Synthesis and characterization of functional gradient copolymers of allyl methacrylate and butyl acrylate

Functional spontaneous gradient copolymers of allyl methacrylate (A) and butyl acrylate (B) were synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization. The copolymerization reactions were carried out in toluene solutions at 100 °C with methyl 2‐bromopropionate as the initiator and copper bromide with N,N,N′,N″,N″‐pentamethyldiethylenetriamine as the catalyst system. Different aspects of the statistical reaction copolymerizations, such as the kinetic behavior, crosslinking density, and gel fraction, were studied. The gel data were compared with Flory's gelation theory, and the sol fractions of the synthesized copolymers were characterized by size exclusion chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The copolymer composition, demonstrating the gradient character of the copolymers, and the microstructure were analyzed. The experimental data agreed well with data calculated with the Mayo–Lewis terminal model and Bernoullian statistics, with monomer reactivity ratios of 2.58 ± 0.37 and 0.51 ± 0.05 for A and B, respectively, an isotacticity parameter for A of 0.24, and a coisotacticity parameter of 0.33. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 5304–5315, 2006     

Metallocene copolymers of propene and 1‐hexene: The influence of the comonomer content and thermal history on the structure and mechanical properties

The relationships between the structure and properties have been established for copolymers of propylene and 1‐hexene synthesized with an isotactic metallocene catalyst system. The most important factor affecting the structure and properties of these copolymers is the comonomer content. The thermal treatment, that is, the rate of cooling from the melt, is also important. These factors affect the thermal properties, the degree of crystallinity, and therefore the structural parameters and the viscoelastic behavior. A slow cooling from the melt favors the formation of the γ phase instead of the α modification. Regarding the viscoelastic behavior, the β relaxation, associated with the glass‐transition temperature, is shifted to lower temperatures and its intensity is increased as the 1‐hexene content raises. The microhardness values are correlated with those of the storage modulus deduced from dynamic mechanical thermal analysis curves, and good linear relations have been obtained between these parameters. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 1253–1267, 2006     

Aluminum(III) complexes containing O,O chelating ligand

The stoichiometric reactions of trimethylaluminum with 2,6‐(MeOCH₂)₂C₆H₃OH (LH) revealed compounds L₃Al ( 1 ) and L₂AlMe ( 2 ). On the other hand reaction of 1 equiv. of LH with trimethylaluminum did not lead to the formation of complex LAlMe₂ ( 3 ), rather 2 together with Me₃Al were observed as a result of a disproportionation of 3 . Compounds 1 and 2 were characterized by elemental analysis, ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy and in the case of 1 by X‐ray diffraction. Derivative 2 underwent transmetalation with Ph₃SnOH, giving LSnPh₃ ( 4 ) as the result of a migration of ligand L from the aluminum to the tin atom. The identity of 4 was established by elemental analysis, ¹H, ¹³C and ¹¹⁹Sn NMR spectroscopy and ¹H, ¹¹⁹Sn HMBC experiments. The system 2 and B(C₆F₅)₃ in a 1:1 molar ratio was shown to be active in the polymerization of propylene oxide and ε‐caprolactone. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determination of gallium by anodic stripping square-wave voltammetry Detection of a GaZn intermetallic compound and its destruction by Sb in an NaSCNNaClO(4) supporting electrolyte

Reproducibility for successive determinations with a hanging mercury drop electrode is assessed in relation to solution stirring, drop size and back-diffusion to the mercury thread. The effect of experimental parameters such as drop size, deposition time and gallium concentration on the observed stripping current is investigated. The interference of zinc present in a 0.5M NaSCN + 4.2M NaClO(4) supporting electrolyte on the gallium detection limit and calibration plots is described. Formation of an intermetallic compound with a Zn:Ga ratio of 2:3 and its destruction by co-deposition of zinc with Sb are reported. A detection limit of 10(-8)M gallium was obtained in the presence of 10(-5)M Sb(III).     

4-Amino-imidazole durchThorpe-Cyclisierung

The alkylation of arylaminomethylenecyanamides1 or cyano-imidothiocarbamates2 with -halogen carbonyl compounds followed by base catalysed cyclization yields substituted 4-amino-imidazoles4. Imidazo[4,5-d]pyrimidones5, 6 and imidazo[4,5-b]pyridines7 can be obtained from4.     

The electrocapillarity of polyacrylates

Summary The electrocapillary properties of polyacrylic acid have been studied by two methods. Exploratory measurements have been made of the effect of the polymer on the differential capacity of a mercury drop in 0.1 m sodium perchlorate. They showed that the polymer was strongly adsorbed over a wide range of potentials but that it did not appear to form a monolayer. The surface excess of polymer obtained from drop weight data showed a maximum at very low concentrations and then a decline at higher concentrations. The bulk of the work was carried out by making surface tension measurements, using a sessile mercury drop, in solutions of a fraction of polyacrylic acid (mol. wt. 7.02×10⁴) in potassium chloride at 0.01, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.5 m at 25°C.The data have been used to evaluate the surface excesses of the polymer and of the inorganic ions. The distribution of K⁺ and Cl^– in the electrical double layer and the contact adsorption of Cl^– on the mercury were very little affected by the presence of the polymer. The surface excess of polymer was always found to be greatest at low concentrations, to decrease steeply at first as the concentration was increased and then to decrease more slowly at higher concentrations.Possible explanations of this behaviour are discussed and it is concluded that the rapid decrease is a consequence of molecular weight dispersion and the stronger adsorption of high molecular weight polymer. The slow decrease in surface excess at higher concentrations may be a result of configurational changes of the polymer molecules.Surface pressure data show that, despite this decrease in the surface excess, the surface coverage reaches a high level at very low polymer concentrations and then continues to increase slowly as the concentration of polymer is increased. This apparent contradiction is due to changes in configuration of the adsorbed polymer molecules. At higher bulk concentrations the chain configurations are more compact and each adsorbed molecule makes more contacts with and so occupies a greater area of the mercury surface than at low concentrations.The conclusion is reached that the surface excess of polymer is mostly contained in a layer probably more than 1000 Å thick. It consists of a concentrated and entangled mass of polymer chains. Relatively few of these chains are in contact with the mercury at any istant. The concentration in this surface layer decreases steadily with increasing distance from the mercury surface and it merges without discontinuity into the bulk solution.With 10 figures in 22 details