Basicity‐dependent properties of anion conducting membranes consisting of iminium cations for alkaline fuel cells

To design novel anion‐conducting polymer electrolyte membranes (AEMs), this paper proposes a basicity index (BI) that is defined by the ion‐exchange ratios of AEMs from the OH^? to Cl^? forms in a neutral aqueous solution as a parameter for Arrhenius basicity (dissociation constant). Using a radiation‐induced graft polymerization technique, three iminium cations are introduced into fluorinated polymer films. The BI of the iminium‐containing AEMs is less than that of a conventional ammonium‐type AEM. The conductivity and water uptake correlate positively with the BI, whereas the thermal and chemical stabilities correlate negatively with the BI. The dependence on the BI stems from the stabilization of the iminium hydroxide in proportion to the basicity of the original diaza‐compounds, resulting in a decrease in conductivity and water uptake with keeping higher thermal and chemical stabilities. Notably, ion conductivity is sufficient and water uptake is less in AEMs with a medium BI. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019 , 57, 503–510     

Lignin: its functions and successive flow

Phenolic lignin-based polymers with structure-variable function have originally been designed, and a process has been developed for synthesizing them directly from native lignins. The key point of the process is to set up two different solvents, which are immiscible each other, for selective modification and separation of lignin and carbohydrates: hydrophobic solvent for hydrophobic lignin and hydrophilic solvent for hydrophilic carbohydrates. The native lignins, three dimensional network polymers, are subjected to selective modifications at the interface between both phases to give linear type polymers (lignophenols) composed mainly of 1,1-bis(aryl)propane type units, almost quantitatively. The process provides a new system for successively utilizing lignocellulosics in the molecular level.     

catena‐Poly[[chloro­dipyridine­manganese(II)]‐μ3‐6‐oxo‐1,6‐dihydro­pyridine‐2‐carboxyl­ato]

The title one‐dimensional chain polymer complex, [Mn(C₆H₄NO₃)Cl(C₆H₅N)₂]_n, was isolated from the reaction of MnCl₂ with 6‐oxo‐1,6‐dihydro­pyridine‐2‐carboxylic acid (HpicOH) in pyridine. The asymmetric unit contains one [Mn(HPicO)Cl(py)₂] moiety (py is pyridine), with the (HpicO)⁻ ligand acting in a tridentate manner via the two carboxyl­ate O atoms and the pyridone O atom. The operation of inversion centres generates eight‐ and 14‐membered rings and, in conjunction with an a‐axis translation, leads to an infinite chain extending along [100]. The Mn⋯Mn separations in this chain are 5.1069 (6) and 7.1869 (6) Å. The Mn^II atom has a distorted octahedral coordination, with trans‐axial pyridine ligands and with three O atoms and the Cl atom in the equatorial plane. The conformation of the 14‐membered ring is stabilized by pairs of inversion‐related N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds.     

Phytochrome-mediated Phototropism in Adiantum Protonemata II. Participation of Phytochrome Dark Reversion

A microbeam irradiation technique was used to analyze phytochrome-mediated phototropism of the protonema of the fern Adiantum capillus-veneris. One side of the sub-apical zone of a dark-adapted protonema was irradiated with a red-light (R) microbeam to induce phototropic curvature toward the irradiated side. Except the cases where fluence-response relationships were examined, the protonema was stimulated with the microbeam for about 30 s to provide a fluence (5.3–5.5 mmol m^-2) optimal for curvature. When the whole protonema was pretreated with a high fluence of R (about 9 mmol m^-2), no significant curvature could be induced by immediately subsequent one-sided microbeam stimulation. It was found, however, that curvature became inducible progressively as the time of microbeam stimulation was delayed after the R pretreatment. The protonema gained nearly full responsiveness within 40 min after the pretreatment. Moreover, the inductive effect of microbeam R escaped rapidly from the reversing effect of far-red light. These results indicated that most of the far-red-absorbing form of phytochrome (Pfr), which mediates the phototropic response, undergoes relatively fast dark reversion to the red-absorbing form. The dark reversion kinetics was analyzed further by taking into account that the phototropic responsiveness after the R pretreatment was measured in the presence of background Pfr over the protonema. This analysis revealed a rate constant of about 0.002 s^-1 (t_1/2? 6 min) for the dark reversion. It is considered that the Pfr dark reversion plays a role in establishing a lateral Pfr gradient in the unilaterally irradiated protonema.     

Impedance Effect on Ion Transport in a Temperature‐Sensitive Gel Membrane

The impedance effect on the ion transport of lithium chloride through temperature‐ and pH‐sensitive gel membranes was investigated. Both conductance and loss tangent show a relatively high value at temperatures near the lower critical solution temperature (14°C), followed by an abrupt drop with a further rise in temperature. The Figure shows an example of changes in absolute complex conductance (Y ), real conductance (G ), and imaginary conductance (B) for a poly(acryloyl‐L ‐proline methyl ester) gel membrane.