Structuring of polyacrylonitrile solutions

Mechanisms of orientation for the solutions of polyacrylonitrile synthesized under conditions of radical and anionic polymerization were studied. The effect of the fractal-matrix structuring agent developed by the AIRES foundation on the correlation parameters of the solution density and average squared fluctuation polarizability, which can be used to determine how the supramolecular structure changes by “self-orientation” and “induced orientation” mechanisms, was analyzed.     

Preface

This issue of Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry contains selected papers based on presentations in the field of thermal characteristics of advanced polymer systems presented at the 8^th International Symposium on Polymers for Advanced Technologies (PAT 2005) held in Budapest, September 2005. Guest Editors     

Thermal decomposition of a generation 4.5 PAMAM dendrimer platinum drug conjugate

A nanoscale multivalent platinum drug based on a poly(amidoamine) [PAMAM] dendrimer (generation 4.5, carboxylate surface) has been synthesized and fully characterized using a variety of spectroscopic, chromatographic and thermal methods. Treatment of the dendrimer with an aqueous solution containing an excess diaquo(cis-1,2-diaminocyclohexane)platinum(II) produces a conjugate containing approximately forty (diaminocyclohexane)platinum(II) moieties at the surface of the dendrimer. This material undergoes smooth two-stage thermal decomposition to provide residual platinum oxide reflecting the platinum loading in the drug.     

Sorption capacity of acetylacetonated humin-like compounds with respect to cations of heavy metals

A method of synthesis of acetylacetonated humin-like compounds was developed. The effect of modification on the sorption capacity of humin-like compounds with respect to heavy metals was studied.     

Effect of electrochemically synthesized polymethylolamide coatings on the corrosion resistance of steel in seawater

The effect of coatings based on a copolymer of acrylamide, N,N′-methylenebisaxcrylamide and formaldehyde deposited by electrochemical polymerization on the corrosion resistance of 08Kh18N10T stainless steel (field studies at sea) and low-carbon steel (laboratory experiments) was examined.     

Coagulation in lipid- and protein-containing systems

The behavior of real disperse systems with organic impurities was examined under conditions of destabilization by inorganic coagulants. A number of physicochemical methods of analysis and a simulation method were used to identify the character and type of the complexes formed and to calculate their stability constants.     

Ultrasound accelerated Claisen-Schmidt condensation: A green route to chalcones

Chalcones have been synthesized under sonochemical irradiation by Claisen-Schmidt condensation between benzaldehyde and acetophenone. Two basic activated carbons (Na and Cs-Norit) have been used as catalysts. The effect of the ultrasound activation has been studied. A substantial enhancing effect in the yield was observed when the carbon catalyst was activated under ultrasonic waves. This “green” method (combination of alkaline-doped carbon catalyst and ultrasound waves) has been applied to the synthesis of several chalcones with antibacterial properties achieving, in all cases, excellent activities and selectivities. A comparative study under non-sonic activation has showed that the yields are lower in silent conditions, indicating that the sonication exerts a positive effect on the activity of the catalyst. Cs-doped carbon is presented as the optimum catalyst, giving excellent activity for this type of condensation. Cs-Norit carbon catalyst can compete with the traditional NaOH/EtOH when the reaction is carried out under ultrasounds. The role of solvent in this reaction was studied with ethanol. High conversion was obtained in absence of solvent. The carbons were characterized by thermal analysis, nitrogen adsorption and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.     

Analysis of cardiac tissue by gold cluster ion bombardment

Specific molecules in cardiac tissue of spontaneously hypertensive rats are studied by using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS). The investigation determines phospholipids, cholesterol, fatty acids and their fragments in the cardiac tissue, with special focus on cardiolipin. Cardiolipin is a unique phospholipid typical for cardiomyocyte mitochondrial membrane and its decrease is involved in pathologic conditions. In the positive polarity, the fragments of phosphatydilcholine are observed in the mass region of 700-850 u. Peaks over mass 1400 u correspond to intact and cationized molecules of cardiolipin. In animal tissue, cardiolipin contains of almost exclusively 18 carbon fatty acids, mostly linoleic acid. Linoleic acid at 279 u, other fatty acids, and phosphatidylglycerol fragments, as precursors of cardiolipin synthesis, are identified in the negative polarity. These data demonstrate that SIMS technique along with Au₃⁺ cluster primary ion beam is a good tool for detection of higher mass biomolecules providing approximately 10 times higher yield in comparison with Au⁺.     

Lower bound for the convergence rate of nonstationary Jacobi-like iteration

Stationary and nonstationary Jacobi-like iterative processes for solving systems of linear algebraic equations are examined. For a system whose coefficient matrix A is an H-matrix, it is shown that the convergence rate of any Jacobi-like process is at least as high as that of the point Jacobi method as applied to a system with 〈A〉 as the coefficient matrix, where 〈A〉 is a comparison matrix of A.