Metal-free and highly regioselective synthesis of N-heteroaryl substituted pyrazoles from α,β-unsaturated N-tosylhydrazones and heteroaryl chlorides

A cascade cyclization/nucleophilic aromatic substitution (S_NAr) reaction of α,β-unsaturated N-tosylhydrazones with N-heteroaryl chlorides was developed for the synthesis of N-heteroaryl pyrazole derivatives. This one-pot reaction provided bi(heteroaryl) derivatives in good to excellent yields and with excellent regioselectivity. The procedure is operationally simple and applicable to large-scale synthesis.     

Polymerization-induced viscoelastic phase separation in polyethersulfone-modified epoxy systems

The polymerization-induced phase-separation process of polyethersulfone (PES)-modified epoxy systems was monitored in situ continuously on a single sample throughout the entire curing process by using optical microscopes, time-resolved light scattering (TRLS), scanning electronic microscopes (SEM), and a rheometry instrument. At specific PES content a viscoelastic transformation process of phase inversion morphology to bicontinuous was found with an optical microscope. The rheological behavior during phase separation corresponds well with the morphology development. Light-scattering results monitoring the phase-separation process of systems with final phase inversion morphology show a typical exponential decay procedure of scattering vector qm. The characteristic relaxation time of phase separation can be described well by the WLF equation.     

Synthesis and characterization of temperature-sensitive cellulose-graft-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) copolymers

A new series of cellulose-graft-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)(cellulose-g-PNIPAM) copolymers were prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization(ATRP) of N-isopropylacrylamide monomers from a cellulose-based macro-initiator, which was homogeneously synthesized in an ionic liquid 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride(Amim Cl). The composition of cellulose-g-PNIPAM copolymers could be adjusted by altering the feeding ratio and reaction time. The resultant copolymers with relatively high content of PNIPAM segments(molar substitution of PNIPAM ? 18.3) were soluble in water at room temperature. Aqueous solutions of cellulose-g-PNIPAM copolymers exhibited clear temperature-sensitive behavior, and their sol-to-gel phase transition properties were investigated by dynamic light scattering(DLS) and UV measurements. Compared with pure PNIPAM, the cellulose-g-PNIPAM copolymers possessed higher lower critical solution temperatures(LCST) in a range from 36.9 ?C to 40.8 ?C, which are close to normal human body temperature, and could be tuned by adjusting the content of PNIPAM segments in copolymers. Spherical structure of cellulose-g-PNIPAM copolymers formed at temperatures above LCST and its morphology was observed by TEM and SEM. These novel cellulose-g-PNIPAM copolymers may be attractive substrates for some biomedical applications, such as drug release and tissue engineering.     

Solid-state MAS NMR studies of Brønsted acid sites in zeolite H-Mordenite

(17)O-(1)H double resonance NMR spectroscopy was used to study the local structure of zeolite H-Mordenite. Different contact times were used in cross-polarization magic angle spinning (CPMAS) NMR, CP rotational-echo double resonance (CP-REDOR) NMR, and heteronuclear correlation (HETCOR) NMR spectroscopy to distinguish between Br?nsted acid sites with different O-H distances. The accessibility of the various Br?nsted acid sites was quantified by adsorbing the basic probe molecule trimethylphosphine in known amounts. On the basis of these experiments, locations of different Br?nsted acid sites in H-Mordenite (H-MOR) were proposed. The use of (17)O chemical shift correlations to help assign sites is discussed.     

Controllable synthesis of ZnxCd1-xS@ZnO core-shell nanorods with enhanced photocatalytic activity

We report the synthesis of Zn(x)Cd(1-x)S@ZnO nanorod arrays via a facile two-step process and the implementation of these core-shell nanorods as an environmental friendly and recyclable photocatalyst for methyl orange degradation. The band gap of Zn(x)Cd(1-x)S@ZnO core-shell nanorods can be readily tunable by adjusting the ratio of Zn/Cd during the synthesis. These Zn(x)Cd(1-x)S@ZnO core-shell nanorods exhibit a high photocatalytic activity and good stability in the degradation of the methyl orange. Moreover, these films grown on FTO substrates make the collection and recycle of the photocatalyst easier. These findings may open new opportunities for the design of effective, stable, and easy-recyclable photocatalytic materials.     

Preparation and characterization of poly(propylene carbonate)/montmorillonite nanocomposites by solution intercalation

Poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) is a new biodegradable aliphatic polycarbonate. However, the poor thermal stability and low glass transition temperatures (T_g) have limited its applications. To improve the thermal properties of PPC, organophilic montmorillonite (OMMT) was mixed with PPC by a solution intercalation method to produce nanocomposites. An intercalated-and-flocculated structure of PPC/OMMT nanocomposites was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The thermal and mechanical properties of PPC/OMMT nanocomposites were investigated by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetric (DSC), and electronic tensile tester. Due to the nanometer-sized dispersion of layered silicate in polymer matrix, PPC/OMMT nanocomposites exhibit improved thermal and mechanical properties than pure PPC. When the OMMT content is 4 wt%, the PPC/OMMT nanocomposite shows the best thermal and mechanical properties. These results indicate that nanocomposition is an efficient and convenient method to improve the properties of PPC.     

Determination of tetracyclines in ovine milk by high-performance liquid chromatography with a coulometric electrode array system

A method has been developed to analyze residual tetracyclines (TCs) (oxytetracycline (OTC), tetracycline (TC), chlortetracycline (CTC), methacycline (MTC), doxycycline (DC)) in ovine milk, using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a coulometric electrode array system. The samples were pretreated, using liquid-liquid extraction based on hexane. The chromatography was performed, using a C18 column (150 mm x 4 mm i.d. and 5 microm) with a mobile phase: sodium phosphate monobasic dihydrate (pH 2.2, 0.05 M)-acetonitrile (78:22, v/v). The flow rate of mobile phase was kept constantly at 1ml/min. The residues were monitored by an ESA electrochemical detector. Potentials of four electrodes in series were set at 400, 660, 680 and 700 mV, respectively. The first electrode was set to remove those interfering substances that may co-elute with TCs and the other three electrodes were used for quantification. The maximal potential of our detection was 700 mV. Calibration curve showed good linearity and the detection limit of TCs was 12.5, 20, 25, 10 and 25 ng/ml, respectively. Optimization of the pH of the mobile phase, the proportion of acetonitrile and the pH of the pretreatment were also performed. Recoveries of TCs from spiked samples were more than 88% and the relative standard deviations were less than 4.3%. This method was reliable, sensitive, economical and suited for routine monitoring of TC residues in ovine dairy milk.     

Physical and electrochemical characterizations of microwave-assisted polyol preparation of carbon-supported PtRu nanoparticles

PtRu nanoparticles supported on Vulcan XC-72 carbon and carbon nanotubes were prepared by a microwave-assisted polyol process. The catalysts were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The PtRu nanoparticles, which were uniformly dispersed on carbon, were 2-6 nm in diameter. All PtRu/C catalysts prepared as such displayed the characteristic diffraction peaks of a Pt face-centered cubic structure, excepting that the 2theta values were shifted to slightly higher values. XPS analysis revealed that the catalysts contained mostly Pt(0) and Ru(0), with traces of Pt(II), Pt(IV), and Ru(IV). The electro-oxidation of methanol was studied by cyclic voltammetry, linear sweep voltammetry, and chronoamperometry. It was found that both PtRu/C catalysts had high and more durable electrocatalytic activities for methanol oxidation than a comparative Pt/C catalyst. Preliminary data from a direct methanol fuel cell single stack test cell using the Vulcan-carbon-supported PtRu alloy as the anode catalyst showed high power density.     

Synthesis of sulfated titania supported on mesoporous silica using direct impregnation and its application in esterification of acetic acid and n-butanol

A new method has been developed for the preparation of sulfated titania (S-TiO₂) supported on mesoporous silica. The use of direct exchange of metal containing precursors for the surfactants in the as-synthesized MCM-41 substrate produced a product with high sulfur content without serious blockage of the pore structure of MCM-41. The pore sizes and volumes of the resultant S-TiO₂/MCM-41 composites were found to vary markedly with the loading of TiO₂. The strong acidic character of the composites obtained was examined by using them as catalysts for the esterification of acetic acid and n-butanol.     

A controlled porosity osmotic pump system with biphasic release of theophylline

A controlled porosity osmotic pump system with biphasic release of theophylline was developed for the nocturnal therapy of asthma. The developed system was composed of a tablet-in-tablet (TNT) core and a controlled porosity coating membrane. Release pattern of the developed system was influenced by amount of pore former (18.2-45.5%, w/w of polymer), weight gain (16-26 mg per tablet) of the coating membrane and osmotic agents used in inner layer of the TNT core. When sodium phosphate and sodium chloride were selected as the osmotic agents in inner and outer layer of the TNT core respectively, target release profile was obtained with coating solution cellulose acetate-polyethylene glycol 400-diethyl phthalate (54.5-36.4-9.1%, w/w) at a weight gain of 16-22 mg per tablet. To examine the mechanism of drug release, release profiles of osmotic agents, micro-environmental osmotic pressure and micro-environmental pH of the formulation during dissolution were studied. Micro-environmental osmotic pressure decreased and micro-environmental pH increased continuously during the whole dissolution process, theophylline release was dominated by the successive dissolution of sodium chloride and sodium phosphate. Theophylline solubility increased as environmental pH exceeded 10.8. At the last stage of the biphasic release, micro-environmental pH in the developed formulation reached 10.9, and theophylline release was promoted by its elevated solubility despite of the decrease of micro-environmental osmotic pressure in the developed formulaiton.