Relationships between molecular structure and thermomechanical properties of bio‐based thermosetting polymers

Molecular dynamics simulations are used to study highly cross‐linked epoxy networks comprised of furanyl epoxy monomer, 2,5‐bis[(2‐oxiranylmethoxy)methyl]‐furan (BOF), that is cross‐linked by two furanyl amine hardeners, 5,5'‐methylenedifurfurylamine (DFDA) and 5,5'‐ethylidenedifurfirylamine (CH₃‐DFDA). Important properties of these fully furan‐based systems, including room temperature density, glass transition temperature, and Young's modulus are found to agree with previous experimental results. We also compare the simulated and experimental values of four fully furan‐based thermosetting materials to those using the conventional resin diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) cured with the two furanyl hardeners. Our simulation results predict a slight decrease in density and Young's modulus, but no impact on the glass transition temperature, upon adding the methyl group in DFDA. Detailed analyses of the MD trajectories reveal the underlying mechanisms responsible for the observed structure/property relations, which center on the lack of collinear covalent bonds in the BOF molecular structure. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2017 , 55, 285–292     

Effect of Molecular Structure on Complexation Between Acidic- and Basic-Polypeptides in Solution

Abstract

Interpolymer complex formation between basic polypeptides, poly(L- proline) Form I [PLP(I)], Form II [PLP(II)] and poly-4-hydroxy-L-proline (PHLP), and acidic polypeptides, poly(L-glutamic acid) (PLGA), poly(D- glutamic acid) (PDGA) and poly(L-aspartic acid) (PLAA), has been studied in water-methanol (1:2 v/v) mixed-solvent by viscometry, potentiometry, light scattering and circular dichroism (CD) measurements. It has been found that polymer complexes between basic- and acidic- polypeptides are formed via hydrogen bonding with a stoichiometric ratio of basic/acidic polypeptides =1:2 (in unit mole ratio) and that PLP(II) forms polymer complex more favorably with PLGA than with PLAA, and the complex of PLP(II) with PLGA is also more favorable than the complex formation of PHLP with PLGA. In addition, the complex formation is highly dependent on the conformation, especially the optical structure of the component polymers, i.e., the stereoselective complexation is observed. The PLGA having a right-handed helix at pH 3.2 formed the complex favorably and quickly with left-handed helix PLP(II), whereas PDGA having a left-handed helix at pH 3.2 favorably formed the complex with right-handed helix PLP(I).     

Cancer cell metabolism: implications for therapeutic targets

Cancer cell metabolism is characterized by an enhanced uptake and utilization of glucose, a phenomenon known as the Warburg effect. The persistent activation of aerobic glycolysis in cancer cells can be linked to activation of oncogenes or loss of tumor suppressors, thereby fundamentally advancing cancer progression. In this respect, inhibition of glycolytic capacity may contribute to an anticancer effect on malignant cells. Understanding the mechanisms of aerobic glycolysis may present a new basis for cancer treatment. Accordingly, interrupting lactate fermentation and/or other cancer-promoting metabolic sites may provide a promising strategy to halt tumor development. In this review, we will discuss dysregulated and reprogrammed cancer metabolism followed by clinical relevance of the metabolic enzymes, such as hexokinase, phosphofructokinase, pyruvate kinase M2, lactate dehydrogenase, pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase and glutaminase. The proper intervention of these metabolic sites may provide a therapeutic advantage that can help overcome resistance to chemotherapy or radiotherapy.     

A Synthetic Substrate of DNA Polymerase Deviating from the Bases,Sugar, and Leaving Group of Canonical Deoxynucleoside Triphosphates

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Highlights? A highly modified nucleotide as substrate for polymerases ? The reversibility of the polymerase reaction at the template level ? Synthesis of a nucleoside with two anomeric centers     

Cl3CCONH2/PPh3: A Versatile Reagent for Synthesis of Esters

Cl₃CCONH₂/PPh₃ was a versatile reagent to convert carboxylic acids into their corresponding acid chlorides. This intermediate was clearly confirmed by spectroscopic methods (IR, ¹H, ¹³C NMR). This one-pot reaction of in situ acid chloride generated with various alcohols successfully furnished the corresponding esters in moderate to excellent yields.     

Electrophoretic separation of gold nanoparticles according to bifunctional molecules‐induced charge and size

Gold nanospheres modified with bifunctional molecules have been separated and characterized by using agarose gel electrophoresis as well as optical spectroscopy and electron microscopy. The electrophoretic mobility of a gold nanosphere capped with 11‐mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA) has been found to depend on the number of MUA molecules per gold nanosphere, indicating that it increases with the surface charge of the nanoparticle. The extinction spectrum of gold nanospheres capped with MUA at an MUA molecules per gold nanosphere value of 1000 and connected via 1,6‐hexanedithiol (HDT) decreases by 33% in magnitude and shifts to the red as largely as 22 nm with the increase of the molar ratio of HDT to MUA (R_HM). Gold nanospheres capped with MUA and connected via HDT have been separated successfully using gel electrophoresis and characterized by measuring reflectance spectra of discrete electrophoretic bands directly in the gel and by monitoring transmission electron microscope images of gold nanoparticles collected from the discrete bands. Electrophoretic mobility has been found to decrease substantially with the increment of HDT to MUA, indicating that the size of aggregated gold nanoparticles increases with the concentration of HDT.     

Self-assembled discotic nematic liquid crystals formed by simple hydrogen bonding between phenol and pyridine moieties

New discotic nematic liquid crystals have been prepared through intermolecular hydrogen bonding between the core of 1,3,5-trihydroxybenzene (phloroglucinol, PG) or 1,3,5-tris(4-hydroxyphenyl)benzene (THPB) and the peripheral molecules of stilbazole derivatives. The various nematic phases formed by new hydrogen bonding building blocks were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, polarising optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The first discotic complexes of PG and trans-4-alkoxy-4′-stilbazoles exhibited nematic columnar (N_C) and hexagonal columnar phases depending on the length of alkyl chains, which were considered as the basic discotic structure. Several structural variations on the building blocks were attempted to examine their effects on the liquid crystalline properties of discotic complexes. The nematic lateral phase (N_L) with enhanced intercolumnar order was observed for the complexes of PG and trans-4-cyanoalkoxy-4′ stilbazoles due probably to the strong dipole interactions between cyano groups at the end of alkoxy chains. By introducing the nonlinear structure in three arms of supramolecular discotic mesogen, a discotic nematic phase (N_D) was observed for the complex of THPB and trans-4-octyloxy-4 -stilbazole. The single hydrogen bonding between phenol and pyridine moieties in this study provides a simple and effective method for preparing the rarely found discotic nematic liquid crystals.