Synthesis and properties of thermoplastic propyl-etherified amylose

Amylose was etherified with 1-bromopropane in DMSO. The degree of substitution (DS) was varied by altering the feed ratio of 1-bromopropane. The structures of the products were characterized by IR and 1H-NMR spectroscopy. When the molar feed ratio of 1-bromopropane to hydroxyl groups of amylose was beyond 7.5, the hydroxyl groups were completely substituted with propyl ether groups. The etherified amylose with DS 1.9 showed a glass transition temperature (T_g), and that with DS 2.3 or 3.0 showed both T_g and melting temperature (T_m) (DS 3.0 means complete substitution). The etherification imparted melt processability and solubility in nonpolar organic solvent to amylose.     

PREPARATION OF STARCH SUCCINATE WITH INTERMEDIATE DS BY AQUEOUS SLURRY REACTION

The succinylation of cornstarch by slurry reaction has been studied using sodium hydroxide as catalyst.Several reaction parameters affecting the succinylation were investigated including the concentration of starch in water,the ratio of succinic anhydride to starch,the reaction time and the reaction temperature,The favorable conditions for an intermediate degree of substitution(DS) and reasonably high reaction efficiency(RE) are pH 8.5-9.0,50% starch by weight to water.succinic anhydride to starch 1/1(w/w),reaction time 4h,reaction temperature 30℃ .Under these conditions,the DS of 0.45 and RE of 28% were achieved.The addition of an adequate amount of crosslinking agent imparted starch succinate water absorbency.     

Synthesis, thermal properties, and biodegradability of propyl-etherified starch

High amylose corn starch (HACS) was etherified with 1-bromopropane in dimethyl sulfoxide. The structure of the products was characterized by infra-red and ¹H-NMR spectroscopy. The degree of substitution (DS) on glucose unit calculated from ¹H-NMR spectrum was varied from 0.9 to 2.7 by changing feed ratio of 1-bromopropane to HACS. Thermogravimetric analysis reveals that the etherified HACS has a higher decomposition temperature than unmodified HACS. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis reveals that the etherified starch has a clear glass transition temperature which decreased with increasing DS, and that no melting point is observed. This result demonstrates that the etherified HACS mainly consists of amorphous region. The biodegradation rate decreases with increasing degree of etherification.     

Syntheses,crystal structures,and magnetic properties of RE(III)–Cu(II) heteronuclear complexes with α-methylacrylic acid

A series of carboxylate-bridged heteronuclear 3d–4f complexes have been prepared by reaction of REL₃ (HL = CH₂ = C(CH₃)COOH) with Cu(NO₃)₂. A family of air-stable 2-D complexes [RECuL₄(H₂O)₄] _n L _n (RE = La (1), Ce (2), Eu (3), and Gd (4)) have the same crystal system (monoclinic) and space group (P2₁/c). The chains which are made by the carboxylate-bridged alternating Cu(II)–RE(III) fragments spreading along the c-axis are linked through hydrogen bonds by uncoordinated carboxylates to form a 2-D network structure along the bc planes. Magnetic measurements showed that 1 and 2 have antiferromagnetic interaction between RE and Cu, but 4 exhibits ferromagnetic interaction. Eu ions show van Vleck behavior in 3.     

Starch derivatives of high degree of functionalization 9: carboxymethyl starches

This paper describes the synthesis of carboxymethyl starch (CMS) ID various alcohols (methanol, ethanol, isopropyl alcohol) as slurry media and with different starch types. The products were investigated regarding their degree of substitution (DS), their reaction efficiency (RE), and their pattern of functionalization. The highest DS obtained ID a one-step procedure was 1.40 with a RE of 82%, applying isopropyl alcohol as slurry medium. Moreover, by using the synthesis concept via a reactive microstructure, CMS samples with high DS values can be achieved ID a one-step synthesis as well. A multi-step carboxymethylation ID methanol, on the other hand, leads to maximal DS values of 2.3 after 10 conversions, dependent on the amylose content of the starch. ¹H NMR spectroscopic investigations show a reactivity ID the order O-2 > O-6 O-3 for the samples prepared ID alcoholic slurry media. ID contrast, the CMS synthesized via reactive microstructure reveals a preferred substitution ID position 6 and a non-statistic distribution of the carboxymethyl groups along the chain. A significant amount of 2,3,4,6-tetra--functionalization, caused by the branched structure of starch, was found.     

The synthesis conditions, characterizations and thermal degradation studies of an etherified starch from an unconventional source

Starch isolated from an under-utilized legume plant (pigeon pea) was carboxymethylated. Influences of reaction parameters were investigated on the degree of substitution (DS) and the reaction efficiency (RE). Studies showed that optimal DS of 1.12 could be reached at reaction efficiency of 80.6% in isopropanol-water reaction medium (40 °C, 3 h). Scanning electron microscopy showed that after carboxymethylation, the granular appearance of the native starch was distorted. Wide-angle X-ray diffractometry revealed that crystallinity was reduced significantly after carboxymethylation. The infrared spectra revealed new bands in the carboxymethyl starch at ν = 1600, 1426 and 1324 cm⁻¹ which were attributed to carbonyl functional groups vibration, -CH₂ scissoring and OH bending vibration, respectively. Broad-band ¹³C NMR of carboxymethyl starch showed an intense peak at δ = 180.3 ppm which was assigned to carbonyl carbon on the carboxymethyl substituent on the AGU (Anhydroglucose Unit). DEPT (Distortionless Enhancement by Polarization Transfer) 135 NMR showed negative signals which correspond to methylene carbons on the AGU. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) suggests loss of crystallinity after carboxymethylation. Thermogravimetry (TG), Derivative Thermogravimetry (DTG) and Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA) show that thermal stability improved after carboxymethylation. The study provides information on the preparation and characterization of a biomaterial from a new source which could be used alone or in the preparation of other functional polymers for diverse polymer applications.     

REGIOSELECTIVE BENZYLATION OF PENTITOLS,TETRITOLS, AND SOME HEXITOLS VIA THEIR STANNYL ETHER DERIVATIVES: VERSATILE SYNTHESIS OF MONOBENZYLALDITOLS

The xylitol, ribitol and D-arabinitol were transformed into their tributylstannyl ether derivatives by reaction with bis-tributyltin oxide [(nBu₃Sn)₂O I] and azeotropic removal of water. Subsequent benzyl etherification, using BnBr with solvent or under free solvent conditions, led regioselectively to primary mono-O-benzylalditol derivatives in satisfactory yields for a direct regioselective synthesis (～ 52%). This etherification when applied to tetritols and some hexitols exhibits similar behaviour. With pentitols, an analogous study carried out with the n-dibutyltin oxide [nBu₂SnO (II)] as the activating reagent showed contrasting results as regards regioselectivity.     

Two-step preparation and thermal characterization of cationic 2-hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium chloride hemicellulose polymers from sugarcane bagasse

Cationic sugarcane bagasse hemicellulose derivatives with a relatively low degree of substitution (0.01-0.54) containing quaternary ammonium groups were prepared by etherification with 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium chloride or preferably with 2,3-epoxypropyltrimethylammonium chloride using sodium hydroxide as a catalyst in aqueous solution. The extent of etherification was measured by yield percentage and degree of substitution (DS). The DS values of the products could be controlled by adjusting the molar ratio of etherifying agent to anhydroxylose units in hemicelluloses and the molar ratio of sodium hydroxide to etherifying reagent. In comparison, the etherified hemicellulose preparations were characterized by both degradative methods such as thermal analysis, and non-degradative techniques such as gel permeation chromatography (GPC), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. It was found that a significant degradation of the hemicellulose polymers occurred during etherification under the alkaline conditions used. The thermal stability of the etherified hemicelluloses was lower than that of the unmodified hemicellulose polymers.     

Thermal stability and degradation of starch derivatives

Thermal behaviour of different starch derivatives, i.e. starch esters and ethers having degree of substitution (DS) in the range of 0.02–0.18 were studied. Potato, maize and wheat starches were used. Measurements were carried out by coupled thermal analysis/ mass spectrometry method (STA-MS) in air atmosphere. The major DTG peak during the investigation for starch derivatives is observed below 300°C. The mass loss up to a temperature of 300°C is about 50%. The most abundant ions found areH₂O⁺ and CO₂ ⁺. For the studied starch derivatives with a low degree of substitution (DS<0.18) no correlation was found between thermal stability and the level of substitution regardless of the nature of substitution.     

Study of the substitution pattern of hydroxyethylcellulose and its relationship to enzymic degradation

The concentration of completely unsubstituted anhydroglucose (AHG) units in hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC) at varying average number of moles of substituent (MS) is in accord with a reaction rate ratio of 3:1:10:10 for the etherification of the C₂, C₃, C₆, and side chain hydroxyls. Assuming random substitution along the cellulose chain at these relative reaction rates, the degree of substitution (DS), average poly(ethylene oxide) side-chain length, and probably frequency of isolated and multiple adjacent unsubstituted AHG units have been projected as functions of MS. Such estimates of DS and side-chain length compare favorably with actual measurements made on a variety of samples by other investigators below a substitution level of 2.0 MS. Reducing end, intrinsic viscosity, and ultracentrifuge data on enzymically hydrolyzed HEC's varying from 1.9 to 3.7 in MS indicate resistance to chain scission is a function of substitution, best expressed in terms of a proposed substitution index, the percentage of substituted AHG units. The rate of chain scission under carefully controlled conditions is initially rapid, tapering to a very slow, essentially steady level. On relating the frequency of chain breaks to the predicted substitution pattern of these samples, this behavior is interpreted to mean that scission occurs relatively rapidly at multiple contiguous unsubstituted sequences, but much more slowly adjacent to isolated unsubstituted AHG units. A possible mechanism of enzyme attack, correlating molecular chain breaks with glucose released, has been developed.     

A study of the enzymic degradation of CMC and other cellulose ethers

Accelerated enzymic degradation of a series of six sodium carboxymethylcelluloses (CMC) varying in degree of substitution (DS) from 0.41 to 2.45 demonstrated that stability improves with increasing substitution, the DS 2.45 sample being essentially refactory to enzyme attack. The concentration of completely unsubstituted anhydroglucose (AHG) units in these samples, determined by acid hydrolysis followed by a glucose assay, is less at all substitution levels than would be expected from the relative etherification rates of the C₂, C₃, and C₆ hydroxyls reported in the literature. Assuming random distribution of the unsubstituted AHG units, the frequency of single (IU) and multiple adjacent (xU) sequences can be predicted. Consideration of the extent of enzymic degradation, expressed in terms of the decrease in average molecular chain length deduced from [η] measurements, indicated that in CMC chain scission occurs only at xU sites. A limited comparison of the performance of methyl-, hydroxyethyl-, and hydroxypropylcelluloses under identical conditions revealed that, by contrast, in these ethers enzyme-induced chain scission is possible not only at xU but also adjacent to 1U. The hydroxyalkyl and methyl groups appear to offer approximately equivalent protection against enzyme attack.     

Study on the morphology, crystalline structure and thermal properties of yam starch acetates with different degrees of substitution

This study was carried out to understand and establish the changes in physicochemical properties of starch extracted from Chinese yam (Dioscorea opposita Thunb.) after acetylation. Yam starch acetates with different degrees of substitution (DS) were prepared by the reaction of yam starch with glacial acetic acid/acetic anhydride using sulfuric acid as the catalyst. Their formation was confirmed by the presence of the carbonyl signal around 1750 cm-1 in the Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra. The thermal behavior of the native starch and starch acetate were investigated using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results reveal that the starch acetates are more thermally stable than the native starch. The starch esters showed 50% weight loss at tem- peratures from 328℃ to 372 ℃ , while the native starch underwent 50% weight loss at 325℃ . The glass transition temperature (Tg) of the starch decreased from 273℃ to 226℃. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns could be classified as typical of the C-type for yam starch. X-ray diffraction also showed the loss of the ordered C-type starch crystalline structure and the degree of crystallinity of starch de- creased from 36.10% to 10.96% with the increasing DS. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) sug- gested that the most of the starch granules disintegrated with many visible fragments with the in- creasing DS.     

Effect of the degree of deacetylation and the substitution of carboxymethyl chitosan on its aggregation behavior

The aggregation behavior of carboxymethyl chitosan (CM‐chitosan) with various degrees of deacetylation (DD) and substitution (DS) was characterized with viscometry, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), and GPC coupled with laser light scattering (GPC‐LLS). The results indicate that CM‐chitosan has a strong tendency to form aggregates in aqueous solution and the aggregation behavior depends on DD and DS values. The apparent aggregation number (N_ap), the gyration radius (R_g), and the weight fraction of the aggregates (F_a) reached maximum at a DD value of 50%, then decreased, with the DD value deviating from 50%. A higher DS value helped to form aggregates; when the DS value increased from 0.65 to above 1.0, N_ap and R_g increased sharply. The dependence of the refractive index increment (dn/dc) on the DD and DS values was related to variation of the charge density and the hydrophobic interaction along the molecular chains. The conformations of CM‐chitosan aggregates were studied by the LLS method. The aggregates showed a spherical shape, and the chain stiffness increased with introduction of the acetyl groups. The DS value had no clear influence on the chain conformation that was observed. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 296–305, 2005     

Silylation of Cellulose and Starch – Selectivity, Structure Analysis, and Subsequent Reactions

The silylation of cellulose and starch under different starting conditions is reviewed. The control of the degree of substitution (DS) and regioselectivity in dependence of the reaction pathway are discussed in detail. The synthesis of trimethylsilyl cellulose (TMSC) in the system hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS)/ammonia leads to partially and completely silylated products controlled by the amount of the components. Hydrolytic desilylation of TMSC in tetrahydrofuran (THF)/ammonia gives the partially desilylated products. The desilylation proceeds statistically along the polymer chains. The reaction of cellulose dissolved in N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA)/LiCl with bulky thexyldimethylchlorosilane (TDSCl) in the presence of imidazole leads to 2,6-di-O-TDS cellulose. The silylation of starch dissolved in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) with TDSCl/pyridine results in the formation of regioselectively 2-O and 6-O functionalized silyl ethers with DS values up to 1.8. 6-O Silyl ethers of cellulose and starch were synthesized with TDSCl highly activated in the reaction system N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP)/ammonia. Two- dimensional NMR techniques after subsequent modifications of the remaining OH groups have been established as important methods for the characterization of the substitution pattern of the described silyl ethers. In the case of starch, the distribution of the substituents could be detected not only in the anhydroglucose units (AGU) but also in the non-reducing end groups (NEG).     

The effect exerted by composition and temperature on the decomposition stability of anosovite solid solutions

Chemical modification of potato carboxy starch in the sodium pyrosulfate—dimethyl sulfoxide system was studied with the aim of preparing water-soluble highly substituted sulfo esters. The dependence of the degree of sulfo group substitution on the reaction conditions was studied in detail. The optimal conditions ensuring formation of water-soluble sulfo esters of carboxy starch with the maximal sulfur content were determined. The carboxy starch sulfo ester samples synthesized were characterized by elemental analysis, IR and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, and high-performance exclusion chromatography.     

Sulfation of carboxy starch with sodium pyrosulfate in dimethyl sulfoxide

Chemical modification of potato carboxy starch in the sodium pyrosulfate— dimethyl sulfoxide system was studied with the aim of preparing water-soluble highly substituted sulfo esters. The dependence of the degree of sulfo group substitution on the reaction conditions was studied in detail. The optimal conditions ensuring formation of water-soluble sulfo esters of carboxy starch with the maximal sulfur content were determined. The carboxy starch sulfo ester samples synthesized were characterized by elemental analysis, IR and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, and high-performance exclusion chromatography.     

希土配合物的研究——Ⅷ.1, 4-双(1''-苯基-3''-甲基-5''-氧代吡唑酮基-4'')代-1, 4-丁二酮(BPMPBD)与希土元素配合物的合成及表征

在乙醇-水溶液中,当pH=5-6时,用希土硝酸盐与BPMPBD反应,合成了15种希土元素(除Sc、Pm外)的二元配合物.通过化学分析和元素分析确定了配合物的组成为REL₂·nH₂O(RE=La,n=5,RE=Y,n=4,RE=Pr、Nd、Sm、Eu、Gd,n=3),RE₂L₃·5H₂O(RE=Tb、Dy、Ho、Er、Tm、Yb、Lu)及CeL₂·4H₂O.研究了这些配合物的一些性质及红外光谱、紫外光谱、核磁共振、荧光光谱和差热分析,认为重希土配合物具有双核结构.     

Synthesis of O‐(2,3‐dihydroxypropyl) cellulose in NaOH/urea aqueous solution: As a precursor for introducing “necklace‐like” structure

O‐(2,3‐dihydroxypropyl) cellulose (DHPC) samples were synthesized by etherification of cellulose with glycidol (GLY) in a NaOH/urea aqueous solution system under different reaction conditions, so that they had different degrees of ether substitution (DS) in both the overall and regional distributions. The characterization was made by NMR spectroscopy in order to clarify the effects of the molar ratio of in‐fed GLY to anhydroglucose unit and of the reaction temperature not only on the total and regional DSs but also on the molar substitution (MS_dhp) for the multireactive dihydroxypropyl group. The evaluation of MS_dhp was performed after complete propionylation of each DHPC sample. Determination of molecular weights was also conducted on the propionylated DHPCs by GPC analysis. As a preliminary extension, butyralization of DHPC was undertaken in aqueous solution by using p‐toluenesulfonic acid as catalyst together with butyraldehyde (BuA). Two‐dimensional NMR (¹H–¹³C gHSQC) spectra measurements revealed that the products contained butyral groups, owing to dehydration‐cyclization between the BuA‐carbonyl and the duplicate hydroxyls in the side chain of DHPC. Such butyral derivatives of cellulose are expected to be a promising functional material parallel or superior to poly(vinyl butyral) available for safety glass interlayers, etc. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013, 51, 3590–3597     

Ring opening polymerization of α‐amino acid N‐carboxyanhydrides catalyzed by rare earth catalysts: Polymerization characteristics and mechanism

Five rare earth complexes are first introduced to catalyze ring opening polymerizations (ROPs) of γ‐benzyl‐L ‐glutamate N‐carboxyanhydride (BLG NCA) and L ‐alanine NCA (ALA NCA) including rare earth isopropoxide (RE(OiPr)₃), rare earth tris(2,6‐di‐tert‐butyl‐4‐methylphenolate) (RE(OAr)₃), rare earth tris(borohydride) (RE(BH₄)₃(THF)₃), rare earth tris[bis(trimethylsilyl)amide] (RE(NTMS)₃), and rare earth trifluoromethanesulfonate. The first four catalysts exhibit high activities in ROPs producing polypeptides with quantitative yields (>90%) and moderate molecular weight (MW) distributions ranging from 1.2 to 1.6. In RE(BH₄)₃(THF)₃ and RE(NTMS)₃ catalytic systems, MWs of the produced polypeptides can be controlled by feeding ratios of monomer to catalyst, which is in contrast to the systems of RE(OiPr)₃ and RE(OAr)₃ with little controllability over the MWs. End groups of the polypeptides are analyzed by MALDI‐TOF MS and polymerization mechanisms are proposed accordingly. With ligands of significant steric hindrance in RE(OiPr)₃ and RE(OAr)₃, deprotonation of 3‐NH of NCA is the only initiation mode producing a N‐rare earth metallated NCA ( i ) responsible for further chain growth, resulting in α‐carboxylic‐ω‐aminotelechelic polypeptides after termination. In the case of RE(BH₄)₃(THF)₃ with small ligands, another initiation mode at 5‐CO position of NCA takes place simultaneously, resulting in α‐hydroxyl‐ω‐aminotelechelic polypeptides. In RE(NTMS)₃ system, the protonated ligand hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) initiates the polymerization and produces α‐amide‐ω‐aminotelechelic polypeptides. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Barrier and mechanical properties of modified starches

The study addressed starch-based coatings on paper and fabrics. Coated materials and free starch films containing different amounts of a well-established plasticizer (glycerol) or potential plasticizer (mainly polyols) were tested with respect to water vapour permeance (WVPe), water vapour permeability (WVP), glass transition temperature (T_g), and mechanical strength (tensile tests). Both normal and high- amylose potato starch were used. These starches were modified by (a) oxidation, (b) oxidation and hydroxypropylation or (c) oxidation and hydrophobically modified by reaction with octenyl- or alkenyl-substituted succinic acid anhydride. Free films of hydroxypropylated high-amylose potato starch showed a lower WVP than did the corresponding starches based on regular potato starch. The WVP of the hydrophobically modified regular potato starches was substantially higher than that of films of the corresponding hydroxypropylated starches. The expected hydrophobic effect of the succinic acid anhydrides in terms of a reduced WVP could not be observed. When glycerol was used as a plasticizer, about 30 parts (by wt.) per hundred parts of starch were needed in order to reduce the T_g and to cause observable changes in the mechanical properties of the free films.