Equilibrium and dynamics of Langmuir monolayers when the interface is a selective solvent: Polystyrene-b-poly(t-butyl acrylate) block copolymers

The surface pressure of monolayers of insoluble diblock copolymers has been measured. One of the blocks is made of poly(t-butyl acrylate) (PtBA), and the other one by polystyrene (PS). The interface is a good solvent for PtBA, while it is a poor solvent for PS. For the sake of comparison, monolayers of a PtBA homopolymer (good solvent conditions) and of poly(4-hydroxy styrene) (P4HS) (poor solvent conditions) have been also measured. It has been found that the relative length of the blocks plays an important role on the shape of the surface pressure Pi versus surface concentration Gamma curves and also on the shape of the equilibrium compressibility versus Gamma curves. However, it does not affect the maximum value of Pi reached at high Gamma's. Surprisingly, the ellipsometric thickness of the copolymer monolayers is almost independent of the relative length of the blocks. The dynamics of the monolayers has been studied by step compression and by surface-light scattering techniques. When M(w,PtBA) > M(w,PS) single exponential relaxations are observed. However, stretched exponentials are obtained for M(w,PS) > or = M(w,PtBA). The relaxation times decrease with increasing Gamma for all the copolymers studied. This is the behavior usually found for poor solvent conditions (P4HS) and opposite to that found for homopolymers under good solvent conditions [PtBA, poly(vinylacetate)]. This means that the solvent quality of the interface does not determine the pressure dependence of tau. The elasticity modulus of the monolayers in the kilohertz range takes values that are similar to those of the high-frequency limit of the relaxation experiments. This means that the relaxation processes have characteristic frequencies below 1 Hz.     

The spreading characteristics of Langmuir monolayers of semi-amphiphilic salts containing the bis(4,5-dimercapto-1,3-dithiole-2-thionato)metallate anion

Monolayers of salts containing dmit anions have been formed at the air/water interface and the influence of spreading time on the pressure/surface area isotherms investigated. The temporal evolution of the isotherms is shown to be related to the dispersion of solid, bulk phase material formed at the air/water interface immediately after spreading. Atomic force microscopy has been used to determine the rate of dispersion by analysing the root mean square (RMS) roughness of Langmuir-Blodgett monolayers deposited after different spreading times. For divalent complexes, changing the central metal atom leads to different dispersion rates, but the initial RMS roughness is similar. Conversely, complexes with the same metal atom but different valencies disperse at the same rate but have very different initial RMS roughnesses.     

Influence of the solvent on the spreading of poly[(D,L-lactic acid)-co-(glycolic acid)] monolayers

 The properties of mono layers of poly[(D,L-lactic acid)-co-(glycolic acid)] (PLA/GA) are strongly conditioned by the nature of the solvent from which they are spread. In this work, we studied the properties of PLA/GA films deposited on water from acetonitrile (a poor spreading solvent) and chloroform (a good one), observing marked differences with regard to the influence of the pH, temperature and ionic strength of the subphase. These differences were attributed to the structure of PLA/GA at the air/water interface, being pre-determined by its structure in the bulk spreading solvent (closely coiled in acetonitrile, unfolded in chloroform). Viscosity measurements on acetonitrile and chloroform solutions of PLA/GA, and the calculation of the corresponding intermolecular expansion factor, α, confirmed that PLA/GA was better solvated by chloroform than by acetonitrile, in which intramolecular interactions between polymer segments, and thus coiling, will therefore have predominated over polymer–solvent interactions. Received: 14 October 1996 Accepted: 7 January 1997     

Incorporation conditions guiding the aggregation of a glycosylphosphatidyl inositol (GPI)-anchored protein in Langmuir monolayers

This work investigates the process of incorporation of a glycosylphosphatidyl inositol (GPI)-anchored alkaline phosphatase into Langmuir monolayers of dimyristoyl phosphatidic acid (DMPA). Three different methods of protein incorporation were assayed. When the protein solution was injected below the air–water interface after formation of the lipid monolayer a micro-heterogeneous distribution of alkaline phosphatase throughout the interface was observed. Adsorption kinetics studied by fluorescence microscopy, associated with surface pressure measurements, led to the proposition of a model in which the protein penetration is modulated by the surface packing of the monolayer and intermolecular interactions occurring between the phospholipid and the protein. At initial surface pressures higher than 20 mN m⁻¹, the protein is quickly adsorbed on the interface and the lateral diffusion drives the alkyl chains to turn towards the air phase while the polypeptide moiety faces the aqueous subphase.     

Rheology of poly(methyl methacrylate) Langmuir monolayers: percolation transition to a soft glasslike system

An experimental study of the equilibrium properties and of the surface rheology of Langmuir monolayers of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) at the air/water interface has been carried out as a function of polymer concentration (Γ) and molecular weight (M(w)). Dilational and shear complex elasticity moduli covering a frequency range from 10(-3) to 0.2 Hz have been discussed. It was found that the air∕water interface behaves as a poor solvent for PMMA monolayers, thus suggesting that the polymer coils take collapsed soft-disks (pancakes) shape at the interface. The equilibrium and dynamic results suggest a fluid-to-soft-glass transition as the polymer concentration increases above a critical packing fraction at constant temperature. This two-dimensional transition is in agreement with results previously discussed for the dilational rheology of poly(4-hydroxystyrene) [F. Monroy, F. Ortega, R. G. Rubio, H. Ritacco, and D. Langevin, J. Chem. Phys. 95, 056103 (2005)]. Furthermore, the Γ-dependence of the relaxation dynamics of the monolayers suggests that the gel state may be considered as a fragile soft glass.     

One-pot regioselective synthesis of 2(I),3(I)-O-(o-xylylene)-capped cyclomaltooligosaccharides: tailoring the topology and supramolecular properties of cyclodextrins

The alpha,alpha'-dibromo-o-xylylene cap has been installed at the secondary hydroxyls of a single glucopyranosyl residue in cyclodextrins in one pot and with total regioselectivity; the resulting cyclic ether acts as a removable hinge, allowing selective elaboration of the secondary face and modulating both the self-association and the inclusion capabilities of the hosts.     

Thermodynamics of the liquid expanded to condensed phase transition of poly(L-lactic acid) in Langmuir monolayers

Surface pressure-area per monomer (pi-A) isotherms show that poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) Langmuir monolayers exhibit a liquid expanded-to-condensed (LE/LC) phase transition at low surface pressure. Brewster angle microscopy images show circular domains where the LC phase is surrounded by the LE phase during phase coexistence. Morphology studies via atomic force microscopy show that well-ordered patterns are only observed for Langmuir-Blodgett films prepared in the LC phase, while no ordered features are observed in the LE phase. The morphological differences confirm that during the LE/LC phase transition PLLA molecules form well-ordered structures at the air/water interface. Analysis by the two-dimensional Clausius-Clapeyron equation is used to predict the critical parameters (X(c)). Both critical parameters, the critical temperature (T(c)) and the critical pressure (pi(c)), increase with increasing number average molar mass (M(n)) as X(c) = X(c,infinity) - KM(n)(-1), where X(c,infinity) is the value of the critical parameter at infinite molar mass and K is a constant. For PLLA T(c,infinity) = 36.2 +/- 0.3 degrees C and pi(c,infinity) = 4.53 +/- 0.06 mN x m(-1). This study provides a model polymer system for examining critical behavior in two dimensions.     

A one-pot strategy for synthesis of 5-O-(alpha-D-arabinofuranosyl)-6-O-(beta-D-galactofuranosyl)-D-galactofuranose present in motif E of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis cell wall

5-O-(Alpha-D-arabinofuranosyl)-6-O-(beta-D-galactofuranosyl)-D-galactofuranose 6 present in motif E of the Macobacterium tuberculosis cell wall has been regio- and stereospecifically synthesized using 3-O-benzoyl-1,2-O-isopropylidine-alpha-D-galactofuranose (10) as the glycosyl acceptor by the trichloroacetamidate method in a one-pot manner. The diol glycosyl acceptor 10 was smoothly derived from 1,2:5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-alpha-D-galactofuranose (8) by 3-O-benzoylation and then selective 5,6-O-deacetonation. The preparation of 8 was greatly improved by increasing the ratio of DMF to acetone and using a solid-supported catalyst.     

Used a new aza-thia-macrocycle as a suitable carrier in potentiometric sensor of copper (II)

A new modified carbon paste electrode for determination of Cu²⁺ made in our laboratory that used a new synthesized macrocycle 7,16-diaza-1-thia-4,10,13,19-tetraoxa-6,17-dioxo-2,3;20,21-dinaphtho-cyclouneicosane as modifier. This sensor exhibits a good affinity toward copper (II) ions over a wide variety of other metal ions. The electrode exhibits a Nernstian slope of 30 (±0.5) mV per decade for copper (II) ions over a wide concentration range (1.0 × 10^?8–1.0 × 10^?2 mol L^?1), with a limit of detection of 7.0 × 10^?9 mol L^?1 (~0.45 ppb). It has a response time of 30 s and can be used for at least 3 months without any considerable divergence in responses. The potentiometric response of the electrode is independent of the pH of test solution in the pH range 3.5–7.5. Finally, it was successfully used as an indicator electrode for determination of copper (II) in real samples such as Karoun river and tap water.     

Structural control in thin layers of poly(p-phenyleneethynylene)s: photophysical studies of Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett films

We present the relationship between the spatial arrangement and the photophysical properties of fluorescent polymers in thin films with controlled structures. Eight surfactant poly(p-phenyleneethynylene)s were designed and studied. These detailed studies of the behavior of the polymers at the air-water interface, and of the photophysical properties of their transferred LB films, revealed key structure-property relationships. Some of the polymers displayed pi-aggregates that are characteristic of an edge-on structure at the air-water interface. Monolayer LB films of these polymers showed greatly reduced quantum yields relative to solution values. Other polymers exhibited a highly emissive face-on structure at the air-water interface, and did not form pi-aggregates. The combination of pressure-area isotherms and the surface pressure dependent in situ UV-vis spectra of the polymers at the air-water interface revealed different behavioral details. In addition, the UV-vis spectra, fluorescence spectra, and quantum yields of the LB films provide design principles for making highly emissive films.     

Tetrabutylammonium tribromide (TBATB)-MeOH: An efficient chemoselective reagent for the cleavage of tert-butyldimethylsilyl (TBDMS) ethers

TBDMS, THP, and DMT ethers are efficiently deprotected with tetrabutylammonium tribromide in methanol. The apparent order of stability of different protecting group is phenolic TBDMS > 1 degrees OTBDPS > 2 degrees OTBDMS > 2 degrees OTHP > 1 degrees OTHP > 1 degrees OTBDMS > 1 degrees ODMT. TBDMS ether has been cleaved selectively in the presence of isopropylidine, Bn, Ac, Bz, THP, and TBDPS groups. This method is high yielding, fast, clean, safe, cost-effective, and therefore most suitable for practical organic synthesis.     

Control of the regioselectivity for new fluorinated amphiphilic cyclodextrins: synthesis of di- and tetra(6-deoxy-6-alkylthio)- and 6-(perfluoroalkypropanethio)-alpha-cyclodextrin derivatives

Twelve new di- and tetraderivatized alpha-cyclodextrin molecules having either alkylthio and perfluoroalkylpropanethio functions at the primary face have been synthesized by using the procedure of Sinay for di-O-debenzylation of perbenzylated alpha-cyclodextrins. A new strategy of protection/deprotection has been developed for introducing the lipophilic chains. The coupling reaction involves the reaction between the appropriate alpha-cyclodextin derivative, regioselectively modified at C-6 positions by a good leaving group (O-mesityl for disubstituted or iodine for tetrasubstituted derivatives), with the thioalkyl or the thioperfluoroakylpropane chains. These nucleophilic reagents are obtained from the in situ basic hydrolysis of the alkylisothiouronium bromides or perfluoalkylropropane and the isothiouronium iodides. These multistep reactions give the desired amphiphilic alpha-cyclodextrins in good overall yields of 33% to 58%.     

The study of oxidization fluorescence sensor with molecular imprinting polymer and its application for 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) determination

This paper developed optical fiber sensor based on molecular imprinted polymer as artificial recognition element for the determination of 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) in human serum. This approach displayed high sensitivity by oxidizing 6-MP to a strong fluorescent compound with H₂O₂ in the alkaline media. It offered a relatively nice selectivity for 6-MP detection by molecular imprinted polymer's recognition. The relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) was 5% for a same sensor (n = 5) when 6-MP concentration was 1.0 × 10⁻⁷ g mL⁻¹ in serum. The developed method was satisfactorily applied to the determination of 6-MP in human serum without any necessity for sample treatment or time-consuming extraction steps prior to the analysis.     

Diluted modified cyclodextrins as chiral stationary phases – influence of the polysiloxane solvent: Heptakis(2,3-di-O-acetyl-6-O-tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-β-cyclodextrin

The influence of different polysiloxane solvents on the efficiency and stereoselectivity of columns coated with mixtures of heptakis (2,3-di-O-acetyl-6-O-tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-β-cyclodextrin and the polysiloxanes was investigated. Generally, the enantioselectivity increased with decreasing polarity of the silicone solvent and/or increasing cyclodextrin concentration, with some exceptions. Thermodynamic investigations showed that a change of the diluting phase or the cyclodextrin concentration affects entropy as well as enthalpy differences between the diastereomeric cyclodextrin/solute complexes. As a consequence, a certain cyclodextrin/polysiloxane combination is superior to another only at a particular temperature.     

Hydroxy-thioxanthones as suitable neutral ionophores for the preparation of PVC-membrane potentiometric sensors for Al(III) ion.

The complexation of five recently synthesized hydroxy-thioxanthone derivatives with Al3+ ion was studied in a methanol solution spectrophotometrically, and the stepwise formation constants of the resulting 1:1 and 2:1 (ligand-to-metal) complexes were evaluated. The suitability of the thioxanthone derivatives as neutral ionophores for the preparation of a new Al3+ ion-selective PVC-membrane electrode was investigated, and 1-hydroxy-3-methyl-thiocanthone was selected as the best compound for this purpose. The prepared electrode exhibits a Nernstian response for Al3+ ions over a wide concentration range (2.0 x 10(-2) to 2.0 x 10(-6) M), with a limit of detection of 1.0 x 10(-6) M. It has a very fast response time of about 5 s and can be used for at least 3 months without any considerable divergence in the potentials. The proposed membrane sensor revealed very good selectivities for Al3+ over a wide variety of other metal ions, and could be used at a working pH range of 3.4 - 5.0. It was used as an indicator electrode in potentiometric titration of aluminum ions with EDTA, and in the determination of Al3+ in different real samples.     

The importance of the ene reaction for the C(2)-C(6) cyclization of enyne-allenes

The present study establishes the ene reaction as a competing reaction mechanism to the diradical mechanism for the thermal C(2)-C(6) cyclization of enyne-allenes which possess bulky substituents at the alkyne terminus. Both reaction routes are found to possess nearly equal free energies of activation. As shown by our computations, primary H/D isotope effects could be used for a definite decision about the mechanism. Concerning the regioselectivity of the cyclization reactions of enyne-allenes our study resolves a long-standing deviation between theoretical results and experimental findings.     

6-O-(2-hydroxybutyl)-β-CD as a chiral selector for nonaqueous capillary electrophoretic separation of chiral drugs

6-O-(2-hydroxybutyl)-β-CD, as a new β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) derivative, was successfully synthesized. It was used as a chiral selector to separate six chiral drugs, including propranolol, anisodamine, promethazine, ketoconazole, benzhexol, and fenfluramine in nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis (NACE). The effects of the organic solvent, the electrolytes, the concentrations of cyclodextrin derivatives, and the pH of the buffer on the chiral resolution (Rs) were investigated. The baseline separation of enantiomers, including propranolol (Rs = 2.26), anisodamine (Rs = 2.31), promethazine (Rs = 2.42), ketoconazole (Rs = 2.56), benzhexol (Rs = 3.38), and fenfluramine (Rs = 3.04), could be achieved using a buffer of 100 mmol · L^t−1 citric acid and 50 mmol · L^t−1 Tris (hydroxymethyl) aminomethane (Tris) at pH 4.6 containing 100 mmol · L^t−1 6-O-(2-hydroxybutyl)-β-CD in formamide (FA).     

P(MeNCH2CH2)3N: an efficient catalyst for the desilylation of tert-butyldimethylsilyl ethers

tert-Butyldimethylsilyl (TBDMS) ethers of primary, secondary, and tertiary alcohols and phenolic TBDMS ethers are desilylated to their corresponding alcohols and phenols, respectively, in DMSO, at 80 degrees C, in 68-94% yield in the presence of 0.2-0.4 equiv of P(MeNCH2CH2)3N. Using P(i-PrNCH2-CH2)3N as the catalyst, 85-97% yields of desilylated alcohols were obtained from TBDMS ethers of 1-octanol, 2-phenoxyethanol, and racemic alpha-phenyl ethanol. These are the first examples of desilylations of silyl ethers catalyzed by nonionic bases. Both catalysts were much less effective for the desilylation of tert-butyldiphenylsilyl (TBDPS) ethers (22-45% yield) under the same conditions as used for TBDMS ethers. Possible pathways involving nucleophilic attack of the anion of the solvent molecule (generated by the catalyst) at the Si-O bond of silyl ether or a prior activation of the silyl ether by the catalyst via a P-Si interaction followed by nucleophilic attack of the solvent anion are proposed on the basis of 1H and 31P NMR experimental data.     

Taurine isothiocyanate: a versatile intermediate for the preparation of ureas, thioureas, and guanidines. Taurine-derived cyclodextrins

A versatile and expeditious synthesis of taurine-derived thioureas, ureas, and guanidines using taurine isothiocyanate as the key intermediate is reported. Thioureas were obtained by a one-pot two-step procedure starting from taurine by the isothiocyanation reaction with thiophosgene in aqueous THF, followed by coupling with aliphatic and aromatic amines. Desulfurization of thiourea derivatives with yellow mercury(II) oxide gave access to either taurine-containing ureas or guanidines in a one-pot three-step fashion. This methodology was successfully applied to the preparation of a cyclodextrin-derived thiourea and guanidine with a taurine residue in their structures.