Synthesis and characterization of norbornene–ethylene–styrene terpolymers with a substituted ansa‐fluorenylamidodimethyltitanium‐based catalyst

This article reports a synthetic method for a norbornene–ethylene–styrene (N‐E‐S) terpolymer, which has not been well investigated so far, via incorporation of styrene (S) into vinyl‐type norbornene–ethylene (N‐E) copolymers catalyzed by a substituted ansa‐fluorenylamidodimethyltitanium [Me₂Si(3,6‐tBu₂Flu)(tBuN)]TiMe₂ catalyst ( I ) activated with a [Ph₃C][B(C₆F₅)₄]/Al(iBu)₃ cocatalyst at room temperature in toluene. The resulting terpolymerization product contained the targeted N‐E‐S terpolymer and the contaminated homopolymers, which were then able to be completely removed by solvent fractionation techniques. While homopolystyrene was easily extracted by fractionation with methylethylketone as a soluble part, homopolyethylene and a trace amount of homopolynorbornene could be perfectly separated by fractionation with chloroform as insoluble parts. The detail characterizations of a chloroform‐soluble polymer with gel permeation chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance, and differential scanning calorimetry analyses proved that it contained a true N‐E‐S terpolymer with long N‐E sequences incorporated with isolated or short styrene sequences. The homogeneity of the morphology together with a single glass transition temperature that proportionally decreased with the increase of the styrene contents indicated that the N‐E‐S terpolymer obtained in this work is a random polymer with an amorphous structure. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 2765–2773, 2007     

Mechanism of stereoregular polymerization of butadiene by homogeneous Ziegler-Natta catalysts. I. Effects of the species of transition metals

Butadiene was polymerized by catalysts of the type: metal acetylacetonate (metal: Ti to Ni in the periodic table)–triethylaluminum–aluminum halide, with various ratios of triethylaluminum to aluminum halide. The minimum cis content was observed with vanadium catalyst in all cases, while the minimum polymer yields were observed with the iron and the manganese catalysts. These transition metal effects are discussed in terms of the crystal field theory, and it is suggested that the electrostatic interaction between the nearly nonbonding electrons of transition metal atom and a butadiene molecule or a growing end of the polymeric chain plays an important role in the stereoregular polymerization of butadiene by homogeneous Ziegler-Natta catalysts.     

Fluorescence maxima of 10-methylacridone-metal ion salt complexes: a convenient and quantitative measure of lewis acidity of metal ion salts

Aromatic carbonyl compounds such as 10-methylacridone form the Lewis acid complexes including paramagnetic and redox active Lewis acids. The fluorescence energies of the Lewis acid complexes are well correlated with the O2*--Lewis acid complexes derived from the gzz-values of the ESR spectra of the superoxide anion-Lewis acid complexes, thus providing a quantitative measure of the Lewis acidity.     

Kurdyka–Łojasiewicz Exponent via Inf-projection

Foundations of Computational Mathematics - Kurdyka–Łojasiewicz (KL) exponent plays an important role in estimating the convergence rate of many contemporary first-order methods. In...     

Gas chromatographic analysis of estrogens. II

Summary A simple method is described for the introduction of samples to a gas Chromatograph by means of a septumless port. The reproducibility and accuracy of the method have been shown by the analysis of ng quantities of estrone, estradiol, and estriol as the heptafluorobutyrates with an electron capture detector.

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Zusammenfassung Die Einbringung von Proben in einen Gaschromatographen durch einen membranlosen Einspritzblock wurde beschrieben. Die Reproduzierbarkeit und Genauigkeit der so erhaltenen Ergebnisse wurde durch die Bestimmung von Nanogrammengen Östron, Östradiol und Östriol als Heptafluorobutyrate mit einem Elektroneneinfangdetektor erwiesen.

     

A regio- and stereoselective alpha-methylation of gamma,delta-epoxy-alpha,beta-unsaturated esters with a Me2Zn-CuCN reagent

A highly regio- and stereoselective alpha-methylation reaction of gamma,delta-epoxy-alpha,beta-unsaturated esters was achieved by using a Me2Zn-CuCN reagent.     

Photo-induced cellulose radicals capable of initiating graft copolymerization

The decay behavior of cellulose radicals produced by photo-irradiation at room temperature and the characteristics of photo-irradiated cellulose samples to initiate graft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) were investigated. ESR spectra of such untreated, swollen, oximated, and ferric ion-sensitized samples irradiated at room temperature were constructed mainly of a single absorption line with a line width of 20 to 22 gauss and a g value of 2.003, and it is surely conceivable that the radicals showing a singlet spectrum should agree with those of alkoxy end produced at either the C₁ or C₄ position of the glucose unit by the scission of glucosidic bonds. The decay of radicals was accelerated by contact of various solvents with the samples, the activity decreasing in the order, water ≈ methanol ? acetone > dioxane. On the other hand, the decay of radicals by vinyl monomers became smaller in the order, methacrylic acid > MMA ≈ styrene. Graft copolymerization of MMA by a photo-irradiated sample was effectively initiated with the use of a certain amount of water or methanol, but not with acetone and dioxane. As no initiation can occur with the unirradiated sample, it is concluded that the initiation of graft copolymerization on the photo-irradiated sample is attributable to cellulose radicals showing a singlet spectrum which are formed in photo-irradiation at room temperature.     

Highly selective conversion of N-aroyl-α-dehydronaphthylalaninamides into 3,4-dihydrobenzoquinolinone derivatives via photoinduced intermolecular electron transfer

The irradiation of substituted (Z)-N-aroyl-α-dehydronaphthylalaninamides [(Z)-1] in methanol containing triethylamine (TEA) with Pyrex-filtered light was found to give 3,4-dihydrobenzoquinolinone derivatives (2) in high yields along with minor amounts of 4,5-dihydrooxazole derivatives (3). Analysis of the substituent effects on product composition revealed that both the photoreactivity of 1 and the selectivity of 2 are decreased with increasing electron-withdrawing ability of the substituent introduced at the para-position on the N-benzoyl benzene ring. From the analysis of the dependence of the quantum yield for the formation of 2 on the TEA concentration, it was found that back electron transfer occurs efficiently within an (E)-1 anion radical-TEA cation radical pair intermediate.     

A Narrative Review of Alternate Gait Training Using Knee-ankle-foot Orthosis in Stroke Patients with Severe Hemiparesis

Impairments resulting from stroke lead to persistent difficulties with walking. Subsequently, an improved walking ability is one of the highest priorities for people living with stroke. The degree to which gait can be restored after a stroke is related to both the initial impairment in walking ability and the severity of paresis of the lower extremities. However, there are some patients with severe motor paralysis and a markedly disrupted corticospinal tract who regain their gait function. Recently, several case reports have described the recovery of gait function in stroke patients with severe hemiplegia by providing alternate gait training. Multiple studies have demonstrated that gait training can induce “locomotor-like” coordinated muscle activity of paralyzed lower limbs in people with spinal cord injury. In the present review, we discuss the neural mechanisms of gait, and then we review case reports on the restoration of gait function in stroke patients with severe hemiplegia.