Tailored side‐chain architecture of benzil voltage stabilizers for enhanced dielectric strength of cross‐linked polyethylene

The synthesis and physico‐chemical properties of seven benzil‐type voltage stabilizers are reported. The benzil core is substituted with alkyl chains of different length that are linked to the benzil core via an ester, ether, or tertiary amine group. All additives can be melt‐processed with low‐density polyethylene (LDPE). Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy confirms that benzil compounds are not affected by the LDPE cross‐linking reaction induced by dicumyl peroxide. Moreover, a combination of gel content measurements, thermal analysis, and small‐angle X‐ray scattering indicates that the presence of benzil voltage stabilizers does not significantly alter the microstructure of cross‐linked polyethylene (XLPE). Electrical tree inhibition experiments under high‐voltage alternating current conditions show that all investigated additives substantially enhance the dielectric strength of the insulating material at a concentration of only 10 mmol kg^?1. The highest improvement in dielectric strength, of more than 70% with respect to reference XLPE, is obtained with voltage stabilizers, which carry short (methyl) side chains that are linked to the benzil core via an ester or tertiary amine group. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2014 , 52, 1047–1054     

Efficient calculation of SAMPL4 hydration free energies using OMEGA,SZYBKI, QUACPAC,and Zap TK

Several submissions for the SAMPL4 hydration free energy set were calculated using OpenEye tools, including many that were among the top performing submissions. All of our best submissions used AM1BCC charges and Poisson–Boltzmann solvation. Three submissions used a single conformer for calculating the hydration free energy and all performed very well with mean unsigned errors ranging from 0.94 to 1.08 kcal/mol. These calculations were very fast, only requiring 0.5–2.0 s per molecule. We observed that our two single-conformer methodologies have different types of failure cases and that these differences could be exploited for determining when the methods are likely to have substantial errors.     

PHOTOSENSORY TRANSDUCTION IN CILIATES. IV. MODULATION OF THE PHOTOMOVEMENT RESPONSE OF Blepharisma japonicum BY cGMP

Abstract— The effect of various modulators of cytoplasmic guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) level on the step-up photophobic responses in Blepharisma japonicum has been investigated to clarify the possible role of cGMP in the mechanism of photosensory signal transduction. Membrane-permeable analogs of cGMP, 8-bromo-guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate or dibutyryl cGMP, caused a marked dose-dependent prolongation of the latency for the photophobic response, resulting in inhibition of the photophobic response in Blepharisma japonicum. A similar effect was observed when cells were treated with 3'-isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX), a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, and pertussis toxin, a G-protein activity modulator. The G-protein activator, fluoroaluminate, and 6-anilino-5,8-quinolinedione (LY 83583), an agent which effectively lowers the cytoplasmic cGMP level, significantly enhanced the photoresponsiveness of these ciliates to visible light stimuli. These results suggest that cellular cGMP serves as a signal modulator in the photophobic response of Blepharisma japonicum.     

Reactions of 4-Methoxy-3-quinolinyl and 1,4-Dihydro-4-oxo-3-quino-linyl Sulfides Aiming at the Synthesis of 4-Chloro-3-Quinolinyl Sulfides

The preparation of 1,4-dihydro-4-oxo-3′-alkylthio-3,4′-diquinolinyl sulfides 3 or 1,4-dihydro-4-oxo-3-(alkylthio)quinolines 4 by acid catalysed hydrolysis of 4-methoxy-3′-alkylthio-3,4′-diquinolinyl sulfides 1 or 4-methoxy-3-(alkylthio)-quinolines 2 is described. The reactions of 4-methoxy-3′-alkylthio-3,4′-diquinolinyl sulfides 1 or 1,4-dihydro-4-oxo-3′-alkylthio-3,4′-diquinolinyl sulfides 3 with phosphoryl chloride in DMF afforded 4-chloro-3′-alkylthio-3,4′-diquinolinyl sulfides 5 . Treatment of the title compounds 1 or 3 with boiling phosphoryl chloride systems:leads to 4-chloro-3-(alkylthio)quinolines 6 and thioquinanthrene but those of alkoxy- or oxo-quinolines 2 or 4 lead to 4-chloro-3-(alkylthio)quinolines 6 . The reactions of N-methyl-4(1H)-quinolinones 3n and 4n with phosphoryl chloride directed to 4-chloro-3-(alkylthio)quinolines 6 were studied as well.     

Remarkable effect of the preparation technique on the state of cobalt ions in BEA zeolites evidenced by FTIR spectroscopy of adsorbed CO and NO, TPR and XRD

The state of cobalt in two BEA zeolites was studied by XRD, TPR, and FTIR spectroscopy using CO and NO as probe molecules. One of the samples, CoAlBEA (0.4 wt % of Co), was prepared by conventional ion exchange and the other, CoSiBEA (0.7 wt % Co), by a two-step postsynthesis method involving dealuminated SiBEA zeolite. The introduction of Co into SiBEA leads to an increase of unit cell parameters of the BEA structure and to the consumption of silanol groups in vacant T-sites of the dealuminated zeolite. In contrast, no structural changes are observed after incorporation of cobalt into AlBEA by ion-exchange. The reduction temperature of cobalt in CoSiBEA zeolite (1130 K), is much higher than for CoAlBEA and indicates a strong interaction of cobalt ions with SiBEA. Low-temperature CO adsorption on CoAlBEA results in (i) H-bonded CO, (ii) Co(3+)-CO adducts (2,208 cm(-1)) and (iii) a small amount of Co(2+)-CO complexes (2,188 cm(-1)). In agreement with these results, NO adsorption leads to the appearance of (i) NO(+) (2,133 cm(-1), formed with the participation of the zeolite acidic hydroxyls), (ii) Co(3+)-NO (1932 cm(-1)), and (iii) a small amount of Co(2+)(NO)(2) dinitrosyls (nu(s) = 1,898 and nu(as) = 1,814 cm(-1)). Low-temperature CO adsorption on CoSiBEA leads to formation of two kinds of Co(2+)-CO adducts (2,185 and 2,178 cm(-1)). No Co(3+) cations are detected. In line with these results, adsorption of NO reveals the existence of two kinds of Co(2+)(NO)(2) dinitrosyls (nu(s) = 1,888 and nu(as) = 1,808 cm(-1) and nu(s) = 1,878 and nu(as) = 1,799 cm(-1), respectively).     

Highly hydrophilic surfaces from polyglycidol grafts with dual antifouling and specific protein recognition properties

Homopolymer grafts from α-tert-butoxy-ω-vinylbenzyl-polyglycidol (PGL) were prepared on gold and stainless steel (SS) substrates modified by 4-benzoyl-phenyl (BP) moieties derived from the electroreduction of the parent salt 4-benzoyl benzene diazonium tetrafluoroborate. The grafted BP aryl groups efficiently served to surface-initiate photopolymerization (SIPP) of PGL. In similar conditions, SIPP of hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) permitted the production of PHEMA grafts as model surfaces. Water contact angles were found to be 66°, 15°, and 0° for SS-BP, SS-PHEMA, and SS-PPGL, respectively. The spontaneous spreading of water drops on SS-PPGL was invariably observed with 1.5 μL water drops. PPGL thus appears as a superhydrophilic polymer. Resistance to nonspecific adsorption of proteins of PPGL and PHEMA grafts on gold was evaluated by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) using antibovine serum albumin (anti-BSA). The results conclusively show that PPGL-grafts exhibit enhanced resistance to anti-BSA adsorption compared to the well-known hydrophilic PHEMA. PPGL grafts were further modified with BSA through the carbonyldiimidazole activation of the OH groups providing immunosensing surfaces. The so-prepared PPGL-grafted BSA hybrids specifically interacted with anti-BSA in PBS as compared to antimyoglobin. It is clear that the superhydrophilic character of PPGL grafts opens new avenues for biomedical applications where surfaces with dual functionality, namely, specific protein grafting together with resistance to biofouling, are required.     

Development and validation of a routine multiresidue method for determining 140 pesticides in fruits and vegetables by gas chromatography/tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry

A GC/tandem quadrupole MS/MS method was developed and validated for the determination of the residues of 140 pesticides in fruits and vegetables. Pesticides were extracted from samples by using a miniaturized acetonitrile-based extraction technique known as the quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) method. Validation studies were carried out on carrots, tomatoes, and strawberries. In order to reduce systematic errors due to a matrix-induced effect, quantification was carried out using matrix-matched standard calibration curves. The recovery and precision results satisfied the European Union criteria (i.e., average recoveries were in the range 70-120% with RSDs < or = 20%) for 125 of the 140 pesticides at a spiking level of 0.01 mg/kg. At the higher spiking levels, there were just two instances of overall average recovery < 70% (chlorothalonil and captan). The measurement uncertainty was estimated following a "top down" approach as being 21 and 35%, on average, based on validation and ongoing recovery data, respectively (coverage factor k = 2, confidence level 95%). Practical application to 541 samples of apples, tomatoes, strawberries, cucumbers, currants, mushrooms, carrots, peppers, pears, onions, and gooseberries under strict QC conditions demonstrated the ruggedness of the total procedure.