Synthesis and Study of Polymeric Ultraviolet Absorbers. II

Polymeric UV absorbers have been prepared by free-radical solution copolymerization at 75°C of methyl methacrylate and 2-hydroxy-4-methacryloyloxybenzophenone monomers at low conversion (around 10%). The composition of the copolymers was determined by UV, IR, and NMR studies. The molecular weight was estimated by GPC. The reactivity ratios were determined by several methods. Viscosity was used to study the effect of copolymer composition and solvents. The copolymers were also analyzed by TGA and DSC, and DSC was used to study the effect of copolymer composition on T_g.     

Convenient Synthesis of Nucleoside‐5′‐Diphosphates from the Corresponding Ribonucleoside‐5′‐phosphoroimidazole

The reaction of ribonucleoside‐5′‐phosphoroimidazolide with a tributylammonium orthophosphate in anhydrous dimethylformamide at room temperature provides a general method for the synthesis of nucleoside‐5′‐diphosphates. The novelty of the approach is to use the triethylammonium salt of 5′‐monophosphate nucleoside derivative prior to the imidazolate reaction with imidazole, triphenylphosphine, and 2,2′‐dithiodipyridine. Deprotection, followed by displacement of the imidazole moiety using tributylammonium orthophosphate and a catalytic amount of zinc chloride in dimethylformamide gave the desired 5′‐diphosphate products. The triethyl ammonium salt of 5′‐diphosphate nucleosides was purified by flash chromatography using DEAE (diethylaminoethyl weak anion exchange resin) Sepharosa fast flow packed in an XK 50/60 column on an Akta FPLC (Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography). Synthesis procedures are reported for adenosine‐5′‐diphosphate, uridine‐5′‐diphosphate, cytidine‐5′‐diphosphate, and guanosine‐5′‐diphosphate. Yields for the displacement reactions ranged from 95 to 97%. Thus, this method offers the advantages of shorter reaction time, greater product yield, and a more cost‐effective synthetic route.     

Catalytic and Asymmetric Fluorolactonisations of Carboxylic Acids through Anion Phase Transfer

Catalytic fluorolactonisations of aromatic carboxylic acids have been developed. The reactions proceed under mild conditions using the commercially available reagent Selectfluor. A weak phase transfer of the reagent mediated by Na₂CO₃ allows the reaction to be conducted in non‐polar solvents. Furthermore, by the use of a catalytic amount of (DHQ)₂PHAL (hydroquinine 1,4‐phthalazinediyl diether), the first asymmetric fluorolactonisation has been achieved. The corresponding isobenzofuran core can be found in many biologically active molecules.     

Probing Relaxation Dynamics in Five-Coordinate Dysprosium Single-Molecule Magnets

A new family of five-coordinate lanthanide single-molecule magnets (Ln SMMs) [Dy(Mes*O)₂(THF)₂X] (Mes*=2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl; X=Cl, 1 ; Br, 2 ; I, 3 ) is reported with energy barriers to magnetic reversal >1200 K. The five-coordinate Dy^III ions have distorted square pyramidal geometries, with halide anions on the apex, and two Mes*O ligands mutually trans- to each other, and the two THF molecules forming the second trans- pair. These geometrical features lead to a large magnetic anisotropy in these complexes along the trans-Mes*O direction. QTM and Raman relaxation times are enhanced by varying the apex halide from Cl to Br to I, or by dilution in a diamagnetic yttrium analogue.     

Electric and Dielectric Evaluation of KDP

Single crystals of potassium dihydrogen phosphate, KH₂PO₄ (KDP), grown by isothermal evaporation at room temperature have been characterized by their measurement of electrical conductivity and dielectric behaviour. Implications in respect of practical utility of KDP crystals in devices have been given.     

Local disruption of DNA-base stacking by bulky base surrogates

A novel biphenyl base surrogate disrupts 2-aminopurine base stacking while maintaining duplex integrity.     

Oscillatory melting temperature of the vortex smectic phase in layered superconductors

We report on transport measurements of YBa 2Cu 3O (7-delta) single crystals with different oxygen contents in the geometry B, J ||ab (J perpendicularB). Our data show that the vortices become confined between the Cu-O planes below a well-defined temperature at which the effective size 2xi of the vortex core is approximately equal to the period of the Cu-O layers. This confinement strongly increases the vortex liquid freezing temperature. A new melting line is found separating a vortex liquid and a smectic phase, which shows an oscillatory field dependence reflecting differences between commensurate and incommensurate smectic states.