‘Sacrificial’ supramolecular assembly and pressure-induced polymerization: toward sequence-defined functionalized nanothreads

Limited supramolecular strategies have been utilized to synthesize sequence-defined polymers, despite the prominence of noncovalent interactions in materials design. Herein, we illustrate the utility of ‘sacrificial’ aryl-perfluoroaryl supramolecular synthons to synthesize sp³-hybridized nanothreads from sp²-enriched reactants. Our strategy features A–B reactant pairs in the form of a phenol:pentafluorophenol co-crystal that is preorganized for an electronically-biased and sequence-defined polymerization. The polymerization, initiated at 12 GPa, affords an alternating copolymer featuring exogenous –OH functionalities. The external substitution is confirmed through IR spectroscopy. Importantly, the inclusion of the functional unit provides the first experimental glimpse at reaction mechanism: keto–enol tautomerization that can only occur during cycloaddition is observed through IR spectroscopy. Our approach realizes the first example of a functionalized nanothread and attains sequence definition through sacrificial supramolecular preorganization and presents a further approach for de novo design of complex nanothreads.

Supramolecular synthons are exploited to synthesize –OH functionalized sp³-rich sequence-defined nanothreads using pressure-induced polymerization of a phenol:pentafluorophenol co-crystal.      

Transfer hydrogenation using recyclable polyurea-encapsulated palladium: efficient and chemoselective reduction of aryl ketones

A robust and recyclable palladium catalyst [Pd0EnCat] has been prepared by ligand exchange of polyurea-encapsulated palladium(II) acetate with formic acid, resulting in deposition of Pd(0) in the support material; Pd0EnCat is shown to be a highly efficient transfer hydrogenation catalyst for chemoselective reduction of a wide range of aryl ketones to benzyl alcohols.     

Rapid biomass analysis

New, rapid, and inexpensive methods that monitor the chemical composition of corn stover and corn stover-derived samples are a key element to enabling the commercialization of processes that convert stover to fuels and chemicals. These new techniques combine near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and projection to latent structures (PLS) multivariate analysis to allow the compositional analysis of hundreds of samples in 1 d at a cost of about $10 each. The new NIR/PLS rapid analysis methods can also be used to support a variety of research projects that would have been too costly to pursue by traditional methods.     

Influence of structure and solubility of chain transfer agents on the RAFT control of dispersion polymerisation in scCO2

Reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) dispersion polymerisation of methyl methacrylate (MMA) is performed in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂) with 2-(dodecylthiocarbonothioylthio)-2-methylpropionic acid (DDMAT) present as chain transfer agent (CTA) and surprisingly shows good control over PMMA molecular weight. Kinetic studies of the polymerisation in scCO₂ also confirm these data. By contrast, only poor control of MMA polymerisation is obtained in toluene solution, as would be expected for this CTA which is better suited for acrylates. In this regard, we select a range of CTAs and use them to determine the parameters that must be considered for good control in dispersion polymerisation in scCO₂. A thorough investigation of the nucleation stage during the dispersion polymerisation reveals an unexpected “in situ two-stage” mechanism that strongly determines how the CTA works. Finally, using a novel computational solvation model, we identify a correlation between polymerisation control and degree of solubility of the CTAs. All of this ultimately gives rise to a simple, elegant and counterintuitive guideline to select the best CTA for RAFT dispersion polymerisation in scCO₂.

RAFT dispersion polymerisation of methyl methacrylate is performed in scCO₂ with 2-(dodecylthiocarbonothioylthio)-2-methylpropionic acid (DDMAT) present as chain transfer agent (CTA) and surprisingly shows good control over PMMA molecular weight.     

Intact size-selected Au(n) clusters on a TiO2(110)-(1 x 1) surface at room temperature

Experiments in which mass-selected gold clusters were deposited on a surface have found that the catalytic properties depend strongly on cluster size. However, these experiments have not established definitively that the clusters maintain their size after deposition. We report here work in which we deposit low kinetic energy, mass-selected Aun+ (n = 1-8) clusters on a rutile TiO2(1 x 1) surface and use ultrahigh vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy (UHV-STM) to determine their size and shape.     

Recyclable polyurea-microencapsulated Pd(0) nanoparticles: an efficient catalyst for hydrogenolysis of epoxides

[reaction: see text] Pd nanoparticles (approximately 2 nm in size) microencapsulated in polyurea is an efficient and recyclable catalyst for reductive ring-opening hydrogenolysis of epoxides, using either HCOOH/Et(3)N or H(2) as a hydrogen donor.     

Elution of organic solutes from different polarity sorbents using subcritical water

The intermolecular interactions between organic solutes and sorbent matrices under subcritical water conditions have been investigated at a pressure of 50 bar and temperatures ranging from 50 to 250°C. Both polar and nonpolar organics (chlorophenols, amines, n-alkanes, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and five different sorbent matrices (glass beads, alumina, Florisil, silica-bonded C₁₈, and polymeric XAD-4 resins) were used. From the same matrix, the polar solutes always eluted at lower temperatures, while the moderately polar and nonpolar solutes only eluted at higher temperatures. Similar to matrix effects previously observed using supercritical carbon dioxide, the sorbent type greatly influenced the elution efficiency under subcritical water conditions. Lower temperatures are sufficient to elute a particular solute from glass beads, alumina, and Florisil, but higher temperatures (less polar water) are needed to elute the same solute from silica-bonded C₁₈. The highest temperatures were required to elute aromatic organics from XAD-4. These matrix effects demonstrate that, while low temperature water can break inert or dipole interactions between solutes and glass beads, alumina, and Florisil, higher temperature water is required to interrupt the van der Waals attractions between solutes and silica-bonded C₁₈, and even higher temperatures needed to overcome the π-electron interactions between aromatic solutes and XAD-4.     

ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION - INDUCED MALIGNANT MELANOMA IN Monodelphis domestica

Several lines of evidence support the hypothesis that ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is involved in the etiology of cutaneous melanoma in humans. However, progress in understanding the mechanisms involved in induction of melanotic tumors by UVR has been hindered by lack of a suitable animal model. During the course of multiple exposures (3 times/wk for 70 wk) of the South American opossum, Monodelphis domestica, to UVR, we first observed the appearance of areas of dermal melanocytic hyperplasia (MH) on the exposed skin. Post-UVR exposure to photoreactivating light (320-500 nm) suppressed the occurrence of MH. We also observed at 100 weeks from first exposure that 10 of 46 surviving animals had developed melanotic tumors which arose, presumably, from areas of MH. Tumors on three of the 10 animals have been classified as malignant melanomas based on metastasis to lymph nodes. We conclude from these results that UVR can act as a complete carcinogen for melanoma induction and, based on the photoreactivation of MH induction, that DNA damage is involved in melanoma formation.     

Mechanistic studies of nickel(II) alkyl agostic cations and alkyl ethylene complexes: investigations of chain propagation and isomerization in (alpha-diimine)Ni(II)-catalyzed ethylene polymerization

The synthesis of a series of (alpha-diimine)NiR(2) (R = Et, (n)Pr) complexes via Grignard alkylation of the corresponding (alpha-diimine)NiBr(2) precursors is presented. Protonation of these species by the oxonium acid [H(OEt(2))(2)](+)[BAr'(4)](-) at low temperatures yields cationic Ni(II) beta-agostic alkyl complexes which model relevant intermediates present in nickel-catalyzed olefin polymerization reactions. The highly dynamic nature of these agostic alkyl cations is quantitatively addressed using NMR line broadening techniques. Trapping of these complexes with ethylene provides cationic Ni alkyl ethylene species, which are used to determine rates of ethylene insertion into primary and secondary carbon centers. The Ni agostic alkyl cations are also trapped by CH(3)CN and Me(2)S to yield Ni(R)(L)(+) (L = CH(3)CN, Me(2)S) complexes, and the dynamic behavior of these species in the presence of varied [L] is discussed. The kinetic data obtained from these experiments are used to present an overall picture of the ethylene polymerization mechanism for (alpha-diimine)Ni catalysts, including effects of reaction temperature and ethylene pressure on catalyst activity, polyethylene branching, and polymer architecture. Detailed comparisons of these systems to the previously presented analogous palladium catalysts are made.