Nanoreactors based on amphiphilic uracilophanes: self-organization and reactivity study

New amphiphilic pyrimidinic macrocycles (APMs) with two (APM-1) and three (APM-2) decyl tails have been synthesized by quaternization of the bridged N. Complex examination of the APM-based systems with the help of tensiometry, conductometry, dynamic light scattering, and UV and NMR spectroscopy provides evidence for their aggregation. Calculations based on surface tension isotherms and on packing parameter considerations make it possible to assume a lamellar packing of macrocycles when aggregating. Marked differences in the aggregation behavior of APM-1 and APM-2 have been found. The additives of polyethylenimine (PEI) exert little influence on the critical micelle concentration (cmc) of APM-1, while in the APM-2/PEI systems there occurs a pronounced decrease in the cmc and also a ca. 2-fold decrease in the surface area per molecule. The APM-based assemblies are explored as nanoreactors for the hydrolysis of O-alkyl O-p-nitrophenyl (chloromethyl)phosphonates (alkyl = ethyl, hexyl). The kinetic study reveals a minor rate effect of the APM-1-based systems. In the APM-2-based systems an acceleration of the hydrolysis of both phosphonates occurs as compared to the uncatalyzed process. Within the APM-2 --> APM-2/PEI --> APM-2/PEI/La(III) series, due to the cooperative contributions of the supramolecular, polymer, and homogeneous catalysis, an increase in the catalytic effect is observed from 30 times to 3 orders of magnitude as compared to that of the basic hydrolysis of the substrates.     

Optical <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gaussons</Emphasis> and dark solitons in directional couplers with spatiotemporal dispersion

This paper study the dynamics of optical solitons for nonlinear directional couplers. This coupler system is considered with the group velocity dispersion and the cross-phase modulation of two components along with the spatiotemporal dispersion coefficients. The constraint conditions for the existence of optical Gaussons and dark solitons are listed under the log law and Kerr law nonlinearities, repectively. Additionally, a couple of other solutions known as singular periodic and combined dark-singular solitons, fall out as a by-product of this scheme. This scheme however fails to retrieve bright soliton solution.     

Scattered intensity by a cross-linked polymer blend

Cross-linked mixtures of polystyrene and poly(vinyl methyl ether) exhibit a non-vanishing zero-angle intensity in small-angle neutron scattering experiments. A possible explanation is that fluctuations in composition in the mixture may be frozen by the presence of cross-links. Assuming this, we introduce a screening length κ by the condition that the scattered intensity should not be changed by cross-linking. We find κ² ∼ C/(χ − χ_i), where C is an elastic constant, χ and χ_i, respectively, the inverse temperature and that where cross-linking is performed. When the temperature is varied, we find three regimes. In the first one, the scattered intensity is monotonously decreasing. In the second one, it has a finite maximum. In the last one, the maximum eventually diverges.     

Stability analysis and scattering properties of charged crosslinked blends in solution

The phase behavior and scattering properties of crosslinked charged polymer blends in solution are examined. De Gennes' analogy between the effects of crosslinks in a network and electrostatic charges in a dielectric medium on the scattering properties and the phase behavior of crosslinked polymer blends is used. This analogy is extended to include the effects of screening in order to improve its agreement with the experimental data in the small q range. The excluded volume interactions are explicitely introduced through the blob model. The enhancement of compatibility of the mixture and the increase of its rigidity constant are evaluated in certain cases. The limit of neutral polymers is discussed because it corresponds to the case of charged mixtures in the presence of excess salt. The kinetics of the microphase separation transition is briefly discussed. A dynamical model including the long range hydrodynamic interaction is presented. The relaxation frequency of the stable modes and the growth rate of unstable ones are also considered.     

Supramolecular Tools to Improve Wound Healing and Antioxidant Properties of Abietic Acid: Biocompatible Microemulsions and Emulgels

Abietic acid, a naturally occurring fir resin compound, that exhibits anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties, was formulated into biocompatible emulgels based on stable microemulsions with the addition of a carbamate-containing surfactant and Carbopol^® 940 gel. Various microemulsion and emulgel formulations were tested for antioxidant and wound-healing properties. The chemiluminescence method has shown that all compositions containing abietic acid have a high antioxidant activity. Using Strat-M^® skin-modelling membrane, it was found out that emulgels significantly prolong the release of abietic acid. On Wistar rats, it was shown that microemulsions and emulgels containing 0.5% wt. of abietic acid promote the rapid healing of an incised wound and twofold tissue reinforcement compared to the untreated group, as documented by tensiometric wound suture-rupture assay. The high healing-efficiency is associated with a combination of antibacterial activity of the formulation components and the anti-inflammatory action of abietic acid.     

Soft nanosystems based on hydroxypiperidinium surfactants as adjuvants and micellar catalysts

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Investigation of structural and magnetoelectronic properties of new half-metallic Heusler alloys Ru2VGexSb1−x (x = 0, 0.5 and 1): A density functional theory study

We performed an ab initio study using a method named linearized augmented plane wave with a full potential (FP-LAPW) based on the density functional theory. We predicted the physical properties of Ru₂VGe_xSb_1−x (x = 0, 0.5 and 1) Heusler alloys in L2₁ structure. We computed the magnetic and structural properties using the general gradient approximation. The modified Becke-Johnson scheme was used to study the electronic structure of these compounds. The obtained results show that the lattice constants and the spin magnetic moments are in favorable agreement compared with theoretical values and experimental data. The computed densities of state (DOSs) of these compounds indicate a half-metallic behavior with a real gap for the ternary materials, which gives perfect spin polarization, while for the quaternary one, the DOS indicate a nearly half-metallic character with a pseudogap in the minority spin close to the Fermi level E_F.     

Multipole cross sections for collisional excitation of highly charged ions by isotropic electrons

The relativistic distorted-wave program of the flexible atomic code for calculating the cross sections for electron-impact excitation of ions between fine-structure levels is extended to get the multipole components of cross sections in the case of excitation by isotropic electrons. These components may be needed for interpreting the intensity and polarization of line emissions from thermal plasmas exposed to anisotropic radiations, such as the solar corona under photosphere irradiation. Illustrative numerical results are given for excitation of Si-like Fe¹²⁺ between the , and levels. These results can be useful in the analysis of infrared forbidden lines emitted from the solar corona. A comparison is made with the only published work based on the semi-relativistic distorted-wave approximation, showing some agreement for the excitation and discrepancies for the weak transition .     

Mean‐field‐theory for polymers in mixed solvents. Thermodynamic and structural properties

Theoretical aspects of polymers in mixed solvents are considered using the Edwards Hamiltonian formalism. Thermodynamic and structural properties are investigated and some predictions are made when the mixed solvent approaches criticality. Both the single and the many chain problems are examined. When the mixed solvent is near criticality without solute, addition of a small amount of polymers shifts the criticality towards either enhanced compatibility or induced phase separation depending upon the value of the parameter describing the interaction asymmetry of the solvents with respect to the polymer. The polymer‐solvent effective interaction parameter increases strongly when the solvent mixture approaches criticality. Accordingly, the apparent excluded volume parameter decreases and may vanish or even become negative. Consequently, the polymer undergoes phase transition from a swollen state to an unperturbed state or even takes a collapsed configuration. The effective potential acting on a test chain in strong solutions is calculated and the concept of Edwards screening discussed. Structural properties of ternary mixtures of polymers in mixed solvents are investigated within the Edwards Hamiltonian model. It is shown that the effective potential on a test chain in strong solutions could be written as an infinite series expansion of terms describing interactions via one chain, two chains etc. This summation can be performed following a similar scheme as in the Ornstein‐Zernike series expansion.     

Phase diagrams of poly(dimethylsiloxane) and 5CB blends

The phase diagrams of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and 4‐cyano‐4′‐n‐pentyl‐biphenyl (5CB) mixtures are studied for two systems of different molecular weights of the polymer. The experimental diagrams are established by polarized optical microscopy (POM), and analyzed using a combination of the Flory–Huggins theory of isotropic mixing and the Maier–Saupe theory of nematic order. The results are compared with those of polystyrene (PS) and 4‐cyano‐4′‐n‐octyl‐biphenyl (8CB) with analogous molecular weight of the polymer. This investigation could be useful for the choice of systems in electro‐optical devices. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 39: 581–588, 2001