Chlorodimethylsulfonium Chloride–Mediated Formation of Phenyl-α-chloroazoalkanes

Phenylhydrazones (1) are efficiently converted into phenyl-α-chloroazoalkanes (2) upon treatment with chlorodimethylsulfonium chloride. Pendent olefins, silyl ethers, and the phenyl ring of the hydrazone are stable to these reaction conditions.     

Comparison of changes in cellulose ultrastructure during different pretreatments of poplar

One commonly cited factor that contributes to the recalcitrance of biomass is cellulose crystallinity. The present study aims to establish the effect of several pretreatment technologies on cellulose crystallinity, crystalline allomorph distribution, and cellulose ultrastructure. The observed changes in the cellulose ultrastructure of poplar were also related to changes in enzymatic hydrolysis, a measure of biomass recalcitrance. Hot-water, organo-solv, lime, lime-oxidant, dilute acid, and dilute acid-oxidant pretreatments were compared in terms of changes in enzymatic sugar release and then changes in cellulose ultrastructure measured by ¹³C cross polarization magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance and wide-angle X-ray diffraction. Pretreatment severity and relative chemical depolymerization/degradation were assessed through compositional analysis and high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection. Results showed minimal cellulose ultrastructural changes occurred due to lime and lime-oxidant pretreatments, which at short residence time displayed relatively high enzymatic glucose yield. Hot water pretreatment moderately changed cellulose crystallinity and crystalline allomorph distribution, yet produced the lowest enzymatic glucose yield. Dilute acid and dilute acid-oxidant pretreatments resulted in the largest increase in cellulose crystallinity, para-crystalline, and cellulose-I_β allomorph content as well as the largest increase in cellulose microfibril or crystallite size. Perhaps related, compositional analysis and Klason lignin contents for samples that underwent dilute acid and dilute acid-oxidant pretreatments indicated the most significant polysaccharide depolymerization/degradation also ensued. Organo-solv pretreatment generated the highest glucose yield, which was accompanied by the most significant increase in cellulose microfibril or crystallite size and decrease in relatively lignin contents. Hot-water, dilute acid, dilute acid-oxidant, and organo-solv pretreatments all showed evidence of cellulose microfibril coalescence.     

Airborne laser radar for mapping two-dimensional contours of aerosol concentration

An improved version of a compact dye laser radar system with real-time data analysis capability has been developed for aircraft installation. The system is designed for use in mapping two-dimensional contours of aerosol backscattering coefficients both above and below the aircraft. The laser radar is part of a larger system which has been developed to characterize the optical properties of aerosols as well as their spatial and temporal variability.     

On the zeros of a minimal realization

In an earlier work, the authors have introduced a coordinate-free, module-theoretic definition of zeros for the transfer function G(s) of a linear multivariable system (A,B,C). The first contribution of this paper is the construction of an explicit k[z]-module isomorphism from that zero module, Z(G), to V¹/R¹, where V¹ is the supremal (A,B)-invariant subspace contained in kerC and R¹ is the supremal (A,B)-controllable subspace contained in kerC, and where (A,B,C) constitutes a minimal realization of G(s). The isomorphism is developed from an exact commutative diagram of k-vector spaces. The second contribution is the introduction of a zero-signal generator and the establishment of a relation between this generator and the classic notion of blocked signal transmissions.