A polarographic study of propene-maleic anhydride copolymers

The polarographic behaviour of hydrolyzed propene-maleic anhydride copolymers in the interval pH 2.0–11.0 has been investigated by differential pulse polarography in aqueous lithium chloride solution at 25°C. In dependence on the pH-value, one, two or three signals, belonging to the acid groups in the copolymer, appear in the polarograms. Three apparent polarographic acid constants have been determined graphically from the changes in the half-wave potential of the separate peaks in correlation with pH.     

Influence of nanoparticle surface functionalization on the thermal stability of colloidal polystyrene films

The installation of large scale colloidal nanoparticle thin films is of great interest in sensor technology or data storage. Often, such devices are operated at elevated temperatures. In the present study, we investigate the effect of heat treatment on the structure of colloidal thin films of polystyrene (PS) nanoparticles in situ by using the combination of grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) and optical ellipsometry. In addition, the samples are investigated with optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). To install large scale coatings on silicon wafers, spin-coating of colloidal pure PS nanoparticles and carboxylated PS nanoparticles is used. Our results indicate that thermal annealing in the vicinity of the glass transition temperature T(g) of pure PS leads to a rapid loss in the ordering of the nanoparticles in spin-coated films. For carboxylated particles, this loss of order is shifted to a higher temperature, which can be useful for applications at elevated temperatures. Our model assumes a softening of the boundaries between the individual colloidal spheres, leading to strong changes in the nanostructure morphology. While the nanostructure changes drastically, the macroscopic morphology remains unaffected by annealing near T(g).     

Surface functionalization of silica nanoparticles supports colloidal stability in physiological media and facilitates internalization in cells

The influence of the surface functionalization of silica particles on their colloidal stability in physiological media is studied and correlated with their uptake in cells. The surface of 55 ± 2 nm diameter silica particles is functionalized by amino acids or amino- or poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-terminated alkoxysilanes to adjust the zeta potential from highly negative to positive values in ethanol. A transfer of the particles into water, physiological buffers, and cell culture media reduces the absolute value of the zeta potential and changes the colloidal stability. Particles stabilized by L-arginine, L-lysine, and amino silanes with short alkyl chains are only moderately stable in water and partially in PBS or TRIS buffer, but aggregate in cell culture media. Nonfunctionalized, N-(6-aminohexyl)-3-aminopropyltrimethoxy silane (AHAPS), and PEG-functionalized particles are stable in all media under study. The high colloidal stability of positively charged AHAPS-functionalized particles scales with the ionic strength of the media, indicating a mainly electrostatical stabilization. PEG-functionalized particles show, independently from the ionic strength, no or only minor aggregation due to additional steric stabilization. AHAPS stabilized particles are readily taken up by HeLa cells, likely as the positive zeta potential enhances the association with the negatively charged cell membrane. Positively charged particles stabilized by short alkyl chain aminosilanes adsorb on the cell membrane, but are weakly taken up, since aggregation inhibits their transport. Nonfunctionalized particles are barely taken up and PEG-stabilized particles are not taken up at all into HeLa cells, despite their high colloidal stability. The results indicate that a high colloidal stability of nanoparticles combined with an initial charge-driven adsorption on the cell membrane is essential for efficient cellular uptake.     

Coordination Chemistry of Acrylamide 4. Crystal Structures and IR Spectroscopic Properties of Acrylamide Complexes with CoII,NiII, and ZnII nitrates

Acrylamide complexes of metal nitrates: [M(O‐OC(NH₂)CHCH₂)_n(H₂O)_m][NO₃]₂ (M = Co( 1 ), Ni( 2 ) (n = 6 and m = 0) and Zn( 3 ) (n = 4 and m = 2)) have been determined by using single crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis. All complexes crystallize in the triclinic space group . The structures of 1 and 2 represent octahedral species [M(AAm)₆]²⁺ (AAm = O‐OC(NH₂)CHCH₂ and M = Co or Ni) and uncoordinated nitrate ions. The structure of 3 involves the octahedral cation [Zn(AAm)₄(H₂O)₂]²⁺ in which the Zn²⁺ environment includes oxygen atoms of four acrylamide and two water molecules that are stabilized using ionic nitrate ions. The observations of the solid‐state IR spectroscopic vibrational frequencies of these acrylamide complexes are in agreement with the crystal structures.     

Rhodium(II)‐Catalyzed Inter‐ and Intramolecular Cyclopropanations with Diazo Compounds and Phenyliodonium Ylides: Synthesis and Chiral Analysis

Different classes of cyclopropanes derived from Meldrum's acid (=2,2‐dimethyl‐1,3‐dioxane‐4,6‐dione; 4 ), dimethyl malonate ( 5 ), 2‐diazo‐3‐(silyloxy)but‐3‐enoate 16 , 2‐diazo‐3,3,3‐trifluoropropanoate 18 , diazo(triethylsilyl)acetate 24a , and diazo(dimethylphenylsilyl)acetate 24b were prepared via dirhodium(II)‐catalyzed intermolecular cyclopropanation of a set of olefins 3 (Schemes 1 and 4–6). The reactions proceeded with either diazo‐free phenyliodonium ylides or diazo compounds affording the desired cyclopropane derivatives in either racemic or enantiomer‐enriched forms. The intramolecular cyclopropanation of allyl diazo(triethylsilyl)acetates 28, 30 , and 33 were carried out in the presence of the chiral dirhodium(II) catalyst [Rh₂{(S)‐nttl)₄}] ( 9 ) in toluene to afford the corresponding cyclopropane derivatives 29, 31 and 34 with up to 37% ee (Scheme 7). An efficient enantioselective chiral separation method based on enantioselective GC and HPLC was developed. The method provides information about the chemical yields of the cyclopropane derivatives, enantioselectivity, substrate specifity, and catalytic activity of the chiral catalysts used in the inter‐ and intramolecular cyclopropanation reactions and avoids time‐consuming workup procedures.     

1,3-Alternate calix[4]arenes, selectively functionalized by amino groups

General strategies are described to synthesize calix[4]arenes which are fixed in the 1,3-alternate conformation and substituted selectively by amino groups. These derivatives are useful starting materials for the attachment of various groups via amide bonds, as demonstrated by several examples, but may be converted also to ureas, imides or azomethines. Four amino groups may be attached to the narrow rim via(several) methylene groups as spacer by O-alkylation with omega-bromophthalimides or omega-bromonitriles. From the resulting tetraethers the amino functions are obtained by cleavage with hydrazine or by hydrolysis, allowing a selective functionalisation of both sides of the molecule (phenolic units A, C versus B, D). Amino functions at the wide rim are introduced by ipso-nitration of the respective t-butylcalix[4]arene derivatives and subsequent reduction. Selective ipso-nitration of a 1,3-diether, followed by O-alkylation with allylbromide to obtain the tetraether in the 1,3-alternate conformation, hydrogenation of allyl and nitro groups (in one step), protection of the amino functions as phthalimides followed by ipso-nitration of the remaining t-butyl phenol rings, allows again to distinguish both sides of the molecule (units A, C versus B, D). Reaction of a wide rim tetraamine in the 1,3-alternate conformation by Boc-anhydride allows not only to obtain the mono- and tri-Boc derivative, but also in nearly 60% yield the C2-symmetrical di-Boc derivative, in which two adjacent phenolic units are protected (distinction of A, B from C, D). This paves the way for the preparation of chiral derivatives or assemblies. O-Alkylation with omega-bromophthalimides followed by ipso-nitration leads to precursors for octaamines in the 1,3-alternate conformation, in which the potential amino functions on both rims can be selectively "activated" by reduction or hydrazinolysis. The structures of the newly synthesized molecules were mainly confirmed by their 1H NMR spectra, which allow a distinction from isomeric derivatives in the cone and partial cone conformation. Single crystal X-ray analyses were obtained for two analogous derivatives in the 1,3-alternate conformation (27, n = 3,4), an isomeric compound in the cone conformation (27, n = 3,4), and a derivative in the partial cone conformation (11).