Mild Synthesis of Amino‐Poly(ethylene glycol)s. Application to Steric Stabilization of Clays

The hydroxyl end groups of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) have been transformed easily and quantitatively into amino groups via the Mitsunobu reaction. Phthalimide was alkylated with PEGs and the hydrazinolysis of the resulting phthalimido‐PEGs gave the amino compounds in high yields. Quaternization of the amino groups leads to hydrophilic polymer chains bearing a positive charge on one or two ends, depending on the chosen PEG. Such products can be used to protect sterically, negatively charged particles such as clays.

     

Automated Scanning Probe Microscopy as a New Tool for Combinatorial Polymer Research: Conductive Carbon Black/Poly(dimethylsiloxane) Composites

A systematic investigation into the surface properties of siloxane rubber/carbon black (CB) nanocomposites has been performed, using an automated scanning probe microscope. In this way the influence of CB concentration and curing rate of the siloxane rubber matrix on roughness and conductivity of the composites was studied. Decreasing the curing rate while keeping the CB concentration resulted in a decrease in both roughness and surface conductivity, which can be explained by an additional siloxane‐rubber layer formed during curing.

     

Tetra­aqua(2,2′‐bi­pyridine)­nickel(II) terephthalate

The reaction of nickel(II) nitrate with terephthalic acid and 2,2′‐bi­pyridine in di­methyl­form­amide solution gives the title complex, [Ni(C₁₀H₈N₂)(H₂O)₄](C₈H₄O₄). The Ni^II ion is octahedrally coordinated to one 2,2′‐bi­pyridine and four water mol­ecules and does not coordinate to the terephthalate anion. Hydro­gen bonds between the terephthalate anions and the [Ni(2,2′‐bipy)(H₂O)₄]²⁺ cations produce a two‐dimensional hydrogen‐bonding architecture with double sheets.     

1‐(2‐Hydro­xy‐4‐methoxy­phenyl)‐3‐(2,3,4‐tri­methoxy­phenyl)­prop‐2‐en‐1‐one

The title compound, C₁₉H₂₀O₆, crystallizes in the centrosymmetric space group P2₁/c with one mol­ecule in the asymmetric unit. The mol­ecule is approximately planar and the dihedral angle between the phenyl rings is 11.0 (1)°. The H atoms of the central propenone group are trans. There is an intramolecular O—H⃛O hydrogen bond and the mol­ecules are crosslinked by four intermolecular C—H⃛O hydrogen bonds, producing a three‐dimensional network.     

4‐[N,N‐Bis(2‐cyano­ethyl)­amino]­pyridine

The title compound, 3,3′‐(4‐pyridyl­imino)­di­propane­nitrile, C₁₁H₁₂N₄, has a twofold axis and consists of a pyridine ring head and two cyano­ethyl tails, the three groups being linked by an N atom. The planar geometry around the amino N atom suggests conjugation with the π‐system of the pyridine ring. The mol­ecules are stacked in a layer structure via relatively weak to very weak intermolecular C—H⃛π and C—H⃛N hydrogen‐bond interactions.     

Bis­(tetra­phenyl­phospho­nium) (μ‐tetra­thio­tungstenio‐κ4S,S′:S′′:S′′′)­bis­[(cyano‐κC)­cuprate](2–) aceto­nitrile solvate monohydrate

The reaction of CuCN and KCN with (NH₄)₂[WS₄] followed by cation exchange with PPh₄Br produced the title compound, (C₂₄H₂₀P)₂[Cu₂WS₄(CN)₂]·CH₃CN·H₂O or (PPh₄)₂[(NC)Cu(μ‐S)₂W(μ‐S)₂Cu(CN)]·MeCN·H₂O. In the structure of the dianion, [(NC)Cu(μ‐S)₂W(μ‐S)₂Cu(CN)]²⁻, the WS₄ moiety acts as a bidentate ligand that binds two CuCN groups, thus forming a slightly bent WCu₂ core with approximate D_2d symmetry. The W—Cu distances are in the range 2.6463 (6)–2.6545 (6) Å.