An Investigation of the Effect of Semi-Acetal Formation on the Properties of Dialdehyde Starch and its Thermoplastic Blend with Glycerol

Dialdehyde sweet potato starch (DASS) with various aldehyde contents was prepared and the properties analyzed in terms of solubility, intrinsic viscosity, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results demonstrated that when the aldehyede content of DASS was increased from 20% to 95%, the solubility, molecular weight, crystallizability, and thermal stability decreased. Thermoplastic DASS (TPDASS) was prepared by adding glycerol as a plasticizer; the thermal, rheological, hydrophobic, and tensile properties of TPDASS were investigated. The results indicated that, for the same glycerol content, with the increase of aldehyde content, the moisture adsorption decreased, while the shear viscosity, glass transition temperature, and tensile properties of TPDASS increased significantly. The effects were attributed to the introduction of aldehyde groups reducing the hydrogen bonds and decreasing the hydrophility of the starch. Moreover, the aldehyde and hydroxyl groups of DASS favored a semi-acetal formation with higher aldehyde content and cross-linking of DASS occurred with the increase of aldehyde content. In summary, compared to starch, the thermoplastic properties and hydrophobicity of DASS was improved. In the presence of water (10 wt%), the tensile strength of TPDASS with 95% aldehyde content (TPDASS95) moderately decreased, from 16.7 MPa to 14.0 MPa, when the glycerol content increased from 10% to 30%. The TPDASS with improved properties will find their applications in preparing biodegradable plastics.     

R~N上具有渐近线性项的奇异椭圆问题的研究（英文）

本文通过变分方法,证明包含Hardy位势的奇异椭圆问题-Δu(x)-μ/|x|2u(x)=K(x)f(u),x ∈RN,x在u∈D1,2(RN)中至少有一个非平凡解,其中N≥3,0≤μ≤∶=((N-2)/2)2,f(t)是在R上的连续函数并且在无穷远处渐近线性.     

Synthesis,Characterizations, and Crystal Structures of α-Hydroxyphosphonic Acid Esters

This article describes the synthesis of α-hydroxyphosphonic acid esters using the Pudovik reaction. IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, ³¹P NMR, MS, and elemental analysis were employed to confirm their structures. X-ray structure analysis is reported for six compounds. The antibacterial activities of these compounds are also reported.

Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Phosphorus, Sulfur, and Silicon and the Related Elements to view the free supplemental file.     

Silica Chloride–Catalyzed Synthesis of Thiiranes from Oxiranes Under Solvent-Free Conditions

A mild, simple, and efficient method for the synthesis of thiiranes from epoxides using a catalytic amount of silica chloride under solvent-free conditions has been developed. Experimental simplicity, simple work-up procedure, and solvent-free reaction conditions are important features of the present protocol.     

Copper (I) Iodide-Catalyzed Solvent-Free Synthesis of α-Aminophosphonates

Abstract

A method for the synthesis of α-aminophosphonates through the three-component coupling reaction of aldehydes, amines, and diisopropyl phosphite using copper (I) iodide salt catalyst is demonstrated, The reaction is highly efficient, economic, and also environment friendly.

[Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Phosphorus, Sulfur, and Silicon and the Related Elements for the following free supplemental resource: Table S1, Figures S1–S9.]

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT      

Synthesis of novel poly(aminophosphonate ester)s flame retardants and their applications in EVA copolymer

Novel oligomeric intumescent flame retardants, poly(amino phosphonate ester)s (PAPEs), containing both phosphorous and nitrogen, were synthesized by reacting diethyl phosphite with two different polyschiff bases obtained from the reaction of diamines with dialdehyde. The target PAPEs (designated as PAPE‐d and PAPE‐e, respectively) were characterized by ¹H NMR, ³¹P NMR, Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, gel permeation chromatography and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) techniques. Thermal stability and flammability of ethylene‐vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA)/PAPE blends with various PAPE content were investigated by TGA, limited oxygen index (LOI), vertical burning test (UL‐94) and microscale combustion colorimeter (MCC). The results indicate that PAPEs effectively improve the flame retardancy of EVA. The EVA/30%PAPE‐e blend has a LOI value of 28, and its peak heat release rate (PHRR) value in MCC measurement is reduced by 36%. At the same time, the EVA/PAPE blends also have high yield of residual char, indicating that PAPEs are effective charring agents. Scanning electron microscopy observations of the residues of the EVA/PAPE blends show the existence of compact char layer on the surface of the residues, which is responsible for the improvement of the flame retardancy of EVA. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of cholesteric liquid crystalline elastomer with binaphthalene crosslinkings on thermal and optical properties of a liquid crystal that show smectic A‐cholesteric phase transition

A side‐chain polysiloxane cholesteric liquid crystalline elastomer (ChLCE) with binaphthalene derivate as crosslinkings and cholesterol derivate as liquid crystalline monomers was designed and synthesized. A binaphthyl chiral dopant (CD) was synthesized as well. The chemical structures and liquid crystalline properties of the ChLCE and the CD were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, element analyses, differential scanning calorimetry and polarizing optical microscopy measurements. The helical twisting power of the ChLCE exhibited a turning point with changing temperature and was smaller than that of the CD. In addition, the effect of the ChLCE on phase transition temperatures and thermal‐optical properties of a liquid crystal that show smectic A (SmA)‐cholesteric (Ch) phase transition was studied. Worthily, the testing of the reflection wavelength with changing temperature suggested that the adding of the ChLCE in liquid crystals that show SmA‐Ch phase transition can expedite their SmA‐Ch transition. In addition, the network structure of the ChLCE may play a significant role in the accelerating of the transition. These properties provided theoretical and experimental foundations for applying ChLCE in thermally sensitive liquid crystal devices requiring fast response, such as thermally controllable windows, materials and displays. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mapping of Neuropeptides in the Crustacean Stomatogastric Nervous System by Imaging Mass Spectrometry

Considerable effort has been devoted to characterizing the crustacean stomatogastric nervous system (STNS) with great emphasis on comprehensive analysis and mapping distribution of its diverse neuropeptide complement. Previously, immunohistochemistry (IHC) has been applied to this endeavor, yet with identification accuracy and throughput compromised. Therefore, molecular imaging methods are pursued to unequivocally determine the identity and location of the neuropeptides at a high spatial resolution. In this work, we developed a novel, multi-faceted mass spectrometric strategy combining profiling and imaging techniques to characterize and map neuropeptides from the blue crab Callinectes sapidus STNS at the network level. In total, 55 neuropeptides from 10 families were identified from the major ganglia in the C. sapidus STNS for the first time, including the stomatogastric ganglion (STG), the paired commissural ganglia (CoG), the esophageal ganglion (OG), and the connecting nerve stomatogastric nerve (stn) using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization tandem time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF/TOF) and the MS/MS capability of this technique. In addition, the locations of multiple neuropeptides were documented at a spatial resolution of 25 μm in the STG and upstream nerve using MALDI-TOF/TOF and high-mass-resolution and high-mass-accuracy MALDI-Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) instrument. Furthermore, distributions of neuropeptides in the whole C. sapidus STNS were examined by imaging mass spectrometry (IMS). Different isoforms from the same family were simultaneously and unambiguously mapped, facilitating the functional exploration of neuropeptides present in the crustacean STNS and exemplifying the revolutionary role of this novel platform in neuronal network studies.

Recent Advances of AIE-Active Conjugated Polymers: Synthesis and Application

Conjugated polymers (CPs) have long been recognized as an important class of materials. The highly conjugated backbone of the CPs will facilitate the rapid exciton migration and result in amplification of fluorescence signals. However, CPs are likely to aggregate and form excimers in solid states, directly leading to the fluorescence quenching, namely aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ), hence inhibiting their prospective utilizations in a large degree. Since the effect of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) is opposite to that of notorious ACQ, the AIE has raised great attention from scientists. CPs with AIE or aggregation-enhanced emission (AEE) features may help to solve the ACQ problem and meanwhile impart polymers with new properties and practical applications. In this review, we summarize the recent progress on the preparation of CPs with AIE or AEE characteristics, where AIE-active luminogens are located at polymer backbones or pendants. Their potential applications including fluorescent sensors, biological probes, and active layers for the fabrication of light-emitting diodes are also described.