Antibacterial effect of composite resins containing quaternary ammonium polyethyleneimine nanoparticles

Quaternary ammonium polyethyleneimine (QA-PEI)-based nanoparticles were synthesized by crosslinking with dibromopentane followed by N-alkylation with various alkyl halides and further N-methylation with methyl iodide. Insoluble pyridinium-type particles were prepared by suspension polymerization of 4-vinyl pyridine followed by N-alkylation with alkyl halides. Polyamine-based nanoparticles embedded in restorative composite resin at 1% w/w were tested for antibacterial activity against Streptococcus mutans using direct contact test. Activity analysis revealed that the alkyl chain length of the QA-PEI nanoparticles plays a significant role in antibacterial activity of the reagent. The most potent compound was octyl-alkylated QA-PEI embedded in restorative composite resin at 1% w/w that totally inhibited S. mutans growth in 3-month-aged samples. This data indicates that restorative composite resin with antibacterial properties can be produced by the incorporation of QA-PEI nanoparticles.     

Influence of carboxyl‐terminated (butadiene‐co‐acrylonitrile) loading on the mechanical and thermal properties of cured epoxy blends

A mixture of epoxy with liquid nitrile rubber, carboxyl‐terminated (butadiene‐co‐acrylonitrile) (CTBN) was cured under various temperatures. The cured resin was a two‐phase system, where spherical rubber domains were dispersed in the matrix of epoxy. The morphology development during cure was investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM). There was slight reduction in the glass transition temperature of the epoxy matrix (T_g) on the addition of CTBN. It was observed that, for a particular CTBN content, T_g was found to be unaffected by the cure temperature. Bimodal distribution of particles was noted by SEM analysis. The increase in the size of rubber domains with CTBN content is due probably to the coalescence of the rubber particles. The mechanical properties of the cured resin were thoroughly investigated. Although there was a slight reduction in tensile strength and young's modulus, appreciable improvements in impact strength, fracture energy, and fracture toughness were observed. Addition of nitrile rubber above 20 parts per hundred parts of resin (phr) made the epoxy network more flexible. The volume fraction of dispersed rubbery phase and interfacial area were increased with the addition of more CTBN. A two‐phase morphology was further established by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 2531–2544, 2004     

Vibrational analysis and ionization potentials of XCH3 (X=Be,Mg,Ca) calculated by hybrid density functional theory and high order ab initio methods

The amount of attention dedicated to the theoretical and experimental investigation of small cationic organometallic systems in the literature is very limited. In this Letter we use the B3LYP method with a variety of basis sets as well as the very advanced CBS-Q, CBS-QB3, G1, G2MP2, G2, G3, and G3B3 ab initio methods in order to analyze the vibrational spectra as well as ionization potentials of BeCH₃,MgCH₃ and CaCH₃. The need for further addition of experimental data to the archives for these systems is discussed, as well as recommendations for which theoretical methods are optimum for a particular result.     

Using the complete squares method to analyze a lot size model when the quantity backordered and the quantity received are both uncertain

Several researchers have recently derived formulae for economic order quantities (EOQs) with some variants without reference to the use of derivatives, neither for first-order necessary conditions nor for second-order sufficient conditions. In addition, this algebraic derivation immediately produces an individual formula for evaluating the minimum expected annual cost. The purpose of this paper is threefold. First, this study extends the previous result to the EOQ formula, taking into account the scenario where the quantity backordered and the quantity received are both uncertain. Second, the complete squares method can readily derive global optimal expressions from a non-convex objective function in an algebraic manner. Third, the explicit identification of some analytic cases can be obtained: it is not as easy to do this using decomposition by projection. A numerical example has been solved to illustrate the solution procedure. Finally, some special cases can be deduced from the EOQ model under study, and concluding remarks are drawn.     

Divisibility of exponential sums via elementary methods

We present an elementary method for evaluating the order of p-divisibility of exponential sums over a prime field. This method unifies and sometimes improves previously known results of Ax-Katz, Moreno-Moreno, Adolphson-Sperber, and Cao-Sun.     

New synthesis and cyclopropanation of α-phenylselanyl α,β-unsaturated ketones with non-stabilized phosphorus ylides

A general method for the preparation of α-phenylselanyl enones is described. Phosphorus ylides react with these α-phenylselanyl enones in a 1,4-addition, leading to cyclopropanes and/or dihydrofurans, depending on the substitution pattern. This unusual reactivity is due to the phenylselanyl moiety, hindering the carbonyl of the enone and making it less prone to 1,2-additions or promoting conjugate addition by electronic effects.     

Diglycidyl ether of bisphenol‐A epoxy resin modified using poly(ether ether ketone) with pendent tert‐butyl groups

Bisphenol‐A‐based difunctional epoxy resin was modified with poly(ether ether ketone) with pendent tert‐butyl groups (PEEKT). PEEKT was synthesized by the nucleophilic substitution reaction of 4,4′‐difluoro benzophenone with tert‐butyl hydroquinone in N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone. Blends with various amounts of PEEKT were prepared by melt‐mixing. All the blends were homogeneous in the uncured state. The glass transition temperature of the binary epoxy/PEEKT blends was predicted using several equations. Reaction‐induced phase separation was found to occur upon curing with a diamine 4,4′‐diaminodiphenyl sulfone. The phase morphology of the blends was studied using scanning electron microscopy. From the micrographs, it was found that PEEKT‐rich phase was dispersed in a continuous epoxy matrix. The domain size increased with the amount of PEEKT in the blends. The increase in domain size was due to the coalescence of the domains after phase separation. Dynamic mechanical analysis of the blends gave two peaks corresponding to epoxy‐rich phase and thermoplastic‐rich phase. The tensile strength and modulus of the blends remained close to that of the unmodified resin, while the flexural properties decreased with the addition of PEEKT to epoxy resin. The fracture toughness of the epoxy resin increased with the addition of PEEKT. Investigation of the fracture surfaces revealed evidences for local plastic deformation of the matrix, crack pinning, crack path deflection, and ductile tearing of PEEKT‐rich phase. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed that the initial decomposition temperature of the blends were close to that of the unmodified resin. Finally, the properties of the blends were compared with other modified PEEK/epoxy blends. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 2481–2496, 2007     

On discrimination of HTTL peaks in TLD100 glow curves by a two steps heating readout

The discrimination between the high temperature thermoluminescent peaks (HTTL) and the dosimetry peaks is not a simple process due to their overlapping. The application of the two steps heating method for this purpose was studied. If the heating is performed in the first step only to about 220–250 °C, the dosimetry peaks are emptied, but the HTTL peaks are only partially affected. Performing a second reading to 300 °C provides information attributed solely to HTTL peaks. The results of optimization of the two steps readout process for routine (high rate heating) readout are presented.     

Comparative Molecular Similarity Index Analysis (CoMSIA) to study hydrogen-bonding properties and to score combinatorial libraries

Comparative molecular field analysis has been applied to a data set of thermolysin inhibitors. Fields expressed in terms of molecular similarity indices (CoMSIA) have been used instead of the usually applied Lennard-Jones- and Coulomb-type potentials (CoMFA). Five different properties, assumed to cover the major contributions responsible for ligand binding, have been considered: steric, electrostatic, hydrophobic, and hydrogen-bond donor or acceptor properties. The statistical evaluation of the field properties by PLS analysis reveals a similar predictive potential to CoMFA. However, significantly improved and easily interpretable contour maps are obtained. The features in these maps intuitively suggest where to modify a molecular structure in terms of physicochemical properties and functional groups in order to improve its binding affinity. They can also be interpreted with respect to the known structural protein environment of thermolysin. Most of the highlighted regions in the maps are mirrored by features in the surrounding environment required for binding. Using the derived correlation model, different members of a combinatorial library designed for thermolysin inhibition have been scored for affinity. The results obtained demonstrate the prediction power of the CoMSIA method.     

Cyclodextrin as a Template for Molecular Assembly: Formation of Heterodimers Between a Polyamino- and a Polysulfonato-β-Cyclodextrin

A poly(hydroxyethylamino)- and a poly(sulfonatophenyloxy)--cyclodextrin derivative, bearing opposite ionic charges, have been shown by potentiometric titration to form stable pH-dependent heterodimers with each other in water. The formation constants of these dimers show that a very stable assembly is formed between the fully deprotonated sulfonato derivative and the fully protonated amino derivative (log K_a = 8.5), which constitutes the assembly of multiple extended atomic groupings on cyclodextrin as template.