Study of the mechanism of formation of transparent polyacrylonitrile

The kinetics of bulk polymerization of acrylonitrile, leading to a transparent polymer, was studied. The reaction was followed by a dilatometer specially designed for high degrees of conversion and for continuous supply of monomer during the reaction. The last stages of polymerization were followed by density determinations. It was found that the kinetic scheme did not show any irregularities, and that the major condition for obtaining a transparent polymer is a continuous supply of monomer to fill up the gaps formed by the contraction during the polymerization process.     

Study of the mechanism of the photoisomerization and photooxidation of bilirubin using a model for the phototherapy of hyperbilirubinemia

Liquid chromatography was employed for a study of photochemical degradation of bilirubin in the complex with human albumin, using a model system in the presence of riboflavin. The concentrations of bilirubin, the photoisomers and biliverdin were monitored. The reaction mechanism was verified using a quantified mathematical model and was represented by a reaction scheme. Photoisomerization is the initial process, followed by photooxidation to degradation products of the tetrapyrrole skeleton, with formation of biliverdin as an intermediate. The blood of newborns that were irradiated for treatment of hyperbilirubinemia was studied for the sake of comparison. The effect of some biochemically important substances was followed, in view of possible inhibition of the processes. The experimental results demonstrate that riboflavin acts as a catalyst, even at the concentrations typical for its occurrence in blood. The results are discussed from the point of view of the mechanism of bilirubin degradation during phototherapy.     

Immobilization of ultra-thin layer of monoclonal antibody on glass surface

When preparing an affinity column and a biosensor, it is desirable to immobilize a unimolecular layer of pure protein on a matrix. In this work, we tried to immobilize a monoclonal antibody on a surface of a glass test-tube as a model, to confirm the stability of this ultra-thin layer by an enzyme immunoassay, and to estimate the thickness of the layer on a slide glass by Fourier transform infrared reflection spectrometry. A new test-tube was washed and dried. The tube was filled with 5% 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane. The 3-aminopropylsilylated surface was treated with glutaraldehyde and 5.6.10(-2) mg/ml solution of a normal mouse monoclonal antibody. The Schiff base between glutaraldehyde and the antibody was further reduced with 7.9.10(-3)% NaBH4. The tube was washed with 0.05% Tween 20 to block non-specific binding. The antibody immobilized on the surface was measured by an enzyme immunoassay based on a reaction of anti-mouse immunoglobulin G labelled with alkaline phosphatase, with which p-nitrophenol was produced from p-nitrophenylphosphate as a substrate. Meanwhile, various amounts of the antibody were immobilized on slide glasses in the same manner. The antibody on each surface was measured by Fourier transform infrared reflection spectrometry. The antibody immobilized under the final conditions was detectable by the enzyme immunoassay, and stable at 4 degrees C for ten days. The antibody on the slide glass was a unimolecular layer, as judged from the Fourier transform infrared spectra referred to -CONH- band semiquantitatively. Thus, we found the optimal conditions for immobilizing an ultra-thin layer of the monoclonal antibody on the glass surface.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Optimization of parameters of a system for continuous activation analysis of liquids

Mathematical considerations on the optimization of the flow and mechanical parameters of a system for continuous analysis of liquids are presented. The system in question contains a pump, an activation vessel placed in the vicinity of a neutron generator target, a pipeline and a vessel for the measurement of the induced activity. The following parameters of the system were taken into consideration: volumes of the activation and measurement vessels, position of the activation vessel with respect to the neutron generator target, shape of the activation vessel, and flow rate of the pumped fluid. The system is adapted for continuous and interrupted mode of operation of the neutron generator. The results of the theoretical considerations were verified in practice with the use of the above system and the reaction¹⁶O (n, p)¹⁶N. The agreement of theory and experiment was proved.     

New Algorithm of Spectral Analysis of Elements in Presence of Matrix Interferences

Abstract

This work suggests a new algorithm for the elemental analysis, which permits taking into account both the multiplicative and additive matrix effects, a matrix composition being unknown. The use of this algorithm in the development of analysis techniques at any set of objects may appear to be successful at arbitrarily selected measurement conditions. The basis of the algorithm consists of a combination of pattern recognition and standard addition technique (PRSA). The main concept of PRSA is to predict a function approximating satisfactorily a calibration dependence for a specific object and then to determine an unknown concentration using a nonlinear addition technique, all the aforementioned being based on easily obtained information on an analyzed object and measurement conditions. The abilities of the proposed algorithm were demonstrated by the example of strontium determination by the flame atomic absorption spectrometry in superconducting systems.     

Chemical modification of the surface of a sulfonated membrane by formation of a sulfonamide bond

This paper describes a novel approach for the surface modification of a cation-exchange membrane, bearing sulfonate groups, by a cationic layer. The modification procedure involved the chlorosulfonation of the sulfonate groups of the base membrane with thionyl chloride, followed by a reaction with a diamine to yield a sulfonamide bond and a terminal amine. The latter could be quaternized by reaction with methyl iodide or protonated by soaking in acidic media. The membranes were characterized in detail by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies as well as elemental analysis to confirm that the above reactions occurred. The selectivity of these membranes toward the electrochemically assisted transport of protons versus Zn2+ metallic cations was determined during an electrodialysis in a two-compartment electrochemical cell. The data indicate a significant decrease of the transport of the metallic cations following modification of the membrane with the cationic layer. The later allows for the transport of protons from the catholyte to the anolyte compartment with much improved selectivity since the divalent cations are excluded from the membrane due to the electrostatic barrier of the cationic layer.     

An expedient synthesis of the repeating unit of the acidic polysaccharide of the bacteriolytic complex of lysoamidase

The first synthesis of the trisaccharide repeating unit of the acidic polysaccharide of the bacteriolytic complex of lysoamidase is presented. The construction is based on a linear glycosylation strategy that starts from the reducing end and employs thio- and selenoglycosides in a highly stereoselective manner by a single set of activation conditions. The thus-formed trisaccharide is selectively deprotected and oxidised, after which a final deprotection step furnishes the desired repeating unit.     

纳米碳管的电化学贮锂性能

用透射电镜、高分辩透射电镜、X射线衍射和拉曼光谱表征了用催化热解法制备的纳米碳管的结构,研究了纳米碳管的电化学嵌脱锂性能.以纳米级铁粉为催化剂热解乙炔气得到的纳米碳管石墨化程度较低,结构中存在褶皱的石墨层、乱层石墨和微孔等缺陷,具有较高的贮锂容量,初始容量为640mAh/g,但循环稳定性较差.而以纳米级氧化铁粉为催化剂热解乙烯得到的纳米碳管结构比较规则,循环稳定性较好,但贮锂容量较低,初始容量为282 mAh/g.讨论了纳米碳管的结构对其温度特性和不同电流密度下的充放电容量的影响.     

Performance comparison of three types of high-speed counter-current chromatographs for the separation of components of hydrophilic and hydrophobic color additives

The performance of three types of high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) instruments was assessed for their use in separating components in hydrophilic and hydrophobic dye mixtures. The HSCCC instruments compared were: (i) a J-type coil planet centrifuge (CPC) system with a conventional multilayer-coil column, (ii) a J-type CPC system with a spiral-tube assembly-coil column, and (iii) a cross-axis CPC system with a multilayer-coil column. The hydrophilic dye mixture consisted of a sample of FD&C Blue No. 2 that contained mainly two isomeric components, 5,5'- and 5,7'-disulfonated indigo, in the ratio of ～7:1. The hydrophobic dye mixture consisted of a sample of D&C Red No. 17 (mainly Sudan III) and Sudan II in the ratio of ～4:1. The two-phase solvent systems used for these separations were 1-butanol/1.3M HCl and hexane/acetonitrile. Each of the three instruments was used in two experiments for the hydrophilic dye mixture and two for the hydrophobic dye mixture, for a total of 12 experiments. In one set of experiments, the lower phase was used as the mobile phase, and in the second set of experiments, the upper phase was used as the mobile phase. The results suggest that: (a) use of a J-type instrument with either a multilayer-coil column or a spiral-tube assembly column, applying the lower phase as the mobile phase, is preferable for separating the hydrophilic components of FD&C Blue No. 2; and (b) use of a J-type instrument with multilayer-coil column, while applying either the upper phase or the lower phase as the mobile phase, is preferable for separating the hydrophobic dye mixture of D&C Red No. 17 and Sudan II.     

Formation and structure of self-assembled monolayers of alkanethiolates on palladium

The adsorption of n-alkanethiols onto polycrystalline thin films of palladium containing a strong (111) texture produces well-organized, self-assembled monolayers. The organization of the alkane chains in the monolayer and the nature of the bonding between the palladium and the thiol were studied by contact angle measurements, optical ellipsometry, reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The XPS data reveals that a compound palladium-sulfide interphase is present at the surface of the palladium film. The RAIR spectra, ellipsometry data, and wetting properties show that the palladium-sulfide phase is terminated with an organized, methyl-terminated monolayer of alkanethiolates. The local molecular environment of the alkane chains transitions from a conformationally disordered, liquidlike state to a mostly all-trans, crystalline-like structure with increasing chain length (n = 8-26). The intensities and dichroism of the methylene and methyl stretching modes support a model for the average orientation of an ensemble of all-trans-conformer chains with a tilt angle of approximately 14-18 degrees with respect to the surface normal and a twist angle of the CCC plane relative to the tilt plane of approximately 45 degrees. The SAMs are stable in air, although the sulfur present at the surface oxidizes in air over a period of 2-5 days at room temperature. The differences in chain organization between SAMs formed by microcontact printing and by solution deposition are also examined by RAIRS and XPS.     

Heats of Mixing of Mixed Solvent Solutions of Alkali Metal Salts of Substituted Benzenesulfonic Acids

The enthalpy change on mixing solutions of methyl-substituted benzenesulfonic acids and their salts, with salts having a common cation or anion, at constant ionic strength in mixtures of 1,4-dioxane with water, were measured at 25°C. The heat effects of mixing solutions having a common anion increase almost linearly with the reciprocal value of the dielectric constant of the solvent. The heat effects of mixing solutions having a common cation, which are all negative in water-rich solutions, become endothermic after a certain value of the dielectric constant is passed. The results are discussed in terms of the solute-solvent structural properties. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Sedimentation of a concentrated dispersion of composite colloidal particles

The sedimentation of a concentrated spherical dispersion of composite particles, where a particle comprises a rigid core and a membrane layer containing fixed charge, is investigated theoretically. The dispersion is simulated by a unit cell model, and a pseudo-spectral method based on Chebyshev polynomials is adopted to solve the problem numerically. The influences of the thickness of double layer, the concentration of particles, the surface potential of the rigid core of a particle, and the amount of fixed charge in the membrane layer on both the sedimentation potential and the sedimentation velocity are discussed. Several interesting results are observed; for example, depending upon the charged conditions on the rigid core and in the membrane layer of a particle, the sedimentation potential might have both a local maximum and a local minimum and the sedimentation velocity can have a local minimum as the thickness of double layer varies. Also, the sedimentation velocity can have a local maximum as the surface potential varies. We show that the sedimentation potential increases with the concentration of particles. The relation between the sedimentation velocity and the concentration of particles, however, depends upon the thickness of double layer.     

Acid hydrolysis of carboxymethylcellulose of low degree of substitution

Cotton cellulose was swollen in a sodium hydroxide solution and carboxymethylated by a two-bath method for different periods of time for each process. The kinetics of acid hydrolysis and the crystallinity of the swollen and carboxymethylated samples were measured. The proportion of broken bonds, rate constants for hydrolysis, and permeability of cellulose to hydrolyzing agents were calculated. The susceptibility of glycosidic linkages to acid hydrolysis was improved by carboxymethylation more than by swelling in alkali. The increased accessibility of carboxymethylcellulose to acid was regarded as a consequence of increased intra-and intercrystalline swelling and of the glycosidic bonds' weakness caused by the electron-attracting carboxymethyl group on the C-6 position.     

Quantum-chemical study of tautomers of reduced forms of anthraquinone

The quantum-chemical method B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) was used to calculate structural parameters of four conformers of 9,10-dihydroxyanthracene, two conformers of 9-hydroxyanthrone, and the corresponding anions, dianion, and radical anion. The energy of 9,10-dihydroxyanthracene in a gas phase is higher and in aqueous solution lower than the energy of 9-hydroxyanthrone. The dianion can exist exclusively in a polarizable medium.     

Effect of electron donors on polymerization of propylene in the presence of titanium-magnesium catalysts

The effect of internal and external electron donors on the polymerization of propylene in a liquid monomer or a hydrocarbon diluent (hexane) in the presence of a titanium-magnesium nanocatalyst activated with an organoaluminum compound (triethylaluminum, triisobutylaluminum) and the properties of the resulting PP are studied. The polymerization of propylene in the absence of internal and external donors yields atactic PP, whereas, in the presence of a catalyst containing an aryl internal donor, isotactic PP is formed. The activity and stereospecificity of the catalytic system substantially depends on the method of electron-donor introduction. The thermal treatment of the catalyst with an electron donor affects its activity and stereospecificity.     

Study of the electrochemical reduction of dioxygen in acetonitrile in the presence of weak acids

The electrochemical reduction of dioxygen has been studied in acetonitrile at glassy-carbon electrodes. The initial step is the reversible one-electron reduction to form superoxide. In the presence of hydrogen-bond donors (water, methanol, 2-propanol), the superoxide forms a complex with the donor resulting in a positive shift in the potential that can be analyzed to obtain formation constants for these complexes. Stronger acids result in protonation of the superoxide followed by reduction to produce HO2-. In the absence of hydrogen-bond donors, the reduction of superoxide occurs at very negative potentials, and this second reduction peak is very much drawn-out along the potential axis, indicating a small value of the transfer coefficient, alpha. The addition of hydrogen-bond donors, HA, brings about a positive shift in this peak, without a noticeable change in shape. The reaction occurring at the second peak is a concerted proton and electron transfer (CPET) in which the electron is transferred to superoxide and a proton is transferred from HA to the superoxide, forming HO2- and A- in a concerted process. An estimation of the standard potential for this reaction shows that the second reduction always occurs at a high driving force, which explains the small value of alpha that is observed. Consistent with a CPET, a kinetic isotope effect, HA versus DA, was detected for the three hydrogen-bond donors. The increasing positive shift of the second peak with increasing water concentration has been interpreted as being a consequence of the change in the formal potential, as water is both a reactant in the process and a participant through the hydrogen-bond stabilization of the anions.     

丙烯和甲苯的超共轭效应的理论研究

用从头算对丙烯和甲苯2个超共轭体系进行计算,结果表明甲基上氢原子参与超共轭时,其碳氢键键长增大,氢上集居数减少,丙烯、甲苯的甲基旋转势垒为7.61及0.096 kJ/mol.超共轭基作用相当于一带有孤对电子参与共轭之杂原子,超共轭体系不同构型稳定性可用M=sum from i=1 to 3(sinθ_i[sin(θ_i-α)+sinα])来表征。     

Correction of pH of diluted solutions of electrolytes by electrodialysis with bipolar membranes

The current efficiencies of the water dissociation water and the voltage-current characteristics of the bipolar (asymmetric bipolar) membranes were measured in a two-chamber electrochemical cell. The cell was formed of an MB-3 bipolar membrane or an asymmetric bipolar membrane, which is an MA-40 heterogeneous membrane with a thin surface layer in the form of a cation-selective homogeneous film and MA-40 and MA-41 heterogeneous monopolar membranes. The dissociation of water on MA-40 in 0.01 M sodium chloride decreased the current efficiency of the acid and alkali both in the channel with a bipolar membrane and in the channel with an asymmetric bipolar membrane. The effective ion transport numbers across MA-40 and MA-41 at different pH values were determined. The water dissociation rate on MA-40 decreased at pH > 9.5. A kinetic model of the electrodialysis of a dilute solution of sodium chloride in a two-chamber unit cell with a bipolar and anionite membranes was suggested.     

Influence of the morphology of samples in the pyrolysis of PVC

PVC was used as a model substance to study the dependence of thermal measurement data on the preparation and morphological characteristics of samples The PVC treated was a commercially available suspension polymer, Ongrovil S 155, produced by the Borsodi Vegyi Kombinát. The whole thermal process was followed by TG and DTG measurements in air and argon atmospheres by means of a Du Pont 990 Thermoanalyzer. Evolved-gas analysis was performed with a home-made apparatus. Pyrolysis gas chromatography was accomplished using a Hamilton type pyrolyzer and a Carlo Erba Chromatograph furnished with a flame ionization detector. The investigations showed benzene and other components to be evolved from the initial polymer and an alteration depending on the morphological characteristics of the samples. This was suggested to be due to the different mechanisms of thermal degradation of the PVC.     

Structure of the quenched form of polypropylene

X-ray diffraction has been used to further investigate the quenched form of polypropylene. The diffractometer traces were analyzed by a mathematical peak separation procedure which assumed a combined Cauchy and Gaussian shape for the peaks. The results confirmed that the quenched form contains about 60% of amorphous polypropylene. In the remainder, the x-ray diffraction peak positions indicate that the chain helices are arranged in a square array and a cubic or tetragonal symmetry is proposed for this phase. The shape of the x-ray diffractometer peaks indicates a degree of strain in the structure. Crystallite sizes, determined from peak breadths, have been estimated as approximately 30 Å.