Fluorescent cellulose aerogels containing covalently immobilized (ZnS)x(CuInS2)1−x/ZnS (core/shell) quantum dots

Photoluminiscent (PL) cellulose aerogels of variable shape containing homogeneously dispersed and surface-immobilized alloyed (ZnS)_x(CuInS₂)_1?x/ZnS (core/shell) quantum dots (QD) have been obtained by (1) dissolution of hardwood prehydrolysis kraft pulp in the ionic liquid 1-hexyl-3-methyl-1H-imidazolium chloride, (2) addition of a homogenous dispersion of quantum dots in the same solvent, (3) molding, (4) coagulation of cellulose using ethanol as antisolvent, and (5) scCO₂ drying of the resulting composite aerogels. Both compatibilization with the cellulose solvent and covalent attachment of the quantum dots onto the cellulose surface was achieved through replacement of 1-mercaptododecyl ligands typically used in synthesis of (ZnS)_x(CuInS₂)_1?x/ZnS (core–shell) QDs by 1-mercapto-3-(trimethoxysilyl)-propyl ligands. The obtained cellulose—quantum dot hybrid aerogels have apparent densities of 37.9–57.2 mg cm^?3. Their BET surface areas range from 296 to 686 m² g^?1 comparable with non-luminiscent cellulose aerogels obtained via the NMMO, TBAF/DMSO or Ca(SCN)₂ route. Depending mainly on the ratio of QD core constituents and to a minor extent on the cellulose/QD ratio, the emission wavelength of the novel aerogels can be controlled within a wide range of the visible light spectrum. Whereas higher QD contents lead to bathochromic PL shifts, hypsochromism is observed when increasing the amount of cellulose at constant QD content. Reinforcement of the cellulose aerogels and hence significantly reduced shrinkage during scCO₂ drying is a beneficial side effect when using α-mercapto-ω-(trialkoxysilyl) alkyl ligands for QD capping and covalent QD immobilization onto the cellulose surface.     

Multidimensional compactons

We study the two and three dimensional, N=2, 3, nonlinear dispersive equation CN(m,a+b): u(t)+(u(m))x + [u(a)inverted delta2ub]x=0 where the degeneration of the dispersion at the ground state induces cylindrically and spherically symmetric compactons convected in the x direction. An initial pulse of bounded extent decomposes into a sequence of robust compactons. Colliding compactons seem to emerge from the interaction intact, or almost so.     

Vitamin E chemistry. Nitration of non-alpha-tocopherols: products and mechanistic considerations

In contrast to the alpha-form permethylated at the aromatic ring, non-alpha-tocopherols possess free aromatic ring positions which enable them to act as potent scavengers of electrophiles in vivo and in vitro. In preparation of enzymatic studies involving peroxynitrite and other nitrating systems, the behavior of non-alpha-tocopherols under nitration conditions was studied. The nitration products of beta-, gamma-, and delta-tocopherol were identified, comprehensively analytically characterized, and their structure was supported by X-ray crystal structure analysis on truncated model compounds. Even under more drastic nitration conditions, no erosion of the stereochemistry at 2-C occurred. The nitrosation of gamma-tocopherol and delta-tocopherol was re-examined, showing the slow oxidation of the initial nitroso products to the corresponding nitro derivatives by air to be superimposed by a fast equilibrium with the tautomeric ortho-quinone monoxime, which only in the case of gamma-tocopherol released hydroxyl amine at elevated temperatures to afford the stable ortho-quinone. Mononitration of delta-tocopherol selectively proceeded at position 5. This selectivity can be explained by the theory of strain-induced bond localization (SIBL) to the quinoid nitration intermediates. Bisnitration was only insignificantly disfavored by the first nitro group, so that under normal nitration conditions offering an excess of nitrating species only the bisnitration product was found.     

Novel tocopheryl compounds XXV: synthesis and comparison of the para-quinones of all four homologous tocopherol model compounds and their 3,4-dehydro derivatives

Four tocopherol model compounds, the chroman-6-ols (1-4) having the typical substitution pattern of α-, β-, γ-, and δ-tocopherol (vitamin E), were oxidized to the corresponding para-quinones (5-8), and dehydrogenated to the 2H-chromen-6-ols (17-20) involving initial acetyl protection of the phenolic OH and deprotection as the last step. The chromenols were also converted into the para-quinones (21-24), which existed in the bicyclic hemiketal form, in contrast to the chromanol-derived, monocyclic quinones 5-8, the ketalization behavior agreeing well with computations on the DFT level.     

N-Methylmorpholine-N-oxide (NMMO): hazards in practice and pitfalls in theory

Cellulose - The hazards of handling N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide (NMMO) cannot be described often enough, although it is a rather common (co-)solvent for cellulose. Inaccuracies in the literature...     

Sterically crowded tetracyano-para-quinodimethanes: synthesis and structure of 2,3,5,6-tetramethyl-7,7,8,8-tetracyano-para-quino=dimethane

The sterically crowded 2,3,5,6-tetramethyl-7,7,8,8-tetracyano=$\text{para}$-quinodimethane (=1) has been synthesized. The unique sterical structure of (=1) is discussed based on X-ray structure analysis.     

A practical strategy for the synthesis of 2-dialkylamino-4-arylamino-6-aminopyrimidines

Starting from commercially available 4-amino-2,6-dichloropyrimidine, a practical four steps synthesis of 2-dialkylamino-4-arylamino-6-aminopyrimidines was developed. This strategy could introduce a diverse set of secondary amines and arylamines to displace the 2- and 4-chloro groups. The products of this route are otherwise difficult to access. In addition, 6-amino arylation was carried out to demonstrate the reactivity and utility of 2-dialkylamino-4-arylamino-6-aminopyrimidines as building blocks for assembling interesting aminopyrimidine molecules.     

Composition of essential oils from four Apiaceae and Asteraceae species growing in Uzbekistan

The chemical composition of essential oils isolated from the aerial parts of Heracleum lehmannianum, Prangos pabularia, Pseudohandelia umbellifera and Pulicaria salviifolia, all of them growing in Uzbekistan, were determined by GC-MS analysis. The main components of the oil from H. lehmannianum were α-phellandrene (10.5%), 1-butanol (9.0%), δ-cadinene (6.2%), α-cadinol (5.7%), τ-muurolol (3.1%), 4-terpineol (2.4%) and α-muurolene (2.6%), while cis-allo-ocimene (17.6%), δ-3-carene (14.2%), limonene (7.6%), 2,4,6-trimethylbenzaldehyde (6.8%), α-terpinolene (6.1%), β-ocimene (4.3%), α-ocimene (4.2%), α-phellandrene (4.2%) were the major oil components in P. pabularia, and borneol (4.4%), t-cadinol (4.1%), α-humulene oxide (4.0%), caryophyllene oxide (3.6%), bornyl chloride (3.1%), β-pinene (2.9%) in P. umbellifera. The essential oil of P. salviifolia had a much more complex composition which was dominated by 4-terpineol (13.4%), α-cadinol (5.7%), 6-epi-shyobunol (5.2%), γ-terpinene (5.0%), δ-cadinene (4.4%), α-terpinene (3.5%).