Thermal stability of poly(β-bromostyrene) and copolymers of β-bromostyrene with methyl methacrylate

The thermal stabilities of poly(-bromostyrene), poly-(methyl methacrylate) homopolymers and copolymers of-bromostyrene-methyl methacrylate covering the entire composition range were studied using TG analysis. At each extreme of the composition range, incorporation of comonomer units results in a copolymer more stable than the brominated homopolymer. Maximum stability occurs for compositions of approximately 62 mole percent-bromostyrene. The formation of the anhydride structure among the degradation products leads to the stability of the copolymers.

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Zusammenfassung Die thermische Stabilität von-Bromstyrol- und Methylmethacrylat-Homopolymeren sowie von sich über den ganzen Zusammensetzungsbereich erstreckenden-Bromstyrol/Methylmethacrylat-Kopolymeren wurde thermogravimetrisch untersucht. An beiden Enden des Zusammensetzungsbereichs führt der Einbau von Komonomereinheiten zu einem Kopolymer, das stabiler als das bromierte Homopolymer ist. Maximale Stabilität wird bei einem Gehalt von etwa 62 Mol-%-Bromstyrol erreicht. Die Bildung der Anhydridstruktur führt zur Stabilität des Kopolymers.

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/-, - . , . - 62%. .

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Presented at the World Conference of Thermal Analysis, held in Bad Hofgastein (Austria), 1985.     

New enantiopure palladium(II) complexes from a stereodynamic 2,2′‐biphosphole ligand

Two enantiopure palladium(II) complexes, viz. [1,1′‐(butane‐1,3‐diyl)‐3,3′,4,4′‐tetramethyl‐5,5′‐diphenyl‐2,2′‐biphosphole]dichloridopalladium(II) dichloromethane solvate [systematic name: dichlorido(1,2,5,10,11‐pentamethyl‐3,9‐diphenylperhydrodicyclopenta[a,c][1,4]diphosphepine‐κ²P,P′)palladium(II) dichloromethane solvate], [PdCl₂(C₂₈H₃₀P₂)]·CH₂Cl₂, have been synthesized from stereodynamic diphosphines derived from 2,2′‐biphosphole through a metal kinetic dynamic resolution. In both structures, the coordination around the metal atom is square planar, with a cis arrangement of the ligands that drastically reduces the dihedral angle between the two phosphole rings compared with the free ligand. The structural determination of both enantiomers unambiguously establishes the absolute configuration of both central and axial elements of chirality of the 2,2′‐biphosphole framework and indicates that the original carbon chirality of the backbone controls the chiralities of the 2,2′‐biphosphole framework.     

Diphosphine sulfides derived from 2,2'-biphosphole: novel chiral S,S ligands for palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution

Diphosphine sulfides derived from 2,2'-biphosphole have been efficiently synthesized in an enantiomerically pure form by a four step synthetic sequence. These S,S-ligands were used for the first time in Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation. Good yields and enantiomeric excess up to 73% were obtained.     

A Surface Study of Ultrathin Ceria Nanoparticles Decorated with Transition‐Metal Ions

A wide range of nanoparticle properties can be tuned by changing their surface characteristics, especially when dealing with ultrathin nanomaterials. Surface modification with transition‐metal ions may affect a variety of the nanoparticles' properties including the surface charge, the electronic structure, and the electrical and optical characteristics. In this work, a surface study of ceria nanoparticles modified by attachment of various transition‐metal ions to their surface is conducted. Characterization of the decorated particles as well as of the modifying transition‐metal ion is carried out using zeta potential in organic solution, UV–Vis absorption, and electron paramagnetic resonance measurements, together with isothermal titration calorimetry, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy. All measurements confirm the attachment of the cation to the surface of ceria, both in solid state and in colloidal suspension. It is suggested that the modifying ion‐complex attaches to ceria both via chemical or strong physical interactions and weak physical interactions, demonstrated by a case‐study modification of ceria using a copper‐oleylamine complex. The metalization has a significant effect on the surface charge of the nanoparticles by shifting the zeta potential to more positive values and on the optical properties of the modifying transition‐metal ions by red‐shifting their absorption peak.     

Conduction behaviour and thermoelectric power of Agx (As0.4Se0.6) 100−x chalcogenide system

Chalcogenide bulk alloys of Ag_x (As_0.4Se_0.6) _100−x (x=5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, 15 and 17.5) system were prepared by the conventional melt-quench technique. The d.c. electrical conductivity (σ) and thermoelectric power (TEP) measurements were carried out in the temperature range from 83 to 373 K and from 253 to 373 K, respectively. Variations of both σ and TEP with ambient temperature proved the p-type semiconducting behaviour of these materials. The current density-electric field characteristics were found to be linear. The activation energies, calculated from both the electrical conductivity E_σ and thermoelectric power E_s, were found to be dependent on composition.     

Radiological characterization and environmental impact in northwestern coast of Egypt

A study of environmental radioactivity along the northwestern coast of Egypt was performed by the Central Laboratory for Environmental Radioactivity Measurements Inter-comparison and Training within the framework of the research project: Radiological Studies/Measurements of Natural and Man-made Radionuclides in the Environment. The present paper contains important conclusions, correlations and interpretations of the environmental measurements. The samples collection and measurements were conducted according to the Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority monitoring plan for locations along the northwestern coast of Egypt and its main tributaries of interest. The specific activities of ²²⁶Ra (²³⁸U series), ²²⁸Ra (²³²Th series), ⁴⁰K and ¹³⁷Cs (Bq/kg dry weight) were measured using gamma-ray spectrometers based on hyper-pure germanium detectors. The absorbed radiation dose rates in air (nGy/h) due to natural radionuclides in shore sediment and radium equivalent activity index (Bq/kg) were calculated. The specific activity ratios of ²²⁸Ra/²²⁶Ra were calculated for evaluation of the geo-chemical behavior of these radionuclides. Samples textures and CaCO₃ and total organic matter contents of sediments were also determined while the pH, major cations and anions such as Na⁺, K⁺, Ca⁺⁺, Mg⁺⁺and Cl^?, SO₄ ^– and HCO₃, respectively were also determined in water samples.     

Supramolecular structure,spectroscopic, thermal studies and antimicrobial activities of Schiff base complexes

Metal(II) complexes of 4-(((2-hydroxynaphthalen-1-yl)methylene)amino)-1,5-dimethyl-2-phenyl-1,2-dihydro-3H-pyrazol-3-one (HL) were prepared, and their compositions and physicochemical properties were characterized on the basis of elemental analysis, with¹HNMR, UV–Vis, IR, mass spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. All results confirm that the novel complexes have a 1:1 (M:HL) stoichiometric formulae [M(HL)Cl₂] (M = Cu(II)(1), Cd(II)(5)), [Cu(L)(O₂NO)(OH₂)₂](2), [Cu(HL)(OSO₃)(OH₂)₃]2H₂O(3), [Co(HL)Cl₂(OH₂)₂]3H₂O(4), and the ligand behaves as a neutral/monobasic bidentate/tridentate forming a five/six-membered chelating ring towards the metal ions, bonding through azomethine nitrogen, exocyclic carbonyl oxygen, and/or deprotonated phenolic oxygen atoms. The XRD studies show that both the ligand and Cu(II) complex (1) show polycrystalline with monoclinic crystal structure. The molar conductivities show that all the complexes are non-electrolytes. On the basis of electronic spectral data and magnetic susceptibility measurements, a suitable geometry has been proposed. The trend in g values (g _ll > g _⊥ > 2.0023) suggest that the unpaired electron on copper has a \(d_{{x^{2} - y^{2} }}\) character, and the complex (1) has a square planar, while complexes (2) and (3) have a tetragonal distorted octahedral geometry. The molecular and electronic structures of the ligand (HL) and its complexes (1–5) have been discussed. Molecular docking was used to predict the binding between HL ligand and the receptors of the crystal structure of Escherichia coli (E. coli) (3t88) and the crystal structure of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) (3q8u). The activation thermodynamic parameters, such as activation energy (E _a), enthalpy (ΔH), entropy (ΔS), and Gibbs free energy change of the decomposition (ΔG) are calculated using Coats–Redfern and Horowitz–Metzger methods. The ligand and its metal complexes (1–5) showed antimicrobial activity against bacterial species such as Gram positive bacteria (Bacillus cereus and S. aureus), Gram negative bacteria (E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae) and fungi (Aspergillus niger and Alternaria alternata); the complexes exhibited higher activity than the ligand.