Synthesis and Characterizations of Ti(O‐i‐Pr)Cl3(THF)(PhCOR) (R = H,Me, Ph) and Ti(O‐i‐Pr)Cl3(PhCOR)2 (R = Me,Ph). The Molecular Structure of Ti(O‐i‐Pr)Cl3(PhCOPh)2

A series of titanium(IV) complexes Ti(O‐i‐Pr)Cl₃(THF)(PhCOR) (R = H ( 1 ), CH₃ ( 2 ), or Ph ( 3 )) is prepared quantitatively from reactions of [Ti(O‐i‐Pr)Cl₂(THF)(μ‐Cl)]₂ with 2 molar equiv. PhCOR. Treatment of Ti(O‐i‐Pr)Cl₃ with 2 molar equiv. of PhCOR affords the disubstituted complexes Ti(O‐i‐Pr)Cl₃(PhCOR)₂ (R = CH₃ ( 4 ) or Ph ( 5 )). The ¹³C NMR study of these complexes shows that the relative bonding abilities are in the order of PhCOCH₃ > PhCHO > PhCOPh. The molecular structure of 5 reveals that one of the benzophenone ligands is trans to the strongest 2‐propoxide ligand with a long Ti‐O(carbonyl) distance of 2.193(5) Å which is much longer than the other Ti‐O(carbonyl) distance of 2.097(4) Å by ?0.1 Å. All ligands cis to the alkoxide ligand are bending away from the alkoxide ligand with the RO‐Ti‐L angles ranging from 93.6(2) to 99.0(2)°.     

Numerical study of flow and thermal behaviour of lid‐driven flows in cavities of small aspect ratios

Numerical study has been performed to investigate the effects of cavity shape on flow and heat transfer characteristics of the lid‐driven cavity flows. Dependence of flow and thermal behaviour on the aspect ratio of the cavities is also evaluated. Three types of the cross‐sectional shape, namely, circular, triangular, and rectangular, and four aspect ratios, 0.133, 0.207, 0.288, and 0.5, are taken into account to construct twelve possible combinations; however, attention is focused on the small‐aspect‐ratio situations. Value of the Reynolds number considered in this study is varied between 100 and 1800. For the cases considered in this study a major clockwise vortex driven by the moving lid prevailing in the cavity is always observed. When the Reynolds number is fixed, the rectangular cavity produces strongest lid‐driven flow, and the triangular cavity weakest. For the cases at small aspect ratio and low Reynolds number, the streamlines appear symmetric fore‐and‐aft with respect to the central line at x/L = 0.5. Data for the local and average Nusselt numbers are also provided. For rectangular cavities, it is observed that case 1/5R produces the highest average Nusselt number at any Reynolds number. Among the twelve possible geometric cases considered herein, the highest and lowest average Nusselt numbers are found with cases 1/6T and 1/2C, respectively. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Puzzles in B physics

I discuss some puzzles observed in exclusive B-meson decays, concentrating on the large difference between the direct CP asymmetries in the B ⁰ → π⁻ K ⁼ and B ^± → π⁰ K ^± modes, the large B ⁰ → π⁰π⁰ branching ratio, and the large deviation of the mixing-induced CP asymmetries in the b → sqq penguins from those in the b → ccs trees.     

Synthesis and properties of novel cardo aromatic poly(ether‐benzoxazole)s

Three new bis(ether‐acyl chloride) monomers, 1,1‐bis[4‐(4‐chloroformylphenoxy)phenyl]cyclohexane ( 1a ), 5,5‐bis[4‐(4‐chloroformylphenoxy)phenyl]‐4,7‐methanohexahydroindan ( 1b ), and 9,9‐bis[4‐(4‐chloroformylphenoxy)phenyl]fluorene ( 1c ), were synthesized from readily available compounds. Aromatic polybenzoxazoles bearing ether and cardo groups were obtained by the low‐temperature solution polycondensation of the bis(ether‐acyl chloride)s with three bis(aminophenol)s and the subsequent thermal cyclodehydration of the resultant poly(o‐hydroxy amide)s. The intermediate poly(o‐hydroxy amide)s exhibited inherent viscosities in the range of 0.35–0.71 dL/g. All of the poly(o‐hydroxy amide)s were amorphous and soluble in many organic polar solvents, and most of them could afford flexible and tough films by solvent casting. The poly(o‐hydroxy amide)s exhibited glass‐transition temperatures (T_g's) in the range of 141–169 °C and could be thermally converted into the corresponding polybenzoxazoles approximately in the region of 240–350 °C, as indicated by the DSC thermograms. Flexible and tough films of polybenzoxazoles could be obtained by thermal cyclodehydration of the poly(o‐hydroxy amide) films. All the polybenzoxazoles were amorphous and showed an enhanced T_g but a dramatically decreased solubility as compared with their poly(o‐hydroxy amide) precursors. They exhibited T_g's of 215–272 °C by DSC and showed insignificant weight loss before 500 °C in nitrogen or air. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 4014–4021, 2001     

Aromatic polybenzoxazoles containing ether–sulfone linkages

A series of poly(o‐hydroxy amide)s having both ether and sulfone linkages in the main chain were synthesized via the low‐temperature solution polycondensation of 4,4′‐[sulfonylbis(1,4‐phenylene)dioxy]dibenzoyl chloride and 4,4′‐[sulfonylbis(2,6‐dimethyl‐1,4‐phenylene)dioxy]dibenzoyl chloride with three bis(o‐aminophenol)s including 4,4′‐diamino‐3,3′‐dihydroxybiphenyl, 3,3′‐diamino‐4,4′‐dihydroxybiphenyl, and 2,2‐bis(3‐diamino‐4‐hydroxyphenyl)hexafluoropropane. Subsequent thermal cyclodehydration of the poly(o‐hydroxy amide)s afforded polyethersulfone benzoxazoles. Most of the poly(o‐hydroxy amide)s were soluble in polar organic solvents such as N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone; however, the polybenzoxazoles without the hexafluoroisopropylidene group were organic‐insoluble. The polybenzoxazoles exhibited glass‐transition temperatures (T_g) in the range of 219–282 °C by DSC and softening temperatures (T_s) of 242–320 °C by thermomechanical analysis. Thermogravimetric analyses indicated that most polybenzoxazoles were stable up to 450 °C in air or nitrogen. The 10% weight loss temperatures were recorded in the ranges of 474–593 °C in air and 478–643 °C in nitrogen. The methyl‐substituted polybenzoxazoles had higher T_g's but lower T_s's and initial decomposition temperatures compared with the corresponding unsubstituted polybenzoxazoles. For a comparative purpose, the synthesis and characterization of a series of sulfonyl polybenzoxazoles without the ether group that derived from 4,4′‐sulfonyldibenzoyl chloride and bis(o‐aminophenol)s were also reported. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 2262–2270, 2001     

Fabrication of Biomimetic Super‐Amphiphobic Surfaces Through Plasma Modification of Benzoxazine Films

Summary: In this study, a method for producing super‐amphiphobic surfaces through plasma modification of benzoxazine films is presented. Microroughening and fluorination of the benzoxazine films occurs during the plasma treatment process and a rugged surface with a micro/nano binary structure is formed. The combined effect of low surface energy and substrate roughness results in high advancing contact angles (157° for water, 152° for diiodomethane) and low contact angle hysteresis.

SEM image of a cross‐linked polybenzoxazine film treated with Ar plasma (7 min) heated to 200 °C (1 h) and treated with CF₄ plasma for 30 s.     

Synthesis and Structure Characterization of 2‐(Dimethylaminomethyl)pyrrolate and 2,5‐Bis(dimethylaminomethyl)pyrrolate Zirconium Complexes

Tetrakis(diethylamido)zirconium reacts with 2‐(dimethylamino)methyl pyrrole (DMAMP) and 2,5‐[bis(dimethylamino)methyl]pyrrole (BDMAMP) to give Zr(NEt)₂(DMAMP)₂ 1 and Zr(NEt)₃(BDMAMP) 2 , respectively. Both 1 and 2 have been characterized by ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopies and 1 has also been characterized by X‐ray crystallography. Complex 1 shows an agostic interaction between Zr and H(21A) in solid state that is not sustained in solution. Reacting 1 with 2 equivalents of trimethylsilyl chloride in toluene yields ZrCl₂(DMAMP)₂ 3 in 75% yield which was characterized by ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopies.