Ordered structures of syndiotactic poly(methyl methacrylates) studied by a combination of infrared,Raman, and NMR spectroscopy.

The C ? O stretching vibrations in Raman and infrared spectra of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) samples of various stereoregularity in solutions and in the solid state were measured. It was found that for ordered structures of syndiotactic (s) PMMA, transition dipole coupling of ester groups in ordered s-PMMA sequences leads to a splitting of the C ? O stretching vibration into three components with wavenumbers equal in the solid state and in solution, and of different activity in Raman and infrared spectra. A comparison of the time dependences of self-aggregation of s-PMMA as measured by NMR and infrared spectroscopy indicates that the first phase of the aggregation process is detected by both methods. NMR analysis of the effect of the degree of stereoregularity on the self-aggregation of s-PMMA shows that the prerequisite for the generation of a stable ordered structure is the mutual interaction of two s-sequences of a minimum length of 9 monomer units. The experimental data obtained lead to the conclusion that, in self-aggregated s-PMMA, some of the ester groups are in close contact, with the interacting s-sequences probably forming a double helix.     

Signed domination numbers of directed graphs

The concept of signed domination number of an undirected graph (introduced by J. E. Dunbar, S. T. Hedetniemi, M. A. Henning and P. J. Slater) is transferred to directed graphs. Exact values are found for particular types of tournaments. It is proved that for digraphs with a directed Hamiltonian cycle the signed domination number may be arbitrarily small.     

On the mechanism of rendering visible dislocations on the surface of iron crystals by anodic dissolving

The paper contains further results of studying dislocations rendered visible by anodic dissolving on the surface of single crystals of alpha-iron. The influence of the crystallographic orientation of the surface is investigated, the effect of carbon is confirmed and the anodic process is studied. The mechanism of dissolving of the crystal is given and a new more suitable method of rendering dislocations visible is derived.

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The author thanks F. Kroupa and J. Hejduk for critical remarks and discussion.     

The sub-structure of crystals of silicon-iron alloy

After electrolytic polishing and etching a network of boundaries between mosaic blocks was observed on the surface of single crystals of silicon-iron alloy prepared from the melt. Some of the boundaries are formed by a number of distinguishable pits, also found singly outside the boundary. An explanation is given on the basis of the conception that the pits are etched points of intersection of edge dislocations with the surface of the crystals.     

Bulky Barbiturates as Non-Toxic Ionic Dye Insulators for Enhanced Emission in Polymeric Nanoparticles

Bulky hydrophobic counterions (weakly coordinating anions) can insulate ionic dyes against aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) and enable preparation of highly fluorescent dye-loaded nanoparticles (NPs) for bioimaging, biosensing and light harvesting. Here, we introduce a family of hydrophobic anions based on fluorinated C-acyl barbiturates with delocalized negative charge and bulky non-polar groups. Similarly to fluorinated tetraphenylborates, these barbiturates prevent ACQ of cationic dye alkyl rhodamine B inside polymer NPs made of biodegradable poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA). Their efficiency to prevent ACQ increases for analogues with higher acidity and bulkiness. Their structure controls dye-dye communication, yielding bright NPs with on/off switching or stable emission. They enhance dye encapsulation inside NPs, allowing intracellular imaging without dye leakage. Compared to fluorinated tetraphenylborates known as cytotoxic transmembrane ion transporters, the barbiturates display a significantly lower cytotoxicity. These chemically available and versatile barbiturate derivatives are promising counterion scaffolds for preparation of bright non-toxic fluorescent nanomaterials.     

Stable N,N’-Diarylated Dihydrodiazaacene Radical Cations

Three stable N,N’-diarylated dihydroazaacene radical cations were prepared by oxidation of neutral N,N’-diarylated dihydroazaacenes synthesized via palladium-catalyzed Buchwald-Hartwig aminations of aryl iodides with N,N’-dihydroazaacenes. Both neutral as well as oxidized species were investigated via UV-vis spectroscopy, single crystal analysis, and DFT calculations. All the radical cations are surprisingly stable—their absorption spectra in dichloromethane remain unchanged in ambient conditions for at least 24 hours.