Mesomorphic bipyridine building blocks bearing an sp3 carbon and a hydroxy function

The synthesis of novel symmetrical liquid crystalline compounds based on 5-methyl-5-[2-(4-alkyloxyphenyl)-2-hydroxyethyl]-2,2-bipyridines is reported, together with some physical properties. Although the chelating head-groups are connected via a chiral sp³ carbon atom, all the materials are mesomorphic. Intermolecular hydrogen bonding between pyridino and hydroxy fragments in the mesophases is made apparent by FTIR spectroscopy.     

Production, Characterization, and Application of an Organic Solvent-Tolerant Lipase Present in Active Inclusion Bodies

An organic solvent-tolerant lipase from Serratia marcescens ECU1010 (rSML) was overproduced in Escherichia coli in an insoluble form. High concentrations of both biomass (50 g cell wet weight/L culture broth) and inclusion bodies (10.5 g/L) were obtained by applying a high-cell-density cultivation procedure. Activity assays indicated that the enzymatic activity of rSML reached 600 U/L. After treatment with isopropyl ether for 12 h, the maximum lipase activity reached 6,000 U/L. Scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy revealed the activation mechanism of rSML in the presence of organic solvents. rSML was stable in broad ranges of temperatures and pH values, as well as in a series of organic solvents. Besides, rSML showed the best enantioselectivity for the kinetic resolution of (±)-trans-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)glycidic acid methyl ester. These features render the S. marcescens ECU1010 lipase attractive for biotechnological applications in the field of organic synthesis and pharmaceutical industry.     

Synthesis of a benzoxazine with precisely two phenolic OH linkages and the properties of its high‐performance copolymers

A phenolic OH‐containing benzoxazine ( F‐ap ), which cannot be directly synthesized from the condensation of bisphenol F, aminophenol, and formaldehyde by traditional procedures, has been successfully prepared in our alternative synthetic approach. F‐ap was prepared by three steps including (a) condensation of 4‐aminophenol and 5,5'‐methylenebis(2‐hydroxybenzaldehyde) (1) , (b) reduction of the resulting imine linkage by sodium borohydride, and (c) ring closure condensation by formaldehyde. The key starting material, (1) , was prepared from 2‐hydroxybenzaldehyde and s‐trioxane in the presence of sulfuric acid. F‐ap is structurally similar to bis(3,4‐dihydro‐2H‐3‐phenyl‐1,3‐benzoxazinyl)methane ( F‐a, a commercial benzoxazine based on bisphenol F/aniline/formaldehyde) except for two phenolic OHs. The phenolic OHs can provide reaction sites with epoxy and 1,1'‐(methylenedi‐p‐phenylene)bismaleimide (BMI). The structure–property relationships between the thermosets of F‐ap /epoxy, F‐a /epoxy, F‐ap /BMI, and F‐a /BMI were discussed. Experimental data showed that thermosets based on F‐ap /epoxy and F‐ap /BMI provided much better thermal properties than those based on F‐a /epoxy and F‐a /BMI. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013, 51, 2686–2694     

Relaxation dynamics of stretched polymer chains traced by shear induced Shish‐Kebab structure

We have developed a morphologic method to investigate the relaxation processing of the stretched polymer chains in melts, in which an atomic force microscope probe was used to shear the surface of an isotactic polypropylene melt to obtain the isolated shish‐kebab structure. We present the results of the time dependence of length of the isolated shish‐kebab structure and the stress dependence of the kebab density along the direction of shish in this paper. Our results demonstrate that the shear‐oriented polymer melts show the relaxation dynamics of worm‐like chain where the length deficit of the isolated shish‐kebab structure is scaled with the relaxation time as a power of 1/3. The melting behavior of shish‐kebab structure was also investigated. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2013, 51, 907–914     

Experimental investigation on bit-rate-adaptive software synchronous optical sampling

A tunable optical rail is embedded into the cavity of a nonlinear-polarization-rotation(NPR) mode-locked fiber laser to generate a sampling pulse with different repetition frequencies and realize bit-rate-adaptive software synchronous optical sampling.Two ultrashort pulses(20.26677 and 20.22900 MHz) are derived,and a 100-MHz data signal is sampled twice with these pulses based on sum-frequency generation(SFG) in periodically poled lithium niobate(PPLN).The eye diagram is successfully recovered,and an estimated bit rate of 102.22 MHz is derived.This method is feasible for bit rates ranging from 200 MHz to 1 GHz,with <3% relative error.     

The effect of drying method on the properties and nanoscale structure of cellulose whiskers

Cellulose whiskers were prepared from wood- and cotton-based microcrystalline cellulose and dried by two methods: freeze-drying or air-drying. The effect of drying method on the properties and structure of the whiskers were studied. Furthermore, the influence of the source of cellulose on the nanoscale structure was investigated. Drying method was observed to slightly influence the thermal stability of cellulose whiskers, whereas the char residue varied significantly depending on the drying process performed. Small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering and solid state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy were used to examine the crystallinity and nanoscale structure of the dried whiskers. It was observed that the crystal structure and crystallinity of cellulose whiskers remained during all treatments, whereas their nanoscale structure was significantly influenced by drying method, neutralization, and source of cellulose. Relationships between thermal behavior and nanoscale structure were reported and discussed.     

Efficient synthesis of the C/D rings of atisine-type C20-diterpenoid alkaloids

A bicyclo[2.2.2]octane C/D ring system,with a lactonic ring at C-8 and C-9,of the atisine-type C₂₀-diterpenoid alkaloids,was successfully synthesized,using an oxidative dearomatization/intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction.     

DSC study of stabilizing effect of antioxidant mixtures in styrene-butadiene rubber

The type of cooperation between antioxidants in the binary mixtures of four substituted diphenylamines and phenotiazine in the stabilization of styrene-butadiene rubber has been tested. Thermooxidation of the samples has been studied by differential scanning calorimetry under non-isothermal conditions. The protection factors of the individual stabilizers and their mixtures were determined. The synergy factors were applied to asses the type of cooperation of antioxidants in the mixtures. From their values it can be concluded that the type of cooperation depends on temperature. The highest synergistic effect has been observed for the mixture of phenotiazine and [4-(1-methyl-1-phenyl-ethyl)-phenyl]-phenylamine.