Cationic polymerization behavior of hydroxystyrenes

Solution polymerizations of o-, m- and p-hydroxystyrene with boron trifluoride etherate were investigated. The results of infrared and ultraviolet spectroscopic investigations of the polymers thus obtained indicate that p-hydroxystyrene polymer consisted mainly of the structure formed through the normal vinyl polymerization mechanism, whereas o- and m-hydroxystyrene polymers contained considerable portions of the structures due to the reaction of the vinyl group with the phenol nucleus. The rate of polymerization and the intrinsic viscosity of the polymer decreased in the order p-hydroxystyrene ? o-hydroxystyrene > m-hydroxystyrene. It was of interest that on the cationic polymerization only p-hydroxystyrene gave polymer of high molecular weight. Plausible polymerization mechanisms were considered. Solid-state polymerization of p-hydroxystyrene at solid carbon dioxide temperature with the use of boron trifluoride etherate was also investigated. Appreciable polymerization occurred only at fairly high catalyst concentrations.     

Synthesis of thermosensitive polymer/mesoporous silica composite and its temperature dependence of anion exchange property

An anion exchanger consisting of amino-functionalized MCM-41 type mesoporous silica coated with temperature-responsive polymer, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM), was synthesized in this study. The structure of this composite was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and elemental analysis. The XRD pattern showed that the synthesized composite had the ordered hexagonal structure and the interplanar spacing, d(100), was around 40?. The amount of surface-grafted thermosensitive polymer was estimated to be about 0.8wt.% by elemental analysis. The adsorption-desorption behavior of methyl orange in this synthesized material depended on the temperature of aqueous solution: at 25°C, the reversible adsorption-desorption of methyl orange was repeated with changing pH of the solution; at 40°C, the methyl orange was not adsorbed and desorbed independent of pH of the solution.     

The yields of photonuclear reactions for multielement photon-activation analysis

A comprehensive study on the yields of photonuclear reactions of various types has been performed, and sensitivities and the effects of interferences in multielement photon-activation analysis have been evaluated by bremsstrahlung activation of many elements with maximum energies ranging from 30 to 60 MeV. The applicability and reliability of the method were demonstrated by analyzing standard round-robin samples and then by presenting the elemental abundances in several geological, biological and environmental materials. The method was almost insensitive to matrix effects and was assessed to be promising for nondestructive multielement determination of the materials of wide variety, giving good reproducible results for 20 or more elements.     

Temperature dependent dendritic domain shapes in Langmuir monolayers of tetradecanoyl N-ethanolamide at the air-water interface

The effect of temperature on the surface phase behavior of tetradecanoyl N-ethanolamide (NHEA-14) in Langmuir monolayers at the air-water interface has been investigated by film balance and Brewster angle microscopy (BAM). It has been observed that dendritic domains are formed in the coexistence region between liquid-expanded (LE) and liquid-condensed (LC) phases at different temperatures. At 10 and 15°C, the domains are four-armed dendrites having wide arms which have a tendency to be fractal while growing in size. At 20°C, five-armed dendritic domains are formed. At a temperature higher than 20°C, the domains are mainly six-armed dendrites having very narrow and sharp arms. The formation of dendritic domains should be due to the presence of interfacial hydrogen bonding among the head groups of the amphiphile. Increased dehydration of the head groups with an increase in the temperature should be responsible for the temperature dependency of the dendritic domain shapes in the monolayers of NHEA-14.     

Vapour-adsorption and chromic behaviours of luminescent coordination polymers composed of a Pt(II)-diimine metalloligand and alkaline-earth metal ions

Four new bimetallic coordination polymers (CPs), {M[Pt(CN)(2)(5,5'-dcbpy)]·4H(2)O}(n) (M = Mg(2+), Ca(2+), Sr(2+), Ba(2+); 5,5'-H(2)dcbpy = 5,5'-dicarboxy-2,2'-bipyridine) were synthesized using four alkaline-earth metal ions and a Pt(II)-diimine metalloligand [Pt(CN)(2)(5,5'-H(2)dcbpy)]. All four CPs are isomorphous with the Zn complex, {Zn[Pt(CN)(2)(5,5'-dcbpy)]·4H(2)O}(n), which exhibits effective metallophilic interactions between Pt(II) ions. These CPs exhibited colourful thermochromic behaviour and solid-state solvatochromic-like behaviours when suspended in various solvents. Thermogravimetric analysis and vapour-adsorption measurements revealed that the CPs can reversibly adsorb water and MeOH vapours. The emission energy of the triplet metal-metal-to-ligand charge-transfer ((3)MMLCT) state varied markedly upon guest adsorption/desorption. The chromic and vapour-adsorption properties of these CPs depend strongly on the cross-linking M(2+) ions.     

Dependence of phase behavior of some non-ionic surfactants at the air-water interface on micellization in the bulk

The temperature-dependent surface phase behavior of two sparingly soluble surfactants, namely, ethylene glycol n-dodecyl ether (EGDE) and ethylene glycol n-tetradecyl ether (EGTE), at the air-water interface was investigated by film balance and Brewster angle microscopy (BAM). A cusp point followed by a pronounced plateau region in the surface pressure-time (pi-t) adsorption isotherms of the amphiphiles measured by film balance indicates the first-order phase transition. Bright two-dimensional condensed phase domains in a dark background are observed by BAM just after the phase transition. In both cases the critical surface pressure necessary for the phase transition increases with increasing temperature. The domains are found to be circular up to 5 and 27 degrees C for EGDE and EGTE, respectively, above which they show a fingering pattern. Condensed domains are observed up to 23 and 37 degrees C for EGDE and EGTE, respectively. The surface properties of the amphiphiles are found to be markedly affected by their tendency to aggregate in the bulk as micelles. The CMC values of both the amphiphiles show a maximum at a definite temperature, T(max), that corresponds well to their respective maximum temperatures of domain formation. An increase in temperature beyond T(max) results in an increasing trend for the formation of micelles. Consequently the system suffers from a shortage of two-dimensional surface concentration of the molecules to attain the surface pressure necessary for phase transition. With increasing temperature, the enthalpy, DeltaH(m) degrees , and entropy, DeltaS(m) degrees , of micellization change from negative to positive in both cases. An enthalpy-entropy compensation effect is found to hold for both the amphiphiles over the entire temperature range. The thermodynamic quantities reveal that the increase in temperature is favorable for micellization when the temperature exceeds the corresponding T(max) of the amphiphiles.     

L-DMDP, L-homoDMDP and their C-3 fluorinated derivatives: synthesis and glycosidase-inhibition

L-DMDP and L-homoDMDP, the enantiomers of naturally occurring DMDP and homoDMDP have been synthesized from D-xylose derived cyclic nitrone 9. Their 3-deoxy-3-fluorinated analogues were also obtained from polyhydroxylated fluorinated cyclic nitrone 10, which was prepared from fluorinated sugar 12 in seven steps. Bioactivities of these iminosugars against various glycosidases were evaluated. While L-DMDP and L-homoDMDP are potent inhibitors of α-glucosidases, a sharp decrease of inhibition was found when the C-3 hydroxyl group of these compounds was replaced by fluoride, which showed the great importance of the C-3 hydroxyl in their interaction with enzymes.     

Synthesis and reactivity of a phosphine-stabilized monogermanium analogue of alkynes

The synthesis of the first isolable C-phosphino-Ge-aminogermyne, stabilized by a phosphine ligand, has been achieved. X-ray diffraction analysis indicates a quite long Ge-C bond whose length is between that of a single and a double bond but consistent with the theoretically predicted values for a germyne bearing π-donating substituents. The isomerization of this germyne derivative affords a new stable N-heterocyclic germylene through migration of the original phosphine ligand from germanium to the carbon center.     

Electron excitation of the Schumann-Runge continuum, longest band, and second band electronic states in O2

We report measurements of differential and integral cross sections for electron excitation of the Schumann-Runge continuum, longest band, and second band electronic states in molecular oxygen. The energy range of the present study is 15-200 eV, with the angular range of the differential cross section (DCS) measurements from 2 to 130°. A generalized oscillator strength analysis is then employed in order to derive integral cross sections (ICSs) from the corresponding DCSs, and these ICSs are compared with relevant energy and oscillator strength scaled Born cross section (BEf-scaling [Y.-K. Kim, J. Chem. Phys. 126, 064305 (2007)]) results determined as a part of this investigation. Interestingly, while the present Schumann-Runge continuum and second band ICSs were in reasonable agreement with the respective BEf-scaling results, agreement for the longest band was poor below 100 eV with a possible reason for this apparently anomalous behavior being canvassed here. Finally, where possible all present data are compared with the results from earlier measurements and calculations with the level of agreement found being very good in some cases and marginal in others.     

Highly chemo- and regioselective phosphitylation of unprotected 2′-deoxyribonucleosides

We have developed the chemo- and regioselective phosphitylation of unprotected 2′-deoxyribonucleosides by the use of di-tert-butyl N,N-diethylphosphoramidite, a sterically hindered phosphoramidite. Both N/O- and primary hydroxy group-selectivities were simultaneously achieved, and the selectivity for the 5′-hydroxy groups was up to 97% regardless of the base moiety of the 2′-deoxyribonucleosides. The 3′-O-isomers and the 5′-O-isomers were easily separated by silica gel column chromatography or crystallization to give the pure 2′-deoxyribonucleoside 5′-phosphites in moderate to good yields.