Effects of solvent on the free-radical copolymerizabilities of pyridazinones with styrene

Free-radical copolymerizations of N-methylpyridazinone (I) and N-phenylpyridazinone (II) with styrene (M₁) were carried out in various solvents. The copolymerization rates were found to increase linearly with increasing viscosities of the reaction mixtures. Monomer reactivity ratios were strongly affected by the reaction media. This might be due to solvation of the carbonyl group of the pyridazinone ring, because linear relationships between log 1/r1 and vc=o of the pyridazinones were obtained. It was also found that monomer concentration influences these copolymerizabilities.     

Quinoxaline-bridged porphyrinoids

Quinoxaline-bridged porphyrinoids (3), the first macrocycles containing dipyrrolylquinoxaline (DPQ, 1) subunits, were synthesized from the condensation of the diformyl-substituted DPQ derivatives (2) and 1,8-diaminoanthracene. The resulting structures were confirmed by X-ray analyses, which showed encapsulation of CHCl(3) molecules within the columnar channels established by the stacked arrangement of the individual macrocycles. The solution phase interactions with fluoride and dihydrogenphosphate anions were studied in the case of the unsubstituted system 3a in CH(2)Cl(2). The binding affinities for these anions, studied at the tetrabutylammonium salts, were found to be enhanced relative to those of the simple, unsubstituted monomeric DPQ "parent" system (1a), presumably as the result of the combined effects of preorganization and cooperative binding permitted by the pyrrole NH donor groups. Positive homotropic allosteric anion binding was observed and is ascribed to the structurally coupled nature of the two binding cavities present in the macrocycles. Support for this latter contention came from energy minimization studies.     

Reduction of organic halides with lanthanum metal: a novel generation method of alkyl radicals

Results of the reaction of alkyl halides with lanthanum metal have been shown. The reduction of alkyl iodide with 1/3 equiv of lanthanum metal efficiently proceeded to give the corresponding reductive dimerized products along with the formation of reduction and dehydroiodination products. In the case of alkyl bromides and chlorides, the reaction did not proceed under the same reaction conditions as that of alkyl iodides; however, the reaction was dramatically promoted by the addition of a catalytic amount of iodine. A reaction pathway including alkyl radicals was suggested.     

Radical-initiated homo- and copolymerizations of methacryloyl fluoride

The kinetics of methacryloyl fluoride (MAF) homopolymerization was investigated in methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) with azobis(isobutyronitrile) as initiator. The rate of polymerization (R_p) followed the expression R_p = k[AIBN]^0.55[MAF]^1.18. The overall activation energy was calculated as 74.4 kJ/mol. The relative reactivity ratios of MAF(M₂) copolymerization with styrene (r₁ = 0.083, r₂ = 0.14), and methyl methacrylate (r₁ = 0.48, r₂ = 0.81) in methyl ethyl ketone were obtained. Application of the Q–e scheme (in styrene copolymerization) led to Q = 2.22 and e = 1.31. The glass transition temperature (T_g) of poly(MAF) was 90°C by thermomechanical analysis. Thermogravimetry of poly(MAF) showed a 10% weight loss of 228°C in air.     

Supported lipid bilayers on spacious and pH-responsive polymer cushions with varied hydrophilicity

We report the successful formation of supported multicomponent lipid bilayer membranes (sLBMs) on polymer cushions consisting of a set of alternating maleic acid copolymers. The formation of sLBMs was triggered by a transient reduction of the electrostatic repulsion between the polymer cushions and the lipid vesicles by lowering the solution's pH to 4. Upon formation, the stability of the sLBMs was not affected by subsequent variations of the environmental pH. The degree of hydrophilicity and swelling of the anionic polymer cushions was found to determine both the kinetics of the membrane formation and the mobility of the lipid bilayer with lipid diffusion coefficients in the range from 0.26 to 2.6 microm2s(-1). The introduced polymer cushion system is concluded to provide a versatile base for the integration of active transmembrane proteins in sLBMs.     

A new efficient route to 2-substituted azulenes based on sulfonyl group directed lithiation

Directed lithiation of p-tolyl 1-azulenyl sulfone (1) at the 2-position of the azulenyl group was achieved by using lithium 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidide (LTMP). The azulenyllithium thus generated could be efficiently trapped with various electrophiles to form 2-substituted derivatives 2 in moderate to good yields. p-Tolyl 2-trimethylsilyl-1-azulenyl sulfone (2a) was transformed into cyclic sulfone derivative 3a through the directed lithiation in the p-tolyl group and subsequent intramolecular ring closure at the 8-position. 2-(Phenylsulfanyl)-1-azulenyl p-tolyl sulfone (2b) suffered from desulfonylation to form 2-phenylsulfanylazulene (4). The Suzuki coupling reaction of 2-iodo-1-azulenyl p-tolyl sulfone (2d) with arylboronic acids followed by desulfonylation efficiently gave 2-arylazulenes 10.     

Atomic force microscopy: Bombyx mori silk fibroin molecules and their higher order structure

We performed atomic force microscopy measurements on fibroin molecules from the domestic silkworm, Bombyx mori. At low concentrations, we could observe single protein molecules. The shape of the observed molecules is a rod with long smaller chains extending from the ends. The size of the rod is 60 nm in length and 15 nm in width. At high concentrations, we observed long threadlike aggregates of fibroin molecules, their chains entangled with one another. These results provide insight into the microscopic mechanism of silk‐fiber formation. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 1436–1439, 2000     

Synchrotron SAXS and WAXS Studies on Changes in Structural and Thermal Properties of Poly[(R)‐3‐hydroxybutyrate] Single Crystals during Heating

Summary: The annealing and melting behavior of poly[(R)‐3‐hydroxybutyrate] (P(3HB)) single crystals were followed in real time by synchrotron small‐ (SAXS) and wide‐angle X‐ray scattering (WAXS) measurements. The real‐time SAXS measurements revealed that the P(3HB) single crystal exhibits a discontinuous increase of lamellar thickness during heating. The structural changes as observed by SAXS and WAXS were in response to the thermal properties of single crystals characterized by differential scanning calorimetry.

A series of two‐dimensional small‐angle X‐ray scattering patterns of P(3HB) single crystal mats during the lamellar thickening process.     

Investigations of C60 molecules deposited on Si(111) by noncontact atomic force microscopy

We demonstrated the high resolution imaging of the organic molecules using noncontact atomic force microscopy in ultrahigh vacuum. The sample was C₆₀ molecules deposited on the Si(111)-7×7 reconstructed surface. When the thickness of the C₆₀ film was submonolayer, we could image some isolated C₆₀ molecules and the reconstructed Si surface simultaneously. However, the imaging was highly unstable not only because of the large structure but also due to the large difference between the interaction forces on the molecules and on the Si surface. On the other hand, when the thickness of the C₆₀ molecules was almost monolayer, individual molecules could be stably imaged.