Development of internal fine structure in stretched rubber vulcanizates

Small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) pattern and tensile stress during relaxation of stretched rubber vulcanizates (synthetic polyisoprene) were measured simultaneously at room temperature and at 0 °C. The samples were quickly stretched to the prefixed strain and then allowed to relax for 1 h. In every SAXS pattern, the intensity distribution was elongated along the equator, indicating the formation of structures elongated in the stretching direction. The so‐called two‐spots pattern corresponding to the long period of stacked lamellar crystals did not appear even when the critical strain to induce crystallization was exceeded. On the other hand, even below the critical strain, additional development of equatorial streaks was detected in the differential SAXS patterns. This result suggests the growth of the density fluctuation elongated in the stretching direction, which is not directly related to strain‐induced crystallization. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2011     

The moduli space of Hessian quartic surfaces and automorphic forms

We shall show the existence of 15 automorphic forms of weight 8 on the moduli space of marked Hessian quartic surfaces of cubic surfaces. These automorphic forms can be interpreted in terms of the coefficients of the Sylvester form of a general cubic surface.     

Pheromone synthesis. Part 250: Determination of the stereostructure of CH503, a sex pheromone of male Drosophila melanogaster,as (3R,11Z,19Z)-3-acetoxy-11,19-octacosadien-1-ol by synthesis and chromatographic analysis of its eight isomers

All the eight stereoisomers of 3-acetoxy-11,19-octacosadien-1-ol (1), the male sex pheromone (CH503) of Drosophila melanogaster, were synthesized from two acetylenic starting materials and the enantiomers of 3,4-epoxy-1-butanol PMB ether. Complete separation of the eight isomers of 1 by reversed phase HPLC at ?20 °C was achieved after their esterification with (1R,2R)-2-(2,3-anthracenedicarboximido)cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (27), and the natural CH503 was found to be (3R,11Z,19Z)-1.     

Easy access to CF2-containing molecules based on the reaction of 2,2,3,3-tetrafluorooxetane with various nucleophiles

2,2,3,3-Tetrafluorooxetane reacted easily with organolithium reagents to give 1,1,3-trisubstituted 2,2-difluoropropan-1-ols in good to excellent yields. On the other hand, the reaction with Grignard reagent led to 3-bromo-1,1-disubstituted 2,2-difluoropropan-1-ols in good yields. On treating with lithium enolates, generated from enol silyl ethers and MeLi/LiBr, the corresponding 1-bromo-2,2-difluoro-3,5-dicarbonyl compounds were obtained in fair to good yields. 3-Iodo-2,2-difluoropropanoate, prepared readily from 2,2,3,3-tetrafluorooxetane and NaI, reacted successfully with various silyl enol ethers in the presence of a radical initiator to provide the corresponding coupling products in good yields.     

Near-infrared absorbing squarylium dyes with linearly extended π-conjugated structure for dye-sensitized solar cell applications

A novel class of near-infrared absorbing squarylium sensitizers with linearly extended π-conjugated structures, which were obtained by Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions with stannylcyclobutenediones, has been developed for dye-sensitized solar cells. The cells based on these dyes exhibited a significant spectral response in the near-infrared region over 750 nm in addition to the visible region.     

An Effective Preparation of Sulfonyl‐ or Sulfinyl‐Substituted Fluorinated Alkenes and their Stereoselective Addition–Elimination Reactions with Organocuprates

Treatment of trifluorovinyl‐ or pentafluoropropen‐1‐yl sulfone or sulfoxide, which are easily prepared from commercially available 1,2‐dibromofluoroalkanes, with various organocuprates affords substitution or β‐reduction products in good to excellent yields through an addition–elimination reaction sequence.     

Strain‐induced crystallization and mechanical properties of functionalized graphene sheet‐filled natural rubber

The effects of functionalized graphene sheets (FGSs) on the mechanical properties and strain‐induced crystallization of natural rubber (NR) are investigated. FGSs are predominantly single sheets of graphene with a lateral size of several hundreds of nanometers and a thickness of 1.5 nm. The effect of FGS and that of carbon black (CB) on the strain‐induced crystallization of NR is compared by coupled tensile tests and X‐ray diffraction experiments. Synchrotron X‐ray scattering enables simultaneous measurements of stress and crystallization of NR in real time during sample stretching. The onset of crystallization occurs at significantly lower strains for FGS‐filled NR samples compared with CB‐filled NR, even at low loadings. Neat‐NR exhibits strain‐induced crystallization around a strain of 2.25, while incorporation of 1 and 4 wt % FGS shifts the crystallization to strains of 1.25 and 0.75, respectively. In contrast, loadings of 16 wt % CB do not significantly shift the critical strain for crystallization. Two‐dimensional (2D) wide angle X‐ray scattering patterns show minor polymer chain alignment during stretching, in accord with previous results for NR. Small angle X‐ray scattering shows that FGS is aligned in the stretching direction, whereas CB does not show alignment or anisotropy. The mechanical properties of filled NR samples are investigated using cyclic tensile and dynamic mechanical measurements above and below the glass transition of NR. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2012     

Magnetic Circular Dichroism Spectra of p-Disubstituted Benzenes Possessing Both Electron-Donating and Accepting Groups

Abstract

The magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) and absorption spectra of some p-disubstituted benzenes possessing both electron-donating and accepting groups were measured. The electronic spectra of the above compounds are characterized by the appearance of two absorption bands, one of which appears at 25000–40000 cm^?1 region with large intensity, and another at 40000–50000 cm^?1 region with rather small intensity. These absorption bands, especially the latter one, have been investigated by means of the MCD spectra and molecular orbital calculations based on the Pariser-Parr-Pople method.     

IDATEN and G‐SITENNO: GUI‐assisted software for coherent X‐ray diffraction imaging experiments and data analyses at SACLA

Using our custom‐made diffraction apparatus KOTOBUKI‐1 and two multiport CCD detectors, cryogenic coherent X‐ray diffraction imaging experiments have been undertaken at the SPring‐8 Angstrom Compact free electron LAser (SACLA) facility. To efficiently perform experiments and data processing, two software suites with user‐friendly graphical user interfaces have been developed. The first is a program suite named IDATEN, which was developed to easily conduct four procedures during experiments: aligning KOTOBUKI‐1, loading a flash‐cooled sample into the cryogenic goniometer stage inside the vacuum chamber of KOTOBUKI‐1, adjusting the sample position with respect to the X‐ray beam using a pair of telescopes, and collecting diffraction data by raster scanning the sample with X‐ray pulses. Named G‐SITENNO, the other suite is an automated version of the original SITENNO suite, which was designed for processing diffraction data. These user‐friendly software suites are now indispensable for collecting a large number of diffraction patterns and for processing the diffraction patterns immediately after collecting data within a limited beam time.