Rheological properties of UHMWPE/iPP blends

The effects of isotactic polypropylene (PP) on the rheological properties of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) have been measured in a broad range of composition (0, 5, 15, 30 wt% PP) at various temperatures (110, 130, and 150°C) and a specific gel concentration of 6 wt%. The result showed that the viscosity of the UHMWPE significantly decreased with the addition and increasing amount of PP. Regardless of temperature, the viscosity function followed the power‐law behavior. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Alkaloids from the Roots of Stemona cochinchinensis

Phytochemical investigation of the roots of Stemona cochinchinensis led to the isolation and structure elucidation of a new pyrido[1,2‐a]azepine‐type alkaloid, stemocochinamine ( 1 ), and of four new pyrrolo[1,2‐a]azepine‐type alkaloids, bisdehydrostemocochinine ( 2 ), isobisdehydrostemocochinine ( 3 ), neostemocochinine ( 4 ), and isoneostemocochinine ( 5 ), together with six known alkaloids. Their structures were established on the basis of extensive 1D‐ and 2D‐NMR analyses in combination with HR‐MS experiments.     

Synthesis of star polymers via nitroxide mediated free‐radical polymerization: A “core‐first” approach using resorcinarene‐based alkoxyamine initiators

The synthesis of new octafunctional alkoxyamine initiators for nitroxide‐mediated radical polymerization (NMRP), by the derivatization of resorcinarene with nitroxide free radicals viz TEMPO and a freshly prepared phosphonylated nitroxide, is described. The efficiency of these initiators toward the controlled radical polymerization of styrene and tert‐butyl acrylate is investigated in detail. Linear analogues of these multifunctional initiators were also prepared to compare and evaluate their initiation efficiency. The favorable conditions for polymerization were optimized by varying the concentration of initiators and free nitroxides, reaction conditions, etc., to obtain well‐defined star polymers. Star polystyrene thus obtained were further used as macro‐initiator for the block copolymerization with tert‐butyl acrylate. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 5559–5572, 2007     

Synthesis of stable “gold nanoparticle–polymeric micelle” conjugates: A new class of star “molecular chimera” that self‐assemble into linear arrays of spherical micelles

Stable and aggregation‐free “gold nanoparticle–polymeric micelle” conjugates were prepared using a new and simple protocol enabled by the hydrogen bonding between surface‐capping ligands and polymeric micelles. Individual gold nanoparticles were initially capped using a phosphatidylthio–ethanol lipid and further conjugated with a star poly(styrene‐block‐glutamic acid) copolymer micelle using a one‐pot preparation method. The morphology and stability of these gold–polymer conjugates were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV–vis spectroscopy. The self‐assembly of this class of polymer‐b‐polypeptide in aqueous an medium to form spherical micelles and further their intermicelle reorganization to form necklace‐like chains was also investigated. TEM and laser light scattering techniques were employed to study the morphology and size of these micelles. Polymeric micelles were formed with diameters in the range of 65–75 nm, and supermicellular patterns were observed. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 3570–3579, 2007     

Chemico-diffusion kinetics and TTT cure diagrams of DGEBA-DGEBF/amine resins cured with phenol catalysts

Curing of epoxy-amine resins with bisphenol A (BPA) as an external catalyst was studied from differential scanning calorimetry analyses in isothermal and dynamic modes. Both phenomenological and mechanistic models have been tested. The mechanistic model where epoxy cure is postulated to only occur through hydroxyl-catalyzed reactions, and assuming a different reactivity of both types of hydroxyl groups (from BPA and epoxy chains) provided a reasonable fitting of the whole set of experimental data. In particular, the latter model provides good predictive behavior for changes in the mixture composition (BPA content varying in the range from 3 to 10 wt.%, relative to the weight of hardener), contrary to the model based on the same reactivity of both types of hydroxyl groups.The isothermal time-temperature-transformation (TTT) diagram including the time to vitrification and iso-T_g curves of the complex epoxy system was also established.     

Neutral Ni(II) complexes based on keto-enamine salicylideneanilines active for selective dimerization of ethylene

Single component organonickel(II)phosphino neutral complexes from salicylideneaniline based ligands bearing N–O chelate sites, were synthesized, which were found efficient in dimerizing ethylene selectively to various butene products.