Synthesis, characterization, and OLED application of oligo(p-phenylene ethynylene)s with polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) as pendant groups

Two new classes of mono- and oligo(p-phenylene ethynylene)s grafted with polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) were synthesized via ‘click’ chemistry and palladium-catalyzed Sonogashira cross-coupling. These materials with cubic silsesquioxanes are very robust with excellent thermal stability in air (T_5%loss>330 °C) and exhibited T_g>80 °C. All the compounds showed high photoluminescence with a range of blue emission and quantum yield up to 80% in the solution. Extended π conjugation molecules of oligo-pPEs POSS maintain relatively high PL quantum efficiencies in the solid state, compared to mono-pPEs POSS. A preliminary report is made of some of the materials as multilayer OLED components with active dopants PVK and PBD.     

Synthesis of end‐functionalized poly(phenylacetylene)s with well‐characterized palladium catalysts

End‐functionalized poly(phenylacetylene)s were synthesized by the polymerization of phenylacetylene (PA) using the well‐defined palladium catalysts represented as [(dppf)PdBr(R)] {dppf = 1,1′‐bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene}. The Pd catalysts having a series of R groups such as o‐tolyl, mesityl, C(Ph)?CPh₂, C₆H₄‐o‐CH₂OH, C₆H₄‐p‐CN, and C₆H₄‐p‐NO₂ in conjunction with silver triflate polymerized PA to give end‐functionalized poly(PA)s bearing the corresponding R groups in high yields. The results of IR and NMR spectroscopies and MALDI‐TOF mass analyses proved the introduction of these R groups at one end of each polymer chain. The poly(PA) bearing a hydroxy end group was applied as a macroinitiator to the synthesis of a block copolymer composed of poly(PA) and poly(β‐propiolactone) moieties. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2010     

How much should we reweigh?

Suppose that in the final stage of manufacturing of, for instance, chemical products, there is a process in which we weigh each product using a scale to obtain its exact weight, and then mark each product with its weight. In practice, such a weighing process is not necessarily carefully checked and its associated cost is reduced as much as possible since it does not affect the product quality itself. However, the scale occasionally becomes uncalibrated, that is, inaccurate, and hence will produce inaccurate weights for individual products. Particularly when the products are very heavy, a special scale is used and only qualified persons with licenses can inspect the scale to detect its inaccuracy and adjust it. We focus on a problem of this sort and propose a stochastic model aiming to control the volume of products shipped out with inaccurate marked weights.     

Effect of bredinin on the primary culture of fetal mouse cells and adult mouse lung cells.

The effects of bredinin on the primary culture of fetal mouse cells (fetal cells) and adult mouse lung cells (lung cells) were compared. Bredinin inhibited the growth of both cells, and this inhibition was found to be caused, at least in part, by the inhibition of the S phase and/or the transition from the G1 to S phase of the cell cycle. Bredinin inhibited both DNA and RNA synthesis without affecting protein synthesis. However, the inhibitory effect of bredinin differed between the two cell lines; the fetal cells were more sensitive than the lung cells, and bredinin inhibited DNA synthesis 100 times more potently in the fetal cells. The inhibition of DNA synthesis by bredinin in the fetal cells was gradually lowered by in vitro aging of the fetal cells to a level similar to that in the lung cells. There was no difference in the rate of incorporation of bredinin into the cells between the fetal cells and the lung cells. When fetal tissue was used as an enzyme source, bredinin was converted to bredinin 5'-monophosphate (BMP), but when lung tissue was used, bredinin was not converted. This is in agreement with the finding that bredinin has selective toxicity on fetuses in vivo but is hardly toxic to adult cells, which suggests the involvement of BMP in the selective toxicity of bredinin on the fetus.     

Optimal charging times of a battery for memory backup

This paper considers the following charging policy for a battery to back up memories of a computer system: If the voltage of a battery is lower than a prespecified threshold level when the power is on, a battery is charged for a fixed time T. Using the probability theory, an availability of the system is derived and an optimal time T^* to maximize it is discussed. A numerical example is finally given.     

Parametrization of calcium binding site in proteins and molecular dynamics simulation on phospholipase A2

The empirical energy parameters for a calcium ion and its ligands in proteins were determined within a pairwise additive framework. The interaction energies of Ca²⁺-water, Ca²⁺-peptide group and Ca²⁺-carboxyl group systems were calculated using the ab initio molecular orbital method with basis sets of double zeta quality including polarization or diffuse functions. The resulting potential energy surfaces served as references for the determination of the nonbonded parameters in the empirical energy function. The nonadditive corrections for the Ca²⁺-ligand pair potentials are incorporated implicitly in the nonbonded paremeters by treating three-body (1:2 complex) or seven-body (1:6 complex) systems in reference calculations. Ligand polarizations induced by Ca²⁺ are estimated from the partial atomic charges of two-body (1:1 complex) systems. The charge sets were determined by scaling so as to reproduce the reference potential energy surfaces. The newly determined parameter set was used in a stochastic boundary molecular dynamics simulation of phospholipase A₂. The solvated structure of the Ca²⁺-binding site obtained from an X-ray crystallographic study is well reproduced by the parameter set.     

Anion-selective properties of alkali metal-free lead phosphate glasses containing silver chloride and their application in an ion-selective electrode

Alkali-free lead phosphate glasses containing silver chloride have been developed for anion responsive sensors. From measurements of the final glass compositions by electron probe microanalysis, it became clear that some of chloride ions in the glass bulk were not volatilized during the glass melting process. Compared with phosphate glasses containing silver oxide, the new glass electrodes containing silver chloride could respond more rapidly, although the response behaviour for anionic species were similar. From the electrode potential vs. time curve for the anionic species, the potential rapidly reached equilibrium when these concentrations varied from 10^?5 to 10^?2 M. The response times, t₉₅, to thiocyanate of the new glass electrode and the phosphate glass electrode containing silver oxide were 30 and 110 s, respectively. Moreover, the response time required for an initial potential change with a concentration jump of thiocyanate with the new glass electrode was found to be independent of the membrane thickness within about 2 mm and of the measuring temperature between 15 and 40°C. It is concluded that the diffusion process of species such as silver ion in the glass bulk does not take part in the initial part of the response behaviour.