New approaches to reversible crosslinking in epoxy resins

The objective of the research is to investigate epoxy resins where crosslinks formed in curing reactions can be cleaved and reformed without significant sacrifice in resin properties. Experimental disulfide-containing crosslinking agents have been selected for the study, including dihydrazides of dithiodicarboxylic acids (aliphatic and aromatic) and dithioaromatic diamines. Conditions for curing reactions and for subsequent cleavage of crosslinks by reduction have been determined in model systems and confirmed for a prototype epoxy resin. A comparative evaluation of cure kinetics, crosslink density, and thermal and mechanical properties has been carried out for resin cured with aromatic curing agents (dithiodianiline and methylenedianiline) and with aliphatic compounds (3, 3′-dithiopropionic acid dihydrazide and hexamethylenediamine). It has been shown that in resin fully cured with disulfide-containing crosslinking agents, crosslinks are ruptured by reduction, and re-established by oxidation under mild conditions, or by reaction of thiol groups with bifunctional alkylating agents.     

Recognition of the syndiotactic polypropylene polymorphs via dynamic-mechanical analysis

Three syndiotactic polypropylene samples were crystallized under different conditions in order to obtain different polymorphs. A first sample was crystallized at high temperature, obtaining the helical form I; a second was crystallized from the melt at 0°C for many days obtaining the trans-planar mesophase; a third sample was obtained by solvent induced crystallization followed by annaeling of the trans-planar mesophase, leading to a mixture of both the helical forms I and II. In the dynamic-mechanical analysis the helical form I showed only one peak of tan δ corresponding to the amorphous glass transition. The other polymorphs also showed this transition centered at about the same temperature. Beside the peak corresponding to the Tg, the trans-planar mesophase was characterized by a peak appearing at 70°C, and the helical form II by a peak at 100°C. These peaks, unambiguously associated to transitions of the different forms, can be considered a distinctive evidence for the polymorphs obtained in different processing conditions.     

Chemo‐Enzymatic Synthesis and Determination of the Absolute Configuration of Both Enantiomers of Methyl trans‐5‐Oxo‐2‐pentylpyrrolidine‐3‐carboxylate Precursors of the Aza Analogues of (+)‐ and (−)‐Methylenolactocin

Enantiomerically pure methyl esters of (+)‐(2R,3S)‐ and (−)‐(2S,3R)‐5‐oxo‐2‐pentylpyrrolidine‐3‐carboxylic acid with 99% and 98% ee were obtained by enzymatic resolution of the corresponding racemic mixture using α‐chymotrypsin and pig‐liver acetone powder, respectively. Their absolute configurations were established by chemical methods, i.e., conversion of the trans‐γ‐lactam moiety to the corresponding γ‐lactone of known configuration. The favorable interactions between the trans‐γ‐lactam and α‐chymotrypsin were rationalized by molecular‐mechanics calculations, which suggest a different situation for the cis‐diastereoisomer.     

4-THIOURIDINE INCORPORATION INTO THE RNA OF MONKEY KIDNEY CELLS (CV-1) TRIGGERS NEAR-UV LIGHT LONG-TERM INHIBITION OF DNA, RNA AND PROTEIN SYNTHESIS

Monkey kidney cells (CV-1) grown for 4 h in the presence of 0.1 m M 4-thiouridine (s⁴Urd) incorporate this photoactivable uridine analog in their RNA. A minor, 5–8%, thiolated RNA fraction can be isolated from bulk RNA by affinity chromatography. This RNA fraction contains 1.5–2.5 s⁴Urd residues per 100 nucleotides and exhibits a broad chain length distribution ranging from 700 to 7000 nucleotides. It is essentially of nuclear origin and amounts to 30% of the RNA synthesized during exposure of cells to s⁴Urd. Under the same s⁴Urd labeling conditions, no thiolated pyrimidine residues have been detected in DNA.
Irradiation with 365 nm light (45 kJ/m²) of the cells immediately after s⁴Urd exposure triggers long-term inhibition of DNA, RNA and protein synthesis accompanied by a linear decline (50% in 2 days) in the total cell mass of cultured cells. In contrast, exposure to s⁴Urd alone results in moderate but reversible inhibitory effects. The available data suggest that s⁴Urd-induced photolesions in newly synthesized RNA such as RNA-RNA cross-links as well as RNA-protein bridges are directly involved in impairment of essential cellular functions.     

Measurement of Second-Order Optical Nonlinear Coefficient from the Absolute Radiant Power of Parametric Fluorescence in LiI03

This work presents a new technique for the measurement of second-order optical nonlinear coefficients from the absolute radiant power of the parametric fluorescence emission. It is based on calibrated detectors regarded as secondary radiometric standards. This technique makes it possible to skip a number of problems usually encountered with standard techniques based on calibrated neutral density filters and reference sources of light at much higher power levels. We infer a value for the d₃₁ nonlinear coefficient of LiIO₃ from spectral measurements of the fluorescence power integrated over all solid angles, by denning the wavelength bandwidths with interference filters. Moreover, by performing the measurements on the ultraviolet and visible emission lines of an argon ion laser in the range from 351 to 488 nm, the wavelength dependence of d₃₁ is compared with the expected one obtained by Miller’s dispersion law.     

The redox behaviour of ferrocene derivatives : III. Ferrocenylacyl complexes (η-C5H5) Fe(η-C5H4-COER3 E = C, Si or Ge; R = Me or Ph

The electrochemical behaviour of the ferrocenylacyl derivatives [FcCOER₃] (E = C, Si or Ge; R = Me or Ph) is examined. One-electron oxidations to the substantially stable monocations [FcCOER₃]⁺ occur at potentials significantly higher than that observed with ferrocene, but only minor differences hold within the series, independent of the nature of both E and R. In contrast the EPR spectra of the monocations for E = C show that the unpaired electron resides mainly on the iron, whereas for E = Si or Ge the electron density is essentially localized on the C₅H₄COER₃ fragment.     

p-Energia in spazi metrici generalizzati

Given a setS and a function σ:S x S→[0, +∞[ such that σ(x, x)=0, we define the generalizedp-energy of a curve γ: [a, b]→S, so that, ifS is a Hilbert space and σ(x, y)=‖x−y‖ we obtain . Sufficient conditions for the equality of the defined energies are also given. Moreover the case in whichS is a set of measurable parts of ℝⁿ and σ_r is a family of functions used in order to study the generalized minimizing motions, is discussed.

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Conferenza tenuta il 30 ottobre 1995     

Acetylene as a ligand on clusters: An accurate determination of the crystal and molecular structure of (Cp)2Ni2Fe(CO)3(μ3−C2H2) and of (CP)2Ni2Fe2(CO)6(μ4−C2H2)

Abstarct The Cp)₂Ni₂Fe(CO)₃(µ₃-C₂H₂) and Cp)₂Ni₂Fe(CO)₃(µ₃-C₂H₂) (B) complexes have been synthesized and spectroscopically characterized. An accurate X-ray study and a comparison with related structures shows that the substituents of the alkyne ligands exert considerable effects on the bonding parameters.Crystal data for complex A, monoclinic space group P2₁/n,a = 8.418(1),b = 15.779(2),c = 14,493(1) Å, = 91.64(1)°,Z = 4, 2753 observed reflections,R = 0.022; crystal data for complex B, monoclinic space group C2/c,a = 16.2189(7),b = 7.445(3),c = 25.745(5) Å, = 103.74(3),Z=8, 1853 observed reflections,R = 0.051.