Synthesis and characterization of materials prepared via the copolymerization of ethylene with 1‐octadecene and norbornene using a [(π‐cyano‐nacnac)Cp] zirconium complex

[3‐Cyano‐2‐(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)aminopent‐2‐en‐4‐(phenylimine)tris (pentafluorophenyl)borate](η⁵‐C₅H₅)ZrCl₂, [(B(C₆F₅)₃‐ NC‐nacnac)CpZrCl₂], precatalyst ( 2 ) can be treated with low concentrations of methylaluminoxane (MAO) to generate active sites capable of copolymerizing ethylene with 1‐octadecene or norbornene under mild conditions. A series of poly(ethylene‐co‐octadecene) and poly(ethylene‐co‐norbornene) copolymers were prepared, and their properties were characterized by NMR, differential scanning calorimetry, and mechanical analysis. The results show that this system produced poly(ethylene‐co‐octadecene) copolymers with a branching content of about 8 mol %. However, upon increasing the comonomer concentration, a drastic reduction in the M_n of the product is observed concomitant with an increase in comonomer incorporation. This leads to a gradual decrease in Young's modulus and stress at break, indicating an increase in the “softness” of the copolymer. In the case of copolymerizations of ethylene and norbornene, the catalytic system ( 2 /MAO) shows a substantial decrease in reactivity in the presence of norbornene and generates copolymer chains in which 5–10 mol % norbornene is in blocks. We also observe that ethylene norbornene copolymers exhibit a high degree of alternating insertions (close to 50%), as determined by NMR spectroscopy. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Ritter-reaction on steroids: Ring expansion of steroid oxethans into dihydrooxazines

The 3β-acetoxy-16β,17β-epoxymethyleneandrost-5-ene ($\text{1}$) transforms into the dihydrooxazine condensed to the sterane skeleton ($\text{4}$$\text{a}$,$\text{b}$,$\text{c}$,$\text{e}$,$\text{g}$,$\text{i}$) in a ring-expansion reaction with alkyl and aryl nitriles in the presence of HBF₄— diethyletherate The 3β-acetoxy-16α, 17α-epoxymethyleneandrost-5-ene ($\text{9}$) undergoes a Wagner-Meerwein rearrangement under similar conditions.     

Catalytic Methane Oxidation Over Pd Supported on Nanocrystalline and Polycrystalline TiO2 Mn3O4, CeO2 and ZrO2

The catalytic oxidation of methane has been examined over Pd supported on nanocrystalline (n-) and polycrystalline (p-) TiO₂, Mn₃O₄, CeO₂ and ZrO₂. In all cases the Pd supported on the nanocrystalline oxides performs better on a mass basis than Pd supported on the polycrystalline oxides. Conversion vs temperature curves indicate that n-ZrO₂ is more active than p-ZrO₂ and that calcining both n-ZrO₂ and p-ZrO₂ at 500°C produces better catalysts than calcining at 280°C. n-CeO₂ is a very good catalysts for methane oxidation, while p-CeO₂ is not, and Pd supported on n-CeO₂ performs much better than bare n-CeO₂ and somewhat better than Pd supported on p-CeO₂; Pd supported on n-Mn₃O₄ or p-Mn₃O₄ does not perform as well as CeO₂-supported Pd catalysts. The 5 wt.% Pd/n-ZrO₂ catalyst calcined at 500°C performs very well, achieving 100% conversion at 320°C for the reactor conditions used, while 5 wt.% Pd/n-CeO₂ exhibits initial activity at the lowest temperature of about 100°C. The best catalyst tested in this study is 30 wt.% Pd/n-TiO₂, which achieves 100% conversion at 300°C.     

Radiometrische Bestimmung der optimalen Bsdingungen bei der Absorption von Ameisensäure und Methanol am Rieselfilm aus einem Stickstoffstrom

Es wurde eine Methodik zur Bestimmung des Absorptions-koeffizienten β = C_flüssig/C _gas (C bedeuten die Konzentrationen des Absorbats) für den Stoffübergang in einer Rieselfilmkolonne ausgearbeitet, die mit Hilfe der Messung von ¹⁴C-markierten Substanzen die Unterschung kleinster Konzentrationsbereiche gestattet. Die Abhängigkeit von β vom Gas- und Flüssigkeitsdurchsatz, von der Temperatur and von der Konzentration der an Glykolhalbacetal zu sorbierenden Stoffe Methanol und Ameisensäure wurde in orientierenden Experimenten bestimmt.     

Structural studies of crystalline MDI-based polyurethanes

Electron microscopy reveals a characteristic structural organization consisting of poorly organized spherulites with an open fibrous texture in which the strands appear to be built up from microfibils. X-ray and birefringence results are also discussed.     

Monohydric alcohol transport in a rubbery poly(urethan)

Steady-state permeation rates and equilibrium sorption measurements were made as a function of temperature for a series of alcohols in a polybutylene adipate polyurethan. The alcohol series included methanol; ethanol; n-propanol; n-, iso-, sec-, and t-butanol; n-pentanol, n-hexanol, and n-heptanol (all at unit activity). Calculated integral diffusivities of the various penetrants correlated well with effective penetrant size. The solubility coefficients for the various alcohols increased as the difference between the solubility parameters of the polymer and penetrant decreased for the normal alcohol series. The solubility coefficients for the branched alcohol isomers were characterized by values lower than those predicted by the correlation for the normal alcohols; possibly steric hindrance limits sorption on specific polymer sites. A detailed analysis of the system ethanol/poly(butylene adipate-polyurethan) revealed a sigmoidal increase of the diffusion coefficient with increasing penetrant concentration, suggesting a competition between penetrant clustering and polymer plasticization. The diffusion process appears to be time dependent as well as concentration dependent. Anomalies in the diffusion behavior that can reasonably be related to polymer segmental relaxation are present to a much larger degree as temperature is increased. Ethanol sorption was further complicated by positive deviation from Henry's law at activities in excess of 0.2.     

Structural studies on urethane elastomers

A number of techniques have been used to study structural organization and transitions in polyether- and polyester-based urethane elastomers. Scanning thermal methods reveal three characteristic transitions common to samples of varying composition, namely, the major glass transition and two higher transitions believed due to disruption of different types of hydrogen bonding. Other transitions are assigned to melting of ester and of urethane crystallites. Light-scattering measurements on turbid polyether-based samples indicate both isotropic and anisotropic contributions to scattered intensity, the latter reflecting structural ordering on a small scale. X-Ray diffraction studies of stress-induced crystallization in the polyetherbased elastomer show reflections attributed to crystallites of polyether segments. It is concluded that separation into a domain structure occurs in both types of elastomers, but to a higher degree in the polyether-based polymers than in the polyester-based polymers, possibly due to restrictions in the latter imposed by interaction of the ester and urethane groups.