Radical copolymerization of cyclic diarsine with vinyl monomers

1,2,4,5‐Tetramethyltetrahydrodiarsenine ( 1 ), a cyclic diarsine compound, was stirred with styrene and a catalytic amount of 2,2′‐azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as a radical initiator at 80 °C for 8 h in toluene to give a copolymer containing arsenic atoms in the backbone. The gel permeation chromatography (GPC) chromatogram of the copolymer showed a single peak. The number‐average molecular weight of the copolymer was estimated to be more than 10,000 by GPC analysis (CHCl₃, polystyrene standards). The structure of the copolymer was confirmed by the ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR spectra. According to the integral ratio of peaks in the ¹H‐NMR spectrum, the content of 1 in the copolymer was smaller compared to the monomer feed ratio of 1 . Radical copolymerization of 1 with methyl methacrylate also provided the corresponding copolymer in the presence of AIBN, whereas copolymerization with vinyl acetate yielded no polymeric material. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 3023–3028, 2004     

Solid solubility and cation distribution in the system Co2GeO4Mg2GeO4

In the system Co₂GeO₄Mg₂GeO₄, solid solubilities in spinel and olivine structures were studied on samples prepared by solid state reaction at temperatures of 1000–1300°C. The solubility limits were determined from the identification by X-ray powder pattern and the change of the lattice constant of spinel with composition. The relation between temperature and the free energy difference ΔG° which was estimated from the solubility limits agreed qualitatively with the fact that the spinel phase of Mg₂GeO₄ is stable at low temperatures under atmospheric pressure. The spinels were also synthesized at 800°C under the pressure of 20 kb. Over the whole range of composition, the cation distribution was found to be normal with u = 0.375. Above 1000°C under 20 kb in the presence of water, the spinels, except Co₂GeO₄, were found to react with water to form enstatite and probably magnesium hydroxide in an amorphous state.     

Photochemical assembly of gold nanoparticles utilizing the photodimerization of thymine

Irradiation of UV light to the solution of gold nanoparticles modified with thymine units resulted in the formation of aggregates comprising chemical cross-linking gold nanoparticles through the photodimerization of the thymine units. Transmission electron microscopy and UV-visible absorption measurement showed the aggregates consisting of the gold nanoparticles. The effect of thymine unit density on the nanoparticle surface and the concentration of the gold nanoparticles in solution to the aggregation process were studied by UV-visible absorption measurement.     

Preparation of microspheres by radiation-induced polymerization. I. Mechanism for the formation of monodisperse poly(diethylene glycol dimethacrylate) microspheres

Monodisperse microspheres of poly(diethylene glycol dimethacrylate) with diameters in the size range 0.4–4.8 μm were prepared by the radiation-induced polymerization. Effects of solvent viscosity and monomer solubility were investigated for various kinds of solvents. The number of the nuclei, produced in the early stage of the polymerization, was found to be constant during the remainder of the polymerization. The nuclei grow to be monodisperse polymer particles without aggregation. This is attributed to the low mobility of the growing polymer particles.     

1,3-Dipolar cycloaddition of α-alkoxycarbonylnitrones with vinyl ethers and allyl alcohols in the presence of Eu(fod)3: selective activation of (Z)-isomers of the nitrones

Uncatalyzed cycloaddition of α-alkoxycarbonylnitrones 1 with vinyl ethers 7 gave mixtures of cis- and trans-cycloadducts 8, whereas Eu(fod)₃-catalyzed cycloaddition of 1 with 7 gave the trans-cycloadducts trans-8 in a highly stereoselective manner. NMR studies indicated that Eu(fod)₃ selectively activated (Z)-nitrones (Z)-1 in E,Z-equilibrium mixtures of nitrones 1. In contrast, the reaction of 1 with allyl alcohols 12 in the presence of Eu(fod)₃ resulted in sequential transesterification and intramolecular cycloaddition to give intramolecular cycloadducts 13.     

Solution viscosity behavior of polystyrene-based cationic ionomers: Effects of quaternary-group structure and counter ion

The dilute solution viscosity was investigated for several polystyrene-based cationic io-nomers. It was found that intramolecular aggregation among the ionic groups was strongly dependent on the sizes of quaternary onium groups and counter anions. The extent of the aggregation was controled by the solvent polarity and the solvation to the ionic groups. When there was a strong selective soivation to small counter ions, the structure of onium groups shows a minor effect on the viscosity behavior, indicating little aggregation among the ionic groups. A strong solvation to small quaternary cations also eliminates the intra-molecular aggregation and the influence of counter ions was barely observable. When the selective solvation to counter ions was disabled by the enlarged size of the counter ions, however, the viscosity depended on onium group structure or spacer chain length. If the solvent solvates neither counter ions nor quaternary groups, the smaller the sizes of onium cation and counter anion, the lower the reduced viscosity due to an enhancement of the ionic aggregate formation. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Reactions of nitroarenes with secondary and tertiary carbanions bearing both a leaving group and electron‐withdrawing group: An approach to dihydronaphth[2,1‐c]isoxazole N‐oxides and dihydroisoxazolo[4,3‐f]quinoline N‐oxides

2‐Nitronaphthalene (1) and 6‐nitroquinoline (2) underwent direct cyclocondensation with secondary and tertiary carbanions derived from a methylene and methine group bearing both a leaving group and electron‐withdrawing group (e.g., methyl chloroacetate, ethyl chloroacetate, chloroacetonitrile, methyl 2‐chloropropionate, ethyl 2‐chloropropionate and 2‐chloropropionitrile) in the sodium hydride/N,N‐dimethylformamide system at low temperature, giving the corresponding dihydronaphth[2,1‐c]isoxazole N‐oxides 3 and dihy‐droisoxazolo[4,3‐f]quinoline N‐oxides 4 . On the other hand, nitroarenes 1 and 2 reacted with secondary carbanions in the sodium hydride/tetrahydrofuran system to yield the corresponding conventional vicarious nucleophilic substitution (VNS) products 5 and 6 .     

Melt spinning of syndiotactic 1, 2-polybutadiene for preparation of carbon fibers

The thermal crosslinking and loss of vinyl unsaturation of syndiotactic 1, 2-polybutadiene(_s-PB) at 180–230°C were prevented by stabilizers with 3, 5-di-t-butyl-4-hydroxybenzyloxy group. The _s-PB samples (mp 140–198°C and MW 20,000–70,000) that contained the stabilizers could be melt-spun at a temperature below 220°C into 1-denier fibers to be used for the preparation of carbon fibers. The _s-PB fibers with higher mp and/or higher MW could be obtained by the addition of a high boiling solvent such as tetralin. The relationship between the molecular structures of _s-PB and the properties of resulting _s-PB fibers, including the degree of molecular orientation measured by birefringence and x-ray diffraction, is presented. Spun fibers showed small swellings here and there along the fiber axis, which would have resulted from the inhomogeneity of the melt of _s-PB spun at a temperature slightly above the melting point. The gelation was unlikely to occur.