Chemical modification of metallocene‐based polyolefinic elastomers by acrylic acid and its influence on physico‐mechanical properties: Effect of reaction parameters,crystallinity and pendant chain length

In this investigation, solution grafting of acrylic acid (AA) in presence of benzoyl peroxide (BPO) was carried out onto metallocene‐based “poly(ethylene‐octene) elastomers” (POE) as well as “poly(ethylene‐butene) elastomers” (PBE), to impart polarity on the non‐polar rubbery matrix and also to study the effects of crystallinity and pendant chain length on the “grafting percentage” and “percent gel yield” at optimized conditions for all the POE and PBE systems. Reaction parameters were optimized on the basis of the relative proportions of graft and gel formations obtained through %weight gain, Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The effect of grafting at its maximum level on various physico‐mechanical properties was also thoroughly investigated by using X‐ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), mechanical, dynamic mechanical (DMTA), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and the properties were correlated with the structure of the modified polymers. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 5529–5540, 2007     

High-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) method development and validation for the estimation of curcumin and cineole

JPC – Journal of Planar Chromatography – Modern TLC - Curcumin and cineole are phytochemicals which have shown synergistic effects in allergic rhinitis (AR). The aim of the current work...     

A structural remedy toward bright dipolar fluorophores in aqueous media

The donor–acceptor (D–A) type dipolar fluorophores, an important class of luminescent dyes with two-photon absorption behaviour, generally emit strongly in organic solvents but poorly in aqueous media. To understand and enhance the poor emission behaviour of dipolar dyes in aqueous media, we undertake a rational approach that includes a systematic structure variation of the donor, amino substituent of acedan, an important two-photon dye. We identify several factors that influence the emission behaviour of the dipolar dyes in aqueous media through computational and photophysical studies on new acedan derivatives. As a result, we can make acedan dyes emit bright fluorescence under one- and two-photon excitation in aqueous media by suppressing the liable factors for poor emission: 1,3-allylic strain, rotational freedom, and hydrogen bonding with water. We also validate that these findings can be generally extended to other dipolar fluorophores, as demonstrated for naphthalimide, coumarin and (4-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazol-7-yl)amine (NBD) dyes. The new acedan and naphthalimide dyes thus allow us to obtain much brighter two-photon fluorescent images in cells and tissues than in their conventional forms. As an application of these findings, a thiol probe is synthesized based on a new naphthalimide dye, which shows greatly enhanced fluorescence from the widely used N,N-dimethyl analogue. The results disclosed here provide essential guidelines for the development of efficient dipolar dyes and fluorescence probes for studying biological systems, particularly by two-photon microscopy.     

Magnetic field effect corroborated with docking study to explore photoinduced electron transfer in drug-protein interaction

Conventional spectroscopic tools such as absorption, fluorescence, and circular dichroism spectroscopy used in the study of photoinduced drug-protein interactions can yield useful information about ground-state and excited-state phenomena. However, photoinduced electron transfer (PET) may be a possible phenomenon in the drug-protein interaction, which may go unnoticed if only conventional spectroscopic observations are taken into account. Laser flash photolysis coupled with an external magnetic field can be utilized to confirm the occurrence of PET and authenticate the spin states of the radicals/radical ions formed. In the study of interaction of the model protein human serum albumin (HSA) with acridine derivatives, acridine yellow (AY) and proflavin (PF(+)), conventional spectroscopic tools along with docking study have been used to decipher the binding mechanism, and laser flash photolysis technique with an associated magnetic field (MF) has been used to explore PET. The results of fluorescence study indicate that fluorescence resonance energy transfer takes place from the protein to the acridine-based drugs. Docking study unveils the crucial role of Ser 232 residue of HSA in explaining the differential behavior of the two drugs towards the model protein. Laser flash photolysis experiments help to identify the radicals/radical ions formed in the due course of PET (PF(?), AY(?-), TrpH(?+), Trp(?)), and the application of an external MF has been used to characterize their initial spin-state. Owing to its distance dependence, MF effect gives an idea about the proximity of the radicals/radical ions during interaction in the system and also helps to elucidate the reaction mechanisms. A prominent MF effect is observed in homogeneous buffer medium owing to the pseudoconfinement of the radicals/radical ions provided by the complex structure of the protein.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Polymer Anchored Cu(Ⅱ) Complexes: Heterogeneous Catalysts for Preparation of Diaryl Ethers

Polymer anchored Cu(II) Schiff base complexes have been prepared and characterized by using scanning electron microscope (SEM), elemental analysis, atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), spectrometric methods like diffuse reflectance spectra of solid (DRS) and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). These catalysts show excellent catalytic activity in the O‐arylation reaction of aryl halides with phenol in acetonitrile using Cs₂CO₃ at 70°C under an open air condition to give diaryl ethers in high yields. The effects of various parameters such as solvent, catalyst from different copper salt and base on the reaction system have been studied. The reaction is applicable to a wide variety of substituted aryl halides and phenols with different steric and electronic properties. These catalysts are recovered by simple filtration and the reusability experiments show that these catalysts can be used five times without much loss in the catalytic activity.     

Atom‐transfer radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) using CuSCN as the catalyst

The effect of CuSCN as a catalyst in atom‐transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) was investigated. CuSCN can successfully be used for the ATRP of MMA. Substituted bipyridines as well as imines can be used to stabilize the copper complex in solution. CuSCN induces faster polymerization compared to CuBr and CuCl when tosylchloride is used as the initiator. However, the polydispersity is larger than that obtained in the cases of CuCl and CuBr.     

Mass spectrometry of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP)

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) was synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). As a catalyst copper(I)thiocyanate (CuSCN) was used with N-n-pentyl-2-pyridylmethanimine as a ligand. Infrared spectroscopy and matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry were used to characterize the synthesized polymers. From this it was clear that at least to some extent thiocyanate was present as end groups of the PMMA chains. This observation is discussed in view of a phenomenon called halogen exchange, which has been reported before for bromine/chlorine exchange in ATRP.     

Catalytic and kinetic study of the liquid-phase hydrogenation of various organic substrates over a polymer-anchored Pd(II) catalyst

A polymer-anchored Pd(II) complex has been prepared and characterized using scanning electron microscopy, elemental analysis, atomic absorption spectroscopy and FTIR. The catalyst shows excellent catalytic activity in the liquid-phase hydrogenation of substituted nitrobenzenes at normal pressure of hydrogen gas at 25 °C in DMF medium. We have also studied the liquid-phase hydrogenation of other organic substrates such as alkenes, alkynes, aromatic aldehydes, etc. The influences of various parameters such as amount of catalyst, concentration of substrate, temperature and solvent have been studied. The catalyst can be used five times without much loss in activity.