Comparison of the role of new ethers and conventional alkoxysilanes as external donors in the polymerization of propylene using the industrial Ziegler-Natta catalyst

Two new ethers were synthesized using the Williamson reaction from related alcohols and were used as external donors in propylene polymerization in the presence of the industrial diisobutyl phthalate-based MgCl₂-supported Ziegler-Natta catalyst. For comparison the propylene polymerization was carried out in the presence of silane and in the absence of external donors. The produced polymers were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, xylene extraction, melt flow index, scanning electron microscopy and gel permeation chromatography. The isotacticity, molecular weight and molecular weight distribution, melt flow index, crystallinity degree and thermal properties of polypropylenes were influenced by the type of external donors.     

Rectangular-radial drawings of cubic plane graphs

Rectangular drawings and rectangular duals can be naturally extended to other surfaces. In this paper, we extend rectangular drawings and rectangular duals to drawings on a cylinder. The extended drawings are called rectangular-radial drawings and rectangular-radial duals. Rectangular-radial drawings correspond to periodic rectangular tilings of a 1-dimensional strip. We establish a necessary and sufficient condition for plane graphs with maximum degree 3 to have rectangular-radial drawings and a necessary and sufficient condition for triangulated plane graphs to have rectangular-radial duals. Furthermore, we present three linear time algorithms under three different conditions for finding a rectangular-radial drawing for a given cubic plane graph, if one exists.     

Reaction between triphenylphosphine and aromatic amines in the presence of diethyl azodicarboxylate: an efficient synthesis of aryliminophosphoranes under neutral and mild conditions

An efficient synthesis of aryliminophosphoranes is described. A mixture of an aromatic amine, diethyl azodicarboxylate and triphenylphosphine undergo a Mitsonobu type reaction at ambient temperature in dry dichloromethane to afford aryliminophosphoranes in excellent yields.     

Localization of elastic waves in heterogeneous media with off-diagonal disorder and long-range correlations

Using the Martin-Siggia-Rose method, we study propagation of acoustic waves in strongly heterogeneous media which are characterized by a broad distribution of the elastic constants. Gaussian-white distributed elastic constants, as well as those with long-range correlations with nondecaying power-law correlation functions, are considered. The study is motivated in part by a recent discovery that the elastic moduli of rock at large length scales may be characterized by long-range power-law correlation functions. Depending on the disorder, the renormalization group (RG) flows exhibit a transition to localized regime in any dimension. We have numerically checked the RG results using the transfer-matrix method and direct numerical simulations for one- and two-dimensional systems, respectively.     

A comparative study of first-derivative spectrophotometry and high-performance liquid chromatography applied to the determination of losartan potassium in tablets

Losartan, a highly effective blood pressure-lowering agent, has been widely used for the treatment of hypertension. A fast and reliable method for the determination of losartan was highly desirable to support formulation screening and quality control. A first-derivative UV spectroscopic method and HPLC were developed for the determination of losartan in the tablet dosage form. The first-derivative spectrum recorded between 220 and 320 nm and a zero-crossing technique for first-derivative measurement at 232.5 nm were selected. The selectivity and sensitivity of the method was in desirable range. In comparison with the direct UV method, first-derivative UV spectroscopy has a definite trough without any interference from UV absorbing-excipients. This method is also fast and economical in comparison with the more time-consuming HPLC method regularly used for formulation screening and quality control and can be used routinely by any laboratory possessing a spectrophotometer with a derivative accessory. The linear concentration ranges were 2-50 microg ml(-1), (D(1)=-0.0159C-0.0056, r=0.9994, n=6). Between-days CV of < or =2.9%, within-day CV of < or =2.1%, and analytical recovery close to 98.1% show the suitability of the method for determination in quality control.     

Organoplatinum(IV) tris-chelate complexes, each having a cyclic metallacarbonate ring: synthesis, characterization and kinetic studies of the formation

The complexes [Pt[(CH2)4](NN)], 1a (NN = 2,2'-bipyridine) and 1b (NN = 1,10-phenanthroline) react with 2,3-epoxypropylphenyl ether in the presence of CO2 to give tris-chelate platina(IV)cyclopentane complexes characterized by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy as [Pt[(CH2)4](CH2CHCH2OPhOCO2)(NN)], 2. The reactions proceed by the SN2 mechanism and the rates were independent of concentration of CO2. It is demonstrated that for 1a, the reaction proceeds 2.32 times faster than the similar reaction in which the dimethyl analog, [PtMe2(2,2'-bipyridine)], is used. The analog tris-chelate complex [Pt[(CH2)4](CH2CHPhOCO2)(phen)], 3a, was similarly synthesized.