Rheology of a lyotropic mesophase through a stress-relaxation experiment

We report on the first rheological study of the structural relaxations in a nematic liquid crystalline phase. Linear dynamic and transient shear experiments were applied to a polydomain nematic phase of the CTAB/water system: a liquid crystalline mixture composed of 28 wt% CTAB at 35 degrees C. The decay of the shear modulus, G(t), was analyzed using the CONTIN inverse Laplace transform to obtain a distribution of relaxation times which were compared with ones from the usual fitting procedure based on a generalized Maxwell model. The behavior of the nematic lyotropic structure of the CTAB/water system is characterized by the presence of both slow and fast relaxation times. These were interpreted as being due to a progressive loss of the lyotropic domain orientation and to the breaking/reforming process of the cylindrical aggregates, respectively.     

Synthesis of saccharidic polymer colloids via free radical mini‐emulsion polymerization

Polymer colloids based on 3‐O‐methacryloyl‐1,2:5,6‐di‐O‐isopropylidene‐α‐D ‐glucofuranose (3‐MDG) and butyl acrylate (BA) were prepared via free radical mini‐emulsion polymerization. The kinetic and colloidal features of the copolymerization were investigated. The final particle size (D) of the sugar latexes is inversely proportional to the concentration of the anionic emulsifier (sodium dodecyl sulphate, SDS) and the non‐ionic one (alkyl polyglucoside, APG). It was also found that D is independent of the concentration of either the water‐soluble initiator (potassium persulfate, KPS), or the oil‐soluble initiator (2,2′‐azobisisobutyronitrile, AIBN). The rate of mini‐emulsion polymerization is lower in comparison with the conventional emulsion polymerization under the same conditions. The polymerization rate (R_p) and the total number of particles (N_p) are proportional to the 0.72th and 0.93th power of the SDS, and to the 1.40th and 2.22th of the APG concentration. Following reaction orders, 0.79/0.06 were obtained for R_p/N_p versus the concentration of KPS, and 0.22/?0.01 for AIBN, respectively. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preparation of ultradispersed transition metals in immobilized microreactors

Preparation of ultradispersed transition metals (20–100 nm) by reduction of metal complexes in molecular microreactors (cavities of immobilized calixarenes, polyelectrolytes) was studied.Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Khimii, Vol. 77, No. 11, 2004, pp. 1914–1916.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2004 by Altshuler, Sapozhnikova.     

1,2-Oxopalladation versus pi-allyl palladium route. A regioconvergent approach to a key intermediate for cyclopentanoids synthesis. New insights into the Pd(II)-catalyzed lactonization reaction

Regioconvergent synthesis of the key lactone 1 from an equimolar mixture of the two olefins 4 and 5 was achieved by unique Pd(II) chemistry. The synthetic versatility of lactone 1 has been demonstrated in the synthesis of iridoids and of the endo-Corey lactone 2, which is a key intermediate for the F(2)-isoprostane synthesis. Upon exposure of the sodium salts of 4 and 5 to a catalytic amount of Pd(OAc)(2) under oxygen, in the presence of AcOH, an isomeric lactone 12 was obtained in addition to the title compound 1. The Pd(II) lactonization was optimized by fine-tuning all the factors participating in the catalytic cycle: solvent, oxidant, co-oxidant, and Pd(II) source. The Hosokawa's heterobimetallic couple emerged as the catalyst of choice. With a Cu(II)-Pd(II) couple, the redox process was transferred to copper, and the formal oxidation state of palladium remained constant during the reaction. By virtue of this new methodology, lactone 1 was obtained in a rewarding 60% yield, along with isomeric lactone 12 in 30% yield. A detailed mechanistic study was carried out in order to elucidate the formation of lactones 1 and 12. Lactone 1 was formed from either olefin 8 or olefin 10; on the other hand, lactone 12 was formed exclusively from olefin 10. An intramolecular 1,2-acyloxypalladiation was invoked for the transformation of 8 into 1, whereas the pi-allyl complexes 13 and 11 were involved in the transformation of olefin 10 into 12 and 1, respectively.     

X-ray and mössbauer studies of tricyclohexyltin(IV) halides. The crystal structures of (cyclo-C6H11)3SnX (X = F,Br and I)

The structures of tricyclohexyltin fluoride (I), bromide (II) and iodide (III) have been determined by X-ray analysis. Compound I crystallizes in the space group P2₁/m with a = 10.422(6), b = 17.238(9), c = 5.769(3) Å, β = 104.6(1)° and Z = 2. Compounds II and III crystallize in the space group Pcmn with a = 10.427(6), b = 16.914(9), c = 11.366(6) Å, Z = 4; and a = 10.400(6), b = 16.900(10), c = 11.400(4) Å, Z = 4, respectively. All three structures consist of discrete tetrahedral (cyclo-C₆H₁₁)₃SnX units.The temperature dependence of the Mössbauer resonance areas has been examined in order to obtain information about the relationship between chemical structure and lattice dynamics.     

Single electron traps at the surface of polycrystalline MgO: assignment of the main trapping sites

Paramagnetic centers at the surface of ionic oxides in the form of trapped electrons can be generated by exposure of the material to alkali metal or hydrogen atoms or of molecular hydrogen under UV irradiation. For many years, it has been assumed that the resulting paramagnetic centers consist of oxygen vacancies filled by one electron. High-resolution electron spin resonance spectra and ab initio quantum chemical calculations show that the paramagnetic centers consist of (H(+))(e(-)) electron pairs formed at morphological irregularities of the surface. At least three different kinds of (H(+))(e(-)) centers, [A], [B], and [C], have been identified with abundances of 80%, 10%, and 8%, respectively. In this work, we compare a wide set of measured and computed g-factors and hyperfine coupling constants of the unpaired electron with the surrounding (25)Mg, (17)O, and (1)H nuclei and we propose a general assignment of the centers. (H(+))(e(-)) pairs formed at Mg(4c) ions at steps and edges account for species [A], centers formed at Mg(4c) ions at reverse corners correspond to species [B], and species [C] originates from (H(+))(e(-)) pairs formed at Mg(3c) ions at corners and kinks.     

Mechanisms of reduced human vascular cell migration after photodynamic therapy

Restenosis results from intimal hyperplasia and constrictive remodeling following cardiovascular interventions. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been shown to inhibit intimal hyperplasia in vivo by preventing neointimal repopulation of the treated vessel. This study was undertaken in an attempt to further dissect the mechanisms by which PDT acts on secreted and extracellular matrix proteins to inhibit migration of cultured human vascular cells. PDT of three-dimensional collagen gels inhibited invasive human smooth muscle cell (SMC) migration, whereas cell-derived matrix metalloproteinase production remained unaltered. Additionally, PDT generated cross-links in the collagen gels, a result substantiated in an ex vivo model whereby PDT rendered the treated vessels resistant to pepsin digestion and inhibited invasive migration of SMC and fibroblasts. These data support the premise that by inducing matrix protein cross-links, rendering the vessel resistant to degradation, in vivo PDT inhibits repopulation of the vessel and therefore intimal hyperplasia.     

Profiling fatty acids in vegetable oils by reactive pyrolysis-gas chromatography with dimethyl carbonate and titanium silicate

A novel methodology in on-line pyrolysis-gas chromatography (Py-GC) for the fast analysis of fatty acids in vegetable oils with minimal sample treatment and the use of non-toxic reagents is described. Pyrolysis at 500 degrees C for 10 s of sub-microgram quantity of vegetable oil dissolved in dimethyl carbonate (DMC) and in the presence of nanopowder titanium silicon oxide resulted in the production of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) as unique products. Pyrolysis performed by means of a resistively heated filament pyrolyser interfaced to a GC-MS apparatus enabled the direct analysis of evolved FAMEs. The DMC/Py-GC-MS analysis was tested on soybean, coconut, linseed, walnut and olive oil and the results compared to the classical BF(3)-methanol as reference methodology. The DMC method exhibited a lower precision and was biased towards lower levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in comparison to the BF(3)-methanol method, but was more advantageous in terms of reduced sample treatment, waste generation and risk factors of employed chemicals.     

New polymer syntheses. LXXXII. Syntheses of poly(ether-sulfone)s from silylated aliphatic diols including chiral monomers

Attempts were made to synthesize poly(ether-sulfone)s from aliphatic diols or bissilylated diols on the one hand, and 4,4′-dichlorodiphenylsulfone or 4,4′-difluorodiphenylsulfone on the other hand. The reaction conditions and the catalyst were varied. Polycondensations of silylated diols with 4,4′-difluorodiphenylsulfone and powdered K₂ CO₃ in N-methylpyr-rolidone proved to give the best results. Using silylated isosorbide and isomannide as mono-mers chiral poly(ether-sulfone)s were prepared. GPC measurements indicate weight-average molecular weights in the range of 27×10³–200×10³. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

QUENCHING OF CHEMICALLY and ENZYMICALLY-GENERATED TRIPLET ACETONE BY TYROSINE and 3,5-DIHALOGENODERIVATIVES

Tyrosine and especially its 3,5-dihalogenoderivatives quench acetone triplets. When the excited acetone is generated free in solution, the Stern-Volmer plots for the quenching by these species, monitored via the sensitized emission of the 9,10-dibromoanthracene-2-sulfonate ion, are linear. When triplet acetone is generated enzymically by the peroxidase-catalyzed aerobic oxidation of isobutyral-dehyde, the Stern-Volmer plots for the quenching of the acetone phosphorescence curve upwards in the case of 3,5-dibromotyrosine and even more markedly with 3,5-diiodotyrosine. Quenching appears likely to occur by triplet-triplet energy transfer and especially in the case of the phenoxide form, also by electron transfer. The curvature denotes a static contribution to quenching favoured by the enzyme.