Proton diffusion across membranes of vesicles of poly(styrene-b-acrylic acid) diblock copolymers

A study of proton diffusion across membranes of block copolymer vesicles in dilute solution is described. The vesicles were formed by the self-assembly of a diblock copolymer of poly(styrene-b-acrylic acid) (PS(310)-b-PAA(36), where the numbers represent the degree of polymerization for individual blocks). A pH gradient was created across the vesicle membrane with the interior pH (pH(in)) of ca. 2.9 and the exterior pH (pH(out)) of ca. 8.5. The permeability of the polystyrene (PS) membrane was tuned by the addition of different amounts of dioxane (0-40 wt %) to the external aqueous solution. Proton concentrations in the solution outside of the vesicles were followed by monitoring the spectrum of a pH-sensitive fluorescent dye, namely 8-hydroxypyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonate. After the start of the experiment, the proton concentrations increase linearly with the square root of time, while the slopes of the lines increase with dioxane content. To calculate the diffusion coefficients of the protons across the vesicular membrane, the concentration data were fitted using a model, which describes the diffusion of species across the membrane of a reservoir. The apparent diffusion coefficient (D*, which equals the true diffusion coefficient multiplied by the partition coefficient of protons between PS and water) increases from 1.1 x 10(-18) cm(2)/s at 7 wt % dioxane in the external solution to 1.2 x 10(-14) cm(2)/s at 40 wt %. The increase of D* with dioxane content is related to its plasticization of the PS membrane, which can be used as a gating mechanism.     

Radiation damage to alkyl chain monolayers on semiconductor substrates investigated by electron spectroscopy

Monolayers of alkyl chains, attached through direct Si-C bonds to Si(111), via phosphonates to GaAs(100) surfaces, or deposited as alkyl-silane monolayers on SiO2, are investigated by ultraviolet and inverse photoemission spectroscopy and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Exposure to ultraviolet radiation from a He discharge lamp, or to a beam of energetic electrons, leads to significant damage, presumably associated with radiation- or electron-induced H-abstraction leading to carbon-carbon double-bond formation in the alkyl monolayer. The damage results in an overall distortion of the valence spectrum, in the appearance of (occupied) states above the highest occupied molecular orbital of the alkyl molecule, and in a characteristic (unoccupied state) pi resonance at the edge of the carbon absorption peak. These distortions present a serious challenge for the interpretation of the electronic structure of the monolayer system. We show that extrapolation to zero damage at short exposure times eliminates extrinsic features and allows a meaningful extraction of the density of state of the pristine monolayer from spectroscopy measurements.     

Catalytic effects of monolayers of metals deposited at underpotentials: Oxidation of formic acid on platinum

An independent potentiometric method is developed for the determination of autoprotolysis constants of nonaqueous amphiprotic solvents. The data of potentiometric titrations of a weak protolyte (base or acid) with a strong one are used for calculation of both autoprotolysis constant of the solvent and acid—base constant of the protolyte. The calculations are based on the method of least-squares in combination with the “pit-mapping” procedure developed by Sillén. The validity of the method was proved by the determination of the autoprotolysis constant of water. The method has no restriction concerning the strength of the weak protolyte, the latter being its main advantage. The autoprotolysis constants of methanol and ethylene glycol were determined by means of the proposed method too. The obtained values of pK_MeOH=17.00 and pK_EG=15.91 are in a good agreement with some recent data.     

Co-immobilization of transition-metal complexes and ionic liquids in a polymeric support for liquid-phase hydrogenations

A new recyclable heterogeneous system is reported for reactions with a transition-metal catalyst in ionic liquid medium. It consists of a polymeric phase in which both the ionic liquid and the transition-metal catalyst are incorporated. The system is readily prepared by simple mixing of the components. In hydrogenations, the polymeric system always outperformed the ‘classical’ biphasic systems with ionic liquids and it could be re-used successfully without loss of activity.     

496—Cyclic voltammetric studies on the application of carbon elctrodes in the determination of oxalic acid

The application of carbon paste and glassy carbon electrodes in the analysis of oxalic acid was investigated by comparing the characteristics of cyclic voltammograms of oxalic acid obtained in various supporting electrolytes (acetate, borate, citrate, phosphate, etc.). When a semi-micro carbon paste electrode (area 0.49 cm²) was used, the oxalic acid was oxidized at +1.0 to +1.2 V vs Ag|AgCl yielding current in the μA range (scan rate 50 mV/s) for oxalic acid concentration of approximately 10^?4M. Oxalic acid oxidation was observed under both acidic and alkaline conditions. The presence of chloride ions or oxygen did not have any deleterious effect on the electrode response. The peak current was reproducible for repeated scans obtained with the same electrode after brief stirring. The glassy carbon electrode was found to be less suitable for oxalic acid oxidation studies because the peaks in the voltammograms were poorly defined and the current response was markedly reduced. These investigations suggest that carbon paste electrodes are sensitive and stable for oxalic acid oxidation studies. A plot of the peak currents obtained with carbon paste electrode for different concentrations of oxalic acid between 1×10^?4M to 1×10^?3M was linear and reproducible. It is suggested that a flow through carbon paste electrode coupled to a chromatographic column can be used in the development of a sensitive method for oxalic acid analysis in biological samples.     

Phase separation of micellar solutions at extreme dilution: A study of polystyrene-b-poly(sodium acrylate) micelles in aqueous NaCl solutions

Micellar solutions of polystyrene-b-poly(sodium acrylate) copolymers in aqueous NaCl were studied by static light scattering (SLS). It was found that micellar solutions of the copolymer, at concentrations of NaCl at, or above, 2.0 mol dm⁻³, became turbid on dilution at constant salt concentration and at constant temperature. Turbidity arose from highly dilute solutions (typically at a concentration three orders of magnitude lower than the overlap concentration of the micelle, C*), but at concentrations above the expected critical micellization concentrations (c.m.c.s). The observed turbidity was attributed to the phase separation of the micellar phase. A systematic investigation of the phase separation phenomenon was performed. The effects of various parameters on the solution behavior of the micellar solutions were studied, including the effect of the concentration of NaCl, the effect of temperature, and the effect of the length of the hydrophilic, corona-forming poly(sodium acrylate) block. Phase separation was attributed to the presence of a very large excess of NaCl in the dilute micellar solutions. It was proposed that phase separation arose because of the reduced hydration of the polyion, the decreased electrostatic repulsion between the micelles, and the increase in the amount of ion binding, which occur in highly dilute salt solutions. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.