Diastereoselective addition of dimethyl phosphite to 3,3′,4,4′-tetramethyl-1,1′-diphosphaferrocene-2-carboxaldehyde

Addition of dimethyl phosphite to racemic 3,3′,4,4′-tetramethyl-1,1′-diphosphaferrocene-2-carboxaldehyde gives almost exclusively one diastereomer of the corresponding α-hydroxyphosphonate (d.r. ?96:4). Its absolute configuration (S, R_p)-(R, S_p) was established by X-ray diffraction.     

Self-assembled,wormlike-cylinder network of polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene oxide) micelles in solution

We report the formation of a highly entangled and interconnected, self-assembled, wormlike-cylinder network of polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene oxide) in N, N-dimethylformamide/water. In this system, N,N-dimethylformamide was a common solvent and water was a selective solvent for the poly(ethylene oxide) blocks. The degrees of polymerization of the polystyrene and poly(ethylene oxide) blocks were 962 and 227, respectively. The network was formed at copolymer concentrations higher than 0.4 wt % and consisted of self-assembled, wormlike cylinders that were interconnected by Y-shaped, T-shaped, and multiple junctions. The network morphology was visualized with transmission electron microscopy. Capillary viscometry measurements revealed an order-of-magnitude increase in the inherent viscosity of the colloidal system upon the formation of the network. A similar effort to obtain a wormlike-cylinder network in an N,N-dimethylformamide/acetonitrile system, in which acetonitrile was a selective solvent for the poly(ethylene oxide) blocks, was unsuccessful even at high copolymer concentrations; instead, the wormlike cylinders showed a tendency to align. The viscosity measurements also did not show a substantial increase in the inherent viscosity. Thus, the solvent played a critical role in determining the formation of the self-assembled, wormlike-cylinder network. This formation of the network resulted from an interplay between the end-capping energy, bending energy (curvature), and configurational entropy of the self-assembled, wormlike-cylinder micelles that minimized the free energy. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 3605–3611, 2006     

Monodisperse thermosensitive particles prepared by emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization with microwave irradiation

The emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization of styrene (St) and N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) was successfully carried out with microwave irradiation, and the monodisperse thermoresponsive poly(styrene-co-N-isopropylacrylamide) (poly(St-co-NIPAAm)) particles with diameters in the range 100–130 nm were prepared. The morphology, size and size distribution of the poly(St-co-NIPAAm) particles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS), respectively. The results showed that poly(St-co-NIPAAm) particles had spherical morphology, and the poly(St-co-NIPAAm) particles prepared by emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization with microwave irradiation were smaller, more uniform than those obtained with conventional heating. The hydrodynamic diameters of poly(St-co-NIPAAm) particles were decreased as the temperature increased from 25 °C to 40 °C, and poly(St-co-NIPAAm) particles collapsed remarkably at 32 °C, which is the lower critical solution temperature of the poly(N-isopropylacrylamide). The morphology of the assembled poly(St-co–NIPAAm) particles was observed by SEM, it was found that monodisperse poly(St-co-NIPAAm) particles could assemble to form the two-dimensional order structures.     

Spin crossover studies in tris(N,N′-dialkyldithiocarbamato)iron(III) complexes

A series of fifteen complexes of the type [Fe(RRNCS₂)₃] with symmetric (R=R=n- C₆H₁₃, n-C₈H₁₇, CH₂–CH=;CH₂, C₆H₅, C₆H₁₁ and C₆H₅CH₂), unsymmetric (R = CH₃; R = n-C₄H₉, C₆H₁₁, C₆H₅ and R = C₂H₅; R = n-C₄H₉, C₆H₁₁, C₆H₅ and i-C₃H₇) and ring substituents (RNR=pyrrolidyl and piperidyl) have been synthesized and their magnetic moments and Mössbauer spectra recorded from room temperature (RT) to liquid nitrogen temperature (LNT). Room temperature Mössbauer spectra of all the complexes exhibit an asymmetric doublet, which could be resolved into two doublets, each corresponding to low and high spin states in equilibrium. The crystal structure of tris(N, N-diallyldithiocarbamato)iron(III) shows it to be monoclinic with trigonally distorted octahedral geometry and space group C2/c. Fe–S stretching vibrations in the far i.r. region also show equilibria, HS LS. Depending on the nature of the alkyl group substituent, variable temperature magnetic moment and Mössbauer spectral studies, all the complexes may be divided into three groups; high spin complexes exhibiting spin-crossover (⁶A_1g ²T_2g), high spin complexes exhibiting spin transition (⁶A_1g ⁴T_1g) and intermediate spin complexes showing spin transition (⁴A_1g ²T_2g). On the basis of areas of the two doublets corresponding to high and low spin states, their percent contributions were calculated. Furthermore, magnetic moments of the equilibrium mixture calculated on the basis of respective areas compare well with the experimentally determined _eff values. E_Q values for both high and low spin states show linear decrease with increasing temperature.     

Effect of ionic and non-ionic surfactants on the reduction of water soluble colloidal MnO<Subscript>2</Subscript> by glycolic acid

Kinetics of the redox reaction between colloidal MnO₂ and glycolic acid have been studied spectrophotometrically by monitoring the decay in the absorbance of colloidal MnO₂ in absence and presence of surfactants. Anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate has no effect, non-ionic Triton X-100 catalyzed the reaction and experiments were not possible in presence of cationic cetyltrimethylammonium bromide due to the precipitation of MnO₂.The reaction followed the same type of kinetic behavior, i.e., fractional-, first- and fractional-order dependencies, respectively, in [glycolic acid], [MnO₂] and [H⁺ ] in both the media. Effects of gum arabic and manganese(II) have also been studied and discussed. Mechanisms in accordance with the experimental data are proposed for the reaction.     

Effect of chemical potential on the computer simulation of hydrogen storage in single walled carbon nanotubes

Hydrogen is a kind of clean, sustainable and renewable energy carrier. Of the problems to be solved for the utilization of hydrogen energy, how to store and transport hydrogen has been given high priority on the research agenda. Recently, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were reported to be very promising candidates for hydrogen uptake[1], which may have possibility to satisfy the benchmark set by the US Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen Plan for fuel cell powered vehicles: a gravimetric density …     

Electrochemical Determination of Ascorbic Acid at γ-MnO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Modified Carbon Black Microelectrodes

A carbon black microelectrode modified by -MnO₂ has been prepared. The electrocatalytical oxidation of ascorbic acid (AA) at this microelectrode was investigated. The 2nd-order linear scan voltammograms of AA are recorded from –0.5 to 0.5V (vs. SCE). The relationship between the oxidation peak current of AA and its concentration in the range of 1.0×10^–64.0×10^–3molL^–1 is linear. The detection limit (3) was found to be 6.0×10^–7molL^–1. Also, the determination of AA in samples is evaluated, and the results are satisfactory.     

Polymeric positive-temperature-coefficient materials: dynamic curing effect

The object of this work was to prepare high-density polyethylene (HDPE)/ethylene–propylene–diene terpolymer (EPDM)/conductive carbon black (CB) composites by dynamic curing and to characterize the positive-temperature-coefficient (PTC) performances of the composites.EPDM and dicumyl peroxide were preblended in a research mill. The roll-milled strands were blended with HDPE and CB in a Haake mixer. The sheet resistivity and morphology of the HDPE/EPDM/CB composites with or without the dynamic curing process were investigated. It was concluded that the dynamically cured blends exhibit better PTC performance than the simple blends without dynamic curing. The effects of shear intensity and dicumyl peroxide content during the dynamic curing process were discussed for the PTC characteristics of the HDPE/EPDM/CB composites.     

Fluorescence of tryptophan-containing peptides on paper or silica gel after treatment with formaldehyde, formaldehyde-ozone or formaldehyde-hydrochloric acid.

Sensitive and specific procedures for the chromatographic detection of tryptophan and tryptophan-containing peptides are described. Formaldehyde gas induces strong and characteristic fluorescence from tryptophan and peptides with NH2-terminal tryptophan residues on silica gel. On filter-paper, the detection of small amounts of these compounds requires the additional use of an oxidant, such as ozone. Treatment with formaldehyde-hydrochloric acid was used as a method for inducing fluorescence from tryptophan-containing peptides regardless of the position of the tryptophan residue in the peptide molecule. This reaction is useful for the chromatographic demonstration of small amounts of such peptides on both paper and silica gel. The spectral properties of the fluorophores of such tryptophan-containing peptides are distinctive and serve to distinguish them from all other known biogenic compounds that are capable of giving fluorescence with formaldehyde.