Magnetic poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) microspheres by dispersion and inverse emulsion polymerization

The aim of this study was to develop novel thermally responsive polymer microspheres with magnetic properties. Dispersion and inverse emulsion copolymerization of N‐isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) and N,N′‐methylenebisacrylamide (MBAAm) was investigated in the presence of γ‐Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles. The resulting microspheres were characterized in terms of morphology, size, polydispersity, iron content, and temperature‐dependent swelling using optical microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, QELS, and AAS. The effects of several variables, such as the concentration of γ‐Fe₂O₃, MBAAm crosslinking agent, Span 80 surfactant, 2,2′‐azobis(2‐methyloctanenitrile) (AMON) initiator, and polymerization temperature on the properties of the microspheres were studied. Swelling and thermoresponsive behavior of the microspheres containing γ‐Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles were also investigated. The microspheres contained about 8 wt % of iron. The presence of magnetic nanoparticles and their concentration changes did not have any significant effect on the temperature sensitivity of the composites. The particles gradually shrink into an increasingly collapsed state when the temperature is raised to 40 °C since the increase in temperature weakens the hydration and PNIPAAm chains gradually become more hydrophobic, which leads to the collapse of the particles. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 5884–5898, 2007     

Magnetic poly(glycidyl methacrylate) microspheres prepared by dispersion polymerization in the presence of electrostatically stabilized ferrofluids

Fine magnetite nanoparticles, both electrostatically stabilized and nonstabilized, were synthesized in situ by precipitation of Fe(II) and Fe(III) salts in alkaline medium. Magnetic poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) microspheres with core‐shell structure, where Fe₃O₄ is the magnetic core and PGMA is the shell, were obtained by dispersion polymerization initiated with 2,2′‐azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN), 4,4′‐azobis(4‐cyanovaleric acid) (ACVA), or ammonium persulfate (APS) in ethanol containing poly(vinylpyrrolidone) or ethylcellulose stabilizer in the presence of iron oxide ferrofluid. The average microsphere size ranged from 100 nm to 2 μm. The effects of the nature of ferrofluid, polymerization temperature, monomer, initiator, and stabilizer concentration on the PGMA particle size and polydispersity were studied. The particles contained 2–24 wt % of iron. AIBN produced larger microspheres than APS or ACVA. Polymers encapsulating electrostatically stabilized iron oxide particles contained lower amounts of oxirane groups compared with those obtained with untreated ferrofluid. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 5827–5837, 2004     

Novel liquid crystals based on [1]benzothieno[3,2- b ][1]benzothiophene

Four series of new [1]benzothieno[3,2- b ][1]benzothiophene derivatives have been synthesized. In the non-chiral series a SmA phase occurs, while the chiral series exhibits a rather wide antiferroelectric SmC * A phase just below the SmA phase. The SmA-SmC * A phase transition has been studied using DSC and dielectric spectroscopy. In the SmC * A phase the spontaneous quantities have been measured. The tilt angle shows a typical temperature dependence and the values of spontaneous polarization are rather moderate. The length of the helical pitch increases on increasing the length of the non-chiral alkyl chain.     

Quantification of trace elements in human serum fractions by liquid chromatography and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

On‐line coupling of LC and ICP‐MS has been used for fractionation and detection of species of Cu, Fe, I, Se and Zn in human serum. It has been shown that anion exchange chromatography provided better separation capability (both intra‐ and inter‐element) than size‐exclusion chromatography. The mobile phases for ion exchange chromatography consisted of Tris–HNO₃ buffer and ammonium salt (nitrate, acetate or formate). Formate was found to be the best mobile phase counter ion, enabling good chromatographic separation, and is acceptable for mass spectrometry too. The quantitative evaluation of element concentrations adhering to individual fractions was performed by the peak area normalization method. The repeatability of results ranged from 3 to 15% (depending on the element concentration level) and represented the main part of the result uncertainty. The accuracy of Cu and Zn fraction determinations was confirmed by comparison with the isotope dilution technique. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A Ramsey‐type result for the hypercube

We prove that for every fixed k and ? ≥ 5 and for sufficiently large n, every edge coloring of the hypercube Q_n with k colors contains a monochromatic cycle of length 2 ?. This answers an open question of Chung. Our techniques provide also a characterization of all subgraphs H of the hypercube which are Ramsey, that is, have the property that for every k, any k‐edge coloring of a sufficiently large Q_n contains a monochromatic copy of H. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 53: 196–208, 2006     

Some problems concerning the use of automated radiochemical separation systems in destructive neutron activation analysis

The present state of a long term program is reviewed. It was started to elaborate a remote controlled automated radiochemical processing system for the neutron activation analysis of biological materials. The system is based on wet ashing of the sample, followed by reactive desorption of some volatile components. The distillation residue is passed through a series of columns filled with selective ion screening materials to remove the matrix activity. The solution is thus “stripped” from the interfering radioions, and it is processed to single-elements through group separations using ion-exchange chromatographic techniques. Some special problems concerning this system are treated. (a) General aspects of the construction of a (semi)automated radiochemical processing system are discussed; (b) Comparison is made between various technical realizations of the same basic concept; (c) Some problems concerning the “reconstruction” of an already published processing system are outlined.     

PPP-Berechnungen und Vergleich der Elektronenspektren von iso-π-elektronischen Sauerstoff-, Stickstoff-, Schwefel- und Selenheterocyclen

Zusammenfassung 42 Heterocyclen, die sich formal von alternierenden und nichtalternierenden Kohlenwasserstoffen durch Ersatz einer Doppelbindung durch die Heteroatome Sauerstoff, Stickstoff, Schwefel und Selen ableiten, werden nach dem Pariser-Parr-Pople-Verfahren berechnet und ihre Spektren im nahen Ultraviolett und Sichtbaren beschrieben. Schwefel und Selen werden dabei im LCAO-MO-Verfahren nach dem p-Modell behandelt. In den meisten Fällen können die Berechnungen nicht nur die spektralen Charakteristika gut wiedergeben, sondern auch Beziehungen in den Spektren iso--elektronischer Verbindungen gleicher Struktur verständlich machen. Berechnungen an kationischen Stickstoffheterocyclen führten dann zu falschen Ergebnissen, wenn die Stickstoffparameter vom Pyrroltyp übernommen werden.

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PPP-calculations and comparison of electronic spectra of iso--electronic oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and selenium heterocycles

42 heterocyclic compounds, formally derived from alternant or nonalternant hydrocarbons by replacing a C=C group by an oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur or selenium atom, are studied by the Pariser-Parr-Pople-type of calculation. By means of these results the near ultraviolet and visible spectra are described. The sulfur and the selenium atoms are treated in the LCAO-MO-method using the p-model. In most cases spectral features are not only well reproduced, but interrelations of the spectra of iso--electronic compounds, possessing analogous structures are interpreted, too. On calculating cationic nitrogen heterocycles using parameters of pyrrol type nitrogen results are unsatisfactory.

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Résumé 42 composés hétérocycliques, formellement dérivés d'hydrocarbures alternants ou non alternants par remplacement d'un groupement C=C par un atome d'oxygène, d'azote, de soufre ou de sélénium, sont étudiés par la méthode de Pariser-Parr-Pople. Les résultats obtenus permettent de décrire le spectre U.V. proche et visible. Soufre et sélénium sont traités en utilisant le modèle p. Dans la plupart des cas les caractères spectraux sont non seulement correctement reproduits, mais les relations entre les spectres des composés iso--électroniques à structures analogues peuvent être interprétées. Les calculs concernant les heterocycles à azote cationique sont insatisfaisants lorsqu'ils sont effectués avec des paramètres de l'azote du type pyrrole.

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Anmerkung: Die Arbeit wurde in dem von Prof. Dr. R. Mayer geleiteten Schwefelarbeitskreis der TU Dresden durchgeführt.