Use of polystyrene brushes to investigate the role of interface between substrates and thin homogeneous films

The viscoelastic properties of thin polystyrene (PS) films depend on confinement, as it can modify the molecular dynamics affecting the glass transition. In the recent past, the authors have investigated the region next to the free interface by means of an atomic force microscope suitably modified to monitor the indentation of a tip into a film during a given lapse of time while applying a constant load. Herein, to explore the interface with the substrate, the authors report on experiments in which PS brushes grafted to native silicon oxide were used. It was found that the film wettability on brushes and H‐terminated silicon can be highly improved when compared with native silicon oxide. In addition, the glass transition temperature of thin films increases up to the bulk value in the case of film/brush combinations with high molecular weight or films with high molecular weight on H‐terminated silicon. Data are discussed according to hypotheses such as residual solvent presence, interface free volume, and molecular mechanical coupling. These observations can be of great interest for nanotechnological applications, especially in those instances where one needs to tailor the temperature dependence of viscoelastic properties of thin films. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2013, 51, 1149–1156     

Efficient and strategy-proof social choice when preferences are single-dipped

We study the problem of locating a single public good along a segment when agents have single-dipped preferences. We ask whether there are unanimous and strategy-proof rules for this model. The answer is positive and we characterize all such rules. We generalize our model to allow the set of alternatives to be unbounded. If the set of alternatives does not have a maximal and a minimal element, there is no meaningful notion of efficiency. However, we show that the range of every strategy-proof rule has a maximal and a minimal element. We then characterize all strategy-proof rules.     

2-O-Benzylation in D-Gluconamide Derivative Under Basic Conditions with Complete Retention of Stereo-Integrity: Convenient Access to 2-O-benzyl-3,4:5,6- di-O-isopropylidene-D-glucitol and other Differently Protected D-glucitol Derivatives

A new and convenient synthesis of 2-O-benzyl-3, 4: 5, 6-di-O-isopropylidene-D-glucitol has been accomplished and has been generalized with the syntheses of differently protected D-glucitols at C-2 position. In the course of our new route to the differently protected D-glucitols at C-2 position, a new D-gluco configured building block, 1-morpholino-(3, 4: 5, 6-di-O-isopropylidene)-D-gluconamide has been achieved.     

Universality of the Stochastic Airy Operator

We introduce a new method for studying universality of random matrices. Let T_n be the Jacobi matrix associated to the Dyson beta ensemble with uniformly convex polynomial potential. We show that after scaling, T_n converges to the stochastic Airy operator. In particular, the top edge of the Dyson beta ensemble and the corresponding eigenvectors are universal. As a byproduct, these ideas lead to conjectured operator limits for the entire family of soft edge distributions.© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Biginelli-type reaction: Efficient synthesis of 5-unsubstituted 3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2-ones and thiones from gem-dibromomethylarenes

In the present study, we are reporting a simple and efficient method for the one-pot synthesis of the biologically important heterocyclic molecules 5-unsubstituted 3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2-ones and thiones using gem-dibromomethylarenes, oxalacetic acid, and urea or thiourea. Gem-dibromomethylarenes are used as aldehyde equivalent for the efficient synthesis of 3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2-ones/thiones. This reaction offers advantages for the synthesis of these compounds, including ready availability of the starting materials, experimental simplicity and in good yields. Besides, the synthesized molecules are interesting for their biological and pharmacological actions.     

Iodine-catalyzed amination of benzoxazoles: a metal-free route to 2-aminobenzoxazoles under mild conditions

A facile metal-free route of oxidative amination of benzoxazole by activation of C-H bonds with secondary or primary amines in the presence of catalytic iodine in aqueous tert-butyl hydroperoxide proceeds smoothly at ambient temperature under neat reaction condition to furnish the high yield of the aminated product. This user-friendly method to form C-N bonds produces tertiary butanol and water as the byproduct, which are environmentally benign. The application of the methodology is demonstrated by synthesizing therapeutically active benzoxazoles.     

A non-metal catalysed oxidation of primary azides to nitriles at ambient temperature

A novel non-metal catalyzed oxidation of organic azides to nitriles under solvent-free conditions is presented employing catalytic amounts of KI, and DABCO in aq. TBHP at room temperature. This non-metal catalyzed oxidation of azides provides good selectivity as double and triple bonds were not oxidized under the present reaction conditions.     

Monomials, binomials and Riemann–Roch

The Riemann–Roch theorem on a graph G is related to Alexander duality in combinatorial commutative algebra. We study the lattice ideal given by chip firing on G and the initial ideal whose standard monomials are the G-parking functions. When G is a saturated graph, these ideals are generic and the Scarf complex is a minimal free resolution. Otherwise, syzygies are obtained by degeneration. We also develop a self-contained Riemann–Roch theory for Artinian monomial ideals.     

Crystal and Molecular Structure Studies of 1′-Benzyl-8-(4-fluorobenzyl)-8-azaspiro[bicyclo-[3.2.1]octane-3,4′-imidazolodine]-2′,5′-dione

Abstract  

The title compound, C₂₃H₂₃FN₃O₂ has been synthesized and the structure was investigated by X-ray diffraction studies. The compound crystallizes in the triclinic crystal class in the space group P[`1]P\overline{1} with cell parameters a = 9.345(2) ?, b = 10.940(3) ?, c = 11.986(4) ?, α = 72.349(6)°, β = 68.106(18)°, γ = 66.867(5)°, Z = 2 and V = 1027.8(5) ?³. The hydantoin ring adopts a planar conformation and is affected by the π conjugation. The pyrrolidine and piperidine rings in the bicyclo octane moiety adopt envelope and chair conformations respectively. The structure exhibits both inter and intramolecular hydrogen bonds of the type N–H···O, C–H···O and C–H···N. One of the oxygen atoms attached to the hydantoin ring simultaneously accepts two hydrogen bonds to form a three centered hydrogen bonding pattern.