Comparison of the growth and degradation of poly(glycolic acid) and poly(ε‐caprolactone) brushes

The growth and degradation of poly(glycolic acid) (PGA) and poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) brushes were compared. Using tin (octanoate) as the catalyst, optimal conditions were found for growth of each polyester brush from the hydroxy‐terminated silicon surface via ring‐opening polymerization. PCL brushes grew thicker at elevated temperatures but the thickest PGA brushes grew at room temperature. Unlike bulk polyesters that can degrade under both acidic and basic conditions, the confined surface polyester brushes only degraded under neutral or basic conditions. The degradation mechanism of grafted polyester brushes was probed through a blocking test. It was shown that the terminal hydroxy groups of these polyester brushes were essential to the degradation process indicating a preferential backbiting mechanism. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013 , 51, 4643–4649     

Optical bistability based on surface plasmon coupled between two noble metal films involving Kerr materials

We successfully investigate an optical bistability phenomenon in a layered structure consisting of Kretschmann configuration involving the Kerr-type nonlinear and the silver film. Pure theoretical approaches are employed to investigate that the surface plasmon could easily be coupled and both the reflection and transmission curves versus the incident intensity forms optical bistability. The transmission curves are greatly influenced by the thickness of the second silver film. These results may be useful for designing novel surface plasmon-based optical devices and will be essential for future classical and quantum information processes.     

Size-refinement enhanced flexibility and electrochemical performance of MXene electrodes for flexible waterproof supercapacitors

Increasing mechanical flexibility without sacrificing electrochemical performance of the electrode mate-rial is highly desired in the design of flexible electro...     

An environmentally benign benzylic oxidation catalyzed by hypervalent iodine intermediate in water

An effective and environmentally benign benzylic oxidation for transition of alkylarenes into the corresponding carbonyl compounds was reported.Alkylarenes were mixed and stirred with potassium bromide,m-chloroperbenzoic acid and a catalytic amount of iodobenzene in water at 60 8C for several hours,a series of the corresponding carbonyl compounds was obtained in moderate to good yields.In the reaction,iodobenzene was first oxidized by m-chloroperbenzoic acid into the hypervalent iodine intermediate which then reacted with potassium bromide to form the key radical initiator for the benzylic oxidation.     

Pyrrole alkaloids from <Emphasis Type=Italic>Alhagi sparsifolia</Emphasis>

The novel pyrrole alkaloid alhagifoline A (1) together with the two known analogs pyrrolezanthine (2) and pyrrolezanthine-6-methyl ether (3) were isolated from the aerial part of Alhagi sparsifolia. Their structures were established based on spectral (HR-ESI-MS, ¹ H and ¹³C NMR, ¹ H–¹ H COSY, HSQC, HMBC) data. Compounds 2 and 3 were isolated from the genus Alhagi for the first time.