Characterization of low molecular weight hydrocarbon oligomers by laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry using a solvent-free sample preparation method.

A new solvent-free sample preparation method using silver trifluoroacetate (AgTFA) was developed for the analysis of low molecular weight paraffins and microcrystalline waxes by laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LDI-TOFMS). Experiments show that spectral quality can be enhanced by dispersing AgTFA directly in liquid paraffins without the use of additional solvents. This preparation mixture is applied directly to the MALDI probe. Solid waxes could be examined by melting prior to analysis. The method also provides sufficiently reproducible spectra that peak area ratios between mono- and bicyclic alkane peaks indicated variations in the cycloalkane content of paraffin samples. Dehydrogenation of hydrocarbons observed during the desorption/ionization process was studied by analysis of alkane standards.     

Luminescent copolymers for applications in multicolor‐light‐emitting devices

Light‐emitting diodes based on organic materials [organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs)] have attracted much interest over the past decade. Several different attempts have been made to realize multicolor OLEDs. This article describes a new approach based on energy transfer in a donor/acceptor system. A copolymer containing both donor and acceptor compounds as comonomer units is prepared. The polymer consists of a derivative of a luminescent dye [4‐dicyanmethylene‐2‐methyl‐6‐4H‐pyran (DCM); acceptor compound], which is copolymerized with fluorene (donor compound) to combine the properties of an electroactive polymer with a highly luminescent dye. Photochemical processing is achieved by UV irradiation of this copolymer in the presence of gaseous trialkylsilanes. This reagent selectively saturates the C?C bonds in the DCM comonomer units while leaving the fluorene units essentially unaffected. As a result of the photochemical process, the red electroluminescence of the acceptor compound vanishes, and the blue‐green electroluminescence from the polyfluorene units is recovered. Compared with previous approaches based on polymer blends, this copolymer approach avoids problems associated with phase‐separation phenomena in the active layer of OLEDs. © 2006Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 4317–4327, 2006     

Studies on the photooxidation mechanism of polymers. IV. Effect of ultraviolet light (2537 Å) on solid PVC particles suspended in different liquids

The photolysis of virgin PVC powder suspended in water, methanol, n-hexane, aqueous NH₄OH (30 wt-%), and 0.1 wt-% iodine in methanol and also as dry powder was studied. The mechanism of photolysis of PVC powder has been investigated by using ESR spectroscopy, conductivity titration, gel-permeation chromatography (GPC), and absorption spectroscopy. Photolysis of PVC has been found to occur by a free-radical mechanism. ESR spectroscopy permits a partial identification of several different types of free radicals in PVC such as alkyl, polyenyl, and peroxy radicals. An interpretation is proposed of the mechanism of formation of conjugated polyene structures, and also a new explanation of the crosslinking mechanism, in which transfer of unpaired electrons to double bonds occurs, is suggested. It has also been found that conjugated double bonds can photosensitize free-radical formation as a result of increased ultraviolet absorption due to polyene structures.     

Photo-stabilization of cis-1,4-polybutadiene with phenylene sulphide oligomers

The new thiooligomers of hydroxyphenylene and hydroxymethoxyphenylene sulphides have been used as photo-stabilizers for cis-1,4-polybutadiene. The photo-stabilizing properties of these thiooligomers were compared with commercial sulphur-containing compounds such as bis(4-hydroxyphenylene)sulphide, 2,2′-thiobis(4-methyl-6-tert.butylphenol) (Irganox 1081), bis((beta-(3,5-di-tert,butyl-4-hydroxybenzyl)-methylcarboxyethyl))sulphide (Irganox 1035) and dilaurylthiodipropionate (Irganox PS800). The photo-stabilizing mechanisms of these compounds have been discussed in detail.     

An addition to the oxoacid family: H2B12(OH)12

The acid H(2)B(12)(OH)(12) can be isolated as a crystalline solid by protonation of the hydroxylated borane anion, B(12)(OH)(12)(2)(-). This acidic compound has low solubility in water, conducts protons in the solid state, and has thermal stability to a temperature of 400 degrees C. The conductivity mechanism is a Grotthuss mechanism with a low activation enthalpy (9-13 kcal/mol). This new acid represents an addition to the class of oxoacids, of which sulfuric and phosphoric acid are the most prominent examples.     

Exchange interactions in copper(II) complexes with tridentate Schiff bases: EPR and magnetic studies

The influence of the nature of ligands upon the magnetic and EPR properties was investigated for the series of polynuclear Cu(II) complexes with tridentate Schiff bases. A similar tendency of changes in the |J| and D parameters was found for binuclear Cu(II) complexes with ligands derived from condensation of 3-amino-1-propanol with 2-hydroxyaldehydes and acetylacetone as well as for Cu(II) complexes with condensation products of o-aminophenol and β-diketones. The Cu(II) complex with Schiff base of 1-amino-2-propanol and acetylacetone exhibits ferromagnetic behaviour suggesting tetrameric structure.     

An efficient closed-shell singles and doubles coupled-cluster method

A reformulated set of equations for the closed-shell singles and doubles coupled-cluster (CCSD) method is presented. A computational cost of n_v⁴n₀²+7n_v³n₀³+1n_v²n₀⁴ for the n⁶ steps is obtained, where n_v is the number of virtual molecular orbitals included in the CCSD procedure, n₀ is the number of doubly occupied molecular orbitals and n=n₀+n_v. Test calculations for the cis and trans isomers of FNNF and planar and pyramidal CH₃⁻ are presented. Equilibrium structures determined with large Gaussian basis sets at the second-order Møller-Plesset (MP2) perturbation level of theory are reported and used for the other electron correlation methods. With the largest one-particle basis set (144 contracted Gaussian functions), the equilibrium geometries of cis- and trans-FNNF agree with experiment. Based on analyses of planar and pyramidal CH₃⁻ wavefunctions and the calculated inversion barrier, it is suggested that the molecular anion may not exist in a planar configuration but that autodetachment of an electron occurs before the transition state is reached. Comparisons of our new CCSD procedure demonstrate that coupled-cluster methods are not significantly more expensive than similar electron correlation techniques.     

Organic synthesis with sulphones—XVII: The anti-markownikoff halosulphonylation of olefins via an ionic pathway,and a new method of preparing benzenesulphonyl iodide

Iodine and bromine in the presence of sodium benzenesulphinate react with olefins in acetone solution to give halosulphones resulting from an apparent steric direction of attack at the intermediate halonium ion. A straightforward preparation of benzenesulphonyl iodide from benzenesulphonyl chloride and sodium iodide is also described.     

Binding energies of hydrogen molecules to isoreticular metal-organic framework materials

Recently, several novel isoreticular metal-organic framework (IRMOF) structures have been fabricated and tested for hydrogen storage applications. To improve our understanding of these materials, and to promote quantitative calculations and simulations, the binding energies of hydrogen molecules to the MOF have been studied. High-quality second-order Moller-Plesset (MP2) calculations using the resolution of the identity approximation and the quadruple zeta QZVPP basis set were used. These calculations use terminated molecular fragments from the MOF materials. For H2 on the zinc oxide corners, the MP2 binding energy using Zn4O(HCO2)6 molecule is 6.28 kJ/mol. For H2 on the linkers, the binding energy is calculated using lithium-terminated molecular fragments. The MP2 results with coupled-cluster singles and doubles and noniterative triples method corrections and charge-transfer corrections are 4.16 kJ/mol for IRMOF-1, 4.72 kJ/mol for IRMOF-3, 4.86 kJ/mol for IRMOF-6, 4.54 kJ/mol for IRMOF-8, 5.50 and 4.90 kJ/mol for IRMOF-12, 4.87 and 4.84 kJ/mol for IRMOF-14, 5.42 kJ/mol for IRMOF-18, and 4.97 and 4.66 kJ/mol for IRMOF-993. The larger linkers are all able to bind multiple hydrogen molecules per side. The linkers of IRMOF-12, IRMOF-993, and IRMOF-14 can bind two to three, three, and four hydrogen molecules per side, respectively. In general, the larger linkers have the largest binding energies, and, together with the enhanced surface area available for binding, will provide increased hydrogen storage. We also find that adding up NH2 or CH3 groups to each linker can provide up to a 33% increase in the binding energy.     

Conformation of Tax-response elements in the human T-cell leukemia virus type I promoter

Background: HTLV I Tax is believed to activate viral gene expression by binding bZIP proteins (such as CRIB) and increasing their affinities for proviral THE target sites. Each 21 by THE target site contains an imperfect copy of the intrinsically bent CRE target site (the TRE core) surrounded by highly conserved flanking sequences. These flanking sequences are essential for maximal increases in DNA affinity and transactivation, but they are not, apparently, contacted by protein. Here we employ non-denaturing gel electrophoresis to evaluate TRE conformation in the presence and absence of bZIP proteins, and to explore the role of DNA conformation in viral transactivation.Results: Our results show that the TRE-1 flanking sequences modulate the structure and modestly increase the affinity of a CREB bZIP peptide for the TRE-1 core recognition sequence. These flanking sequences are also essential for a maximal increase in stability of the CREB-DNA complex in the presence of Tax.Conclusions: The CRE-like TRE core and the TRE flanking sequences are both essential for formation of stable CRIB-TRE-1 and Tax-CREB-TRE-1 complexes. These two DNA segments may have co-evolved into a unique structure capable of recognizing Tax and a bZIP protein.