Polymerforschung und -technologie im Iran

Im Laufe der letzten Jahre wurden - von den meisten westlichen Fachkollegen unbemerkt - an mehreren iranischen Universitäten und Forschungsinstituten Abteilungen eingerichtet, die sich in Forschung und Lehre mit Chemie, Physik, Anwendungs- und Verfahrenstechnik der Polymere beschäftigen. Das 1986 gegründete Polymer Research Center of Iran organisierte im Mai dieses Jahres das 1. Internationale Seminar.     

General Method to Increase Carboxylic Acid Content on Nanodiamonds

Carboxylic acid is a commonly utilized functional group for covalent surface conjugation of carbon nanoparticles that is typically generated by acid oxidation. However, acid oxidation generates additional oxygen containing groups, including epoxides, ketones, aldehydes, lactones, and alcohols. We present a method to specifically enrich the carboxylic acid content on fluorescent nanodiamond (FND) surfaces. Lithium aluminum hydride is used to reduce oxygen containing surface groups to alcohols. The alcohols are then converted to carboxylic acids through a rhodium (II) acetate catalyzed carbene insertion reaction with tert–butyl diazoacetate and subsequent ester cleavage with trifluoroacetic acid. This carboxylic acid enrichment process significantly enhanced nanodiamond homogeneity and improved the efficiency of functionalizing the FND surface. Biotin functionalized fluorescent nanodiamonds were demonstrated to be robust and stable single-molecule fluorescence and optical trapping probes.     

Simulation and Experiment in X-ray Topography and Diffractometry

X-ray double crystal topography and high resolution diffractometry reveal very small deformations of the crystal lattice. However, this information can be directly obtained from the topographs or diffractometer curves only if certain conditions are fulfilled. Generally a deformation model has to be used, that is compared to the measurements by simulation calculations based on the dynamical diffraction theory. Trial and error allow to adapt the parameters of the model. An example illustrates that with a few parameters an automatic fit is possible.     

Modification of carbon electrodes by vitamin B12-polymers

New types of electroactive polymers consisting of derivatives of vitamin B₁₂ and epoxy resins have been synthesized. Surface modification of carbon (carbon felt or basal plane pyrolytic graphite) has been achieved by thermal curing of the monomers on the electrodes. Electrochemical response from the Co (II)/Co (I) redox couple has been observed from sub-mono to multilayer coverages. The influence of the size of the epoxy spacer on charge propagation in the polymer has been studied. The B₁₂-modified electrodes have been applied to electrosynthesis and electroanalysis: They catalyze the reductive cross-coupling of alkyl halides and activated olefins and they are efficient sensors for alkylating agents.