Poly(aryl ether phenylquinoxalines) via anionic ring opening polymerization of macrocycles

A cyclic poly(aryl ether phenylquinoxaline) was prepared via the self-polymerization of 1 in an N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) solution containing base using a pseudo-high dilution polymerization condition. The macrocycle formation of 1 was carried out in the presence of potassium carbonate in a NMP/toluene solvent mixture at a solids content of 1%. The water generated by phenoxide formation was removed as an azeotrope with toluene 170 °C. A concentrated solution of the macrocycle was added to the reaction mixture over an 8 hour period. The reaction was allowed to proceed for an additional 24h to ensure quantitative reaction. A number of characterization techniques were used to study the cyclization of 1 including GPC, HPLC, H NMR and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) mass spectroscopy. The MALDI-TOF mass spectrum of the cyclization of 1 clearly showed that a mixture of macrocycles is obtained, with the expected distribution of molecular weights. Facile ring opening polymerization of the cyclic poly(aryl ether phenylquinoxaline) oligomers was accomplished with a nucleophilic initiator. High polymer was obtained for each polymerization temperature (η = 0.4–0.5 dl/g in NMP), however, prolonged reaction time resulted in significant gel formation. The Tg's were high and commensurate with the high molecular weight linear analog (250 °C).     

Di­cyano{[(1S)‐(1‐phenyl­ethyl)­aziridin‐2‐yl]­methano­lato‐κ2N,O}boron

In the title compound, C₁₃H₁₄BN₃O, the aziridine ring is an almost equilateral triangle, the C—C distance being slightly shorter than the C—N distances, probably because of the dative B—N bond. The five‐membered ring, composed of two C atoms and N, B and O atoms, is fused with the aziridine ring to form a six‐membered ring with a chair conformation.     

An efficient chiral phosphorus derivatizing agent for the determination of the enantiomeric excess of chiral alcohols and amines by 31P NMR spectroscopy

The chiral phosphorus derivatizing agent (CDA) 1 was prepared from optically pure (S)‐1,1‐bis‐2‐naphthol. It was first used in the determination of the enantiomeric excess of chiral alcohols and amines by means of ³¹P NMR spectroscopy. It showed that, for the chiral aromatic alcohols, no apparent kinetic resolution was noted and good base‐line separation was observed. Furthermore, the chemical shift difference (Δδ) of ³¹P NMR spectroscopy was much larger than those determined by the use of other chiral phosphorus derivatizing agents reported previously. However, for aliphatic alcohols, it showed not only obvious kinetic resolutions but incomplete base‐line separation. Moreover, we also found that the use of CDA 1 was suitable for the determination of enantiomeric excess of chiral primary amines. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 13:93–95, 2002; DOI 10.1002/hc.10018     

Recent Advances in Aerosol‐Assisted Spray Processes for the Design and Fabrication of Nanostructured Metal Chalcogenides for Sodium‐Ion Batteries

Increasing demand for sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs), one of the most feasible alternatives to lithium ion batteries (LIBs), has resulted because of their high energy density, low cost, and excellent cycling stability. Consequently, the design and fabrication of suitable electrode materials that govern the overall performance of SIBs are important. Aerosol‐assisted spray processes have gained recent prominence as feasible, scalable, and cost‐effective methods for preparing electrode materials. Herein, recent advances in aerosol‐assisted spray processes for the fabrication of nanostructured metal chalcogenides (e.g., metal sulfides, selenides, and tellurides) for SIBs, with a focus on improving the electrochemical performance of metal chalcogenides, are summarized. Finally, the improvements, limitations, and direction of future research into aerosol‐assisted spray processes for the fabrication of various electrode materials are presented.     

Influence of Morphological Homogeneity of Superspherical Gold Nanoparticles on Plasmonic Photothermal Heat Generation

The plasmonic photothermal (PPT) characteristics of gold nanostructures have been extensively investigated theoretically and experimentally due to their potential for use materials science and industry. The management of the size and shape of gold nanoparticles has been a key issue in the development of better solutions for PPT heat generation because their size and shape determine their resultant photothermal properties. However, the light absorption of gold nanostructures is mainly dependent on the wavelength and orientation of the incident light; hence, maintaining uniform size and shape is critical for achieving maximum photothermal energy. Morphologically homogeneous spherical gold nanoparticles, or super gold nanospheres prepared by slowly etching uniform octahedral gold nanoparticles, demonstrate better PPT heat generation compared with commercially available nonsmooth gold nanoparticles (GNSs). The PPT heating experiments show a maximum temperature difference of 5.7 °C between the super and ordinary GNSs with the same average maximum Feret's diameters, which result from the more efficient PPT heat power generation (20.6%) of the super GNSs. In an electromagnetic‐wave simulation, the super GNSs show lower polarization dependence and a 24.6% higher absorption cross‐section than ordinary GNSs.     

Exploring the undrained cyclic behavior of methane-hydrate-bearing sediments using CFD–DEM

Based on the mechanical experimental results of methane hydrate (MH), a bond contact model considering the rate-dependency of MH is proposed. A CFD–DEM scheme considering fluid compressibility is used to simulate a series of undrained cyclic shear tests of numerical methane-hydrate-bearing sediment (MHBS) samples. The dynamic behavior, including stress–strain relationship, dynamic shear modulus, and damping ratio, is investigated. In addition, the force chains, contact fabric and averaged pure rotation rate (APR) are examined to investigate the relationships between micromechanical variables and macromechanical responses in the DEM MH samples. The effects of temperature, confining pressure and MH saturation are also analyzed. Due to the micro-structural strengthening by the MH bonds, no obvious change in microscopic quantities is observed, and the samples remain at the elastic stage under the applied low-shear stress level. When confining pressure and MH saturation increase, the dynamic elastic modulus increases, while the damping ratio decreases. An increasing temperature (leading to weakening of MH bonds) can lower the dynamic elastic modulus, but has almost no impact on the damping ratio. On the contrary, an increasing cyclic shear stress level lowers the damping ratio, but has almost no effect on the dynamic elastic modulus.