Rate enhancement for nitroxide stable free radical polymerization of n‐butyl acrylate by dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid

Dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid, DDBSA, was chosen as a new rate‐accelerating additive for 2,2,6,6,‐teramethyl‐1‐piperidinyloxy (TEMPO)‐mediated stable free radical polymerization of n‐butyl acrylate (n‐BA) monomers with 2,2′‐azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN). It was found that the number‐average molecular weight of polymers could reach about ten thousand with a narrow polydispersity index (PDI) of 1.4 in a few minutes, which was faster than other systems reported previously. But, at higher conversion, the molecular weight distribution of polymers became broad, and a bimodal distribution occurred. The macro‐initiators isolated from the former polymers with narrow PDI could be extended by polymerization with monomers by the addition of DDBSA. Furthermore, a proposed kinetic model demonstrated that the decay of the concentration of DDBSA would reduce the living polymer concentration and retard the growth of the polymers, which could be further propagated by the supplement of DDBSA. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 42–49, 2005     

Practical synthesis of (S)‐7‐(2‐isopropylamino)ethylcamptothecin hydrochloride,potent topoisomerase I inhibitor

A practical semi‐synthetic method of (S)‐7‐(2‐isopropylamino)ethylcamptothecin hydrochloride has been developed. The Mannich reaction of (S)‐7‐methylcamptothecin with isopropylamine hydrochloride in dimethyl sulfoxide as a formaldehyde source gave the desired product in moderate yield.     

Preparation of polybenzoxazole fibers via electrospinning and postspun thermal cyclization of polyhydroxyamide

Polybenzoxazole (PBO) fibers with a submicron diameter were successfully prepared by electrospinning its precursor, polyhydroxyamide (PHA), solutions to obtain the PHA fibers first, followed by appropriate thermal treatments for cyclization reaction. BisAPAF‐IC PHA with two different molecular weights (MWs) were synthesized from a low temperature polymerization of 2,2′‐bis(3‐amino‐4‐hydroxyphenyl) hexafluoropropane (BisAPAF) and isophthaloyl chloride (IC). Using dimethylacetamide (DMAc) and tetrahydrofuran (THF), solvent effects on the electrospinnability of PHA solutions were investigated. For balancing the solution properties, it was found that DMAc/THF mixture with a weight ratio of 1/9 was the best cosolvent to prepare smooth PHA fibers; uniform PHA fibers with a diameter of 325–720 nm were obtained by using 20 wt % PHA/(DMAc/THF) solutions. For a fixed PHA concentration, solutions with a lower MW of PHA yielded thinner electrospun fibers under the same electrospinning condition. After obtaining the electrospun BisAPAF‐IC PHA fibers, subsequent thermal cyclization up to 350 °C produced the corresponding thermally stable BisAPAF‐IC PBO fibers with a diameter of 305–645 nm. The structure of the precursor fibers and the fully cyclized fibers were characterized by FTIR. For the cyclized BisAPAF‐IC PBO fibers, thermogravimetric analysis showed a 5% weight loss temperature at 523 °C in nitrogen atmosphere. The interconnected fiber structure in the BisAPAF‐IC PBO fiber mats was irrelevant to the curing process, but resulted from the jet merging during the whipping process as revealed by the high speed camera images. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 8159–8169, 2008     

Distributional method for the D′ Alembert equation

We consider the D′ Alembert equation in the space of Schwartz distributions and as an application we find the locally integrable solutions of the equation.Received: 22 July 2004; revised: 12 October 2004     

A Synthesis of Thalidomide

A synthesis of racemic thalidomide ( 1 ) was described and the important formal [3+3] cycloaddition strategy was a keystep. The total yield of thalidomide ( 1 ) was 18% in five steps from known 3 .     

Recent Applications of the Maximal Covering Location Planning (M.C.L.P.) Model

To enhance the research and application of mathematical programming and any other O.R. methodologies, it is desirable to investigate some ‘general’ models. This is particulary important in the development of decision support systems, where models play a significant role in management support. This study examines several applications of the maximal covering location planning (M.C.L.P.) model. They include data abstraction, statistical classification, cognitive process modelling, etc. In addition to demonstrating the wide applicability of the model, we also address some implementation issues associated with the applications of the M.C.L.P. model.     

Subcutaneous injection of 99mTc pertechnetate at acupuncture points K-3 and B-60

The acupuncture points are known to be morphologically related to the nerves and vessels. Yet the physiological role of blood vessels in the formation of acupuncture points remains unknown. With subcutaneous injection of 99mTc pertechnetate at the acupuncture points K-3 and B-60 and with intra-acupuncture point injection of 99mTc pertechnetate at K-3 and B-60, a lower-limb venography like what was obtained by intravenous injection of 99mTc macroaggregated albumin was demonstrated in the present study. It seems that some acupuncture points do play a role in drainage of tissue fluid from soft tissue into the veins.