In situ small-angle neutron scattering and rheological measurements of shear-induced gelation

The microscopic structure of shear-induced gels for a mixed solution of 2-hydroxyethyl cellulose and nanometer-size spherical droplets has been investigated by in situ small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) with a Couette geometry as a function of shear rate gamma. With increasing gamma, the viscosity increased rapidly at gamma approximately 4.0 s(-1), followed by a shear thinning. After cessation of shear, the system exhibited an extraordinarily large steady viscosity. This phenomenon was observed as a shear-induced sol-gel transition. Real-time SANS measurements showed an increase in the scattering intensity exclusively at low scattering angle region. However, neither orientation of polymer chains nor droplet deformation was detected and the SANS patterns remained isotropic irrespective of gamma. It took about a few days for the gel to recover its original sol state. A possible mechanism of gelation is proposed from the viewpoint of shear-induced percolation transition.     

Correlation between the O 2p Orbital and Redox Reaction in LiMn0.6Fe0.4PO4 Nanowires Studied by Soft X‐ray Absorption

The changes in the electronic structure of LiMn_0.6Fe_0.4PO₄ nanowires during discharge processes were investigated by using ex situ soft X‐ray absorption spectroscopy. The Fe L ‐edge X‐ray absorption spectrum attributes the potential plateau at 3.45 V versus Li/Li⁺ of the discharge curve to a reduction of Fe³⁺ to Fe²⁺. The Mn L ‐edge X‐ray absorption spectra exhibit the Mn²⁺ multiplet structure throughout the discharge process, and the crystal‐field splitting was slightly enhanced upon full discharge. The configuration‐interaction full‐multiplet calculation for the X‐ray absorption spectra reveals that the charge‐transfer effect from O 2p to Mn 3d orbitals should be considerably small, unlike that from the O 2p to Fe 3d orbitals. Instead, the O K‐edge X‐ray absorption spectrum shows a clear spectral change during the discharge process, suggesting that the hybridization of O 2p orbitals with Fe 3d orbitals contributes essentially to the reduction.     

Reversible Switching between Highly Porous and Nonporous Phases of an Interpenetrated Diamondoid Coordination Network That Exhibits Gate‐Opening at Methane Storage Pressures

Herein, we report that a new flexible coordination network, NiL₂ (L=4‐(4‐pyridyl)‐biphenyl‐4‐carboxylic acid), with diamondoid topology switches between non‐porous (closed) and several porous (open) phases at specific CO₂ and CH₄ pressures. These phases are manifested by multi‐step low‐pressure isotherms for CO₂ or a single‐step high‐pressure isotherm for CH₄. The potential methane working capacity of NiL₂ approaches that of compressed natural gas but at much lower pressures. The guest‐induced phase transitions of NiL₂ were studied by single‐crystal XRD, in situ variable pressure powder XRD, synchrotron powder XRD, pressure‐gradient differential scanning calorimetry (P‐DSC), and molecular modeling. The detailed structural information provides insight into the extreme flexibility of NiL₂ . Specifically, the extended linker ligand, L , undergoes ligand contortion and interactions between interpenetrated networks or sorbate–sorbent interactions enable the observed switching.     

Optically active antifungal azoles. IX. An alternative synthetic route for 2-[(1R,2R)-2-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-2-hydroxy-1-methyl-3-(1H-1,2,4- triazol-1-yl)propyl]-4-[4-(2,2,3,3-tetrafluoropropoxy)phenyl]- 3(2H,4H)-1,2,4-triazolone and its analogs

A new route for the synthesis of the optically active antifungal azole TAK-187, 2-[(1R,2R)-2-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-2-hydroxy-1-methyl-3-(1H-1,2,4-tria zol-1- yl)propyl]-4-[4-(2,2,3,3-tetrafluoropropoxy)phenyl]-3(2H,4H)-1,2,4 - triazolone, was established. The key synthetic intermediate, 2-[(1R)-2-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-2-oxo-1-methylethyl]-4-[4-(2,2,3,3- tetrafluoropropoxy)phenyl]-3(2H,4H)-1,2,4-triazolone (8), was prepared starting from the esters (11a, b) of (S)-lactic acid in a stereocontrolled manner. This optically active propiophenone derivative 8 was converted to the one carbon-elongated (1R,2S)-diol 7, which was then reacted with 1H-1,2,4-triazole to yield TAK-187. This newly developed route was applied to the synthesis of the analogs (25a, b--28a, b) containing an imidazolone or imidazolidinone nucleus.     

Liposome formation of selectively-polymerized diene-containing phospholipids and their postpolymerization

Small and large unilamellar liposomes composed of 1,2-bis(2,4-octadecadienoyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine (DODPC) are prepared by sonication and extrusion, respectively. They are polymerized with water-insoluble radical initiator, azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN) which can selectively polymerize diene groups in 1-acyl chains of the lipids. Polymerized liposomes are freeze-dried to obtain the polymerized liposome powder. There are two methods to redisperse lyophilized liposomes into water. The extrusion is an effective method to disperse them because the energy at extrusion is necessary only for redispersion, whereas the excess energy at sonication gives damage on liposome structure. There is no difference in stability between polymerized liposomes before and after redispersion with extrusion. DODPC polymers, obtained from free radical-initiated polymerization with AIBN, are linear and have polymerizable diene groups in 2-acyl chains. The liposome powder is therefore soluble in organic solvents. Reconstruction of polymerized liposomes is performed with lipid polymers having low or high molecular weight. The lipid polymers having high molecular weight provide stable large unilamellar liposomes by ethanol injection, but unstable small unilamellar liposomes are formed by sonication. The liposomes reconstructed from lipid polymers having low molecular weight are unstable regardless of their size. After reconstruction of liposomes selectively polymerized by AIBN, diene groups in 2-acyl chains are polymerized by water-soluble radical initiator or UV-irradiation to yield highly crosslinked structure. Their stability is improved remarkably by this postpolymerization.     

Microgel formation in emulsion copolymerization: II. Seeded polymerization

Microgel formation in seeded emulsion copolymerization of methyl methacrylate and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate is investigated both experimentally and theoretically. By introducing seed latex, the network structure development can be changed significantly. Even when the crosslinking density development takes a similar pattern as the crosslinking copolymerization in homogeneous media, the molecular weight development shows both types of behavior that is characteristic of emulsion polymerization without seed latex and of homogeneous polymerization, depending on the primary polymer chain length and the mole fraction of the divinyl monomer used. Once the microgels are formed, the weight-average molecular weight increases just linearly with conversion due to a very small locus of polymerization. The present investigation reveals important characteristics of gelation phenomena in a limited space. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Hydride ion as photoelectron donor in microporous crystal

Atomic hydrogen (H0) and trapped electrons generated by UV illumination (lambda approximately 330 nm) at 4 K were observed using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) in a 12CaO.7Al2O3 (C12A7) crystal heated in a hydrogen atmosphere. The concentration ratio of generated H0 to the electrons encaged in the subnanometer-sized cages of C12A7 (F+ centers) is almost 1:1, providing direct evidence that a hydride ion, H-, accommodated in the cage by the heat treatment was dissociated to a pair of an H0 and an electron by a UV photon: H- --> H0 + e- (F+). After annealing at 300 K, H0 was completely annihilated, while approximately 60% of the trapped electrons survived. The remaining electrons can hop between neighboring cages and give electrical conductivity to C12A7. The hyperfine splitting of the EPR spectrum of H0 in C12A7 (48.6 mT) is 4% smaller than that of the neutral hydrogen atom (50.6 mT), implying that H0 is trapped at the interstitial sites among the cages.     

Nickel-based oxyphosphide superconductor with a layered crystal structure, LaNiOP

A layered oxyphosphide, LaNiOP, was synthesized by solid-state reactions. This crystal was confirmed to have a layered structure composed of an alternating stack of (La(3+)O(2-))(+) and (Ni(2+)P(3-))(-). We found that the resulting LaNiOP shows a superconducting transition at approximately 3 K. This material exhibited metallic conduction and Pauli paramagnetism in the temperature range of 4-300 K. The resistivity sharply dropped to zero and the magnetic susceptibility became negative at <4 K, indicating that a superconducting transition occurs. The volume fraction of the superconducting phase estimated from the diamagnetic susceptibility reached approximately 40 vol % at 1.8 K, substantiating that LaNiOP is a bulk superconductor.     

Representation of activity coefficients of fundamental biochemicals in water by the UNIFAC model

The assignment of UNIFAC parameters has been newly examined to represent the activity coefficients of fundamental biochemicals in aqueous solutions containing sugars, imino acids, urea, amino acid salts, inorganic salts, and sugar salts.

In this work, several new groups have been introduced to represent the activity coefficients for many biochemicals with better accuracy. For sugars, a portion containing asymmetric carbon atoms in an aldohexose molecule was defined as a new group for many stereoisomers. In the case of electrolytes like amino acid salts, the Pitzer-Debye-Hückel term was added to the UNIFAC equation to take the long-range electrostatic interaction into account.

All new interaction parameters for the fundamental biochemicals have been determined from osmotic coefficient as well as activity coefficient data reported in the literature. The new parameters provided good calculated results for these biochemicals.

In addition, the activity coefficient data for the ternary systems water/amino acid/urea and water/amino acid/sucrose were used to determine the interaction parameters between the constituent groups of an amino acid and those of the second solute, urea or sucrose. The correlated results for the system containing urea were in satisfactory agreement with the literature data.     

Enhanced degradation of cellulose acetate film containing diphenyliodonium salt–benzophenone

Cellulose acetate (degree of substitution 2.45) films containing diphenyliodonium salt and benzophenone were prepared and their degradative behavior was examined under simulated solar exposure. Acetic acid generation from the films under irradiation was greater in the co-presence of diphenyliodonium salt and benzophenone than in the sole presence of diphenyliodonium salt. Photosensitization and free-radical oxidization, which are followed by Brønsted acid generation, were postulated as the mechanism for the observed increase of deacetylation. The patterns of decreased molecular weight were different between the films with the diphenyliodonium salt and those with benzophenone; while the films with the diphenyliodonium salt kept a relatively constant molecular-weight distribution, the polydispersity increased in the films with benzophenone during the degradation. Since the synthesized characteristics of those two different patterns of change in molecular-weight distribution were observed in the co-presence of the diphenyliodonium salt and benzophenone, each additive appeared to act independently to lead to main-chain cleavage of cellulose acetate. Therefore, decrease in the molecular weight of cellulose acetate by diphenyliodonium salt did not seem to be enhanced in the co-presence with benzophenone.