Oxotitanium(IV) complexes of some bis‐unsymmetric Schiff bases: Synthesis,structural elucidation and biomedical applications

A number of oxotitanium(IV) complexes of the type TiOL with bis‐unsymmetric dibasic tetradentate Schiff base (LH₂) containing ONNO donor atoms have been synthesized. Mono‐Schiff base (OPD‐HNP) was prepared by the condensation of 1:3 molar ratio of 2‐hydroxy‐1‐naphthaldehyde (HNP) with o‐phenylenediamine (OPD). Dibasic unsymmetric tetradentate diamine Schiff bases were prepared by the reaction of OPD‐HNP with 2‐hydroxyacetophenone, 2‐hydroxypropeophenone, benzoylacetone, acetylacetone and ethylacetoacetate. Further, titanylacetylacetonate was reacted with these ligands to obtain their metal complexes. On the basis of analytical and physiochemical data, the formation of complexes as TiOL was suggested having square pyramidal geometry. Quantum mechanical approach also confirmed this geometry. The assessment of the synthesized ligands and their complexes showed that some behave as good inhibitors of mycelial growth against selected phytopathogic fungi but weak inhibitors against some selected bacteria. A few of them also showed antioxidant properties.     

Preparation of polymethyl methacrylate with well-controlled stereoregularity by anionic polymerization in an ionic liquid solvent

This study investigates the effect of ionic liquids (ILs) on the anionic polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA). Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), an isotactic polymer, is prepared by anionic polymerization at a high reaction temperature with an IL that acts as both solvent and additive. The most plausible reaction mechanism is determined using ¹H NMR and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The electrostatic interaction between MMA and the IL increases the apparent steric hindrance in MMA, resulting in the isotactic PMMA.     

Thermal behavior and dismantlability of adhesives containing various inorganic salts

As a fundamental study on the development of dismantlable adhesives containing chemically reactive materials, the thermal behavior and dismantlability of an epoxy adhesive containing one of the twenty-seven inorganic salts (chlorides, perchlorates, and nitrates) were observed. In the thermal behavior measured by the differential scanning calorimetry, epoxy adhesives with inorganic salts containing iron, copper, zinc, and aluminum cations released heats of reaction at lower temperatures than the adhesive alone or the adhesives with other inorganic salts. Since such inorganic salts were considered to be effective candidates as fillers in dismantlable adhesives, the adhesion strengths of their mixtures with the adhesive were observed after heat aging at 270 °C for 30 min. The results showed that both chloride and perchlorate salts specifically decreased the adhesion strength after heating. On the other hand, the effect of nitrate salts on the decrease in adhesion strength was low in comparison with the chloride and perchlorate salts.     

Thermal oxidative degradation of additive-free polypropylene pellets investigated by multichannel Fourier-transform chemiluminescence spectroscopy

Thermal oxidative degradation of additive-free polypropylene pellets heated isothermally in dry air at 150 and 180 °C (below and above the melting point of 163 °C) was investigated by multichannel Fourier-transform chemiluminescence spectroscopy. The initial peak wavelength of chemiluminescence emission at 490 nm remained constant during the early stages of thermal degradation, but new emissions developed with time in the red spectral region over an extended oxidation period. The time-dependent luminescence spectra were deconvoluted into three emission bands by least-squares fitting using Gaussian curves. We concluded that at least three groups of luminescent species (luminophores), having different conjugation lengths, were generated by thermal oxidation over extended periods and show luminescence around 490, 660, and 740 nm.     

Liquid crystalline properties of dissymmetric molecules IV. The substituent effect on thermal properties of nematic and smectic A phases in three aromatic ring systems with ester linkages

This paper describes the effect of substituent and ester linkage on smectic properties for some derivatives of 4-R -phenyl 4-(4-octyloxybenzoyloxy)benzoates (1), 4-octyloxyphenyl 4-(4-R-benzyloxy)benzoates (2), 4-(4-octyloxybenzoyloxy)phenyl 4- R -benzoates (3), and 4-R-phenyl 4-octyloxyphenyl terephthalates (4) where R = OCH₃, CH₃, OC₈H₁₇, C8H17, halogens, CF₃, OCF₃, CN, NO2, etc. The thermal properties are discussed in terms of the electrostatic nature of the substituents and the relative orientation of the ester groups with respect to both terminal substituents. The substituent effect on the layer structure of the smectic A phase is also examined by means of a small angle X-ray analysis.     

Study on excited states of hexamethoxybenzene-NO+ charge-transfer complex: incorporation of excited radical cation

A charge-transfer (CT) complex of NOBF₄ and hexamethoxybenzene (HMB), which gives out HMB^?+ as a “fluorescent radical cation probe,” upon one-electron oxidation, has been designed to explore the excited state dynamics of contact radical ion pairs by laser-induced fluorescence and femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopic techniques. The acetonitrile solution of the CT complex showed weak fluorescence with a similar spectrum to that observed for free excited HMB radical cation (HMB^?+*), suggesting the formation of HMB^?+* upon the one-photonic excitation of the CT complex. The laser-power dependence of the fluorescence intensity supported the one-photonic excitation event. We have also observed a short-lived transient species but no long-lived species by femtosecond laser flash photolysis of the CT complex. The lifetime (6.5 ps) was in good accordance with its fluorescence quantum yield (2.5 × 10^?5) and was able to assign the transient species to the fluorescent state, an excited radical ion pair [HMB ^?+*/NO^?]. All the events were completed within the inner sphere and the short lifetime of the transient species could be attributed to rapid back-electron transfer. It is concluded that the excited radical cation character in the excited state of the CT complex originates from the radical ion character in the CT complex in the ground state and that a relatively long lifetime of HMB^?+* facilitates its observation even in the contact ion pair.     

Characterization of flower-inducing compound in Lemna paucicostata exposed to drought stress

A flower-inducing compound, LDS1, was isolated from a free-floating aquatic plant, Lemna paucicostata. The chemical structure and the absolute stereochemistry of LDS1 were determined as (9R,13R,11E,15Z)-9,13-dihydroxy-10-oxooctadeca-11,15-dienoic acid for its most abundant diastereomer. LDS1 was enzymatically produced when the plant was exposed to drought stress, and induced flowering at a concentration of 10 nM.     

Recognition of caffeine by a water-soluble acyclic phane compound

Caffeine (1,3,7-trimethylxanthine) is a chemical substance associated with everyday human life. In order to recognize caffeine in water, six water-soluble acyclic phane compounds composed of three aromatic rings were examined as artificial receptors. ¹H NMR titration experiments revealed that 6,6′-[1,3-phenylenebis(carbonylimino)]bis-1,3-naphthalenedisulfonate had the highest binding ability for caffeine, with a binding constant (K_b) of 127±5 M⁻¹ at 300 K. While this phane compound also formed a complex with theophylline (1,3-dimethylxanthine) at around half the value of the binding constant for caffeine (K_b=64±4 M⁻¹), it showed weak or little complexation for adenosine, guanosine, inosine, and their 5′-phosphates (sodium salts of adenylic acid, guanylic acid, and inosinic acid).     

Rate constant measurements for initial addition reactions of radicals at the propagation step of photo‐polymerization as studied by pulsed EPR spectroscopy

Pulsed EPR spectroscopy was employed to determine reaction rate constants at an early stage of addition reactions in radical polymerizations triggered by four initiator radicals, which were generated by photodissociation of four parent molecules. Two monomers (tert‐butylacrylate and tert‐butylmethacrylate) were examined as reactant. Stern–Volmer analysis on the measured decay time of electron spin echo intensity of reacting radicals provides rate constants for addition reactions. We focused on rate constants for the second step reaction between monomer and adduct radical that is produced by the first step addition reaction between initiator radical and monomer. The rate constant measured by pulsed EPR was evaluated by theoretical calculations in the light of (1) enthalpy difference between product radical and reactants and (2) charge transfer interaction between reacting radical and monomer. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simple and efficient quantum key distribution with parametric down-conversion

We propose an efficient quantum key distribution protocol based on the photon-pair generation from parametric down-conversion (PDC). It uses the same experimental setup as the conventional protocol, but a refined data analysis enables detection of photon-number splitting attacks by utilizing information from a built-in decoy state. Assuming the use of practical detectors, we analyze the unconditional security of the new scheme and show that it improves the secure key generation rate by several orders of magnitude at long distances, using a high intensity PDC source.