Synthesis and formulation of vinyl-containing polyacids for improved light-cured glass-ionomer cements

Vinyl-containing poly(acrylic acid-co-itaconic acid) copolymers were synthesized and used to formulate light-curable cements containing reactive glass fillers (Fuji II LC). The conditions for light curing were studied and optimized. Effects of molecular weight (MW), grafting ratio, comonomer, liquid composition, powder/liquid (P/L) ratio, glass powder and aging were evaluated. The results show that the vinyl-containing glass-ionomer cements (GICs) prepared in this study exhibit higher compressive strength (CS, 225.6 MPa), diametral tensile strength (DTS, 28.4 MPa) and much higher flexural strength (FS, 116.4 MPa), as compared to commercial Fuji II LC GIC (186.6 in CS, 19.1 in DTS and 57.1 in FS). The optimal light-exposure time was found to be around 10 min, and concentrations of CQ and DC were 0.5% (by weight) and 1.0%, respectively. Effects of MW, grafting ratio, P/L ratio and content of polymer in the liquid formulation were significant. The highest strengths were found for the optimal formulations where the MW was 15,000 (weight average), grafting ratio 25 mol%, P/L ratio 2.7 and liquid composition 50:20:30. During aging, the cement showed an increase of strength over the first week and then no change for a month. SEM analysis suggests that more integrated microstructures and smaller glass particles can lead to higher FS and higher polymer content in GICs leads to tough fracture surface and plastic deformation.     

Synthesis of a novel 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid derivative

A novel compound, biotinylated 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid (BGA), was synthesized. It is a compound of 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid linked with biotin. Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 3, pp. 266–267, May–June, 2006. An erratum to this article is available at .     

Study of the Fluorescence System of Europium–Enoxacin and its Applications

 This paper is the study of the fluorescence enhancement of Eu³⁺-1-ethyl-6-fluoro-4-oxo-7-(1-piperazinyl)-1,8-naphthyridin-3-carbonic acid (enoxacin, EFLX) system by surfactants. It was found that sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS) exhibits great enhancement on the fluorescence of the Eu-EFLX system. The molar ratio is 1:2:1 for Eu:EFLX: SDBS. Under the optimum conditions, the fluorescence intensity is a linear function of europium in the range of 1.0 × 10⁻⁸ ∼ 5.0 × 10⁻⁶ mol/L, the detection limit is 1.0 × 10⁻⁹ mol/L. The application of the Eu-EFLX-SDBS system for the determination of trace europium in rare earth samples gave satisfactory results. Received October 19, 2000. Revision August 10, 2001.     

Synthesis and Structural Characterization of cis- and trans-bis(4,4′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine)cadmium(II) Nitrates Prepared in a One-pot Reaction

The cis and trans isomers of [Cd(dmbpy)₂](NO₃)₂] (dmbpy = 4,4′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine) have been synthesized simultaneously via a one-pot reaction of Cd(NO₃)₂ · 4H₂O with the dmbpy ligand in a MeOH/H₂O mixture; they can be obtained individually by means of the mechanical separation due to their different growing habit of the single-crystals. Different π-stacking interactions are observed in the cis and trans isomers forming different one-dimensional networks. The outcome of the DFT calculations agrees well with the experimental results.     

Coordination complexes of acetylenic phosphines and diphosphines

The reactions of π-cyclopentadienylnickel carbonyl dimer with 3,3,3-trimethylpropynyldiphenylphosphine and phenylethynyldiphenylphosphine are described. The products have been characterized by elemental and mass spectral analysis, infrared and NMR spectroscopy. An acetylene bridged complex (π-C₅H₅Ni)₂Ph₂PC₂-t-Bu, containing an uncoordinated phosphorus atom, has been prepared. The complex can be oxidized to the phosphine oxide derivative (π-C₅H₅Ni)₂Ph₂P(O)C₂-t-Bu and converted to the phosphonium salts with methyl iodide or ethyl bromide. These are the first reported π-complexes of phosphonium salts. The complex (π-C₅H₅Ni)₂Ph₂PC₂-t-Bu forms the novel mixed metal derivative [PdCl₂][(π-C₅H₅Ni)₂Ph₂PC₂-t-Bu]₂ from bis(benzonitrile)-palladium dichloride. The dicarbonyl complexes Ni(CO)₂(Ph₂PC₂R)₂ (R  t-Bu, Ph), the phosphine oxide complex (π-C₅H₅Ni)₂(Ph₂P(O)C₂Ph) and the trinuclear nickel carbonyl derivative Ni(CO)₃[(π-C₅H₅Ni)₂Ph₂PC₂Ph] are described.     

Experimental measurement and prediction of hydrate forming conditions in the nitrogen-propane-water system

Experimental data on initial hydrate formation conditions have been obtained for the nitrogen-propane-water system in the L₁HG, L₁L₂H, and L₁L₂HG regions, where L₁ is the water rich liquid phase, L₂ is the hydrocarbon rich liquid phase, H is the hydrate and the G is the vapor phase. The measurements covered a range of temperatures from about 275 to 293 K and pressures from about 0.3 to 17.0 MPa. The concentrations covered for the L₁HG region extended from 0.94 to 75.0 mole percent propane in the gas phase, and for the L₁L₂H region they extended from 83.1 to 99.0 mole percent in the condensed liquid phase. Four-phase measurements were made at concentrations of propane from 18.1 to 71.1 mole percent in the gas phase.The experimental data were used to find a fitted binary interaction parameter for predicting hydrate formation in systems containing nitrogen and propane.     

Immunosuppressive ent‐Kaurene Diterpenoids from Isodon serra

Three new enmein‐type ent‐kaurenoids, i.e., the two pairs 1 and 2 of 20‐epimers and the (20R)‐isomer 3 , besides the seven known diterpenoids 4 – 10 , were isolated from the aerial parts of Isodon serra. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic techniques and X‐ray diffraction. The immunosuppressive effect for T‐lymphocytes proliferation induced by Con A in BALB/c mouse was evaluated for the isolates 1 – 10 . They all displayed a remarkable inhibitory effect, with multi‐glycosides of Tripterygium wilfordii as positive reference substance (Table 3).     

Virus Particles Monitored by Fluorescence Spectroscopy: A Potential Detection Assay for Macromolecular Assembly¶

Native fluorescence spectroscopy was used for in situ investigations of two lipid‐containing bacteriophages from the cystovirus family as well as their Pseudomonad host cells. Both the viruses φ6 and φ12 and their bacterial host proteins contain the amino acid tryptophan (trp), which is the predominant fluorophore in UV. Within proteins, trp's structural environment differs, and the differences are reflected in their spectroscopic signatures. It was observed that the peak of the trp emission from both viruses was at 330 nm, a significantly shorter wavelength than trp in either the Pseudomonad host cells or the amino acid's chemical form. This allowed us to monitor the viral attachment process and subsequent lytic release of progeny virus particles by measurement of the trp emission spectra during the infection process. This work demonstrates that fluorescence may offer a novel tool to detect viruses and monitor viral infection of cells and may be part of a biodefense application.     

Observations on the swelling characteristics of the zwitterionic hydrogel of poly(1-3-sulfopropyl)-2-vinyl-pyridinium-betaine hydrogel

Samples of poly[1-(3-sulfopropyl)-2-vinyl-pyridinium-betaine] (PSPV) have been synthesized to high conversion by free radical polymerization in aqueous solution of the zwitterionic monomer SPV with several concentrations of the crosslinker N,N′-methylene-bis-acrylamide (MBA). The densities of the resultant xerogels increased regularly with the content of MBA. Hydrogels obtained by swelling them in water and aqueous KSCN solution were examined by gravimetric and dimensional analysis. The water contents increased with decreasing content of MBA, the value of 92.7 wt% at the lowest MBA content being higher than that for other zwitterionic hydrogels. Enhanced swelling occurred in 1 M aq. KSCN at each MBA content, the total swelling being 98.1 wt% at the lowest crosslinker content. Swelling increased with increasing temperature. An approximate procedure to formulating swelling equilibrium in term of the volume fraction of water in hydrogel, in conjunction with the van’t Hoff equation, yields a small positive value for the enthalpy of swelling. This is compared with values derived similarly for other hydrogels.     

Mössbauer Studies on Spin State of the Thermal Decomposition of Substituted Tris (2-Pyridylimine) Iron (II) Thiocyanate

The spin states of iron (II) in FeL₂(NCS)₂ produced from the thermal decomposition of FeL₈(NCS)₂ (L=2-py-CR₁=NR₂, R₁ or R₂=H, Me(CH₃), Ph) under nitrogen atmosphere are investigated by means of Mössbauer spectroscopy and magnetic measurements. It was found that the spin states of iron (II) in substitutited bis (2-pyridylimine) iron (II) thiocyanate are included: intermediate-spin (³T₁, S=1), mixed-spin of ⁵T₂(S=2)+³T₁ and spin incomplete transition of ⁵T₂?³T₁.