Bisorthoesters as polymer intermediates. II. A facile method for the preparation of polybenzimidazoles

Aromatic bisorthoesters were found to be good polymer intermediates and could be condensed with aromatic tetramines under mild conditions, in DMSO at 100°C in a relatively short reaction time to give polybenzimidazoles. The hexapropyl orthoesters of terephthalic and isophthalic acid were the preferred aromatic orthoesters because they were relatively easily purified by vacuum distillation to polymer grade intermediates, since they are liquids. Higher orthoesters distill even under good vacuum near or above the decomposition temperature of the orthoester group. Hexaethyl orthooxalate was also used and is a very useful and stable derivative of oxalic acid, which can be used for condensation reactions. These three orthoesters were used for condensations with 3,3′,4,4′-tetraaminobiphenyl, 1,2,3,4-tetraaminobenzene, 3,3′,4,4′-tetraaminobiphenyl ether, and 3,3′,4,4′-tetraaminobenzophenone. All polybenzimidazoles were obtained in high to quantitative yields and with varying molecular weights (η_inh = 0.1?0.8 dl/g), which in some cases were in the fiber forming range.     

The stability of silver iodide sols in the presence of polyacrylic acids of various molecular weights

Summary The effect of a series of polyacrylic acids, ranging in molecular weight from 1.67×10⁴ to 2.36×10⁶, on the stability of positively charged silver iodide particles has been examined. Flocculation of the sol occurred at a well defined concentration of polyacrylic acid,c _f , and a further increase in concentration of the polyelectrolyte caused restabilization of the sol. Over the range examinedc _f appeared to be related to the viscosity average molecular weight of the acid,M _v , by an equation of the form,c _f =a ·M _v ^{– b} wherea andb are constants.     

Effects of temperature on styrene–methacrylonitrile copolymerization

The free-radical copolymerization of styrene and methacrylonitrile was studied in toluene solution at 60, 90, and 120°C. Copolymer composition was estimated from gas-chromatographic measurement of unreacted monomer concentrations. Reactions were carried to about 20% conversion to minimize analytical errors. Reactivity ratios were calculated by using an integrated form of the Mayo-Lewis simple copolymerization equation. Reactivity ratios were not sensitive to reaction temperature. The values at 90°C are r₁ = 0.41 (methacrylonitrile) and r₂ = 0.37 (styrene). The r₁ values are higher than those reported by other workers, presumably because of advantages in the present analytical technique and calculation method. The negligible temperature dependence of reactivity ratios is in accord with theory. If monomer pairs exhibit pronounced dependence of reactivity ratios on polymerization temperature, this may indicate a change in mode of placement of units in the polymer chain.     

Dimethylzinc-mediated addition of alkenylzirconocenes to alpha-keto and alpha-imino esters

[reaction: see text] Hydrozirconation of alkynes followed by in situ transmetalation to dimethylzinc and 1,2-addition to activated ketones and N-diphenylphosphinoylimines leads to tertiary allylic alcohols and amines in high overall yield. With 8-phenylmenthol as the chiral auxiliary, si-face attack proceeds in good to excellent diastereoselectivities.     

Platinum(II) Mono-N1-(2"-Tetrahydrofuranyl)-5-Fluorouracilate Complexes with Ammonia

The reaction between cis-[Pt(NH₃)₂Cl₂], N¹-(2"-tetrahydrofuranyl)-5-fluorouracil (HL), and NaOH (taken in a molar ratio of 1 : 1 : 1) or between cis-[Pt(NH₃)₂Cl₂], HL, and Ag₂O (taken in the molar ratio of 1 : 1 : 0.5) was used to synthesize complexes Ia (in the case of NaOH) or Ib (in the case of Ag₂O) with composition Pt(NH₃)₂LCl. The model complex [Pt(NH₃)₃L]NO₃ (II) was synthesized by the reaction between [Pt(NH₃)₃Cl]Cl, HL, AgNO₃, and Ag₂O (1 : 1 : 1 : 0.5). The obtained compounds were characterized by chemical analysis, chromatography, thermogravimetry, conductometry, potentiometry, IR, electronic, and NMR spectroscopies. Complexes Ia and Ib were found to have both similar and different properties. The structures of the compounds and the type of L^– coordination to platinum(II) were suggested. Cytotoxic properties of Iaand Ib were studied.     

Cellular adhesion and proliferation on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): Benefits in the electroactivity of the conducting polymer

Cell adhesion and proliferation in poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), an electroactive polythiophene derivative generated by anodic polymerization, has been investigated. Results show that epithelial cells Hep-2 present significant activity on the surface of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) electrodeposited on stainless steel electrodes, no sign of cytotoxicity being detected for this conducting polymer. Indeed, seeded and cultured cells bound better to poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) than to uncoated stainless steel, the latter substrate being used as a control. Furthermore, the electrochemical characteristics of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) covered with cells was determined in different biological media using cyclic voltammetry experiments. Results reveal a significant increase in the electroactivity of this material when it is covered with a cellular monolayer. The overall of the results evidences not only the biocompatibility of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) with Hep-2 cells but also their electrocompatibility.     

Spectral-luminescent analysis of sugar cane juice

A spectral-luminescent analysis has been made of the low-, medium-, and high-molecular mass fractions of sugar cane juice. The presence of pigments was detected in all the fractions. The medium-molecular-mass fraction was distinguished by the most considerable and most diverse composition of the pigments, a substantial contribution to which was made by the products of the alkaline decomposition of sugars. The amounts of pigments in all the fractions of the juice depended on the age of the plant. A pronounced dependence on the age of the plant was characteristic for the medium-molecular-mass fraction.B. I. Stepanov Institute of Physics, Belorussian Academy of Sciences, Minsk. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 3, pp. 456–459, May–June, 1993.     

Synthesis, band structure, and optical properties of Ba2ZnV2O8

A novel compound Ba₂ZnV₂O₈ has been synthesized in high temperature solution reaction and its crystal structure has been characterized by means of single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. It crystallizes in monoclinic system and belongs to space group P2₁/c with a=7.9050(16), b=16.149(3), , β=90.49(3). It builds up from 1-D branchy chains of [ZnV₂O₈⁴⁻]_∞, and the Ba²⁺ cations are located in the space among these chains. The IR spectrum, ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflection integral spectrum and fluorescent spectra of this compound have been investigated. The calculated results of energy band structure by the density functional theory method show that the solid-state compound of Ba₂ZnV₂O₈ is an insulator with direct band gap of 3.48 eV. The calculated total and partial density of states indicate that the top valence bands are contributions from the mixings of O-2p, V-3d, and Zn-3d states and low conduction bands mostly originate from unoccupied antibonding states between the V-3d and O-2p states. The V-O bonds are mostly covalence characters and Zn-O bonds are mostly ionic interactions, and the ionic interaction strength is stronger between the Ba-O than between the Zn-O. The refractive index of n_x, n_y, and n_z is estimated to be 1.7453, 1.7469, and 1.7126, respectively, at wavelength of 1060 nm for Ba₂ZnV₂O₈ crystal.     

Influence of electronegative substituents on the electronic spectra of the porphyrins in the form of dications

The positions of the electronic absorption bands and also the intensities of the Soret bands of the porphyrins with ethoxycarbonyl substituents in the form of dications have been calculated by the LCAO MO method in Huckel's approximation. Comparison with the experimental results shows good agreement.