Rod-sphere transition in polybutadiene-poly(L-lysine) block copolymer assemblies

This paper describes the synthesis and characterization of poly(butadiene)m-poly(L-lysine)n (m-n = 107-200, 107-100, and 60-50) block copolymers. The polymers are prepared in a two-step process whereby amine-terminated polybutadiene is used to initiate the ring-opening polymerization of the epsilon-benzyloxycarbonyl L-lysine N-carboxyanhydride. After deprotection, the self-assembly of the block copolymers in aqueous media were studied using dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and circular dichroism spectroscopy. These block copolymers were found to form either spherical micelles or rod-like micelles at high pH depending on the composition of the block copolymer. As the pH is decreased, the micelles swell due to charge-charge repulsions between corona chains and from the helix-coil transition of the polypeptide block. The two systems that form rod-like micelles at high pH also exhibit a pH-induced rod-sphere transition at low pH. This transition was verified from Kratky analysis of the static light scattering data and via CONTIN analysis of the dynamic light scattering data, which shows a bimodal distribution in particle sizes.     

Synthesis and characterization of 1‐ and 2‐cinnamoyloxyacetonaphthones

The synthesis of 1‐ and 2‐cinnamoyloxyacetonaphthones was achieved in one step using hydroxyl acetonaphthones and substituted cinnamic acids in the presence of a catalytic amount of phosphoroxychloride. Structural characterization was accomplished using high‐resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Chemical shifts of the compounds were compared and the change in the chemical shifts relative to electron‐donating and ‐withdrawing groups is presented. Introduction of a thiophene ring instead of phenyl‐substituted analogs caused shielding of the olefinic proton. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Unusual formation of β-carboline dimers under Bischler-Napieralski reaction conditions: an old reaction with a new direction

l-N-Formyl tryptophan methyl ester (3) underwent a Bischler-Napieralski reaction with POCl₃ at room temperature or under microwave irradiation, resulting in the unusual formation of β-carboline dimers 5 and 6. Most importantly, acetylation using Ac₂O of each of the dimers 5 and 6 separately afforded 1-[3′-carbomethoxy-β-carbolinyl]-3-carbomethoxy-9-acetyl-β-carboline (7) as the only product, the structure of which was confirmed by X-ray crystallography studies.     

Heteronuclear NMR spectroscopic investigations of hydrogen bonding in 2‐(benzo[d]thiazole‐2′‐yl)‐N‐alkylanilines

The 2‐(benzo[d]thiazole‐2′‐yl)‐N‐alkylanilines have previously revealed the presence of a strong intramolecular hydrogen bond. This in turn gives rise to a more complicated multiplet for the protons attached to the carbon adjacent to the amino group. This intramolecular hydrogen bond was investigated by a deuterium exchange experiment using heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy (¹H, ¹³C, ¹⁵ N and ²H). We observed changes in the multiplet structure and chemical shifts providing further evidence that the deuterium replaces the hydrogen in the intramolecular hydrogen bond. A time course study of the D₂O exchange confirmed the presence of a strong hydrogen bond. The comparison of the structures obtained by X‐ray crystallography showed a very small difference in planarity between the two‐substituted and four‐substituted amino compounds. In both the cases, the phenyl ring is not absolutely coplanar with the thiazole unit. The existence of this intramolecular hydrogen bond in 2‐(benzo[d]thiazole‐2′‐yl)‐N‐alkylanilines was further confirmed by single crystal X‐ray crystallography. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Enhanced photovoltaic characterization and charge transport of TIO2 nanoparticles/nanotubes composite photoanode based on indigo carmine dye-sensitized solar cells

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have established themselves as an alternative to conventional solar cells owing to their remarkably high power conversion efficiency, longtime stability and low-cost production. DSSCs composed of a dyed oxide semiconductor photoanode, a redox electrolyte and a counter electrode. In these devices, conversion efficiency is achieved by ultra-fast injection of an electron from a photo excited dye into the conduction band of metal oxide followed by subsequent dye regeneration and holes transportation to the counter electrode. The energy conversion efficiency of DSSC is to be dependent on the morphology and structure of the dye adsorbed metal oxide photoanode. Worldwide considerable efforts of DSSCs have been invested in morphology control of photoanode film, synthesis of stable optical sensitizers and improved ionic conductivity electrolytes. In the present investigation, a new composite nano structured photoanodes were prepared using TiO₂ nano tubes (TNTs) with TiO₂ nano particles (TNPs). TNPs were synthesized by sol–gel method and TNTs were prepared through an alkali hydrothermal transformation. Working photoanodes were prepared using five pastes of TNTs concentrations of 0, 10, 50, 90, and 100 % with TNPs. The DSSCs were fabricated using Indigo carmine dye as photo sensitizer and PMII (1-propyl-3-methylimmidazolium iodide) ionic liquid as electrolyte. The counter electrode was prepared using Copper sulfide. The structure and morphology of TNPs and TNTs were characterized by X-ray diffraction and electron microscopes (TEM and SEM). The photocurrent efficiency is measured using a solar simulator (100 mW/cm²). The prepared composite TNTs/TNPs photoanode could significantly improve the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells owing to its synergic effects, i.e. effective dye adsorption mainly originated from TiO₂ nanoparticles and rapid electron transport in one-dimensional TiO₂ nanotubes. The results of the present investigation suggested that the DSSC based on 10 % TNTs/TNPs showed better photovoltaic performance than cell made pure TiO₂ nanoparticles. The highest energy-conversion efficiency of 2.80 % is achieved by composite TNTs (10 %)/TNPs film, which is 68 % higher than that pure TNPs film and far larger than that formed by bare TNTs film (94 %). The charge transport and charge recombination behaviors of DSSCs were investigated by electrochemical impedance spectra and the results showed that composite TNTs/TNPs film-based cell possessed the lowest transfer resistances and the longest electron lifetime. Hence, it could be concluded that the composite TNTs/TNPs photoanodes facilitate the charge transport and enhancing the efficiencies of DSSCs.     

Investigations on the Thermal and Elastic Properties of ZnO-Incorporated Phosphate Glasses and Glass Ceramics

Abstract

Glasses of the 45P₂O₅-(40-x)CaO-15Na₂O-xZnO system with increasing zinc oxide (ZnO) concentrations within the ranges of 3 ≤ x ≤ 12 mol% were obtained by employing the melt-quench technique. ZnO inclusions in the phosphate glass network lead to increases in its density and, conversely, a decrease in its molar volume. On the basis of the obtained thermal analysis data, the glasses underwent thermal treatment, which helped to derive their glass ceramic equivalents. The evaluations of structural and elastic properties of glasses before and after thermal treatments were made using X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies and ultrasonic nondestructive testing. The differential thermal analysis data show the reduction in the crystallization tendency and increase in thermal properties, such as crystallization temperature (T _P), thermal stability

(T _c – T _g) (where T_c is crystallization onset temperature and T _g is glass transition temperature), thermal stability parameter (S), and degree of glassification (D _g) of phosphate glasses against the progressive additions of ZnO. The XRD of glass ceramics confirmed the dominance of metaphosphate, pyrophosphate, and ZnO-related crystalline features. The measured elastic moduli, such as longitudinal (L), shear (G), Young's (Y), and bulk (K), and Vicker's microhardness values increased in both glass and glass ceramics with an increase in ZnO incorporation.     

New chiral morpholine-pyrrolidine ligands affecting asymmetric selectivity in copper catalyzed Henry reaction

In this study, several chiral diamine (35, 36, 37 and 39), triamine (24 and 25), diaminol (38, 42 and 43) and triaminol ligands (29 and 30) having chiral morpholine and pyrrolidine moieties conjugated constitutes, were prepared from commercially available (S)-2-amino-2-phenylacetic acid and (S)-proline. These ligands were complexed with copper (II) salt in situ and applied to asymmetric Henry reaction. Asymmetric addition of various structurally divergent aldehydes and nitromethane in the presence of 5?mol% of chiral ligand with CuCl₂ furnished corresponding β-nitro alcohol in good yields (up to 55–79%) with good enantioselectivity (up to 89%).     

Application of structure‐based focusing to the estrogen receptor

We present the Cerius² Structure‐Based Focusing (SBF) application. This application was applied to the estrogen receptor. A series of three‐dimensional queries were generated for the binding site of the receptor. The queries consist of combinations of hydrogen bond donors and acceptors, and lipophilic features for the binding site along with excluded volume regions occupied by the receptor atoms. A database of 31 ligands with known relative binding affinities for the estrogen receptor was used to examine the selectivity of the queries. The objective of the study was to determine if queries generated by the Cerius² SBF method could differentiate between the more and less active ligands of the training set. Results are promising, with the generated queries showing greater selectivity toward the more active ligands. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Comput Chem 22: 993–1003, 2001