Reversible C=C Bond Activation by an Intramolecularly Coordinated Antimony(I) Compound

The reaction of N,C,N-chelated stibinidene ArSb ( 1 ) (Ar=C₆H₃-2,6-(CH=NtBu)₂) with selected N-alkyl/aryl-maleimides RN(C(O)CH)₂ (R=Me, tBu, Ph) gave the addition products with bridged bicyclic [2.2.1] structure containing an antimony atom at the bridgehead position, fused with a 6-membered benzene and a 5-membered N-alkyl/aryl-pyrrolidine ring. These compounds were completely characterized. More importantly, additional studies showed that these reactions are reversible in solution, thereby representing an unprecedented reversible activation of a C=C bond by an antimony(I) compound.     

Mechanical and electrical response variation of the polyurethane–tin oxide–carbon nanotube composite microfiber depending on the chemical solution

Toward the goal of smart sensor systems for wearable electronics, polymer microfiber‐based free‐standing sensors benefit from excellent flexibility, decent ductility, and easy wearability in comparison with thin‐film‐based sensing devices. Herein, we report a hydrophobic and conducting single‐strand microfiber‐based liquid‐phase chemical sensor consisting of polyurethane (PU), tin oxide (SnO₂), and carbon nanotube (CNT) composites with applying a (1H,1H,2H,2H‐heptadecafluorodec‐1‐yl) phosphonic acid (HDF‐PA)‐based self‐assembled monolayer. The free‐standing HDF‐PA‐treated PU–SnO₂–CNT composite microfiber showing selective filtering properties with the repellency of water and the penetration of an organic solvent is electrically and mechanically characterized. Finally, the single‐strand HDF‐PA‐treated PU–SnO₂–CNT composite microfiber‐based chemical sensor, which shows excellent mechanical properties and aqueous stability, is demonstrated to detect the presence of a chemical in pure water or counterfeit gasoline in pure gasoline by observing mechanical changes, especially variations in the length and diameter of the fiber, and monitoring the electrical resistance change. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019 , 57, 495–502     

Isothermal-crystallization kinetics and spherulite growth of aliphatic polyketone/polyamide-6 blends

In this research,the morphologies,isothermal-crystallization kinetics,and spherulite growth of aliphatic polyketone/polyamide-6 blends were studied.A single glass-transition temperature (Tg) was determined,and the composition dependence of Tg for these blends was well described by the Kwei equation.The strong intermolecular interaction between the two polymer components was confirmed by melting-point depression.The isothermal-crystallization kinetics were analyzed on the basis of the Avrami approach.A linear increase in the radii of the spherulites with time was observed for all compositions.All the spherulites continued to grow at nearly identical growth rates.With increasing polyamide-6 content,the size of the spherulites in the polyketone/polyamide-6 blends gradually decreased,and the number of spherulites in the blends increased.     

Labelling of peptides with <Superscript>99m</Superscript>Tc complexes through the modified C-terminal group

Easy and efficient way to modify of the C-terminus of the peptide using amino acid lysine has been proposed and experimentally verified. The synthesis yield was high (≥85%) and it was found that reactions can be carried out even with microgram amounts of the peptide. Using Fmoc-alanine (as the peptide model) with modified C-terminus the procedure of peptide labelling with monovalent and trivalent ^99mTc complexes has been elaborated.     

Two-electron entanglement in elliptically deformed quantum dots

Entropic entanglement measures of a two-dimensional system of two Coulombically interacting particles confined in an anisotropic harmonic potential are discussed in dependence on the anisotropy and the interaction strength. The harmonic approximation appears exact in the strong interaction limit, allowing determination of the asymptotic expression for the linear entropy. Entanglement properties are dramatically influenced by the anisotropy of the confining potential in the strong-correlation regime.     

A new type of cation‐exchange polymeric microspheres with pendant methylenethiol groups

Synthesis and characterization of the new styrene microspheres with pendant methylenethiol groups are presented. At the first stage, the polymeric matrices were obtained by the suspension–emulsion polymerization of monomers: styrene (St) with 2,3‐(2‐hydroxy‐3‐methacryloyloxypropoxy)naphthalene (NAF.DM) or (bis[4(2‐hydroxy‐3‐methacryloyloxypropoxy)phenyl]sulfide (BES.DM) or divinylbenzene (DVB). At the second stage, the modification of the sythesized matrices was performed as follows: the matrices were reacted with paraformaldehyde in the presence of hydrochloric acid forming chloromethyl derivatives. Next, by reaction with thiourea, a thiouronium salt was obtained, and then the hydrolysis with NaOH solution and acidification with HCl were carried out. Finally, microspheres with –CH₂SH groups on their surface were obtained. The –SH group content (elemental analysis), thermal properties (thermogravimetric analysis), Fourier transform infrared as well as the swelling characteristics of the functional microspheres were examined. The surface texture was also visualized by the atomic force microscopy (AFM) method. The obtained polymers were screened towards sorption of Cu(II) ions. It was found that a better correlation between the experimental Cu(II) uptake and the theoretical curves predicted by the Langmuir or Freundlich models is obtained in the case of the DVB–St–SH polymer. In the case of the BES.DM–St–SH and 2,3‐NAF–St–SH ones, the Freundlich model corresponded quite well to the experimental data. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Food structure: Roles of mechanical properties and oral processing in determining sensory texture of soft materials

There is a desire to alter food composition to make foods healthier and at the same time not diminish sensory quality. This requires an understanding of key elements of food structure associated with texture perception. Texture, in part, is perceived during oral processing of food. Knowledge of structure–oral processing–texture interrelations could be utilized to develop or prevent specified textural attributes. Overall, the investigation of structure–oral processing–texture interrelations is just starting as a research focus. Factors including non-universal and inconsistent sensory terminology, omission of consideration for structural changes incurred by oral processes, and the lack of cross-disciplinary investigations hamper progress in this field. Consideration of these factors in future investigations on sensory texture will increase the applicability of their findings and bring us closer to understanding the contribution of food structure to sensory texture.