Nucleophilic substitution in certain bicyclic sesquiterpene alcohols under chemical lonization conditions

Substitution of amino for hydroxyl groups in certain sesquiterpene alcohols has been studied by chemical ionization mass spectrometry using ammonia and ammouia-d₃ as the reagent gases, and by mass-analysed ion kinetic energy spectrometry and collision-induced decomposition mass-analysed ion kinetic energy measurements. Depending upon the source conditions and the nature of the substrates, both S_Ni and S_N1 mechanisms have been found to operate. No evidence is obtained for an S_N2 mechanism in these compounds. In centdarol and isocentdarol, addition of NH₃ to the double bond, followed by elimination of H₂O, also contributes to the substitution process. Attack of [NH₄]⁺ on the epoxide function, followed by loss of H₂O, appears to lead to the substitution ions in epoxycentdarol, epoxyisocentdarol and epoxyhimachalol.     

Polymerization of acrylonitrile. Kinetics of the reaction initiated by the Ce(IV)/thioacetamide redox system

Vinyl polymerization of acrylonitrile initiated by the Ce(IV)/thioacetamide redox system has been investigated in aqueous sulfuric acid in the temperature range of 10–20°C. The rate of polymerization (R_p) and the rate of Ce(IV) disappearance (?R_Ce) were measured. The effect of certain water-soluble organic solvents, added electrolytes, and aromatic and heterocyclic organic nitrogen compounds on the rate of polymerization has been investigated. Depending on the experimental results, we have suggested a suitable reaction scheme for the system which involves the production of initiating radicals from the oxidation of thioacetamide (TAm) by ceric ion and the termination of the polymer chain by metal ions.     

Photopolymerization initiated by charge-transfer complex. I. Photopolymerization of methylmethacrylate with the use of quinaldine-bromine and lutidine–bromine charge-transfer complexes as photoinitiator

Photopolymerization of MMA was carried out with quinaldine–bromine (QN–Br₂) and lutidine–bromine (LU–Br₂) charge-transfer complexes as initiators. The rate of polymerization R_p increased with rising monomer concentration and the monomer exponent was computed as unity. At first the rate of polymerization accelerated and then reduced as the initiator concentration was increased. The initiator exponent was 0.5. The reaction was carried out at three different temperatures and overall activation energy was calculated at 4.0 kcal/mol. The kinetic data and other evidence indicate that the overall polymerization takes place in a radical mechanism. A suitable mechanism is suggested.     

A classical description of deep inelastic collisions with surface friction and deformation

The friction model for heavy ion induced fusion and deep inelastic nuclear reaction is extended to include deformation. Spheroidal deformation and relative motion of the mass centres of the two interacting nuclei are treated as dynamical variables. The radial frictional force has been assumed to be proportional to the rate of change of the separation between the two surfaces instead of the two centres of mass. The friction coefficients remain unaltered. The potential as a function of deformation and separation distance are generated by a single folding procedure. The model is applied to⁴⁰Ar+²³²Th at 379 MeV (Lab) and¹³⁶Xe+²⁰⁹Bi at 1,130 MeV (Lab). In case of the former, the energy loss, which has not been properly accounted for before, is now satisfactorily explained and in the case of the latter the model predicts the absence of fusion in agreement with experiment.     

Polymerization of methyl methacrylate initiated by Mn(III)–glycerol redox system

The kinetics of thermal polymerization of methyl methacrylate initiated by the redox system Mn(III)–glycerol was studied in aqueous sulfuric acid in the temperature range of 30–40°C, and the rates of polymerization, R_p, and Mn³⁺ disappearance, etc., were measured. The effect of certain water-miscible organic solvents and certain cationic and anionic surfactants on the rates of polymerization has been investigated. A mechanism involving the formation of a complex between Mn³⁺ and glycerol whose decomposition yields the initiating free radical with the polymerization being terminated by the metal ion has been suggested.     

Rapid spectrophotometric determination of phenothiazines with molybdophosphoric acid

A simple and rapid spectrophotometric method for the determination of six phenothiazines can be based on the formation of a coloured compound between molybdophosphoric acid and phenothiazines. The i.r. and e.s.r. spectra of the coloured compounds showed that molybdophosphoric acid oxidizes phenothiazines to a radical cation with which it then forms a coloured compound. The proposed method is employed for the determination of phenothiazines in pharmaceutical preparations. Calibration graphs are linear over ranges of about 100–2000 μg of the phenothiazine.     

Translational hydrodynamics for binary mixtures: Memory from internal molecular relaxation

We consider a binary fluid mixture made up of a monatomic species and a two level molecular species and investigate the decay of correlations in the hydrodynamic variables. By restricting our considerations to the translationally hydrodynamic situations, we deduce a set of generalised hydrodynamic equations in which the frequency, ω, and wavenumber, k, dependent memory arises solely from the internal molecular relaxation. From these generalised hydrodynamic equations, we identify various (k, ω) dependent transport coefficients and the relaxation time which depends on k. We also compute the spectrum of (polarised) light scattered from such a binary mixture. We illustrate the dependence on k, ω and concentration in the problem by a numerical calculation of the generalised transport coefficients, the Rayleigh-Brillouin spectrum and the dispersion of various modes in this spectrum for the case of thermal relaxation in a parahydrogen-helium mixture.     

A characterization based on the equidistribution of the first two spacings of record values

Summary For a sequence {X _n:n=0, 1, 2,...} of i.i.d. discrete random variables let X ₀ denote the zeroeth record value and X _L(1), the first record value. It is shown that X ₀ and X _L(1) –X ₀ are identically distributed if and only if X ₀ has the geometric distribution over the lattice k :k=1, 2,... for some >0.     

Aqueous polymerization of acrylonitrile initiated by the bromate–thiourea redox system

The aqueous polymerization of acrylonitrile initiated by an acidified bromate–thiourea redox system has been studied under nitrogen atmosphere. The rate of polymerization is independent of thiourea concentration over the range 2–9 × 10^?3M and reaches maximum at 9 × 10^?3M. The rate varies linearly with [monomer]. The initial rate of polymerization as well as the maximum conversion increases within the range of 4–22.5 × 10^?3M KBrO₃, but beyond 22.5 × 10^?3M the rate of polymerization decreases. The initial rate and the limiting conversion increases with increasing polymerization temperature in the range 30–45°C; and beyond 45°C they decrease. The effect of certain neutral salts, water-soluble solvents, and micelles of cationic, anionic, and nonionic surfactants on the rate of polymerization has been investigated.     

Synthesis and characterization of styrene grafted carbon nanotube and its polystyrene nanocomposite

Effective side wall functionalization of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) with 4-vinylaniline was carried out through solvent free functionalization. The functionalized SWCNT was characterized through FT-IR and NMR. Typical peaks to identify the functionalization were observed. Thermal analysis shows around 48% weight loss in functionalized SWCNT in comparison to the pure SWCNT. The ratio of disordered to order transition (I_D/I_G) in FT-Raman, indicated the generation of some surface defects due to functionalization. Near infrared spectrum of functionalized SWCNT also confirmed the functionalization of SWCNT. The polystyrene nanocomposite materials were prepared with functionalized SWCNT as fillers by solution casting from tetrahydrofuran. The functionalized SWCNT nanocomposite showed significant improvement in mechanical properties and electrical properties. The dispersibility of the carbon nanotube in the composite was investigated by using scanning electron microscopy.