Effect of carbon nanotubes on the crystallization and properties of polypropylene

The effect of different concentrations of single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) on the nonisothermal crystallization kinetics, morphology, and mechanical properties of polypropylene (PP) matrix composites obtained by melt compounding was investigated by means of X‐ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, optical and scanning electron microscopy, and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis. Microscopy showed well‐dispersed nanotube ropes together with small and large aggregates. The modulus was found to increase by about 75% at a level of 0.5 wt % nanotubes. The SWNTs displayed a clear nucleating effect on the PP crystallization, favoring the α crystalline form rather than the β form. The crystallization kinetics analysis showed a significant increase in activation energy on incorporating nanotubes. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 2445–2453, 2005     

Dinuclear and Mononuclear Platinum(II) and Palladium(II) Complexes with Modified 2,2′‐Dipyridylamine Ligands Featuring a Cisplatin Analogous Structure Motif

In modern cancer therapy the clinical application of platinum‐based drugs is more and more limited by the occurrence of intrinsic or acquired resistances. In this context the potential use of dinuclear platinum complexes in chemotherapy is increasingly relevant. The novel complexes Pd(Bzdpa)Cl₂, Pd₂(C₄H₈(dpa)₂)Cl₄, and Pt₂(C₄H₈(dpa)₂)Cl₄ allow a direct comparison of mono‐ and dinuclear palladium and platinum complexes respectively deriving from a 2,2′‐dipyridylamine (Hdpa) ligand system. They were characterized by single crystal X‐ray analysis as well as infrared spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The cisplatin analogous mononuclear palladium complex Pd(Bzdpa)Cl₂ ( 1 ) (Bzdpa: (2,2′‐dipyridylbenzyl)amine) belongs to a range of 2,2′‐dipyridylamine‐based compounds which were extensively studied in our laboratories. 1 crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pna2₁ with a = 13.722(3), b = 13.457(3), c = 9.483(2), V = 1751.1(6) ų, and Z = 4. The metal binding motif of 1 was expanded by a flexible butyl‐linker to form the tetradentate C₄H₈(dpa)₂ ligand. The resulting isotypic dinuclear complexes Pd₂(C₄H₈(dpa)₂)Cl₄·2CH₃CN ( 2 ) and Pt₂(C₄H₈(dpa)₂)Cl₄·2CH₃CN ( 3 ) crystallize in the triclinic space group with a = 7.8427(2), b = 8.7940(2), c = 11.7645 (3), α = 79.219(2)°, β = 84.033(2)°, γ = 87.744(2)°, V = 792.58(3) ų ( 2 ) and a = 7.831(5), b = 8.814(5), c = 11.817(5), α = 79.271(5)°, β = 83.571(5)°, γ = 88.063(5)°, V = 796.3(8) ų ( 3 ), both with one centrosymmetrical molecule in the unit cell.     

Oxidation of isobutane catalyzed by vanadyl, copper and cesium substituted H3PMo12O40

Effects of Cs⁺, H⁺ and Cu²⁺ counterions in the vanadium containing heteropoly compounds Cs_xH_1-xVO[PMo₁₂O₄₀] and Cs_yH_0.5-yCu_0.25VO[PMo₁₂O₄₀] on the catalytic oxidation of isobutane and characterization by TGA, IR and ESR spectroscopies are reported. A high selectivity of 76% for methacrylic acid and methacrolein together has been obtained with Cs_0.75H_0.25VO[PMo₁₂O₄₀] catalysts at a reactivity of 5.3x10^-1 mmol/h cm³.     

Etude des copolymeres (ethylene-hexene-1) par resonance magnetique nucleaire du proton et du carbone 13

Ethylene 1-hexene copolymers obtained by catalytic polymerization have been examined by ¹H and ¹³C NMR. Copolymer compositions have been determined by ¹H NMR and i.r. and the sequence distributions for 1-hexene by ¹³C NMR. Variations of the copolymer microstructure have been related to the experimental conditions for copolymerization.     

Mechanism of thermal energy charge transfer reactions: rare gas ions reacting with NH3 and PH3

Absolute rate constants and approximate product distributions are presented for the reactions of He⁺, Ne⁺, Ar⁺, Kr⁺, Xe⁺, CO⁺ and CO⁺₂ with NH₃ and PH₃. In all cases, electron transfer is the dominant reaction channel. Hydrogen atom transfer is observed in several systems, but only as a minor product, even when this channel is very exothermic. The magnitude of the absolute rate constants can be correlated with the Franck-Condon factors associated with the reactions in most cases. Several exceptions to this general rule are observed that could not be readily predicted a priori. It is speculated that these reactions proceed via a collision complex.     

Cytotoxic diterpenoids from Vietnamese medicinal plant Croton tonkinensis GAGNEP

Six new ent-kaurane-type diterpenoids were isolated from the leaves of the endemic Vietnamese medicinal plant Croton tonkinensis GAGNEP. (Euphorbiaceae) together with three known ent-11alpha-acetoxy-7beta,14alpha-dihydroxykaur-16-en-15-one (1), ent-kaur-16-en-15-one 18-oic acid (5) and ent-18-hydroxykaur-16-ene (7). Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analyses to be ent-7beta-acetoxy-11alpha-hydroxykaur-16-en-15-one (2), ent-18-acetoxy-11alpha-hydroxykaur-16-en-15-one (3), ent-11alpha-acetoxykaur-16-en-18-oic acid (4), ent-15alpha,18-dihydroxykaur-16-ene (6), ent-11alpha,18-diacetoxy-7beta-hydroxykaur-16-en-15-one (8), and ent-(16S)-1alpha,14alpha-diacetoxy-7beta-hydroxy-17-methoxykauran-15-one (14). ent-Kaurane-type diterpenoids from Croton tonkinensis 2-4, 6, and 9-13, were tested for toxicity in the brine shrimp lethality assay. Compounds 9, 10, and 12 demonstrated significant activity, compounds 2, 3, 6, and 11 showed weak activity, and compounds 4 and 13 were inactive.     

Fast determination of the tin content in cassiterite ores by photon activation method

Photon activation analysis has been success-fully applied to the fast and non-destructive analysis of tin in cassiterite ores based on the 159.7 keV gamma line of^123mSn produced in the¹²⁴Sn/γ, n/^123mSn reaction. In order to improve the accuracy of analytical results, corrections for self-absorption and pile-up effects were performed. Under typical conditions /15 μA electron beam current, 15 MeV bremsstrahlung energy, 5 min irradiation time and 10 min measurement/ the sensitivity of the analysis is 10 ppm. The proposed method can be used for routine analysis of tin in geological samples.     

Microstructure of vinyl acetate–butyl acrylate copolymers studied by 13C-NMR spectroscopy: Influence of emulsion polymerization process

The compositions and sequence distributions of vinyl acetate–butyl acrylate copolymers obtained with batch and semicontinuous emulsion polymerizations have been studied by ¹H and ¹³C NMR. The batch process gives heterogeneous copolymers while with the semicontinuous one the sequence distribution is statistical. These differences in sequence distributions have been related to the physical properties of the copolymers.     

Flash photolysis studies of the reaction of NH2 radicals with NO

The kinetics of the reaction NH₂ + NO → N₂ + H₂O were studied, using a conventional flash photolysis system. A value of k₁ = (1.1 ± 0.2) × 10¹⁰ & mole^?1 s^?1 was obtained at room temperature and in the pressure range 2–700 torr in the presence of nitrogen. A slight negative temperature coefficient was observed between 300 and 500 K, equivalent to a negative activation energy of 1.05 ± 0.2 kcal mole^?1.     

Electroosmotic flow controllable coating on a capillary surface by a sol-gel process for capillary electrophoresis

A simple coating procedure employing a sol-gel process to modify the inner surface of a bare fused-silica capillary with a positively charged quaternary ammonium group is established. Scanning electron microscopic studies reveal that a smooth coating with 1 to approximately 2 microm thickness can be obtained at optimized coating conditions. With 40 mM citrate as a running electrolyte, the plot of electroosmotic flow (EOF) versus pH shows a unique three-stage EOF pattern from negative to zero and then to positive over a pH range of 2.5 to 7.0. At pH above 5.5, the direction of the EOF is from the anode to the cathode, as is the case in a bare fused-silica capillary, and the electroosmotic mobility increases as the pH increases. However, the direction of the EOF is reversed at pH below 4.0. Over the pH range of 4.0 to 5.5, zero electroosmotic mobility is obtained. Such a three-stage EOF pattern has been used to separate six aromatic acids under suppressed EOF and to separate nitrate and nitrite with the anions migrating in the same direction as the EOF. The positively charged quaternary ammonium group on the coating was also utilized to minimize the adsorption problem during the separation of five basic drugs under suppressed EOF and during the separation of four basic proteins with the cations migrate in the opposite direction as the EOF. Also, the stability and reproducibility of this column are good.