Computational studies of the cyclization of thiosemicarbazides

While typically cyclodehydration of thiosemicarbazides in acidic media leads to 1,3,4‐thiadiazoles, we have recently shown that under reflux conditions in anhydrous acetic acid the cyclization yields an imidazolidine derivative. The mechanism of this reaction has been characterized theoretically. Calculations indicate that this direction, facilitated by the presence of the ? CH₂CO₂? moiety in the N4 substituent is favored over the direction leading toward the thiadiazole product. Formation of the C? N bond that closes the five‐member ring appears to be concerted with the departure of ethanol molecule, although the proton transfer from the nitrogen atom to oxygen atom is much more advanced in the transition state. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Concentration Dependence of Anti- and Pro-Oxidant Activity of Polyphenols as Evaluated with a Light-Emitting Fe2+-Egta-H2O2 System

Hydroxyl radical (^•OH) scavenging and the regeneration of Fe²⁺ may inhibit or enhance peroxidative damage induced by a Fenton system, respectively. Plant polyphenols reveal the afore-mentioned activities, and their cumulative net effect may determine anti- or pro-oxidant actions. We investigated the influence of 17 phenolics on ultra-weak photon emission (UPE) from a modified Fenton system (92.6 µmol/L Fe²⁺, 185.2 µmol/L EGTA (ethylene glycol-bis(β-aminoethyl-ether)-N,N,N′,N,-tetraacetic acid) and 2.6 mmol/L H₂O₂ pH = 7.4). A total of 8 compounds inhibited (antioxidant effect), and 5 enhanced (pro-oxidant effect) UPE at all studied concentrations (5 to 50 µmol/L). A total of 4 compounds altered their activity from pro- to antioxidant (or vice versa) along with increasing concentrations. A total of 3 the most active of those (ferulic acid, chlorogenic acid and cyanidin 3-O-glucoside; mean UPE enhancement by 63%, 5% and 445% at 5 µmol/L; mean UPE inhibition by 28%, 94% and 24% at 50 µmol/L, respectively) contained catechol or methoxyphenol structures that are associated with effective ^•OH scavenging and Fe²⁺ regeneration. Most likely, these structures can determine the bidirectional, concentration-dependent activity of some phenolics under stable in vitro conditions. This is because the concentrations of the studied compounds are close to those occurring in human fluids, and this phenomenon should be considered in the case of dietary supplementation with isolated phenolics.     

On some congruences of power algebras

In a natural way we can “lift” any operation defined on a set A to an operation on the set of all non-empty subsets of A and obtain from any algebra (A, Ω) its power algebra of subsets. In this paper we investigate extended power algebras (power algebras of non-empty subsets with one additional semilattice operation) of modes (entropic and idempotent algebras). We describe some congruence relations on these algebras such that their quotients are idempotent. Such congruences determine some class of non-trivial subvarieties of the variety of all semilattice ordered modes (modals).     

Complexing properties of methyl and phenyl glycine derivatives in their compounds with H+, Ni(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II)

The influence of the solvent and the substituents on the complexing properties of methyl and phenyl glycine derivatives is discussed. On the basis of a computer analysis of potentiometric titration results, the composition and the stability constants of the complexes ofN-methylglycine,N,N-dimethylglycine,N-phenylglycine and phenylglycine with H⁺ and with Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II) were determined. The ligand-metal coordination mode as well as the zwitterion level in percent in ligand/proton systems were determined by spectral analyses and equilibria studies.

---

Komplexbildung der Methyl- und Phenylglycin-Derivate in ihren Verbindungen mit dem Proton und Ni(II), Cu(II) und Zn(II)

Zusammenfassung Der Einfluß des Lösungsmittels und der Substituenten auf die komplexbildenden Eigenschaften der Methyl- und Phenylglycin-Derivate wird diskutiert. Anhand einer Computer-Analyse von potentiometrischen Daten wurden die Zusammensetzung und die Beständigkeitskonstanten der Komplexe vonN-Methylglycin,N,N-Dimethylglycin,N-Phenylglycin und Phenylglycin mit H⁺, Ni(II), Cu(II) und Zn(II) festgestellt. Mittels spektroskopischer Methoden und Gleichgewichtstudien wurde der Koordinationstyp des Liganden mit dem Metall festgestellt sowie der Prozentanteil des Zwitterions im Ligand/Proton-System.

     

Modification of Polylactide Nonwovens with Carbon Nanotubes and Ladder Poly(silsesquioxane)

Electrospun nonwovens of poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) modified with multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and linear ladder-like poly(silsesquioxane) with methoxycarbonyl side groups (LPSQ-COOMe) were obtained. MWCNT and LPSQ-COOMe were added to the polymer solution before the electrospinning. In addition, nonwovens of PLLA grafted to modified MWCNT were electrospun. All modified nonwovens exhibited higher tensile strength than the neat PLA nonwoven. The addition of 10 wt.% of LPSQ-COOMe and 0.1 wt.% of MWCNT to PLLA increased the tensile strength of the nonwovens 2.4 times, improving also the elongation at the maximum stress.     

Pressure effect on grain boundary wetting at various temperatures

Bicrystals of Fe-6 at.% Si alloy containing <001> 5 tilt grain boundaries with a deposited zinc layer have been annealed at various hydrostatic pressure at four temperatures between 700° and 905°C. After the anneals the dihedral angle of the grain boundary groove formed at the site of the grain boundary intersection with the solid-melt interphase boundary has been measured. The transition from complete to incomplete wetting of the grain boundary by the zinc-rich melt (dewetting phase transition) has been found to occur as the pressure increased at all temperatures studied. The temperature dependence of the dewetting transition pressure p _w has been determined. That dependence has a minimum at a temperature of 790°C, which is close to the peritectic temperature in the Fe–Zn system (782°C). A thermodynamic analysis of the wetting phenomena in the two-component system, based on Becker's regular solution model for the surface tension of the interphase boundary, explains the minimum in the p _w (T) dependence.     

Atom-transfer radical polymerization of poly(ethylene oxide) macromonomers in aqueous media

Soluble comb-shaped and swelling network polymers based on monomethacrylate (M = 2080) and bismethacrylate (M = 4000) poly(ethylene oxide) macromonomers, have been synthesized by the controlled atom-transfer radical polymerization in aqueous media. PEG 2000 methyl ether ethyl-2-bromoisobutyrate and 2-bromoisobutyrate, in combination with CuBr, CuBr₂, and 2,2′-bipyridyl, have been used as initiators. The length of the main chain of comb-shaped polymers, as estimated with multidetector chromatography, is in good agreement with the calculated values in the 15–20 range at M _w /M _n = 1.42–1.89. The polymerization of the methacrylate macromonomer proceeds at a high rate and with a nearly quantitative conversion. The replacement of 10–80 mol % CuBr with CuBr₂ appreciably decelerates polymerization and decreases polydispersity to 1.14–1.21, while the experimental and calculated values of chain lengths remain equal. This finding indicates a higher level of process control. The polymer networks thus prepared manifest Gaussian elastic behavior, as is evident from the relationship between the elastic modulus G and the swelling degree Q that is consistent with the classical prediction G ～ Q ^m , where m = ?1/3. Within the framework of the accepted model of networks of this type, this fact suggests the short length of polymethacrylate chains. In addition, the relationship between the time of attainment of the gelation point and the composition of the initiation system agrees with the atomtransfer controlled polymerization mechanism. The efficiencies of various radical polymerization methods for controlling the network structure are compared.     

Surface‐enhanced Raman scattering investigations on silver nanoparticles deposited on alumina and titania nanotubes: influence of the substrate material on surface‐enhanced Raman scattering activity of Ag nanoparticles

Silver nanoparticles deposited on various ‘inert’ porous materials (mainly Al₂O₃ and TiO₂) are often used as substrates for surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) measurements. In this study, we used the sputter deposition technique to cover tubular arrays of Al₂O₃ and TiO₂ with Ag nanoparticles. Raman spectra of pyridine (as a probe molecule) and of two selected dyes (5‐(4‐dimethylaminobenzylidene)rhodanine and 5‐(4‐(dimethylamino)benzylidene)‐3‐(3‐methoxypropyl)rhodanine) adsorbed on fabricated Ag/TiO₂‐n/Ti and Ag/Al₂O₃‐n/Al substrates were measured. We found that the SERS spectra of pyridine adsorbed on Ag nanoparticles deposited on an Al₂O₃‐n/Al substrate are distinctly different from those measured for an Ag/TiO₂‐n/Ti composite. Similar effects were observed for dyes adsorbed on the surface of both composites. The spectral differences between two kinds of composites (Ag/TiO₂‐n/Ti and Ag/Al₂O₃‐n/Al) are discussed in terms of (1) the modified electronic structure of the Ag nanoparticles due to their interaction with different substrate materials and (2) the different atomic topology of the metal particles thus deposited on the surfaces of the substrates. Composite samples were also studied with the aid of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) to reveal their characteristic morphological and chemical features. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Phase transformation in shape memory alloys: a numerical approach for thermomechanical modeling via peridynamics

Meccanica - The work is devoted to the numerical aspects of the modeling tool elaborated to simulate the phenomenon of solid phase transformation in shape memory alloys. Particularly, a nonlocal...     

Synthesis,Photophysics and Redox Properties of Aza-BODIPY Dyes with Electron-Donating Groups

A series of novel aza-BODIPY dyes substituted with p-(dimethylamino)phenyl groups were synthesized and their spectral and electrochemical properties were compared. In particular, the impact of p-(Me₂N)Ph- groups on these characteristics was of consideration. For two aza-BODIPYs studied, a near-IR absorption band was observed at circa λ_abs=796 nm. Due to the pronounced intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) exerted by the presence of strongly electron-donating p-(Me₂N)Ph- substituents, the compounds studied were weakly emissive with the singlet lifetimes (τ_S) in the picosecond range. Nanosecond laser photolysis experiments of the brominated aza-BODIPYs revealed T₁→T_n absorption spanning from ca. 350 nm to ca. 550 nm with the triplet lifetimes (τ_T) ranged between 6.0 μs and 8.5 μs. The optical properties of the aza-BODIPYs studied were pH-sensitive. Upon protonation of the dimethylamino groups with trifluoroacetic acid in toluene, a stepwise disappearance of the NIR absorption band at λ_abs=790 nm was observed with the concomitant appearance of a blue-shifted absorption band at λ_abs=652 nm, which was accompanied by a prominent emission band at λ_fl=680 nm. The transformation from a non-emissive to an emissive compound is associated with the inhibition of the ICT. As estimated by CV/DPV measurements, all aza-BODIPYs studied exhibited two irreversible oxidation and two quasi-reversible reduction processes. All compounds studied exhibit extremely high photostability and thermal stability.