Low-temperature heat capacities and thermodynamic properties of rare-earth triisothiocyanate hydrates (III) —Sm(NCS)3 · 6H2O, Gd(NCS)3 · 6H20, Yb(NCS)3 · 6H20 and Y(NCS)3 · 6H20

The heat capacities of four RE isothiocyanate hydrates, Sm(NCS)₃, · 6H₂0, Gd(NCS)₃ · 6H₂0, Yb(NCS)₃, · 6H₂O and Y(NCS)₃, · 6H₂0, have been measured from 13 to 300 K with a fully-automated adiabatic calorimeter. No obvious thermal anomaly was observed for the above-mentioned compounds in the experimental temperature ranges. The polynomial equations for calculating the heat capacities of the four compounds in the range of 13–300 K were obtained by the least-squares fitting based on the experimentalC _P, data. TheC _P, values below 13 K were estimated by using the Debye-Einstein heat capacity functions. The standard molar thermodynamic functions were calculated from 0 to 300 K. Gibbs energies of formation were also calculated. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.     

Nuclear magnetic relaxation in solutions of poly(fluoromethylene) and poly(vinyl fluoride); segmental mobility of fluorinated ethylene polymers

¹H and ¹⁹F spin-lattice relaxation times and nuclear Overhauser enhancement factors are reported for solutions of poly(fluoromethylene) in DMSO, and for poly(vinyl fluoride) in DMF. These results, together with literature values for other fluorinated ethylene polymers, show that substitutions of F for H on the chain backbone produce only mild changes in segmental mobility.     

Photoinduced Atom Transfer Radical Addition/Cyclization Reaction between Alkynes or Alkenes with Unsaturated α-Halogenated Carbonyls

We have developed a photochemical ATRA/ATRC reaction that is mediated by halogen bonding interactions. This reaction is caused by the reaction of malonic acid ester derivatives containing bromine or iodine with unsaturated compounds such as alkenes and alkynes in the presence of diisopropylethylamine under visible light irradiation. As a result of various control experiments, it was found that the formation of complexes between amines and halogens by halogen-bonding interaction occurs in the reaction system, followed by the cleavage of the carbon–halogen bonds by visible light, resulting in the formation of carbon radicals. In this reaction, a variety of substrates can be used, and the products, cyclopentenes and cyclopentanes, were obtained by intermolecular addition and intramolecular cyclization.     

Assignment of Absolute Configuration of Bromoallenes by Vacuum-Ultraviolet Circular Dichroism (VUVCD)

A new application of vacuum-ultraviolet circular dichroism (VUVCD), which enables the measurement of CD spectra in the vacuum-ultraviolet region (140–200 nm), for the assignment of the absolute configurations of bromoallenes is described. Bromoallene moieties are found in natural products obtained from many marine organisms. To date, the absolute configuration of bromoallenes has been assigned almost exclusively with Lowe’s rule, which is based on specific rotation. However, exceptions to Lowe’s rule have been reported arising from the presence of other substituents with large specific rotations. For the unambiguous assignment of the absolute configuration of the bromoallene moiety with its characteristic absorption wavelength at 180–190 nm due to the π–π* transition, VUVCD was applied to four pairs of bromoallene diastereomers prepared by modifying the synthetic scheme of omaezallene. The VUVCD spectra clearly showed positive or negative Cotton effects around 180–190 nm according to the configuration of the bromoallene employed, revealing the potential of VUVCD for determining absolute stereochemistry.     

Synthesis and Mechanical Properties of Polypropylene-based Polymer Hybrids via Controlled Radical Polymerization

Isotactic polypropylene-based graft copolymers linking poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(n-butyl acrylate) and polystyrene were successfully synthesized by a controlled radical polymerization with isotactic polypropylene (iPP) macroinitiator. The hydroxylated iPP, prepared by propylene/10-undecen-1-ol copolymerization with a metallocene/methyl-aluminoxane/triisobutylaluminum catalyst system, was treated with 2-bromoisobutyryl bromide to produce a Br-group containing iPP (PP-g-Br). The resulting PP-g-Br could initiate controlled radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate, n-butyl acrylate and styrene by using a copper catalyst system, leading to a variety of iPP-based graft copolymers with a different content of the corresponding polar segment. These graft copolymers demonstrated unique mechanical properties dependent upon the kind and content of the grafted polar segment.