Synthesis and characterization of poly(ethylene oxide-co-ethylene sulfone)s and their precursors: Poly(ethylene oxide-co-ethylene sulfide)s

Three poly(ethylene oxide-co-ethylene sulfide)s with oxygen to sulfur ratios of 2/1, 2/2, and 1/2 were prepared by phase-transfer catalyzed polycondensations of (1) sodium sulfide and 1,2-bis (2-chloroethoxy)ethane, (2) 1,2-ethanedithiol and 1,2-bis(2-chloroethoxy)ethane, and (3) 1,2-ethanedithiol and 2-chloroethyl ether, respectively. A buffered solution with pH between the pK_a of the monothiol (RSH) and the pK_a2 of the dithiol (HS–R–SH), or H₂S, was needed to obtain high molecular weight polymers, which suggests that nucleophiles transfer and react as monoanions rather than dianions. These poly(ethylene oxide-co-ethylene sulfide)s were oxidized completely to poly(ethylene oxide-co-ethylene sulfone)s using 3-chloroperoxybenzoic acid as oxidant. Both the final polymers and the precursors have regular sequenced structures and are semicrystalline. As expected, their glass transition temperatures and melting points increase and solubilities decrease with the decrease of ether oxygen to sulfur ratio. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthetic studies related to diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) pigments. Part 2: The use of esters in place of nitriles in standard DPP syntheses: Claisen-type acylations and furopyrrole intermediates

Ethyl 2-aryl-4,5-dihydro-5-oxopyrrole-3-carboxylates react with esters or acyl halides in the presence of a strong base to give 4-acyl derivatives, which exist predominantly as either E- or Z-enols. These are cyclised, either in solution at temperatures >200 °C or by microwave irradiation, to 3,6-disubstituted 1H-furo[3,4-c]pyrrolediones which, after N-protection, are convertible by reaction with primary amines into novel N,N′-disubstituted DPP derivatives.     

Synthesis of (pyridinyl)-1,2,4-triazolo[4,3-a]pyridines

Methods for the synthesis of (pyridinyl)-1,2,4-triazolo[4,3-a]pyridines were developed. The principal route to the required intermediate 2-chloropyridines was based on rearrangements of mono N-oxides of 2,2′-bipyridine, 2,3′-bipyridine, 3,3′-bipyridine, 2,4′-bipyridine and 4,4′-bipyridine with phosphorus oxychloride. Reaction of 3,3′-bipyridine 1-oxide or 2,2′-bipyridine 1-oxide with phosphorus oxychloride gave mixtures of chloro isomers. Reaction with acetic anhydride, 3,3′-bipyridine 1-oxide and 2,2′-bipyridine 1-oxide gave exclusively [3,3′-bipyridine]-2(1H)-one and [2,2′-bipyridine]-6(1H)-one, respectively. 1,2,4-Triazolo[4,3-a]pyridines with pyridinyl groups at the 5,6,7 and 8 positions were synthesized.     

Synthesis of persulfate containing poly (N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP) hydrogels in aqueous solutions by γ-induced radiation

The effect of ⁶⁰Co γ-irradiation on aqueous solutions of poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP) in the presence of persulfate anion has been investigated. The gelation dose of PVP and persulfate containing PVP aqueous solutions has been determined. At low concentrations of persulfate (1.00–3.50%), gelation percentages exhibited a decreasing trend by increasing persulfate content in aqueous solutions of the polymer. The gelation doses of persulfate containing polymer solutions were calculated by the Charlesby–Pinner equation. It was observed that the gelation dose values were shifted to higher values by increasing persulfate concentration in solution. The ratio of the chain scission and crosslinking yields (G(s)/G(x)) was also determined. The results showed that the G(s)/G(x) ratios were smaller than one for PVP aqueous solution system, whereas those obtained for persulfate containing PVP aqueous solutions were higher than unity. The results implied that the chain scission of polymer is more effective than crosslinking in the presence of persulfate. Mechanism of the crosslinking and/or degradation and structure–property relationship of PVP and PVP/persulfate hydrogel systems were investigated by Fourier transformation infeared and thermal analysis (differential scanning calorimetry, thermal gravimetric analysis and differential thermai analysis) methods.     

Preparation of poly(methyl methacrylate) and copolymers having enhanced thermal stabilities using sucrose-based comonomers and additives

A series of methyl methacrylate polymers have been prepared containing sucrose-based crosslinkers and additives. Thermogravimetry and long-term aging studies at 200°C show that sucrose-based alkyl and allyl ethers provide unprecedented thermal stability to linear, as well as crosslinked, poly (methyl methacrylate) or PMMA. Linear PMMA and PMMA crosslinked with trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate (TMPTMA) both degrade at 284°C. PMMA containing octa-O-crotylsucrose (1 mol %) degraded at 322°C. Depending on concentration, PMMA containing octa-O-allylsucrose (0.1-1.0 mol % and higher) degraded between 334 and 354°C, and PMMA containing 1′,6,6′-trimethacryloyl-2,3,3′,4,4′-penta-O-methylsucrose (0.1-1.0 mol %) degraded between 309 and 320°C. PMMA containing (1 mol % each) sucrose-based esters, ester-ether derivatives, all degraded at or below the degradation temperature of pure PMMA. Long-term air aging studies revealed that PMMA containing penta-O-methylsucrose trimethacrylate, octa-O-allylsucrose, and octa-O-crotylsucrose did not flow or sag after heating for 24 h at 200°C, but the polymers did show yellowing. While linear and crosslinked samples of PMMA containing compounds other than sucrose ethers lost more than 50% of their original weight within 15 h at 200°C, PMMA containing sucrose-based ethers lost about 8 and 20% of their original weight after 1 and 8.5 days, respectively. Herein we propose a unique mechanism by which saccharide ethers may be imparting this unprecedented thermal stabilization to PMMA. While tertiary hydrogens alpha to oxygens in saccharide ethers are stable to chain transfer during normal polymerization temperatures, they readily chain transfer at 200°C where PMMA is unstable. Chain transfer of these hydrogens is followed by fragmentation to produce alkyl, allyl or crotyl radicals, which combine with the macroradicals and terminate depropagation. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Electronic energy transfer from the S2 state of rhodamine 6G

In this paper we present the results of an experimental study of intermolecular electronic energy transfer (EET) from the short-lived Second excited singlet state of rhodamine 6G (R6G) to the ground state of 2,5-bis [5′-tert-butyl-2-benzoxazolyl] thiophene (BBOT). The S₂ state of the donor was excited by sequential, time-delayed, two-photon excitation (STDTPE) utilizing the second harmonic and the first harmonic of a mode-locked Nd³⁺: glass laser, while the EET process was interrogated by monitoring the enhancement of the S₁ → S₀ fluorescence of BBOT. The enhancement of the fluorescence intensity of BBOT was found to be linear in the energies of the two exciting pulses, and linear in the concentration of the energy acceptor (over the BBOT concentration range of (0.3–7) × 10^?5 M), which is in accord with the predictions of the Forster—Dexter mechanism for resonant EET from an ultrashort-lived donor state at low acceptor concentrations. Quantitative measurements of the S₂ → S₀ fluorescence yield in R6G solution directly excited by STDTPE and of the S₁ → S₀ fluorescence of BBOT from R6G + BBOT solutions resulting from EET led to the values of Y_D(S₂ → S₀) = (2.1 ± 0.5) × 10^?6 for the emission quantum yield of the S₂ state of R6G and τr_D(S₂) ≈ 3 × 10^?14 s for the lifetime of the metastable S₂ state of this molecule.     

The kinetics of styrene emulsion polymerization

A study has been carried out on the kinetics of persulfate-initiated emulsion polymerization of styrene in the presence of an anionic (oleate) or mixed anionic-nonionic emulsifier. In both cases it appears that Smith-Ewart kinetics are obeyed, i.e., there is a constant-rate period up to 40–50% conversion, during which there is a concomitant constant molecular weight development. The sharp increases in molecular weight with conversion reported by Grancio and Williams appear to be an artifact resulting from the use of an impure emulsifier (Triton X-100), which acts as a chain transfer agent to reduce the molecular weight by approximately an order of magnitude. Hence there does not appear to be any kinetic justification for assuming an inhomogeneous swollen latex particle (“core-shell” morphology), and normal thermodynamic considerations should still apply to this swelling phenomemon.     

Molecular photoionization cross sections in electron propagator theory: angular distributions beyond the dipole approximation

Corrections to dipole approximation results for angular distributions in photoionization of first-row hydrides have determined by using Dyson orbitals calculated with ab initio electron propagator theory and by considering the full multipole expansion for the incident photon representation. The relative importance of first-order corrections which consist of electric quadrupole and magnetic dipole terms and of higher-order terms has been estimated as a function of photon energy. Multipole corrections to the dipole approximation depend on photon energy and on the characteristics of the Dyson orbitals.     

Lanthanide–imidazole complexes as latent curing agents for epoxy resins

Imidazoles have for some time been recognized as curing agents for epoxy resins. Once the resin and the imidazole compound are mixed there is a relatively short time in which the mixture can be used, since the polymerization (curing) reaction occurs to some extent even at room temperature causing the reaction mixture to thicken. In order to circumvent this problem we have found that imidazoles can be complexed with organo-lanthanide compounds thereby tying up the imidazole and retarding its rate of reaction in the cure of epoxy materials at ambient temperatures. When it is desired to enhance the rate of cure the temperature of the mixture is simply raised. This paper concerns studies of the epoxy cure reaction with the M(THD)₃–IM series. M represents the lanthanide metals Eu, Ho, Pr, Dy, Yb, and Gd, and THD is 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedione. Cure reactions were followed by differential scanning calorimetry and in some cases by infrared spectroscopy. We have demonstrated that these organo-lanthanide–imidazole complexes are effective thermally latent curing agents for epoxy resins. At a temperature of 150°C cure is quite rapid. In the course of these studies it has also been determined that there is an inverse correlation between the lanthanide ionic radius in the complex and the temperature at which the cure reaction occurs. Thus the Yb compound, where the imidazole is most strongly bound, cures at the highest temperature and Pr, where imidazole is bound most weakly, at the lowest. Consistent with these facts is the observation that the Yb compound also gives the longest latency period when mixed with epoxy resin.     

Intramolecular fluorine migration via four-member cyclic transition states

Gaseous CF(3)(+) interchanges F(+) for O with simple carbonyl compounds. CF(3)(+) reacts with propionaldehyde in the gas phase to produce (CH(3))(2)CF(+) via two competing pathways. Starting with 1-(13)C-propionaldehyde, the major pathway (80%) produces (CH(3))(2)CF(+) with the carbon label in one of the methyl groups. The minor pathway (20%) produces (CH(3))(2)CF(+) with the carbon label in the central position. The relative proportions of these two pathways are measured by (19)F NMR analysis of the neutral CH(3)CF=CH(2) produced by deprotonation of (CH(3))(2)CF(+) at <10(-)(3) Torr in an electron bombardment flow (EBFlow) reactor. Formation of alkene in which carbon is directly bonded to fluorine means that (in the minor product, at least) an F(+) for O transposition occurs via adduct formation followed by 1,3-atom transfer and then isomerization of CH(3)CH(2)CHF(+) to the more stable (CH(3))(2)CF(+). Use of CF(4) as a chemical ionization (CI) reagent gas leads to CF(3)(+) adduct ions for a variety of ketones, in addition to isoelectronic transposition of F(+) for O. Metastable ion decompositions of the adduct ions yield the metathesis products. Decompositions of fluorocycloalkyl cations formed in this manner give evidence for the same kinds of rearrangements as take place in CH(3)CH(2)CHF(+). Density functional calculations confirm that F(+) for O metathesis takes place via addition of CF(3)(+) to the carbonyl oxygen followed by transposition via a four-member cyclic transition state. A computational survey of the effects of different substituents in a series of aldehydes and acyclic ketones reveals no systematic variation of the energy of the transition state as a function of thermochemistry, but the Hammond postulate does appear to be obeyed in terms of progress along the reaction coordinate. Bond lengths corresponding to the central barrier correlate with overall thermochemistry of the F(+) for O interchange, but in a sense opposite to what might have been expected: the transition state becomes more product-like as the metathesis becomes increasingly exothermic. This reversal of the naive interpretation of the Hammond postulate is accounted for by the relative positions of the potential energy wells that precede and follow the central barrier.