Exploring amino acid‐tethered polymethacrylates as CO2‐sensitive macromolecules: A concealed property

Carbon dioxide (CO₂)‐responsive polymers have been gaining considerable interest because of their reactions with CO₂, giving rise to gas‐switchable properties, which can easily be reversed by mild heating or purging with inert gases. Herein, the synthesis of a series of side‐chain amino acids (alanine, leucine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, tryptophan) appending poly(meth)acrylates carrying primary amine (? NH₂) groups via reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization method was reported. It was found that alanine, leucine, isoleucine containing polymers displayed solubility–insolubility transition behavior and their associated property changes (solution transmittance, electrical conductivity, pH, zeta potential, and hydrodynamic diameter) in water upon alternate bubbling of CO₂/N₂ at room temperature. Among the three CO₂‐sensitive polymers only leucine based macromolecule was further chain extended with a thermoresponsive motif, di(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (DEGMMA), via RAFT polymerization. CO₂‐tunable lower critical solution temperature and self‐assembling behavior of the diblock copolymer was carefully examined by UV–vis, ¹H NMR spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and field emission‐scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM) to establish dual thermo and gas‐tunable flip–flop micellizaion from the as‐synthesized block copolymer. Formation of polyammonium methacrylate bearing bicarbonate as counter anion is responsible for pendant primary amine containing polymer induced CO₂‐responsiveness. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 2794–2803     

Cobalt(II) complexes with 2-aminoacetophenone N(4)-substituted thiosemicarbazones

Cobalt(II) complexes with 2-aminoacetophenone thiosemicarbazone and three N(4)-substituted thiosemicarbazones have been prepared in EtOH solution and characterized by physical and spectral methods. I.r. and electronic spectra of the thiosemicarbazones and their complexes, along with physical properties of the complexes, have been obtained. The 2-aminoacetophenone thiosemicarbazones coordinate both as neutral and anionic ligands via the thiosemicarbazone moiety's imine nitrogen and thione/thiolato sulfur [on loss of the N(2) hydrogen].     

Brownian diffusion in overdamped sine-Gordon model

The time decay of correlation for Brownian motion in a one-dimensional periodic potential and for large viscosity is studied analytically in an asymptotic method. The result is related to the dynamics of an overdamped sine-Gordon chain. The relevance of our finding to the superionic conduction phenomena is discussed.     

Small Angle X-Ray Scattering of Hematite Aggregates

Small angle X-ray scattering has been utilised to study the structure of hematite aggregates. The small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) spectra obtained provided insight into structure of the hematite aggregates and the size of the primary particles. The structural analysis results obtained by SAXS are consistent with previous results obtained from static light scattering studies. Both techniques indicate that the mass fractal dimensions of hematite aggregates are markedly higher than those obtained for other particle systems.     

Synthesis of spiro pyrrolidines via formal [3+2] cycloaddition of unusual enones and cis-3-benzoyl-1-cyclohexyl-2-phenylaziridine

The synthesis of a new class of spiro[tetrahydronaphthalen-one/butenolide]pyrrolidines has been accomplished by the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylide generated by thermal ring opening of cis-3-benzoyl-1-cyclohexyl-2-phenylaziridine with (E)-2-arylidene-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalen-1-ones and (E)-3-arylidene-5-phenyl-Δ^4,5-butenolides. The structures of the products were confirmed by spectroscopic techniques as well as single crystal X-ray analysis of one of the products.     

Halide Abstraction by Na[B{C6H3(CF3)2‐3,5}4]: Synthesis and Structural Characterization of the Rhodium(I) Cations [(η6‐arene)Rh(PPh3)2]+ (Arene = benzene,toluene)

Halide abstraction from [(Ph₃P)₂Rh(μ‐Cl)]₂ by the sodium salt of the weakly coordinating [BAr^f₄]^? anion [Ar^f = C₆H₃(CF₃)₂‐3,5] in the presence of excess arene offers a convenient, high‐yielding route to the half‐sandwich cations [(arene)Rh(PPh₃)₂]⁺[BAr^f₄]^? [arene = benzene ( 1 ), toluene ( 2 )]. Crystalline samples of 1 and 2 are isomorphous [a = 13.1270(2), b = 15.3030(2), c = 17.5760(3) Å, α = 74.620(1), β = 81.533(1), γ = 88.540(1)° for 1 ] and feature the arene ligand bound to the rhodium atom in η⁶ fashion.     

Immobilized citrate synthase

Kinetic properties of pig heart citrate synthase immobilized on Sepharose were determined. Compared to the free enzyme the K_m values for both acetyl-CoA and oxalacetate were increased. The kinetic pattern of the Lineweaver-Burk plots of both substrates for the immobilized enzyme was that of lines intersecting on thex axis. This is the same as that obtained for the free enzyme and indicates that there is no change in the kinetic mechanism of the reaction. The pH response and the Arrhenius plot of both the immobilized and free enzyme were the same. The enzymes show a break in their Arrhenius plots. The immobilized enzyme exhibits greater heat stability than does the free enzyme.     

Synthesis and evaluation of some polymeric surfactants for treating crude oil—Part II. Destabilization of naturally occurring water‐in‐oil emulsions by polyalkylphenol formaldehyde amine resins

In the present work, three polymeric surfactants were prepared and used as demulsifiers; polyalkyl phenol formaldehyde monoethanol amine ethoxylate, eo, 136(D1), polyalkyl phenol formaldehyde diethanol amine ethoxylate, eo, 37(D2) and polyalkyl phenol formaldehyde triethanol amine ethoxylate, eo, 21.5(D3). Their demulsification potency in breaking water‐in‐crude oil emulsions was investigated. In this respect, two naturally occurring Egyptian water‐in‐oil (w/o) emulsions, one of them was waxy and the other was asphaltenic, were used in order to study the demulsification power of these compounds. The data revealed that, the resolution of water from waxy crude emulsion was easier than asphaltenic crude emulsion. The demulsification efficiency increases with increasing demulsifier concentration, contact time and temperature. The interfacial tension (IFT) at the crude oil–water interface was measured, it was found that the concentration of demulsifiers required to cause a minimum IFT are always less than these indicating a maximum demulsification efficiency. All the results were discussed in relation to emulsifier chemical structure and crude oil composition. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A catalytic approach of blending CO2-activating MOF struts for cycloaddition reaction in a helically interlaced Cu(II) amino acid imidazolate framework: DFT-corroborated investigation

In CO₂ transformation catalysis, the synthesis of cyclic carbonates using two classes of MOF catalysts viz., zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIF) and MOFs with carboxylate-capped SBUs have gained large attention. Herein we propose the strategy of employing a unified multifunctional framework formed in the metal-centered assembly of imidazole and amino-carboxylates for CO₂ transformation, such as propylene carbonate (PC) by the cycloaddition of CO₂ with propylene oxide. The framework {[Cu(L-asp)(1,4-bix)_0.5]·3H₂O}_n (CuAspBix) comprises of the amino acid building units, L-aspartic acid (L-Asp) and the flexible ligand, 1,4-bis(imidazole-1-yl methyl)benzene [1,4-Bix]. The 1,4-Bix ligand with imidazole terminals renders elongated M-M distances and flexibility in comparison with pristine ZIF materials. The cumbersome synthesis procedure poor phase purity of the bulk catalyst in solvothermal conditions were improved by a microwave-assisted synthesis, preserving the structural and physicochemical properties. Minimal energy input or room temperatures for the catalysis occurred via the synergistic participation of CuAspBix and quaternary ammonium bromide salt, demonstrated by density-functional theory computational studies to propose mechanistic pathway of the reaction. Reaction conditions were optimized by altering the parameters. The heterogeneous catalyst was reused four times without a significant change in activity.

Graphic abstract

     

Reactivity of the bis(pentafluorophenyl)boranes ClB(C6F5)2 and [HB(C6F5)2]n towards late transition metal reagents

The reactivities of the highly electrophilic boranes ClB(C(6)F(5))(2) (1) and [HB(C(6)F(5))(2)](n) (2) towards a range of organometallic reagents featuring metals from Groups 7-10 have been investigated. Salt elimination chemistry is observed 1 between and the nucleophilic anions eta(5)-C(5)R(5))Fe(CO)(2)](-)(R = H or Me) and [Mn(CO)(5)](-), leading to the generation of the novel boryl complexes (eta(5)-C(5)R(5))Fe(CO)(2)B(C(6)F(5))(2)[R = H (3) or Me (4)] and (OC)(5)MnB(C(6)F(5))(2) (5). Such systems are designed to probe the extent to which the strongly sigma-donor boryl ligand can also act as a pi-acceptor; a variety of spectroscopic, structural and computational probes imply that even with such strongly electron withdrawing boryl substituents, the pi component of the metal-boron linkage is a relatively minor one. Similar reactivity is observed towards the hydridomanganese anion [(eta(5)-C(5)H(4)Me)Mn(CO)(2)H](-), generating a thermally labile product identified spectroscopically as (eta(5)-C(5)H(4)Me)Mn(CO)(2)(H)B(C(6)F(5))(2) (6). Boranes 1 and 2 display different patterns of reactivity towards low-valent platinum and rhodium complexes than those demonstrated previously for less electrophilic reagents. Thus, reaction of 1 with (Ph(3)P)(2)Pt(H(2)C=CH(2)) ultimately generates EtB(C(6)F(5))(2) (10) as the major boron-containing product, together with cis-(Ph(3)P)(2)PtCl(2) and trans-(Ph(3)P)(2)Pt(C(6)F(5))Cl (9). The cationic platinum hydride [(Ph(3)P)(3)PtH](+) is identified as an intermediate in the reaction pathway. Reaction of with [(Ph(3)P)(2)Rh(mu-Cl)](2), in toluene on the other hand, appears to proceed via ligand abstraction with both Ph(3)P.HB(C(6)F(5))(2) (11) and the arene rhodium(I) cation [(Ph(3)P)(2)Rh(eta(6)-C(6)H(5)Me)](+) (14) ultimately being formed.