Synthesis and characterization of a hydrogel with controllable electroosmosis: a potential brain tissue surrogate for electrokinetic transport

Electroosmosis is the bulk fluid flow initiated by application of an electric field to an electrolyte solution in contact with immobile objects with a nonzero ζ-potential such as the surface of a porous medium. Electroosmosis may be used to assist analytical separations. Several gel-based systems with varying electroosmotic mobilities have been made in this context. A method was recently developed to determine the ζ-potential of organotypic hippocampal slice cultures (OHSC) as a representative model for normal brain tissue. The ζ-potential of the tissue is significant. However, determining the role of the ζ-potential in solute transport in tissue in an electric field is difficult because the tissue's ζ-potential cannot be altered. We hypothesized that mass transport properties, namely the ζ-potential and tortuosity, could be modulated by controlling the composition of a set of hydrogels. Thus, poly(acrylamide-co-acrylic acid) gels were prepared with three compositions (by monomer weight percent): acrylamide/acrylic acid 100/0, 90/10, and 75/25. The ζ-potentials of these gels at pH 7.4 are distinctly different, and in fact vary approximately linearly with the weight percent of acrylic acid. We discovered that the 25% acrylic acid gel is a respectable model for brain tissue, as its ζ-potential is comparable to the OHSC. This series of gels permits the experimental determination of the importance of electrokinetic properties in a particular experiment or protocol. Additionally, tortuosities were measured electrokinetically and by evaluating diffusion coefficients. Hydrogels with well-defined ζ-potential and tortuosity may find utility in biomaterials and analytical separations, and as a surrogate model for OHSC and living biological tissues.     

Osmium-mediated C--H and C--C bond cleavage of a phenolic substrate: p-quinone methide and methylene arenium pincer complexes

The diphosphine 2,4,6-(CH(3))(3)-3,5-(iPr(2)PCH(2))(2)C(6)OH (1) reacts with [OsCl(2)(PPh(3))(3)] in presence of an excess of triethylamine to yield the isomeric para-quinone methide derivatives [Os{4-(CH(2))-1-(O)-2,6-(CH(3))(2)-3,5-(iPr(2)PCH(2))(2)C(6)}(Cl)(H)(PPh(3))] (2 and 3), which differ in the positions of the mutually trans hydride and chloride ligands. Complex 2 reacts with CO to afford the dicarbonyl species [Os{1-(O)-2,4,6-(CH(3))(3)-3,5-(iPr(2)PCH(2))(2)C(6)}(Cl)(CO)(2)] (4), which results from hydride insertion into the quinonic double bond. Protonation of 2 and 3 leads to the formation of the methylene arenium derivative [Os{4-(CH(2))-1-(OH)-2,6-(CH(3))(2)-3,5-(iPr(2)PCH(2))(2)C(6)}(Cl)(H)(PPh(3))][OSO(2)CF(3)] (5 a). The diphosphine 1 reacts with [OsCl(2)(PPh(3))(3)] at 100 degrees C under H(2) to afford [Os{1-(OH)-2,6-(CH(3))(2)-3,5-(iPr(2)PCH(2))(2)C(6)}(Cl)(H(2))(PPh(3))] (6), a PCP pincer complex resulting formally from C(sp(2))--C(sp(3)) cleavage of the C--CH(3) group in 1. C--C hydrogenolysis resulting in the same complex is achieved by heating 2 under H(2) pressure. Reaction of the diphosphine substrate with [OsCl(2)(PPh(3))(3)] under H(2) at lower temperature allows the observation of a methylene arenium derivative resulting from C--H activation, [Os{4-(CH(2))-1-(OH)-2,6-(CH(3))(2)-3,5-(iPr(2)PCH(2))(2)C(6)}(Cl)(2)(H)] (7). This compound reacts with PPh(3) in toluene to afford the ionic derivative [Os{4-(CH(2))-1-(OH)-2,6-(CH(3))(2)-3,5-(iPr(2)PCH(2))(2)C(6)}(Cl)(H)(PPh(3))]Cl (5 b). X-ray diffraction studies have been carried out on compounds 2, 3, 4, 5 b, 6, and 7, which allows the study of the structural variations when going from methylene arenium to quinone methide derivatives.     

An integrated approach for risk response development in project planning

The risk response development phase is a major phase in the project risk management process. We present a model that integrates project work contents, risk events, and risk reduction actions and their effects into a comprehensive framework. The model allows the representation of the overlapping effects of multiple risk reduction actions and of the impacts of secondary risk events, and supports the evaluation of the total risk exposure of the project under various combinations of risk reduction actions. The model can be treated with optimisation techniques in order to generate the most cost-effective combination of risk reduction actions. In this work we describe the model, outline a solution procedure and illustrate its application with an example taken from the software industry.     

Formation and X-ray Structures of PCP Ligand Based Platinum(II) and Palladium(II) Macrocycles

The coordination behavior prior to C-M bond formation of the chelating aromatic PCP substrate DPPMH (3; DPPMH = 1,3-bis((diphenylphosphino)methylene)mesitylene) has been studied in order to determine the factors which control the complex formation of such ligands. Reacting 3 with (RCN)(2)MCl(2) (R = Me, Ph; M = Pd, Pt) and (COD)PtX(2) (X = Cl, Me; COD = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) resulted in the formation of several 8- and 16-membered mono- and binuclear palladium(II) and platinum(II) macrocycles: trans-[(DPPMH)PdCl(2)](2) (5), trans-[(DPPMH)PtCl(2)](2) (6), cis-(DPPMH)PtCl(2) (7), cis-(DPPMH)PtMe(2) (8), and cis-[(DPPMH)PtMe(2)](2) (9). Compounds 5-9 were fully characterized using NMR, FAB-MS, FD-MS, elemental analysis, and X-ray crystallography. Thermolysis of the bimetallic trans-[(DPPMH)PtCl(2)](2) (6) results in the formation of the monomeric cis-(DPPMH)PtCl(2) (7). The product formation depends on the neutral- (nitriles or COD) and anionic ligands (Cl and CH(3)) of the metal precursor. The molecular structures of trans-[(DPPMH)PdCl(2)](2) (5) and cis-[(DPPMH)PtMe(2)](2) (9) have been determined by complete single-crystal diffraction studies. Crystal data for 5: monoclinic, space group P2(1)/n with a = 14.547(3) ?, b = 17.431(4) ?, c = 27.839 (5) ?, beta = 99.56(2) degrees, V = 6961(3) ?(3), and Z = 4. The structure converged to R = 0.048 and R(w) = 0.049. Crystal data for 9: monoclinic, space group P2(1)/n with a = 19.187(4) ?, b = 19.189(4) ? c = 20.705(2) ?, beta = 103.41(3) degrees, V = 7415(3) ?(3), and Z = 4. The structure refinement converged to R = 0.0977 and R(w) = 0.2212.     

Facile conversion of alcohols into esters and dihydrogen catalyzed by new ruthenium complexes

An efficient, environmentally benign method for the preparation of esters from alcohols under mild, neutral conditions without the need for carboxylic acid derivatives and condensing agents was developed. Catalyst design, based on new Ru(II) hydrido carbonyl complexes incorporating electron-rich PNP and PNN ligands has resulted in the novel complex (I) which is an outstanding catalyst for the dehydrogenation of primary alcohols to esters and H(2) under neutral conditions.     

Measurement of the branching ratio and form factor of K(L)-->mu(+)mu(-)gamma

We report on the analysis of the rare decay K(L)-->mu(+)mu(-)gamma the 1997 data from the KTeV experiment at Fermilab. A total of 9327 candidate events are observed with 2.4% background, representing a factor of 40 increase in statistics over the current world sample. We find that B(K(L)-->mu(+)mu(-)gamma) = (3.62 +/- 0.04(stat) +/- 0.08(syst)) x 10(-7). The form factor parameter alpha(K*) is measured to be alpha(K*) = -0.160(+0.026)(-0.028). In addition, we make the first measurement of the parameter alpha from the D'Ambrosio-Isidori-Portolés form factor, finding alpha = -1.54 +/- 0.10. In that model, this alpha measurement limits the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa parameter rho>-0.2.