Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy study of polyvinylpyrrolidone-added polyvinylidene fluoride membranes: Investigation of free volume and permeation relationships

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes were prepared via the phase inversion method from casting solutions containing PVDF, dimethylformamide (DMF), and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as pore former. PVP was used in the casting solution in a range of 0–5 wt % and extracted. The effect on membranes of using PVP in the casting process was analyzed by X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy, viscosity, and water permeability techniques. With an increase of PVP from 0 to 5 wt %, the PVDF casting solution viscosities increased from 858 to 1148 cP; the resulting PVDF membrane thickness increased; and the crystallinity of PVDF membranes decreased from 40.0 to 33.3%, which indicates that the addition of PVP inhibits the degree of crystallization in the PVDF membranes. SEM results revealed the shape and size of macropores in the membranes; these macropores changed after PVP addition to the casting solutions. The impact of structural changes on free-volume properties was evaluated using positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) studies. PALS analysis indicated no effect on the average radius (~3.4 Å) of membrane free-volume holes from the addition of PVP to the casting solution. However, the percentage of o-Ps pick-off annihilation intensity, I₃, increased from 1.7 to 5.1% with increased PVP content. Further, increasing the PVP content from 0.5 to 5% resulted in an increased final pure water permeability flux. For instance, the 210 min flux for a 14% PVDF + 0.5% PVP membrane was found to be 3.3 times greater than a control membrane having the same PVDF concentration. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 58, 589–598     

Mechanically Driven Activation of Polyaniline into Its Conductive Form

Mechanical treatment of polymers produces surface cations and anions which, as demonstrated here for the first time, can drive chemical reactions. In particular, it is shown that such a mechanical treatment transforms nonconductive polyaniline into its conductive form. These results provide a mechanical means of patterning conductive polymers and also coating small polymer objects with conductive polyaniline films preventing accumulation of static electricity.     

Novel bioactive vic-dioxime ligand containing piperazine moiety: Synthesis,X-ray crystallographic studies, 2D NMR applications and complexation with Ni(II)

A new vic-dioxime ligand bearing an important pharmacophore substituent, anti-1-(4-benzylpiperazine-1-yl) phenylglyoxime (LH₂) (Scheme 1), has been synthesized and its nickel(II) complex was obtained by the reaction of NiCl₂·6H₂O and the ligand. The characterization of the newly formed compounds was performed by elemental analysis, FT-IR, 1D NMR (¹H, ¹³C, DEPT), 2D NMR (HMBC), ESI mass-spectrometry, TG/DTA, X-ray crystallography. The antibacterial activity was also studied against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Streptococcus mutans RSHM 676, Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212, Lactobacillus acidophilus RSHM 06029, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, E. coli ATCC 35218, Pseudomonasaeruginosa ATCC 27853. The antimicrobial test results indicated that all the compounds have mild antibacterial activity against both Gram negative and Gram positive bacterial species.     

Light-harvesting in multichromophoric rotaxanes

Two rotaxanes with benzyl ether axles and tetralactam wheels were synthesized through an anion template effect. They carry naphthalene chromophores attached to the stopper groups and a pyrene chromophore attached to the wheel. The difference between the two rotaxanes is represented by the connecting unit of the naphthyl chromophore to the rotaxane axle: a triazole or an alkynyl group. Both rotaxanes exhibit excellent light-harvesting properties: excitation of the naphthalene chromophores is followed by energy transfer to the pyrene unit with efficiency higher than 90% in both cases. This represents an example of light-harvesting function among chromophores belonging to mechanically interlocked components, that is, the axle and the wheel of the rotaxanes.     

What really drives chemical reactions on contact charged surfaces?

Although it is known that contact-electrified polymers can drive chemical reactions, the origin of this phenomenon remains poorly understood. To date, it has been accepted that this effect is due to excess electrons developed on negatively charged surfaces and to the subsequent transfer of these electrons to the reactants in solution. The present study demonstrates that this view is incorrect and, in reality, the reactions are driven by mechanoradicals created during polymer-polymer contact.     

A novel vic-dioxime ligand and its Ni(II), Cu(II) and Co(II) complexes containing calix[4]pyrrole moiety: synthesis, characterization and redox properties

A new calix[4]pyrrole functionalized vic-dioxime, 3-(4-methyl-9,9,14,14,19,19-hexaethylcalix[4]pyrrole)benzoaminoglyoxime (LH₂) was synthesized from anti-chloroglyoxime and 3-aminophenyl-calix[4]pyrrole at room temperature. The mononuclear complexes {nickel(II), copper(II) and cobalt(II)} of this vic-dioxime ligand were prepared and their structures were confirmed by elemental analysis, IR and UV–Vis spectrophotometry, magnetic susceptibility; the MS, ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra of the LH₂ ligand and its Ni(II) complex were also recorded. The experimental results indicated that the ligand:metal ratio was 2:1 in the cases of Ni(II), Cu(II) and Co(II) complexes as is with most vic-dioximes. Electrochemical properties of the ligand, and its complexes were investigated in DMSO solution by cyclic voltammetry at 200?mV?s^?1 scan rate.     

Revised structure for fumarofine,an indenobenzazepine type alkaloid

Fumarofine is not a spirobenzylisoquinoline. Rather, it is the first know reduced indenobensazepine alkaloid, and possesses the cis B/C fused structure $\text{7}$. Rearrangement of synthetic spirobensylisoquinoline $\text{12}$ using methanesulfonyl chloride furnished indenobensazepine $\text{14}$. Osmium tetroxide oxidation of $\text{14}$ gave cis-glysol $\text{15}$. O-Methylfumarofine ($\text{8}$) was then obtained through pyridinium chlorochromate oxidation of $\text{15}$.     

Theory and experiment in concert: templated synthesis of amide rotaxanes, catenanes, and knots

The synthesis of amide rotaxanes, amide catenanes, and trefoil amide knots is based on template effects mediated by hydrogen bonds. While a large body of experimental data is available, in-depth theoretical studies of these template syntheses are virtually unavailable, although they would provide a more profound insight into the exact details of the hydrogen-bonding patterns involved in the formation of these mechanically interlocked species. In this article we present a density functional study of the conformational properties of tetralactam macrocycles and the threading mechanism that produces the immediate precursor for rotaxane and catenane formation. Predictions of the geometries and relative energies made on the basis of semi-empirical AM1 calculations are compared with these results in order to judge the reliability of the simpler approach. Since these calculations yield good agreement with the structural features, they have been used to extend the calculations in order to understand the mechanism of formation of a trefoil dodecaamide knot that has recently been synthesized. The inherent topological chirality of the knot is reflected in the intermediates generated during its formation; these involve helical loops. These loops parallel the rotaxane and catenane wheels with respect to the arrangement of the functional groups that mediate the template effect and may well serve as wheel analogues through which one of the precursor molecules can be threaded. This threading step finally results in the knotted structure. Good agreement between the results of the calculations presented here and experimental findings is achieved.     

New steroidal alkaloids from Fritillaria imperialis and their cholinesterase inhibiting activities

Two new cevanine steroidal alkaloids, impericine (1) and forticine (2) along with known bases delavine (3), persicanidine A (4), and imperialine (5) were isolated from the bulbs of Fritillaria imperialis. The structures of impericine (1) [(20R,22S,25S)-5alpha-cevanin-23-ene-3beta,6beta,16beta-triol] and forticine (2) [(20S,22S,25S)-5alpha-cevanine-3beta,6beta-diol] were determined with the help of spectroscopic studies. These steroidal bases showed anti-acetylcholinesterase and anti-butyrylcholinesterase inhibitory activity.     

Numerical study on local entropy generation in a burner fueled with various fuels

This study considers numerical simulations of the combustions of hydrogen and various hydrocarbons with air, including 21% oxygen and 79% nitrogen, in a burner and the numerical solution of the local entropy generation rate due to the high temperature and velocity gradients in the combustion chamber. The combustion is simulated for the fuel mass flow rates providing the same heat transfer rate to the combustion chamber in the each fuel case. The effects of (only in the case of H₂ fuel) and equivalence ratio () on the combustion and entropy generation rate are investigated for the different (from 5,000 to 10,000 W) and s (from 0.5 to 1.0). The numerical calculation of combustion is performed individually for all cases with the help of the Fluent CFD code. Furthermore, a computer program has been developed to numerically calculate the volumetric entropy generation rate distributions and the other thermodynamic parameters by using the results of the calculations performed with the FLUENT code. The calculations bring out that the maximum reaction rates decrease with the increase of (or the decrease of ). The large positive and negative temperature gradients occur in the axial direction, nonetheless, the increase of significantly reduces them. The calculations bring out also that with the increase of from 0.5 to 1.0, the volumetric local entropy generation rates decrease about 4% and that the merit numbers increase about 16%.