Development of new dyes for use in integrated optical sensors

New chromoionophores have been developed, focused on NIR applications so that optode membranes may be used in monolithically integrated optical sensors. The wavelength of maximum absorbance has been estimated for a new model compound by the Pariser-Parr-Pople (PPP) method. Several cyanine type dyes have been tested as membrane chromoionophores. Membrane composition has been altered to overcome solubility problems. In this way, simple pH-sensitive optode membranes have been produced.     

Surface polarity of cellulose derivates observed by coumarin 151 and 153 as solvatochromic and fluorochromic probes

Solvent‐dependent ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) absorption and Stokes shifts including strong hydrogen‐bond‐donating (HBD) solvents such as 2,2,2‐trifluoroethanol and 1,1,1,3,3,3‐hexafluoro‐2‐propanol of two coumarine dyes (Co 151 and Co 153) were analyzed with multiple‐square analyses of linear solvation energy relationships and the Kamlet–Taft solvent parameter set to α (HBD capacity), β (hydrogen‐bond‐accepting capacity), and π* (dipolarity/polarizability). The UV–vis absorption and emission spectra of Co 151 and Co 153 were measured when adsorbed on various polysaccharides such as different cellulose batches, carboxymethylcelluloses with different degrees of substitution, and chitine. As a result of this evaluation, Co 153 is recommended as an alternative UV–vis probe for evaluating the dipolarity/polarizability of cellulose and cellulose derivates. Multiple adsorption of Co 153 on Linters cellulose took place indicating a wide‐surface polarity distribution, which makes the determination of a rigid polarity parameter questionable. Thus, fluorescence measurements of adsorbed Co 153 are suitable to detect inhomogenities on a surface but not for the determination of empirical polarity parameters. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 1210–1218, 2003     

Liquid crystalline hexa-amides and side chain polysiloxanes of azacrown [18]-N6

The hexa-4-dodecyloxybenzoyl derivative 1 of azacrown [18]-N₆ was originally reported to have a 'tubular' mesophase on the basis of its large central ring and 6-fold symmetry. Starting in the mesophase, annealing of 1 under a cover slip results in formation of a new crystalline phase that melts directly to an isotropic liquid at the temperature previously observed for the mesophase to isotropic transition. Thus the phase behaviour of 1 is kinetically controlled. The analogous hexa-3,4-bisdodecyloxybenzoyl derivative 2 of azacrown [18]-N₆ has no kinetic limitations to its phase changes and has an enantiotropic columnar liquid crystalline phase. We have synthesized side chain copolysiloxanes with a (CH₂)₁₁ spacer and 75-84 per cent by weight of the same 4-dodecyloxybenzoyl-[18]-N₆ mesogen. The polysiloxanes also display a liquid crystalline phase.     

Optimal control of unsteady compressible viscous flows

The control of complex, unsteady flows is a pacing technology for advances in fluid mechanics. Recently, optimal control theory has become popular as a means of predicting best case controls that can guide the design of practical flow control systems. However, most of the prior work in this area has focused on incompressible flow which precludes many of the important physical flow phenomena that must be controlled in practice including the coupling of fluid dynamics, acoustics, and heat transfer. This paper presents the formulation and numerical solution of a class of optimal boundary control problems governed by the unsteady two‐dimensional compressible Navier–Stokes equations. Fundamental issues including the choice of the control space and the associated regularization term in the objective function, as well as issues in the gradient computation via the adjoint equation method are discussed. Numerical results are presented for a model problem consisting of two counter‐rotating viscous vortices above an infinite wall which, due to the self‐induced velocity field, propagate downward and interact with the wall. The wall boundary control is the temporal and spatial distribution of wall‐normal velocity. Optimal controls for objective functions that target kinetic energy, heat transfer, and wall shear stress are presented along with the influence of control regularization for each case. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Poly(ortho‐phenylene ethynylene)s: Synthetic accessibility and optical properties

Poly(ortho‐phenylene ethynylene)s (PoPEs) have been synthesized via an in situ activation/coupling AB′ polycondensation protocol. The resulting polymers have been characterized by several analytical methods and are shown to have no structural defects. Although the Sonogashira–Hagihara polycondensation reaction is less efficient than for the preparation of the corresponding meta‐ and para‐linked polymers, presumably because of steric hindrance caused by the ortho substituents, the process can be accelerated by the use of microwave irradiation. Optical spectroscopy indicates solvent‐dependent conformational changes between extended transoid and helical cisoid conformations, providing the first experimental evidence for solvophobically driven folding of the PoPE backbone. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 1619–1627, 2006     

Luminescent copolymers for applications in multicolor‐light‐emitting devices

Light‐emitting diodes based on organic materials [organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs)] have attracted much interest over the past decade. Several different attempts have been made to realize multicolor OLEDs. This article describes a new approach based on energy transfer in a donor/acceptor system. A copolymer containing both donor and acceptor compounds as comonomer units is prepared. The polymer consists of a derivative of a luminescent dye [4‐dicyanmethylene‐2‐methyl‐6‐4H‐pyran (DCM); acceptor compound], which is copolymerized with fluorene (donor compound) to combine the properties of an electroactive polymer with a highly luminescent dye. Photochemical processing is achieved by UV irradiation of this copolymer in the presence of gaseous trialkylsilanes. This reagent selectively saturates the C?C bonds in the DCM comonomer units while leaving the fluorene units essentially unaffected. As a result of the photochemical process, the red electroluminescence of the acceptor compound vanishes, and the blue‐green electroluminescence from the polyfluorene units is recovered. Compared with previous approaches based on polymer blends, this copolymer approach avoids problems associated with phase‐separation phenomena in the active layer of OLEDs. © 2006Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 4317–4327, 2006     

Vitamin C—A 13C magnetic resonance study

The pH dependence of the ¹³C chemical shifts of ascorbic acid has been measured and interpreted in terms of protonation sites. The transition of the dimer of dehydroascorbic acid into the hydrated monomer form is monitored by ¹³C spectroscopy.     

Design,synthesis, and evaluation of 6-carboxyalkyl and 6-phosphonoxyalkyl derivatives of 7-oxo-8-ribitylaminolumazines as inhibitors of riboflavin synthase and lumazine synthase

A series of 6-carboxyalkyl and 6-phosphonoxyalkyl derivatives of 7-oxo-8-D-ribityllumazine were synthesized as inhibitors of both Escherichia coli riboflavin synthase and Bacillus subtilis lumazine synthase. The compounds were designed to bind to both the ribitylpurine binding site and the phosphate binding site of lumazine synthase. In the carboxyalkyl series, maximum activity against both enzymes was observed with the 3'-carboxypropyl compound 22. Lengthening or shortening the chain linking the carboxyl group to the lumazine by one carbon resulted in decreased activity. In the phosphonoxyalkyl series, the 3'-phosphonoxypropyl compound 33 was more potent than the 4'-phosphonoxybutyl derivative 39 against lumazine synthase, but it was less potent against riboflavin synthase. Molecular modeling suggested that the terminal carboxyl group of 6-(3'-carboxypropyl)-7-oxo-8-D-ribityllumazine (22) may bind to the side chains of Arg127 and Lys135 of the enzyme. A hypothetical molecular model was also constructed for the binding of 6-(2'-carboxyethyl)-7-oxolumazine (15) in the active site of E. coli riboflavin synthase, which demonstrated that the active site could readily accommodate two molecules of the inhibitor.     

Self-Assembly of Gold Nanoclusters on Molecularly Modified GaAs

The elaboration of closed-packed monolayers of Au₅₅(PPh₃)₁₂Cl₆ clusters on oxidized and non-oxidized GaAs surfaces is reported. The first part of this work describes the use of silanethiol modified GaAs oxide surfaces to trap 18 nm gold colloids and Au₅₅(PPh₃)₁₂Cl₆ clusters. The surfaces characterized by AFM measurements present high-quality coverage on a quite long range for both metallic species. The second part is devoted to the elaboration of Au₅₅(PPh₃)₁₂Cl₆ cluster monolayers on non-oxidized p-type GaAs substrates, functionalized with dithiol molecules. AFM measurements demonstrate the presence of closed-packed two-dimensional arrangements of Au₅₅ clusters.     

Semi-preparative liquid-chromatographic separation of all four stereoisomers of α-bisabolol on tribenzoylcellulose

Summary A semi-preparative low-pressure liquid-chromatographic procedure using tribenzoylcellulose has been developed for the separation and isolation of the four -bisabolol stereoisomers. Stereochemical assignments were made by HPLC-polarimeter coupling and by using the authentical isomers. This method can be applied to the quality control of chamomile preparations, as it allows the detection of adulterations resulting from admixtures of synthetic -bisabolol. In addition, the isolation of all four -bisabolol stereoisomers from commercially available synthetic -bisabolol has been made possible.