Recent progress in controlled radical polymerization of N-vinyl monomers

This review summarizes recent advances in the controlled radical polymerization of N-vinyl monomers, such as N-vinylcarbazole, N-vinylindole derivatives, N-vinylpyrrolidone, N-vinylcaprolactam, N-vinylformamide, N-vinylacetoamide derivatives, N-vinyl(na)phthalimides, N-vinylimidazolium salts, and N-vinyltriazoles. Recent significant progress of controlled radical polymerization of these N-vinyl monomers has allowed for the synthesis of well-defined functional polymers having various architectures, including block copolymers, branched polymers (stars, star block copolymers, miktoarm star copolymers, and graft copolymers), and hybrids. Characteristic properties, assembled structures, and three-dimensional architectures of these functional polymers derived from N-vinyl monomers are briefly introduced.     

Docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid induce changes in the physical properties of a lipid bilayer model membrane

We investigated the effect of fatty acids such as stearic acid (SA, 18:0), oleic acid (OA, 18:1), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6) on a dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) bilayer by determining the phase transition temperature, fluorescence anisotropy of 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH), and detergent insolubility. Treatment with unsaturated fatty acid broadened and shifted the phase transitions of the DPPC bilayer to a lower temperature. The phase transition temperature and the value of fluorescence anisotropy of DPH at 37 degrees C decreased progressively with increasing treatment amounts of unsaturated fatty acid. A large amount of the DPPC bilayer treated with unsaturated fatty acid was dissolved in Triton X-100, obtaining a low level of detergent insolubility. These modifications of the bilayer physical properties were most pronounced with DHA and EPA treatment. These data show that unsaturated fatty acids, particularly DHA and EPA, induce a marked change in the lipid bilayer structure. The composition of fatty acids in the DPPC bilayer was similar after treatment with various unsaturated fatty acids, suggesting that the different actions of unsaturated fatty acids are attributed to change in the molecular structure (e.g., kinked conformation by double bonds). We further explored the change in physical properties induced by fatty acids dispersed in a water-in-oil-in-water multiple emulsion and found that unsaturated fatty acids acted efficiently on the DPPC bilayer, even when incorporated in emulsion form.     

Alkanoylation of quinazoline by nucleophilic aromatic substitution: Combined experimental and computational study

A combined experimental and computational study on the key intermediates of NHC-catalyzed acylation reaction, Breslow intermediates (BIs), has been conducted in order to achieve a direct nucleophilic alkanoylation of N-heterocycles. Various BI precursors are alternatively prepared and used in the reaction with 4-chloroquinazoline. The present study reveals that the intermediates having benzimidazole moiety serve as acylating agents for the introduction of straight-chain alkanoyl groups. Natural bond orbital analysis indicates that the reactivity of intermediates partly correlates to the occupancy of the π_C-C bonds of the hydroxyl enamine moieties. The putative rate-determining step of the acylation reaction has been theoretically investigated. Several new 4-alkanoylquinazolines are synthesized using the BI precursors.     

On the spin of Solitons in 2+1 dimensional models

It is believed that the charged vortex in the Chern-Simons-Higgs model can have fractional spin, since the extra angular momentum of the static vortex calculated from the classical energy-momentum tensor is nonzero. We re-examine the spin of the charged vortex by use of quantum mechanical method, by which the baby skyrmion in theO(3) nonlinear -model with the Hopf term is pointed out to have fractional spin. It is shown that the spin of the charged vortex obtained from the quantum mechanical argument does not necessarily coincide with the value of classical extra angular momentum. Moreover, it is found that its value is not unique, since it is one of quantities which depend on the gauge condition of the Chern-Simons gauge field.     

Ethene polymerization with modified-polypropene-supported highly stable Ziegler catalyst

A modified-polypropene-supported Ziegler catalyst was prepared using polypropene containing a small amount of poly(7-methyl-1,6-octadiene) as a starting polymer for bromination, lithiation, and reaction with TiCl₄. The polymerization of ethene was carried out using the catalyst with Al(C₂H₅)₃ in toluene at 60°C up to 100 h. The polymer yield increased linearly with polymerization time, which indicates that the active sites of the modified-polypropene-supported Ziegler catalyst are practically stable without deactivation even for 100 h and are able to propagate further polymerization of ethene.     

Thermally switchable polyrotaxane as a model of stimuli-responsive supramolecules for nano-scale devices

A polyrotaxane consisting of many β-cyclodextrins (β-CDs) and a triblock copolymer of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and poly(propylene glycol) (PPG) capped with bulky end-groups was synthesized as a model of stimuli-responsive supramolecules for nanoscale devices. The polyrotaxane was reversibly soluble-insoluble in water in response to temperature. This was achieved through the assembled and dispersed states of β-CDs along the block copolymer. It is considered that intermolecular hydrogen bondings of β-CDs, as well as the PEG segment length of the copoloymer, are predominant factors for regulating such thermally switchable behavior of the polyrotaxane.     

Syntheses of cyanoselenoamides and diselenoamides: Conversion into selenazoles and selenazines

Reactions of dicyano compounds with a potassium selenocarboxylate afforded the corresponding cyanoselenoamides and diselenoamides in good yields of experimentally determined ratios. The obtained cyanoselenoamides were allowed to react with potassium selenocarboxylate, again to afford the corresponding diselenoamides in higher yields. The cyanoselenoamides and diselenoamides were investigated as substrates for preparations of selenazoles and selenazines. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 14:106–110, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/hc.10111     

Syntheses of 2‐alkylthio‐1,3‐thiazine derivatives from S‐alkyldithiocarbamates and α,β‐unsaturated ketones

Various 2‐alkylthio‐1,3‐thiazine derivatives were synthesized by the reactions of S‐alkylthiocarbamates with α,β‐unsaturated ketones in the presence of BF₃ · Et₂O. The thiazine was converted into two isomeric dehydrated products in the presence of a Lewis acid. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 13:377–379, 2002; Published online in Wiley Interscience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/hc.10055     

Enzymatic synthesis of a soluble polyphenol derivative from 4,4′-biphenyldiol

Enzymatic oxidative polymerization of 4,4′-biphenyldiol was performed in an aqueous organic solvent using horseradish peroxidase as catalyst. In the polymerization using a mixture of 1,4-dioxane and phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) (80:20 vol-%) as solvent, the monomer was quantitatively consumed to give powdery polymeric materials in a high yield. The resulting polymer is soluble in polar solvents such as N,N-dimethylformamide, dimethyl sulfoxide, and acetone. The molecular weight of the methylated product is 7.3 × 10³. The polymer exhibits high thermal stability under nitrogen.