Unprecedented Acid‐Promoted Polymerization and Gelation of Acrylamide: A Serendipitous Discovery

Dilute acid polymerizes degassed, aqueous acrylamide with concomitant gelation, without the need for added free radical initiator or cross‐linking agent. This reaction is accelerated by sonication or UV irradiation, but inhibited by adventitious oxygen or the addition of a free radical inhibitor, suggesting an acid‐accelerated free radical process. The resulting hydrogels are thixotropic in nature and partially disrupted by the addition of chaotropic agents, indicating the importance of hydrogen bonding to the 3D network. This discovery was made while trying to prepare pectin‐polyacrylamide hydrogels. We observed that pectin initiated the gelation of acrylamide, but only if the aqueous pectin samples had a pH lower than ca. 5.     

A fully integrated high-throughput screening methodology for the discovery of new polyolefin catalysts: discovery of a new class of high temperature single-site group (IV) copolymerization catalysts

For the first time, new catalysts for olefin polymerization have been discovered through the application of fully integrated high-throughput primary and secondary screening techniques supported by rapid polymer characterization methods. Microscale 1-octene primary screening polymerization experiments combining arrays of ligands with reactive metal complexes M(CH(2)Ph)(4) (M = Zr, Hf) and multiple activation conditions represent a new high-throughput technique for discovering novel group (IV) polymerization catalysts. The primary screening methods described here have been validated using a commercially relevant polyolefin catalyst, and implemented rapidly to discover the new amide-ether based hafnium catalyst [eta(2)-(N,O)[bond](2-MeO[bond]C(6)H(4))(2,4,6-Me(3)C(6)H(2))N]Hf(CH(2)Ph)(3) (1), which is capable of polymerizing 1-octene to high conversion. The molecular structure of 1 has been determined by X-ray diffraction. Larger scale secondary screening experiments performed on a focused 96-member amine-ether library demonstrated the versatile high temperature ethylene-1-octene copolymerization capabilities of this catalyst class, and led to significant performance improvements over the initial primary screening discovery. Conventional one gallon batch reactor copolymerizations performed using selected amide-ether hafnium compounds confirmed the performance features of this new catalyst class, serving to fully validate the experimental results from the high-throughput approaches described herein.     

Tetracarbonyliron adducts of Cp2Cr2(CO)4(μ-η2-P2). Syntheses and crystal structures of Cp2Cr2(CO)4P2[Fe(CO)4] m (m=1 and 2)

Cp₂Cr₂(CO)₄( - ² - P₂), 1, reacts with one molar equivalent of Fe₂(CO)₉ in THF to yield the mono- and di-iron complexes, Cp₂Cr₂(CO)₄P₂[Fe(CO)₄], 2, (16.5% yield) and Cp₂Cr₂(CO)₄P₂[Fe(CO)₄]₂, 3, (16.9% yield), as dark magenta brown and dark greenish brown crystals, respectively. Both complexes were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Crystal data –2: space group =P2₁/c,a=17.024(1) Å,b=8.180(1) Å,c=30.891(2) Å, =100.953(5)°,V=4223.4(7)ų,Z=8, 3743 observed reflections,R _F=0.033; 3: space group P1,a=10.209(2) Å,b=10.212(2) Å,c=15.989(3) Å, =106.93(1)°, =91.87(1)°, =119.50(1)°,V=1356.5(4) ų,Z=2, 3489 observed reflections,R _F=0.029.     

Thermoanalytical studies of rubber oxidation catalyzed by metallic ions

The effects of several metallic ions on the oxidation of natural rubber were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The activation energy of oxidation was evaluated from DSC curves. Cobalt, manganese, iron and copper ions decreased the activation energy of oxidation. Nickel, zinc and tin ions did not affect the activation energy. The effective ions are those which are able to undergo one-electron transfer redox reaction with hydroperoxide. Based on the activation energy values, the catalytic activities of metallic ions are: Co > Mn > Cu ? Fe > Ni ? Zn ? Sn.     

Self-assembled oligonucleotide-polyester dendrimers

A new approach to the controlled synthesis of multicomponent dendrimers is presented, in which three oligonucleotide-dendron conjugates were synthesized using solid phase techniques and hybridized to create a second generation polyester dendrimer with DNA as a core and bearing two types of peripheral functional groups.     

Aldol reaction under solvent-free conditions: highly stereoselective synthesis of 1,3-amino alcohols

[formula: see text] A method for the highly stereoselective synthesis of 1,3-amino alcohols based on the indium trichloride-catalyzed Mukaiyama aldol reaction of keto ester (R,S)-1 under solvent-free conditions has been developed. The high selectivity observed can be explained on the basis of the shielding of one face by a remote substituent.     

Unexpected Reduction of Indole Double Bond in Mitragynine Using n-Butylsilane and Catalytic Tris(pentaflorophenyl)borane

An unexpected reduction of indolic double bond of mitragynine was described by using n-butyl silane and tris(pentafluorophenyl)triborane.