High-molecular-weight poly(p-phenyleneterephthalamide) by CaCl2 promoted direct polycondensation with thionyl chloride in N-methylpyrrolidone

The direct polycondensation of terephthalic acid and p-phenylenediamine hydrochloride (PPD.2HCl) with thionyl chloride was found to be significantly promoted in N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) by dissolved CaCl₂ and tertiary amines. The inherent viscosity of the polymer obtained varied with the amount of CaCl₂ and tertiary amines added. The reaction, when effectively promoted by CaCl₂, proceeded homogeneously in the early state of polycondensation, and then resulted in a highly swollen gel. CaCl₂ had to be present in the PPD.2HCl/tertiary amines/NMP solution as well as in the TPA/SOCl₂/NMP mixture for the polycondensation to proceed to high molecular weight. Complexes of CaCl₂, PPD.2HCl, and tertiary amines in NMP similar to the well known complex, CaCl₂ · nNH₃ (n = 2, 4, 8) was proposed to facilitate the polycondensation.     

Enantioselective conjugate addition of diethylzinc to acyclic enones using a copper phosphino-phenol complex as catalyst

Newly designed phosphino-phenol 1c was found to be an efficient chiral auxiliary for copper-mediated asymmetric conjugate addition of diethylzinc to acyclic enones. High enantioselectivity up to >99% ee was achieved in the reaction of acyclic α,β-enones.     

Conversion of anisotropically phase-segregated Pd/gamma-Fe2O3 nanoparticles into exchange-coupled fct-FePd/alpha-Fe nanocomposite magnets

Exchange-coupled fct-FePd/alpha-Fe nanocomposite magnets were fabricated by converting anisotropically phase-segregated Pd/gamma-Fe2O3 nanoparticles via the interfacial atom diffusion. The magnetically hard fct-FePd phases formed by the interdiffusion between alpha-Fe and fcc-Pd phases nearly preserve their sizes at the nanometer scale because they are surrounded by the alpha-Fe matrix. The VSM measurements reveal that the exchange coupling between the soft and hard phases has been realized.     

Synthesis and monolayer properties of double-chained phosphatidylcholines containing perfluoroalkyl groups of different length

A series of double-chained phosphatidylcholines (PCs), 1,2-dioctadec-9′-ynoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine analogs containing perfluoroalkyl moieties (CF₃, C₂F₅, n-C₄F₉ or n-C₈F₁₇) as the terminal segment in two hydrophobic chains, 1a-d, were synthesized. Equilibrium spreading pressures of these fluorinated PCs at the air-water interface were measured as an indication of monolayer stability, in order to obtain the minimal fluorine content in PC molecule efficient to exhibit monolayer stabilizing effect. The monolayer stability sigmoidally increased with the fluorine content in PC molecule and subsequently leveled off above a certain fluorine content, i.e., n-C₄F₉ moiety, at 25 °C. Under this condition, the replacement of at least five hydrogen atoms at the terminal hydrophobic segment in double-chained PC molecule by fluorine atoms, i.e., CF₃CF₂ moiety, is required to exhibit the monolayer stabilizing effect, whereas further fluorination of double-chained PC (F(CF₂)_n; n > 4) has a minor effect on the monolayer stability.     

Ruthenium(salen)-catalyzed aerobic oxidative desymmetrization of meso-diols and its kinetics

Chiral (nitrosyl)ruthenium(salen) complexes were found to be efficient catalysts for aerobic oxidative desymmetrization of meso-diols under photoirradiation to give optically active lactols. The scope of the applicability of this reaction ranges widely from acyclic diols to mono-cyclic diols, although fine ligand-tuning of the ruthenium(salen) complexes was required to attain high enantioselectivity (up to 93% ee). In particular, the nature of the apical ligand was found to affect not only enantioselectivity but also kinetics of the desymmetrization reaction. Spectroscopic analysis of the oxidation disclosed that irradiation of visible light is indispensable not only for dissociation of the nitrosyl ligand but also for single electron transfer from the alcohol-bound ruthenium ion to dioxygen.     

Formation and lithuim ionic conduction of the antifluorite type solid electrolytes,Li2+x-y-z[(NH)1-x-y-zNxClyHz]

Antifluorite type solid electrolytes, Li_2+x-y-z[(NH)_1-x-y-zN_xCl_yH_z] have been synthesized from Li₃N, LiCl and LiCl·H₂O or $\text{Li}{}_2\text{[(}\text{NH}\text{)}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}\text{N}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>4</mtext>}}\text{H}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>4</mtext>}}$]. Either of the last two compounds introduces NH^2- ions into the product and is indispensable to form the antifluorite type structure. The lattice parameter decreases with increasing amount of NH^2- ions in the compound, reflecting the difference of anion sizes between Cl^- and NH^2- ions. Activation energies of Li⁺ diffusive motion, derived from both conductivity and NMR measurements, increase with concentration of NH^2- ions, although the values differ by a factor of ≈2 netween the both methods.     

Mössbauer spectroscopic study of potassium borate glasses at low temperatures

Mössbauer studies of potassium borate glasses containing a small amount of iron were performed at dry ice and liquid nitrogen temperatures in order to investigate the physical properties of non-bridging oxygens in the glasses. The Mössbauer spectra at the temperature of dry ice were almost the same as those at room temperature. On the other hand, the spectra at the temperature of liquid nitrogen consisted of quadrupole doublet and hyperfine structure due to Fe³⁺ ions with tetrahedral symmetry. Magnetic suceptibility measurements revealed that the hyperfine structure was observed because of a paramagnetic relaxation effect. Isomer shift values for both the quadrupole doublet and the hyperfine structure were constant in the alkali region below 20 mol.%, and continuously decreased when the alkali content of the glasses was in the region ? 20 mol.%. The absorption areas for the hyperfine structure were also constant in the alkali region below 20 mol.%, and linearly decreased with alkali content in the region ? 20 mol.%. The internal magnetic field for the hyperfine structure also showed the same tendency as the absorption area. These results were attributed to the formation of non-bridging oxygen at the site adjacent to the iron, and the decrease of the absorption area for the hyperfine structure seemed to be directly related to the fraction of non-bridging oxygen in the oxygens constituting FeO₄ tetrahedra.     

Ionic conductivity of Li2OB2O3 thin films

The ionic conductivity of evaporated Li₂OB₂O₃ thin films has been studied. These thin films were found to show a considerably high ionic conductivity of 1 × 10^?7 Ω^?1 cm^?1 at room temperature. The conductivity increases with increasing Li content and exhibits a maximum value near 3Li₂O·B₂O₃. The structure of these films was determined using infrared absorption and laser Raman scattering spectroscopy. Using the results, the correlation between structure and conductivity is also discussed.