Effects of TEMED and EDTA on the structural and mechanical properties of NIPAAm/Na+MMT composite hydrogels

N‐isopropyl acrylamide (NIPAAm) hydrogels are known as thermosensitive crosslinked polymer networks. In this work, the network parameters of their composites, i.e., NIPAAm/sodium montmorillonite (NIPAAm/Na⁺MMT) hydrogels synthesized by free radical solution polymerization in the presence of two different types of accelerator (tetramethyl ethylenediamine (TEMED) and ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA)) and initiator (potassium persulphate (K₂S₂O₈) and cerium ammonium nitrate ((NH₄)₂Ce(NO₃)₆), Ce(IV)) using five different clay content (in the range of 1.0–5.0 wt % of total monomer concentration) at 25 °C were presented and discussed. FTIR spectra, XRD patterns, SEM photographs, and network parameters of the samples indicated that the presence of COOH groups on EDTA molecules was resulted in the formation of exfoliated structures and the activity of EDTA/KPS redox pair was higher than those of TEMED/KPS and EDTA/Ce (IV) pairs. The compression moduli (G) of the hydrogels initiated with EDTA/Ce(IV) redox pair showed smooth and continual changings with increase in Na⁺MMT content (for swelling equilibrium at 25 °C) on the contrary of EDTA/KPS and TEMED/KPS pairs. It might be related to low initiator efficiency of cerium ammonium nitrate than KPS molecules, having higher effective crosslinking density with increasing clay content. On the other hand, the G moduli of NIPAAm/Na⁺MMT hydrogels (above their phase transition temperature) initiated with TEMED/KPS redox pair were higher than the others because of the more hydrophobic nature of TEMED molecules. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 1256–1264, 2010     

Viscosity of Alkali–Metal Iodides in Propionitrile and Acetonitrile Mixtures at 25°C

The relative viscosities were measured for LiI, NaI, KI, RbI, Bu₄NBPh₄, and Bu₄NI in a wide range of mixtures of propionitrile and acetonitrile at 25°C to obtain Jones–Dole Bcoefficients. The Bcoefficients of these electrolytes were large and positive. The values of ionic Bcoefficients allow us to assess the behavior of ions in the solvent mixtures.     

Characterisation of α-chitin extracted from a lichenised fungus species Xanthoria parietina

Lichens are symbiotic associations formed mainly by ascomycete fungi and green algae or cyanobacteria. The presence of chitin in the fungal cell wall has been revealed by previous studies. Considering the presence of fungi in the lichens, this work determines the presence of chitin in a cosmopolitan lichen species Xanthoria parietina. In this study, chitin was derived from a lichen species for the first time and its physicochemical properties were determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and elemental analysis. The dry weight chitin content of X. parietina was 4.23%, and this chitin was in the α-form. The crystalline index value of the lichen chitin was calculated as 70.1%. The chitin from X. parietina had a smooth surface.     

A Ratiometric Fluorescent Probe for Gold and Mercury Ions

A fluorescent probe that displays a ratiometric fluorescence response towards gold and mercury ions has been devised. Emitting at a relatively longer wavelength, the conjugated form of the fluorescent dye transforms in the presence of the gold or mercury ions into a new dye, the molecular structure of which lacks the conjugation and consequently emits at a distinctly shorter wavelength.     

Cytotoxic and apoptotic activities of novel Pd(II) complexes against human leukemia cell lines in vitro

In the investigation for alternative chemotherapeutic strategies against leukemia, Pd(II) complexes were synthesized and investigated for cytotoxic and apoptotic properties on two human leukemia cell lines (HL-60 and K562). Pd(II) complexes (Pd-5a and Pd-6a) with 5a and 6a as ligands were synthesized and characterized by ¹H-NMR and F-TIR. The cytotoxicity of the compounds was quantified using MTT method. Bax, Bcl-2, and caspase 3 gene expression levels were estimated using RT-qPCR. Here we show that Pd(II) complexes have important cytotoxic activity on human leukemia cell lines. RT-qPCR indicated that Bax and caspase 3 gene expression levels were increased after 24 h treatment with Pd-5a and Pd-6a complexes in both HL-60 and K562 cells at some selected dose. Furthermore, Bcl-2 gene expression level decreased after 24 h treatment with Pd-5a and Pd-6a complexes in K562 cells at all selected dose. In HL-60 cells, only one selected Pd-5a dose (25 µM) decreased the gene expression level of Bcl-2. The results obtained in the present investigation indicate that these two newly synthesized Pd(II) complexes have apoptotic effects at appropriate doses through caspase 3 and Bax genes and might represent a novel potentially active agents for the management of human leukemia cell lines.     

Iterative approximation of fixed points of Prešić operators on partial metric spaces

We study the convergence of the Pre?i? type k‐step iterative method for a class of operators satisfying Pre?i? type contractive conditions on the setting of partial metric spaces. Some examples are presented to illustrate our obtained results. As applications of the presented convergence theorems, we derive global attractivity results for a class of matrix difference equations. Numerical experiments are also presented to illustrate the theoretical findings.     

Silver(I) and copper(I) complexes supported by fully fluorinated 1,3,5-triazapentadienyl ligands

Synthesis of the perfluorinated 1,3,5-triazapentadiene [N{(CF(3))C(C(6)F(5))N}(2)]H and the use of its conjugate base as a supporting ligand for the isolation of silver(i) and copper(i) complexes are reported. Some of the related chemistry involving [N{(C(3)F(7))C(C(6)F(5))N}(2)](-) (that has bulkier -C(3)F(7) groups on the 1,3,5-triazapentadienyl ligand backbone) is also presented. X-ray crystallographic data show a wide variety of structures ranging from intermolecular, hydrogen-bonded chain structure for [N{(CF(3))C(C(6)F(5))N}(2)]H with a twisted W-shaped N(3)C(2) core, monomeric [N{(CF(3))C(C(6)F(5))N}(2)]Ag(CN(t)Bu)(2) and [N{(C(3)F(7))C(C(6)F(5))N}(2)]Ag(CN(t)Bu)(2) where the κ(1)-bonded triazapentadienyl ligand bonding to the metal fragment via the central nitrogen atom, monomeric [N{(CF(3))C(C(6)F(5))N}(2)]Ag(PPh(3))(2) and [N{(C(3)F(7))C(C(6)F(5))N}(2)]Ag(PPh(3))(2) that feature κ(1)-bonded triazapentadienyl ligand bonding to the metal fragment via one of the terminal nitrogen atoms, to that of the monomeric [N{(CF(3))C(C(6)F(5))N}(2)]Cu(CN(t)Bu)(2) containing a κ(2)-bonded triazapentadienyl ligand and a U-shaped NCNCN ligand backbone. The isocyanide adducts show relatively high ν(CN) values in the IR spectra.     

Diversity-oriented approach to pyrrole-imidazole alkaloid frameworks

An exploration of imidazolylpropargyl amides as linchpin synthons for the construction of a diverse array of heterocyclic frameworks, many of which are related to those found in the oroidin derived alkaloids, is described. One such intermediate has been used in a formal total synthesis of cyclooroidin.