Biodegradable Polyurethanes from Plant Components

Abstract

Polyurethane (PU) sheets and foams having plant components in their network were prepared by using the following procedure. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) was mixed with one of the following; molasses, lignin, woodmeal, or coffee grounds. The mixture obtained was reacted with diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) at room temperature, and precured PUs were prepared. The precured PUs were heat-pressed and PU sheets were obtained. In order to make PU foam, the above mixture was reacted with MDI after the addition of plasticizer, surfactant (silicone oil), catalyst (di-n-butyltin dilaurate), and droplets of water under vigorous stirring. The glass transition temperature, tensile and compression strengths, and Young's modulus of the PU sheets and foams increased with an increasing amount of plant components. This suggests that saccharide and lignin residues act as hard segments in PUs. It was found that the PUs obtained were biodegradable in soil. The rate of biodegradation of the PUs derived from molasses and coffee grounds was between that of cryptomeria (Cryptomeria japonica) and beech (Fagus sieboldi).     

Polymeric Electron Carriers

Polymers containing 1,4-dihydronicotinamide (P-NAH) alloxan (P-A), and viologen (P-V²⁺) moieties were synthesized and characterized. P-NAH reduced various organic substances such as lipoic acid, alloxan, and viologens and also immobilized quinone mediated by alloxan. P-A was reduced to the polymer-bearing alloxan radical and the dialuric acid structure without crosslinks by one- and two-electron reduction, respectively, and P-A also mediated the redox reaction occurring between aqueous and organic (water-immiscible) layers. P-V²⁺ was converted to the stable viologen radical reversibly by one-electron reduction. Electric potentials and currents on photo-reduction of P-V²⁺ and catalytic behavior of P-V²⁺ in the reduction of carbonyl compounds were examined.     

Thermal behavior and dismantlability of adhesives containing various inorganic salts

As a fundamental study on the development of dismantlable adhesives containing chemically reactive materials, the thermal behavior and dismantlability of an epoxy adhesive containing one of the twenty-seven inorganic salts (chlorides, perchlorates, and nitrates) were observed. In the thermal behavior measured by the differential scanning calorimetry, epoxy adhesives with inorganic salts containing iron, copper, zinc, and aluminum cations released heats of reaction at lower temperatures than the adhesive alone or the adhesives with other inorganic salts. Since such inorganic salts were considered to be effective candidates as fillers in dismantlable adhesives, the adhesion strengths of their mixtures with the adhesive were observed after heat aging at 270 °C for 30 min. The results showed that both chloride and perchlorate salts specifically decreased the adhesion strength after heating. On the other hand, the effect of nitrate salts on the decrease in adhesion strength was low in comparison with the chloride and perchlorate salts.     

Synthesis and spectral properties of ruthenium(II) complexes based on 2,2′-bipyridines modified by a perylene chromophore

Five new 2,2′-bipyridines functionalized with a perylene or a perylenediimide moiety were synthesized and the corresponding heteroleptic ruthenium(II) complexes ([Ru(bpy)₂(L)](PF₆)₂; bpy = 2,2′-bipyridyl, L = perylene-substituted bpy ligand) were prepared. The UV–vis spectra of the ruthenium(II) complexes showed red-shifted and intense absorption bands derived from the conjugated structure of the new ligands.     

A General Method for Stepwise Elongation of the (1→5)-α-D-Arabinofuranan Chain

Condensation reaction of 3,5-di-O-benzoyl-1,2-O-(1-cyanoben-zylidene)-β-D-arabinofuranose (2) with benzyl and allyl 2,3-di-O-benzoyl-5-O-triphenylmethyl-α-L-arabinofuranosides (5a and 5b) in methylene chloride in the presence of triphenylcarbenium tetrafluoroborate as catalyst under high vacuum gave α-(1→5)-linked dimeric D-arabinofuranoside derivatives (6a and 6b). One of the dimeric compounds (6a) was debenzoylated, triphenylmethylated, and rebenzoylated to give a dimeric homolog of 5a (8). Similarly for the preparation of 6a, 8 was condensed with 2 to provide an α-(1→5)-linked trimeric D-arabinofuranoside derivative (9). Further elongation of the glycoside chain might be possible in the same way.     

Synthesis of 8-Methoxycarbonyloctylβ-Glycosides of Tri-and Tetrasaccharides Related to Schizophyllan and Neoglycoproteins Therefrom

Abstract

The 8-methoxycarbonyloctyl β-glycosides of the trisaccharides O-β-d-Glcp-(1 → 6)- O-β-d-Glcp-(1 → 3)-d-Glcp and O-β-d-Glcp-(1 → 3)-O-[β-d -Glcp-(1 → 6)]-d-Glcp and of the tetrasaccharide O-β-d-Glcp-(1 → 3)-O-[β-d-Glcp-(1 → 6)]-O-β-d-Glcp-(1 → 3)-d-Glcp, corresponding to the fragments of schizophyllan, have been synthesized by using mono- to tetrasaccharide 1-thioglycosides as glycosyl donors, each bearing a participating benzoyl group in the 2-position, and N-iodosuccinimide and silver triflate as promoter. Saponification of the tri- and tetrasaccharide β-glycosides, followed by attachment to bovine serum albumin of the resulting sugar derivatives having a carboxyl group at the aglycon terminal, provided neoglycoproteins for immunological studies of the polysaccharide.     

Synthetic Studies on Sialoglycoconjugates 70: Synthesis of Sialyl and Sulfo Lewis × Analogs Containing a Ceramide or 2-(Tetradecyl)hexadecyl Residue

Abstract

Four sialyl and sulfo Le^x analogs containing glucose in place of N-acetylglucosamine, and a ceramide or 2-(tetradecyl)hexadecyl residue, have been synthesized. Condensation of O-(methyl 5-acetamido-4,7,8,9-tetra-O-acetyl-3,5-dideoxy-d-glycero-α-d-galacto-2-nonulopyranosylonate)-(2→3)-O-(4-O-acetyl-2,6-diO-benzoyl-β-d-galactopyranosyl)-(1→4)-O-[(2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-α-L-fucopyranosyl)-(1→3)]-2,4-di-O-benzoyl-α-d-glucopyranosyl trichloroacetimidate (1) with (2S,3R,4E)-2-azido-3-O-benzoyl-4-octadecene-1,3, diol (2) or 2-(tetradecyl)-hexadecyl-1-ol (3) gave the corresponding β-glycosides 4 and 7. Compound 4 was converted into the ganglioside 6 via selective reduction of the azido group, coupling with octadecanoic acid, O-deacylation, and saponification of the methyl ester group. Hydrolysis of the O-acyl groups in 7 followed by saponification of the methyl ester, gave sialyl Le^x ganglioside analog 8 containing a branched fatty alkyl residue. On the other hand, glycosylation of O-(4-O-acetyl-2,6-di-O-benzoyl-3-O-levulinyl-β-d-galactopyranosyl)-(1→4)-[O-(2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-α-L-fucopyranosyl)-(1→3)]-2,6-di-O-benzoyl-α-d-glucopyranosyl trichloroacetimidate (13), prepared from 2-(trimethylsilyl)ethyl O-(2,6-di-O-benzoyl-β-d-galactopyranosyl)-(1→4)-O-[(2,3,4-tri-O-benzyl-α-L-fucopyranosyl)-(1→3)]-2,6-di-O-benzoyl-β-d-glucopyranoside (9) via selective 3-O-levulinylation, acetylation, removal of the 2-(trimethylsilyl)ethyl group, with 2 or 3, gave the desired β-glycosides 14 and 19. Selective reduction of the axido group in 14 followed by coupling with octadecanoic acid gave the ceramide derivative 16. Removal of the levulinyl group in 16 and 19, treatment with sulfur trioxide pyridine complex and subsequent hydrolysis of the protecting groups yielded the corresponding sulfo Le^x analogs 18 and 21.