Polymers with double-decker and side-opened cage silsesquioxanes: Effects of cage structures on materials properties

Cage silsesquioxanes, also known as polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS), serve as crucial building blocks in crafting precisely designed organic–inorganic hybrid materials, given that their well-defined silsesquioxane clusters can be adorned with organic substituents. While polymers with POSS in their main chains have been thoroughly examined, analyzing the correlation between cage structure and material properties in main-chain-type polymers remains challenging. This difficulty stems from the limited range of organic substituents on traditional POSS monomers, thereby precluding comparisons between polymers with unified substituents and different cage structures. In this study, we synthesized double-decker silsesquioxane (DDSQ) and side-opened POSS (SO-POSS) monomers, both featuring phenyl groups. Subsequent platinum-catalyzed hydrosilylation polymerization yielded main-chain-polymers. Both the cage and linker structures influence thermal stability and the glass transition temperature, while the hardness was primarily determined by the linker structure. This research is the first to elucidate the impact of cage structure on the material properties of main-chain-type POSS polymers.     

Effect of preparation process of microfibrillated cellulose-reinforced polypropylene upon dispersion and mechanical properties

Microfibrillated cellulose (MFC)-reinforced polypropylene (PP) was prepared via two engineering approaches: disintegration of the pulp by a bead mill followed by a melt-compounding process with PP (B-MFC-reinforced PP); and disintegration of the pulp mixed with PP by a twin screw extruder followed by a melt-compounding process (T-MFC-reinforced PP). The effects that the engineering process and the microfibrillation of the pulp had upon the dispersion and mechanical properties were investigated through tensile tests, rheological analysis and X-ray computed tomography. The bead-milling method enabled a uniform microfibrillation of the pulp to under 100 nm, which corresponded to a surface area of 133–146 m²/g for the pulp, found by the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis. The T-MFC-reinforced PP with 30 wt% MFC content exhibited a tensile modulus of 5.3 GPa and a strength of 85 MPa, whereas the B-MFC-reinforced PP composites with the same content of MFC exhibited values of 4.1 GPa and 59.6 MPa, respectively. Rheological analysis revealed that the complex viscosity and storage modulus at 170 °C of T-MFC-reinforced PP with 30 wt% MFC content are 5–7 and 5–8 times higher than that of B-MFC-reinforced PP, respectively. This indicated that T-MFC was more dispersed in the PP than B-MFC. Therefore, T-MFC produced a more rigid interconnected network in the matrix during the melting state than B-MFC.     

An alternate synthesis of 6-substituted-5-deazapteridines

A procedure for synthesis of 2,4-diamino-6-substituted-5-deazapteridines (pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidines) is described. Condensation of 1-piperidino-1-propene with ethoxymethylenemalononitrile afforded an enamino malononitrile adduct, which when treated with ammonia yielded 2-amino-3-cyano-5-methylpyridine. Cyclization to 2,4-diamino-6-methyl-5-deazapteridine could be effected with guanidine. Similar condensation of piperidinopropene with ethyl methoxymethylenecyanoacetate followed by cyclization with hydroxylamine gave 2-amino-3-carbethoxy-6-methylpyridine 1-oxide. Reduction with phosphorus trichloride afforded the pyridine base, however, attempts to cyclize the amino ester to 2-amino-4-hydroxy-6-methyl-5-deazapteridine were unusccessful.     

Analysis of the number of hydrogen bond groups of a multiwalled carbon nanotube probe tip for chemical force microscopy

In this paper, we describe a statistical method of quantification of the number of functional groups at the contact area of a probe tip for atomic force microscopy from the result of repetitive pull-off force measurements. We have investigated laboratory-made carbon nanotube (CNT) probe tips to apply them for chemical force microscopy because limited number of functional groups at the tip-end is expected. Using a CNT tip, we conducted repetitive pull-off force measurements against a self-assembled monolayer terminated with carboxyl group and analyzed them in terms of the number of hydrogen bond groups at the CNT tip. The elementary hydrogen bond rupture force quantum in n-decane medium was estimated to be 84.2 ± 0.5 pN in the present system. Thus it was revealed that only a couple of hydrogen bond groups of the CNT tip were participating in hydrogen bonding with the sample on an average in this experimental system.     

Algebras Generated by Reciprocals of Linear Forms

Let Δ be a finite set of nonzero linear forms in several variables with coefficients in a field K of characteristic zero. Consider the K-algebra C(Δ) of rational functions generated by {1/α  α  Δ}. Then the ring ∂(V) of differential operators with constant coefficients naturally acts on C(Δ). We study the graded ∂(V)-module structure of C(Δ). We especially find standard systems of minimal generators and a combinatorial formula for the Poincaré series of C(Δ). Our proofs are based on a theorem by Brion–Vergne [4] and results by Orlik–Terao [9].     

Interpretation of electronic spectra by configuration analysis: Absorption spectra of monosubstituted naphthalenes

The electronic absorption spectra of four monosubstituted naphthalenes, α-, β-naphthols, and α-, β-naphthylamines have been investigated by means of configuration analysis with particular attention to the dependence of spectra on the position of substitution and on the electron-donating power of the substituent. The results of molecular orbital calculations based on the Pariser-Parr-Pople method are analyzed in terms of locally excited states and intramolecular charge-transfer configurations. The characteristic changes in location and polarization of the L_b, L_a, and B_b bands caused by substitution at the α- or β-position are adequately explained by the analysis. Two strong absorption bands of α-substituted naphthalenes, which appear in place of the B_b band of naphthalene, are shown to result from a mixing of the $\text{B}{}_{\mathrm{3u}}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{(B}{}_{\mathrm{b}}\text{)}$ and $\text{A}{}_{\mathrm{g}}{}^{\mathrm{?}}$ states. The amino group exerts a great influence on the electronic structure of the parent molecule, so that the B_b band cannot be identified in the spectrum of β-naphthylamine.     

Explosive fragmentation of a thin ceramic tube using pulsed power

This study experimentally examined the explosive fragmentation of thin ceramic tubes using pulsed power. A thin ceramic tube was threaded on a thin copper wire, and high voltage was applied to the wire using a pulsed power generator. This melted the wire and the resulting vapor put pressure on the ceramic tube, causing it to fragment. We examined the statistical properties of the fragment mass distribution. The cumulative fragment mass distribution obeyed the double exponential or power law with exponential decay. Both distributions agreed well with the experimental data. Finally, we obtained universal scaling for fragmentation, which is applicable to both impact and explosive fragmentation.     

The first samarium(II)-mediated aryl radical cyclisation onto an aromatic ring

Intramolecular arylation of aryl radicals was mediated by SmI(2)/HMPA in the presence of i-PrOH to give spirocycles and/or reduced cine-cyclised products, while the reaction in the absence of i-PrOH gave the rearomatised fused rings.