment, which permit the chemist to decide whether and when mixing effects influence the product distribution in competitive consecutive or parallel reactions. The validity of these criteria is demonstrated by comparison of prediction and experiment in the examples used.     

Purity assessment of crystalline zearalenone

Commercially available solid zearalenone (ZON) to be used as a certified liquid calibrant (BCR-699) in a project funded by the European Commission within the Standard Measurement and Testing program was characterized and its purity determined. The degree of purity of the ZON was examined by UV spectrophotometer, liquid chromatography (LC) with diode array and fluorescence detection, 1H and 13C-NMR spectrometry, LC-mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS), ion chromatography (IC), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The diagrams obtained from DSC analysis and the UV spectrum showed no detectable impurities. Likewise, no impurities were observed by LC analysis with both diode array and fluorescence detection. IC determination revealed negligible contamination of ZON with chloride of 0.020 +/- 0.005% and nitrate of 0.016 +/- 0.006%. Zearalanone (ZAN) was identified as one of 2 minor (0.2%) impurities by LC/MS/MS. The 1H-NMR measurements revealed an additional peak, which has not been previously reported in the literature. It could be identified as part of the ZON spectrum as the signal arising from the phenolic proton attached to C4'. The manufacturer states an additional contamination with 0.2% methylene chloride, which could be confirmed to an extent of 0.1% by 1H-NMR. Minor impurities, whose structures remain unknown, were discovered at 3.5 and < 1 ppm. Total percentage of impurities based on NMR measurement was estimated not to exceed 1%. A purity of 99.5% with a tolerance of +/- 0.5% was finally attributed to the ZON studied in this project.