Orthogonal Cationic and Radical RAFT Polymerizations to Prepare Bottlebrush Polymers

An orthogonal combination of cationic and radical RAFT polymerizations is used to synthesize bottlebrush polymers using two distinct RAFT agents. Selective consumption of the first RAFT agent is used to control the cationic RAFT polymerization of a vinyl ether monomer bearing a secondary dormant RAFT agent, which subsequently allows side‐chain polymers to be grafted from the pendant RAFT agent by a radical‐mediated RAFT polymerization of a different monomer, thus completing the synthesis of bottlebrush polymers. The high efficiency and selectivity of the cationic and radical RAFT polymerizations allow both polymerizations to be conducted in one‐pot tandem without intermediate purification.     

Enantioselective binding of α-pinene and of some cyclohexanetriol derivatives by cyclodextrin hosts: A molecular modeling study

We have used molecular modeling to investigate the enantioselective separation of the monoterpene α-pinene on permethylated β-cyclodextrin and on α-cyclodextrin and the enantioselective separation of three cyclohexanetriol derivatives on permethylated β-cyclodextrin. Using the Consistent Valence Force Field (CVFF) from Insight/Discover, we have carried out systematic rigid-body docking grid searches on each of the optical antipodes of the organic guest molecules interacting with the cyclodextrins, followed by minimizations of the low-energy docked structures. A statistical mechanical analysis of the minimized energies yields data that agree in four out of five cases with the experimental elution order of enantiomers. The computed energies of the rigid-body docking before minimizations do not agree with the experimental results, suggesting that a conformational induced fit of the cyclodextrins upon binding of the organic guests may be involved in the mechanism of the chiral recognition. © 1996 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Applications of esr techniques to the study of free radical processes and kinetics in acrylic polymerizations

Electron spin resonance (ESR) techniques have been applied to a detailed study of batch and semicontinuous emulsion polymerization of methyl methacrylate; butyl acrylate and styrene have been briefly studied. Quenching of samples from the polymerization reactor followed by ESR analysis are useful, but we have developed continuous flow techniques which are preferable in many cases. ESR techniques can provide valuable information relating to the nature of free radical reactions, the concentration of propagating free radicals, and the kinetic processes in these reactions. Direct ESR analysis is most valuable but is not applicable to all systems. Spin trapping techniques can be useful for systems not accessible by direct analysis.     

Stereoretentive and regioselective selenium-catalyzed intermolecular propargylic C–H amination of alkynes

Herein we report an intermolecular propargylic C–H amination of alkynes. This reaction is operationally convenient and requires no transition metal catalysts or additives. Terminal, silyl, and internal alkynes bearing a wide range of functional groups can be aminated in high yields. The regioselectivity of amination for unsymmetrical internal alkynes is strongly influenced by substitution pattern (tertiary > secondary > primary) and by relatively remote heteroatomic substituents. We demonstrate that amination of alkynes bearing α-stereocenters occurs with retention of configuration at the newly-formed C–N bond. Competition experiments between alkynes, kinetic isotope effects, and DFT calculations are performed to confirm the mechanistic hypothesis that initial ene reaction of a selenium bis(imide) species is the rate- and product-determining step. This ene reaction has a transition state that results in substantial partial positive charge development at the carbon atom closer to the amination position. Inductive and/or hyperconjugative stabilization or destabilization of this positive charge explains the observed regioselectivities.

Selenium catalysis enables a general intermolecular propargylic C–H amination of alkynes. The concerted mechanism gives rise to high regioselectivity for the more electron-rich end of the alkyne and retention of the C–H propargylic stereocenter.     

Polymicrobial Biofilm Inhibition Effects of Acetate‐Buffered Chitosan Sponge Delivery Device

Polymicrobial biofilm‐associated implant infections present a challenging clinical problem. Through modifications of lyophilized chitosan sponges, degradable drug delivery devices for antibiotic solution have been fabricated for prevention and treatment of contaminated musculoskeletal wounds. Elution of amikacin, vancomycin, or a combination of both follows a burst release pattern with vancomycin released above minimum inhibitory concentration for Staphylococcus aureus for 72 h and amikacin released above inhibitory concentrations for Pseudomonas aeruginosa for 3 h. Delivery of a vancomycin, amikacin, or a combination of both reduces biofilm formation on polytetrafluoroethylene catheters in an in vivo model of contamination. Release of dual antibiotics from sponges is more effective at preventing biofilm formation than single‐loaded chitosan sponges. Treatment of pre‐formed biofilm with high‐dose antibiotic release from chitosan sponges shows minimal reduction after 48 h. These results demonstrate infection‐preventive efficacy for antibiotic‐loaded sponges, as well as the need for modifications in the development of advanced materials to enhance treatment efficacy in removing established biofilm.

     

Direct generation of ion beam images with a two-dimensional charge injection device

The use of a two-dimensional charge injection device (CID) to directly image the spatial profile of impingent positively charged ions is described. By this approach, no prior conversion from an ion beam to a photon image is required. Because of the positive response of the device to plasma photons, ions that emanated from the radiofrequency glow discharge source were diverted around a photon stop and focused onto the CID. The resultant ion images were digitized via an external image processor and corrected for dark current contributions. Two-dimensional ion images and single pixel line profiles are presented.     

Planarity relations for the sextic centrifugal distortion constants of triangular triatomic molecules

Four linearly independent linear combinations of the ten sextic centrifugal distortion coefficients of triangular triatomic molecules are presented. These combinations are formed in such a way that the resulting expressions depend only on the equilibrium geometry and the harmonic force field parameters of the molecule, quantities which are ordinarily known to considerably better precision than the sextic constants. The relations obtained thus constitute a set of planarity constraints on the ten sextic coefficients which arise in connection with the Nielsen-Amat expansion of the Darling-Dennison Hamiltonian. The planarity expressions can be utilized to effect a reduction of the sextic portion of the Hamiltonian.     

Optical trirefringence in photonic crystal waveguides

We demonstrate that 2D photonic crystals can possess optical trirefringence in which there are six field orientations for which linear incident light is not perturbed on reflection or transmission. Such a property is rigorously forbidden in homogeneous nonmagnetic dielectrics which can possess only optical birefringence. We experimentally demonstrate this phenomena in silicon-based mesostructures formed from photonic crystal waveguides embedded in a Fabry-Perot cavity. Multirefringence is controlled by the presence of submicron dielectric patterning and is well explained by an exact scattering matrix theory.