Asymmetric cobalt-catalyzed Diels-Alder reactions of a boron-functionalized 1,3-diene with alkynes and allylboration with aldehydes

[Structure: see text] A cobalt(I)-catalyzed Diels-Alder reaction of a 1-boron-functionalized 1,3-diene is the key step in a one-pot reaction interconnecting three simple starting materials to obtain a multifunctionalized product. This product incorporates a stereogenic quaternary center next to a stereogenic secondary alcohol functionality generated with a very high degree of regio- and diastereoselectivity and good enantioselectivity in the presence of a chiral ligand such as (S,S)-Norphos.     

Asymptotic analysis of the interaction of a finite number of holes in an elastic plane or half-plane

The problem of the interaction of a finite number of holes in an elastic plane or half-plane is considered. The analysis is based on the complex potential method of Muskhelishvili as well as on the theory of compound asymptotic expansions by Maz'ya. An asymptotic expansion of the complex potentials in terms of relative hole radii is constructed. This expansion is uniformly valid in the whole domain. The method leads to a simple procedure which does not involve any coupled system of linear equations. The successive closed-form approximations can be obtained in an iterative manner to an arbitrary order without any need for numerical approximation. (© 2011 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Extension of the scaled boundary finite element method to plate bending problems

The scaled boundary finite element method (SBFEM) is extended to the static analysis of thin plates in the framework of Kirchhoff's plate theory. The governing equations are transformed into scaled boundary coordinates. Applying a discrete form of the Kantorovich reduction method results in a set of ordinary differential equations, which can be solved in a closed-form analytical manner. The element stiffness matrices for bounded and unbounded media can be computed, using appropriate subsets of the analytical solution. Examples show the efficiency of the method, applied to plate bending problems. (© 2011 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Assessment of asymmetric crack initiation in open-hole plates using a coupled stress and energy criterion

An application of the finite fracture mechanics concept to open-hole plates subject to combined tensile and bending loading is presented. In finite fracture mechanics, the simultaneous satisfaction of both, a stress and an energy criterion, is enforced as a condition for crack initiation. Efficient modeling and closed-form expressions for the dependence of the stress and energy quantities on governing structural and material parameters allow for a comprehensive numerical analysis of the onset of asymmetric crack patterns. The obtained failure load predictions are found to agree well with a cohesive zone model and experimental data from literature. (© 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Influence of aryl substituents on the thermal and solubility behavior of poly(p-phenylene terephthalate) and poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide)

The substitution of poly(p-phenylene terephthalate) and poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide) with phenyl and biphenylyl substituents (4-biphenylyl and 2-biphenylyl) in the terephthalic acid unit lowers the melting temperatures and crystallization tendency and increases the solubility. The melting temperatures of the polyesters are in the range of 285–350°C. Melting of the polyamides occurs between 440–490°C. The polyamides begin to decompose in the same temperature range. In polyesters as well as in polyamides the 2-biphenylyl substituent was found to be more effective in decreasing the crystallinity, lowering the melt transition temperatures and increasing the solubility.