Photoinitiating monomers based on di‐ and triacryloylated hydroxylamine derivatives

The purpose of our study was to design a new class of acrylate‐based monomers with an UV‐cleavable heteroatom bond, offering the possibility to initiate radical polymerization upon irradiation with UV‐light. A method to derive the double bond conversion from the ATR‐IR spectra of the monomers and the cured polymers was employed, that enabled us to calculate the theoretical polymerization heats of the new monomers. Their photopolymerization properties were determined by Photo Differential Scanning Calorimetry. Surprisingly, some of these new compounds exhibited high photoinitiation activity, comparable to well‐established Type II photoinitiator systems like benzophenone/triethanolamine. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 392–403, 2009     

Monogenic pseudo‐complex power functions and their applications

The use of a non‐commutative algebra in hypercomplex function theory requires a large variety of different representations of polynomials suitably adapted to the solution of different concrete problems. Naturally arises the question of their relationships and the advantages or disadvantages of different types of polynomials. In this sense, the present paper investigates the intrinsic relationship between two different types of monogenic Appell polynomials. Several authors payed attention to the construction of complete sets of monogenic Appell polynomials, orthogonal with respect to a certain inner product, and used them advantageously for the study of problems in 3D‐elasticity and other problems. Our goal is to show that, as consequence of the binomial nature of those generalized Appell polynomials, their inner structure is determined by interesting combinatorial relations in which the central binomial coefficients play a special role. As a byproduct of own interest, a Riordan–Sofo type binomial identity is also proved. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preparation and redox-controlled reversible response of ferrocene-modified poly(allylamine hydrochloride) microcapsules

Single-component microcapsules were fabricated by the in situ reaction of ferrocenecarboxaldehyde (Fc-CHO) with poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) doped inside CaCO(3) microparticles, followed by core removal. The PAH-Fc microcapsules had very thick shells with remnant PAH-Fc inside, leading to a robust capsule structure that is less collapsed in the dry state. This single-component microcapsule is stabilized by the hydrophobic aggregation of Fc moieties and the protection of hydrophilic PAH backbones. Because of the excellent redox properties of Fc, the PAH-Fc microcapsules showed redox sensitivity to oxidation and reduction, as confirmed by UV-vis absorption spectroscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy, resulting in reversible swelling and shrinking (11.7 vs 5.5 μm) in their size. Consequently, the permeability was also reversibly tuned, leading to the controlled loading and release of desired substances such as dextran.     

Structure–Function Relationships of New Lipids Designed for DNA Transfection

Cationic liposome/DNA complexes can be used as nonviral vectors for direct delivery of DNA‐based biopharmaceuticals to damaged cells and tissues. To obtain more effective and safer liposome‐based gene transfection systems, two cationic lipids with identical head groups but different chain structures are investigated with respect to their in vitro gene‐transfer activity, their cell‐damaging characteristics, and their physicochemical properties. The gene‐transfer activities of the two lipids are very different. Differential scanning calorimetry and synchrotron small‐ and wide‐angle X‐ray scattering give valuable structural insight. A subgel‐like structure with high packing density and high phase‐transition temperature from gel to liquid‐crystalline state are found for lipid 7 (N′‐2‐[(2,6‐diamino‐1‐oxohexyl)amino]ethyl‐2,N‐bis(hexadecyl)propanediamide) containing two saturated chains. Additionally, an ordered head‐group lattice based on formation of a hydrogen‐bond network is present. In contrast, lipid 8 (N′‐2‐[(2,6‐diamino‐1‐oxohexyl)amino]ethyl‐2‐hexadecyl‐N‐[(9Z)‐octadec‐9‐enyl]propanediamide) with one unsaturated and one saturated chain shows a lower phase‐transition temperature and a reduced packing density. These properties enhance incorporation of the helper lipid cholesterol needed for gene transfection. Both lipids, either pure or in mixtures with cholesterol, form lamellar phases, which are preserved after addition of DNA. However, the system separates into phases containing DNA and phases without DNA. On increasing the temperature, DNA is released and only a lipid phase without intercalated DNA strands is observed. The conversion temperatures are very different in the two systems studied. The important parameter seems to be the charge density of the lipid membranes, which is a result of different solubility of cholesterol in the two lipid membranes. Therefore, different binding affinities of the DNA to the lipid mixtures are achieved.     

Millimeter-sized flat crystalline sheet architectures of fullerene assemblies with anisotropic photoconductivity

The coassembly of C(60) derivatives through arene-perfluoroarene interactions has been used for the first time to develop millimeter-sized flat crystalline sheets. Time-resolved microwave conductivity (TRMC) measurements exhibited anisotropic features with over double the charge carrier mobility in the direction parallel to the plane of the crystal than perpendicular to the plane. This study demonstrates a strategy to obtain large-sized 2-dimensional architectures of C(60) with anisotropic optoelectronic functions.     

K-Loops, gyrogroups and symmetric spaces

In this paper we present a new class of K-Loops consisting of homogeneous symmetric spaces of the noncompact type. The most famous physical example of a representative of this class is found in special relativity: The set of all relativistically admissible velocities, R _c ³:= {υ ∈ R3: ¦v¦< c} (c the speed of light), together with the relativistic velocity composition law forms a K-Loop, as was already shown by A. Ungar in 1988. The set of the corresponding boosts turns out to be the effective homogeneous symmetric space SO (1,3)⁰/SO(3), where SO(1,3)⁰ denotes the proper orthochronous Lorentz group and SO(3) the subgroup of proper rotations in three dimensions, which is also found to be the set of fixed points of an automorphism σ: SO(1,3)⁰ → SO(1,3)⁰, whose action on a matrix A in the defining representation is given by σ(A) = (AT)?1. Moreover, the triple (so(l,3),so(3),s) consisting of the Lie algebras of SO(1,3) and SO(3) and the induced automorphism s = (dσ)e is an orthogonal symmetric Lie algebra of the noncompact type. This property of the Lie algebra makes SO(l, 3)/SO(3) an (effective) homogeneous symmetric space of the noncompact type. The method of exact decomposition allows endowing each homogeneous symmetric space of the noncompact type with the structure of a K-Loop in a similar manner. Finally, we treat some alternative approaches which lead to K-Loops that are isomorphic to the one described above.