Near UV Spectra of the Aniliniums: φCH+ 2CH2X, φNH+ (CH2Xa)CH2Xb and φNH+ (C2H4)2X. Long Range Interactions Involving φ and X

We have shown in preceding papers^(1–3), in a study of some specific anilinium ions such as φNH⁺ _3-n (CH₃)_n, φ₂NH⁺ ₂ and φ₃NH⁺, that varying the ammonium groups, or the medium, can lead to great changes in the intensity of the secondary transition of the chromophore^(1–4) because of a δ, π coupling involving the substituent ^(1–10) and φ. In the present work we should like to extend our experiments to more complex ions - since apart our own works the UV spectroscopy of the aniliniums is almost unknown - to study the sensitivity of the chromophore to long range interactions with X through space or through the bonds of the substituents^(11–16).     

Water‐soluble poly(ethylene oxide)‐block‐poly(p‐phenylene vinylene) copolymer: Synthesis and characterization

Water‐soluble and photoluminescent block copolymers [poly(ethylene oxide)‐block‐poly(p‐phenylene vinylene) (PEO‐b‐PPV)] were synthesized, in two steps, by the addition of α‐halo‐α′‐alkylsulfinyl‐p‐xylene from activated poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) chains in tetrahydrofuran at 25 °C. This copolymerization, which was derived from the Vanderzande poly(p‐phenylene vinylene) (PPV) synthesis, led to partly converted PEO‐b‐PPV block copolymers mixed with unreacted PEO chains. The yield, length, and composition of these added sequences depended on the experimental conditions, namely, the order of reagent addition, the nature of the monomers, and the addition of an extra base. The addition of lithium tert‐butoxide increased the length of the PPV precursor sequence and reduced spontaneous conversion. The conversion into PPV could be achieved in a second step by a thermal treatment. A spectral analysis of the reactive medium and the composition of the resulting polymers revealed new evidence for an anionic mechanism of the copolymerization process under our experimental conditions. Moreover, the photoluminescence yields were strongly dependant on the conjugation length and on the solvent, with a maximum (70%) in tetrahydrofuran and a minimum (<1%) in water. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 4337–4350, 2005     

Phase transitions in self-dual generalizations of the Baxter–Wu model

We study two types of generalized Baxter–Wu models, by means of transfer-matrix and Monte Carlo techniques. The first generalization allows for different couplings in the up- and down-triangles, and the second generalization is to a q-state spin model with three-spin interactions. Both generalizations lead to self-dual models, so that the probable locations of the phase transitions follow. Our numerical analysis confirms that phase transitions occur at the self-dual points. For both generalizations of the Baxter–Wu model, the phase transitions appear to be discontinuous.     

Utility of a chiral 1,3-dioxane template in stereoselective intramolecular Diels-Alder reactions

The ethylidene acetal of d-erythrose was used as a template for stereoselective IMDA reactions: high endo selectivity and yields in favor of the cis product were observed with 1,3,9-trienes, resulting from a boat transition state. For natural product synthesis, the reaction was successfully applied to a diene with terminal Z-olefin.     

The dynamics of pseudographs in convex Hamiltonian systems

We study the evolution, under convex Hamiltonian flows on cotangent bundles of compact manifolds, of certain distinguished subsets of the phase space. These subsets are generalizations of Lagrangian graphs, which we call pseudographs. They emerge in a natural way from Fathi's weak KAM theory. By this method, we find various orbits which connect prescribed regions of the phase space. Our study was inspired by works of John Mather. As an application, we obtain the existence of diffusion in a large class of a priori unstable systems and provide a solution to the large gap problem. We hope that our method will have applications to more examples.

RéSUMé. Nous étudions l'évolution, par le flot d'un Hamiltonien convexe sur une variété compacte, de certains ensembles de l'espace des phases. Nous appelons pseudographes ces ensembles, qui sont des généralisations de graphes Lagrangiens apparaissant de manière naturelle dans la théorie KAM faible de Fathi. Par cette méthode, nous trouvons diverses orbites qui joignent des domaines donnés de l'espace des phases. Notre étude s'inspire de travaux de John Mather. Nous obtenons l'existence de diffusion dans une large classe de systèmes à priori instables comme application de cette méthode, qui permet de résoudre le probleme de l'écart entre les tores invariants. Nous espérons que la méthode s'appliquera à d'autres exemples.

     

Selective mono-N-alkylation of triethylenetetraamine. A new versatile route to polylinear aza-ligands

A new route to triethylenetetraamine selective mono-N-alkylation on secondary nitrogen atom using simultaneously bisaminal and diamide protections is presented and applied to the synthesis of poly-linear aza-ligands.     

Nucleation inhibition in attrition-enhanced Pope-Peachey type of diastereomeric resolutions

The resolution of racemic 1-(3-methoxyphenyl)ethylamine with (S)-mandelic acid by diastereomeric salt formation can be made more economical by application of the Pope-Peachey method. This resolution was further improved upon by the addition of small amounts of a nucleation inhibitor, which prevents the formation of crystals of the more soluble diastereomer. The mandelic acid left in the solution is then used for further crystal growth of the less soluble diastereomer, furnishing high yields and diastereomeric excesses. Slow cooling and grinding of the crystals formed lead to increased secondary nucleation and thus to more consumption of the less soluble diastereomer and even better results.     

Relationship between the polymer/silica interaction and properties of silica composite materials

Cast film composites have been prepared from aqueous polymer solutions containing nanometric silica particles. The polymers were polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) and a blend of PVA‐HPMC polymers. In the aqueous dispersions, the polymer–silica interactions were studied through adsorption isotherms. These experiments indicated that HPMC has a high affinity for silica surfaces, and can adsorb at high coverage; conversely, low affinity and low coverage were found in the case of PVA. In the films, the organization of silica particles was investigated through transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and small‐angle neutron scattering (SANS). Both methods showed that the silica particles were well‐dispersed in the HPMC films and aggregated in the PVA films. The mechanical properties of the composite films were evaluated using tensile strength measurements. Both polymers were solid materials, with a high‐elastic modulus (65 MPa for HPMC and 291 for PVA) and a low‐maximum elongation at break (0.15 mm for HPMC and 4.12 mm for PVA). In HPMC films, the presence of silica particles led to an increase in the modulus and a decrease in the stress at break. In PVA films, the modulus decreased but the stress at break increased upon adding silica. Accordingly, the polymer/silica interaction can be used to tune the mechanical properties of such composite films. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 1134–1146, 2006