Efficient polymer passivation of ligand‐stripped nanocrystal surfaces

Water‐dispersible, polymer‐wrapped nanocrystals are highly sought after for use in biology and chemistry, from nanomedicine to catalysis. The hydrophobicity of their native ligand shell, however, is a significant barrier to their aqueous transfer as single particles. Ligand exchange with hydrophilic small molecules or, alternatively, wrapping over native ligands with amphiphilic polymers is widely employed for aqueous transfer; however, purification can be quite cumbersome. We report here a general two‐step method whereby reactive stripping of native ligands is first carried out using trialkyloxonium salts to reveal a bare nanocrystal surface. This is followed by chemically directed immobilization of a hydrophilic polymer coating. Polyacrylic acids, with side‐chain grafts or functional end groups, were found to be extremely versatile in this regard. The resulting polymer‐wrapped nanocrystal dispersions retained much of the compact size of their bare nanocrystal precursors, highlighting the unique role of monomer side‐chain functionality to serve as effective, conformal ligation motifs. As such, they are well poised for applications where tailored chemical functionality at the nanocrystal's periphery or improved access to their surfaces is desirable. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Carbaborane‐Substituted 1,2,3‐Triphospholanes and 1‐Aza‐2,5‐diphospholane: New Synthetic Approaches

New phosphorus‐containing, five‐membered P,P,P and P,N,P heterocycles were synthesized and fully characterized. The P,P,P heterocycles, 1,2,3‐triphospholanes, can be synthesized by two different facile pathways, whereas the P,N,P compound, a 1‐aza‐2,5‐diphospholane, can only be obtained with silylamine.     

Multi‐Species Multi‐Channel (MSMC): An Ab Initio‐based Parallel Thermodynamic and Kinetic Code for Complex Chemical Systems

Multi‐Species Multi‐Channel (MSMC) is an ab initio parallel program to calculate thermodynamic quantities (e.g., , , , and , time‐dependent species profiles, and rate coefficients as functions of temperature and pressure for complex chemical reaction systems, which consist of multiple stable species and multiple reaction channels interconnecting them. Thermodynamic properties of the species involved are calculated using statistical mechanics with molecular information from electronic structure calculations. Temperature‐ and pressure‐dependent behaviors are rigorously characterized within the eigenpair master equation/Rice–Ramsperger–Kassel–Marcus (ME/RRKM) framework. Corrections, e.g., for hindered internal rotation and tunneling treatment, are included. With the implementation of an ultra‐high precision package and rigorous matrix setup, MSMC is able to correctly mimic real behaviors of different types of chemical systems. Different eigenpair‐based approaches to extract phenomenological/macroscopic rate coefficients are implemented for different applications. Moreover, a friendly and platform‐independent graphical‐user‐interface (GUI) is provided to facilitate the use of MSMC and the pre‐/postcalculation data visualization/analysis on the fly. The program can be freely downloaded at https://sites.google.com/site/msmccode/ .     

An Improved Model for Polyether Production from 1,3‐Propanediol

A dynamic mathematical model is developed for production of Cerenol polyether from 1,3‐propanediol in a batch reactor system. The model accounts for polycondensation reactions and side reactions in the liquid phase and for mass transfer of volatile species to the vapor. Parameters are estimated using measured liquid‐phase concentrations of monomer, oligomers, water, and end groups as well as the mass and composition of condensate collected from the overhead condenser system. The proposed model uses novel probability factors to keep the model equations relatively simple while accounting for the complex influence of superacid catalyst on reaction rates. The model is a significant advance over previous Cerenol models because it better accounts for mass‐transfer rates and for the dynamic behavior of the condenser. In addition, the proposed model accounts for the inhibitory influence of water on polycondensation kinetics due to hydration of hydroxyl ends. The model equations and parameter estimates provide a substantial improvement in fit to the data, especially for long reaction times and high catalyst levels, resulting in a 97% reduction in the value of the weighted least squared objective function compared to equations and parameters from a previous model.     

Synthesis and Transformation of 4-(1-Chloro-1-nitroethyl)-6,7-dimethoxy-2-methylquinazoline: Spectral Characterization and Anti-cancer Properties of some Novel Quinazoline Derivatives

An efficient and simple method has been reported for the synthesis of 4-(1-Chloro-1-nitroethyl)-6,7-dimethoxy-2-methylquinazoline ( 2 ) as a key compound for further transformation to other novel 6,7-dimethoxy-2-methyl-4-substituted quinazolines. The structure of the synthesized compounds was characterized by spectroscopic methods. The pathway of some unprecedented reactions was proposed. (E)-1-(6,7-dimethoxy-2-methylquinazolin-4-yl)-3-(4-nitrophenyl)prop-2-en-1-one (11) exhibits high in vitro cytotoxicity on three cell lines, Hepatocellular carcinoma (Hep-G2), Human lung carcinoma (LU-1), and Human breast carcinoma (MCF-7) with IC₅₀ of 2.1, 11.6 and 2.2 μM, respectively.     

Larvicidal and structural studies of some triphenyl- and tricyclohexyltin para-substituted benzoates

Several new triphenyl- and tricyclohexyltin para-substituted benzoates were synthesized. Their structures were characterized by IR and Mössbauer spectroscopies. The structures were determined to be four-coordinated monomers. Larvicidal activities of the new compounds as well as other benzoates were evaluated against the 2nd larval instar of the Anopheles stephensi and Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Results from the screening studies indicated that the triphenyltin benzoates were more toxic towards the Ae. aegypti larvae. A quantitative-structure activity relationship was also developed for the An. stephensi larvae.     

A nickel(0) catalyzed cycloaddition of alkynes and isocyanates that affords pyrimidine-diones

A Ni/N-heterocyclic carbene catalyzed cycloaddition of one alkyne and two isocyanates that affords pyrimidine-dione is described. The key to the success of this protocol is the use of unsymmetrically substituted alkynes that favors the formation of pyrimidine-diones over pyridones. A variety of pyrimidine-diones were prepared. A one-pot cycloaddition and Stille coupling were reported for tributyl(1-propynyl)tin. Competition studies also provide insights into the mechanism of the cycloaddition.     

One‐Step Pyro‐Synthesis of a Nanostructured Mn3O4/C Electrode with Long Cycle Stability for Rechargeable Lithium‐Ion Batteries

A nanostructured Mn₃O₄/C electrode was prepared by a one‐step polyol‐assisted pyro‐synthesis without any post‐heat treatments. The as‐prepared Mn₃O₄/C revealed nanostructured morphology comprised of secondary aggregates formed from carbon‐coated primary particles of average diameters ranging between 20 and 40 nm, as evidenced from the electron microscopy studies. The N₂ adsorption studies reveal a hierarchical porous feature in the nanostructured electrode. The nanostructured morphology appears to be related to the present rapid combustion strategy. The nanostructured porous Mn₃O₄/C electrode demonstrated impressive electrode properties with reversible capacities of 666 mAh g^?1 at a current density of 33 mA g^?1, good capacity retentions (1141 mAh g^?1 with 100 % Coulombic efficiencies at the 100^th cycle), and rate capabilities (307 and 202 mAh g^?1 at 528 and 1056 mA g^?1, respectively) when tested as an anode for lithium‐ion battery applications.