Structure of self-assembled multilayers prepared from water-soluble polythiophenes

We have studied the structure and morphology of self-assembled polyelectrolyte multilayers prepared using poly(styrenesulfonate) (PSS) and four different cationic poly(alkoxythiophene) derivatives bearing methylimidazolium-terminated ionic side chain at the 3-position of the thiophene ring: poly(1-methyl-3-[3-[3-thienyloxy]-propyl]-1H-imidazolium) (P3TOPIM), poly(1-methyl-3-[6-[3-thienyloxy]-hexyl]-1H-imidazolium) (P3TOHIM), poly(1-methyl-3-[2-[(4-methyl-3-thienyl)oxy]-ethyl]-1H-imidazolium ) (P4Me-3TOEIM), and poly(1-methyl-3-[6-[(4-methyl-3-thienyl)oxy]-hexyl]-1H-imidazolium ) (P4Me-3TOHIM). All the multilayers exhibited regular growth. The thickness of the multilayers was measured with ellipsometry, their layer-by-layer growth was followed by polarization modulation infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS) and ellipsometry, and the morphology of the films was studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The length of the methylimidazolium-terminated side chain (C(n), n = 2, 3, 6) and the substituent (H or Me) at the 4-position of the thiophene ring were varied. All multilayers were inhomogeneous in the sub-micrometer scale and contained aggregates of two kinds. The large ones with a low and constant surface number density were attributed to PSS, whereas the small aggregates were polythiophene-based. The surface density of these organic semiconducting nanoparticles greatly depended on the structure of polythiophene, being favored by polymer regioregularity and the length of the side chain. The side chains remained disordered in all the multilayers, but with polythiophenes having hexyl chains both the imidazolium and thiophene rings tended to orient themselves more perpendicular to the surface than in films containing shorter chains (C2 or C3). The relative water content of the multilayers (at 7.1% relative humidity) did not depend on the film thickness and was the lowest for P4Me-3TOHIM. As the number of bilayers increased the methylimidazolium-sulfonate ion pairs gradually weakened and became more individually hydrated.     

Comparison of the C1‐symmetric diastereoisomers of a zirconocene‐based catalyst in ethylene polymerization: A benzyl substituent as a regulator in branch formation

C₁‐symmetric diastereoisomers of a zirconocene dichloride, SiMe₂(3‐benzylindenyl)(indenyl)ZrCl₂, known as catalyst precursors used to produce polypropylenes with similar molecular weights and tacticities, have been investigated in ethylene polymerization. Activated by methylaluminoxane, they produce microstructurally different polymers: high‐density polyethylene and linear low‐density polyethylene, the latter characterized by the presence of ethyl branches. The formation of branches is relevant in the complex having a sterically more crowded (inward) site. A comparison with the complex without substituents, meso‐SiMe₂(indenyl)₂ZrCl₂, shows that the presence of a benzyl group on only one of the two indenyl moieties can regulate the number of branches and the molecular weight of the macromolecule. Actually, the unsubstituted complex is able to give double the number of branches and lower molecular weights, whereas the C₁‐symmetric disubstituted complexes previously reported generally give linear polyethylene. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 3551–3555, 2006     

Self-assembly properties of bile acid derivatives of l-cysteine,l-valine and l-serine alkyl esters

Comprehensive self-assembly studies for nine bile acid amides of amino acid esters are reported. The number of the hydroxyl groups attached to the steroidal skeleton and the character of the amino acid ester moiety were used as variables when examining the self-assembly properties of the compounds. Two of the compounds were shown to undergo self-assembly leading to organogelation. In addition, preliminary self-assembly studies in aqueous mixtures of polar organic solvents were conducted. Microscopic methods (optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy) were utilised in order to gain a deeper insight into the self-assembled structures. Furthermore, single-crystal X-ray structures for three of the compounds were solved.     

Synthesis, characterization and antimicrobial activity of palladium(II) complexes with some alkyl derivates of thiosalicylic acids: Crystal structure of the bis(S-benzyl-thiosalicylate)-palladium(II) complex, [Pd(S-bz-thiosal)2]

S-Alkyl (R = benzyl, methyl, ethyl, propyl and butyl) derivatives of thiosalicylic acid and the corresponding palladium(II) complexes were prepared and their structures were proposed on the basis of infrared, ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. The cis geometrical configurations of the isolated complexes were proposed on the basis of an X-ray structural study of the bis(S-benzyl-thiosalicylate)-palladium(II), [Pd(S-bz-thiosal)₂] complex.Antimicrobial activity of the tested compounds was evaluated by determining the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum microbicidal concentration (MMC) in relation to 26 species of microorganisms. The tested ligands, with a few exceptions, show low antimicrobial activity. The palladium(II) complexes, [Pd(S-R-thiosal)₂], have statistically significant higher activity than the corresponding ligands. The complexes [Pd(S-et-thiosal)₂] and [Pd(S-pro-thiosal)₂] displayed the strongest activity amongst the all tested compounds. The palladium(II) complexes show selective and moderate antibacterial activity and significant antifungal activity. The most sensitive were Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavus.     

Tautomeric preferences of phthalones and related compounds

Multinuclear magnetic resonance and IR spectra prove that although 2-(diacylmethyl)pyridines and 2-(diacylmethyl)quinolines are β-diketones, their proton transfer product present in chloroform solution is not ketoenol but enaminone (earlier opinions were contradictory). Quinoline derivatives are less zwitterionic by character than the respective pyridyl congeners. The β-diketone form itself may also be rarely present in the solution. X-ray data show that 2-(2(1H)-pyridinylidene)-1H-indene-1,3(2H)-dione, i.e., enaminone tautomer of 2-(pyridin-2-yl)-2H-indene-1,3-dione, is also the only form present in crystal. Ab initio calculations show that the enaminone is usually more stable than other tautomeric forms. Values of geometry based aromaticity index HOMA (harmonic oscillator model of aromaticity) confirm that the zwitterionic structure really contributes to the enaminone forms detected.     

Convergence of a SOR-Weiszfeld Type Algorithm for Incomplete Data Sets

We consider a generalization of the Weiszfeld algorithm with successive overrelaxation for data sets where some data point fields may be missing and prove its global convergence. A counterexample is also provided to the convergence of an alternative generalization.     

Table systems with unconditional transfer

The family of languages generated by context-free programmed grammars equals that generated by context-free grammars with graph-controlled tables under unconditional transfer.