Direct evidence for the gas phase thermal polymerization of styrene. Determination of the initiation mechanism and structures of the early oligomers by ion mobility

We present here direct evidence for the thermal self-initiated polymerization of styrene in the gas phase and establish that the initiation process proceeds via essentially the same mechanism (the Mayo mechanism) as in condensed phase polymerization. Furthermore, we provide structural identifications of the dimers and trimers formed in the gas phase.     

Structural characterization of single-walled carbon nanotube bundles by experiment and molecular simulation

A procedure, combining molecular simulation, Raman spectroscopy, and standard nitrogen adsorption, is developed for structural characterization of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) samples. Grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations of nitrogen adsorption are performed on the external and internal adsorption sites of homogeneous arrays of SWNTs of diameters previously determined by Raman spectroscopy of the sample. The results show the importance of the peripheral grooves of a nanotube bundle at low relative pressure and the insensitivity of nanotube diameter toward adsorption on the external surface of the bundle at higher pressures. Simulations also reveal that samples containing thin nanotubes have less internal adsorption capacity that saturates at lower pressure than those comprising large diameter nanotubes. The fraction of open-ended nanotubes in a sample can be estimated by scaling the simulated internal adsorption inside nanotubes to obtain a near perfect fit between simulated and experimental isotherms. This procedure allows extrapolation of adsorption properties to conditions in which all nanotubes in the sample are open-ended.     

On the maximum of per(I-A)

The purpose of this paper is to give some necessary conditions on a substochastic matrix which maximizes the values of Per(I-A) for A taken in the semigroup of n × n substochastic matrices, and to determine the exact value of the maximum which is found to be 2^[n/2].     

Preparation and evaluation of solid-phase microextraction fibres based on functionalized latex nanoparticle coatings for trace analysis of inorganic anions

The use of a functionalized latex nanoparticle coating as a new sorbent phase for solid-phase microextraction (SPME) was examined. By means of electrostatic absorption onto ionized silanol groups, a fused-silica rod was coated with polymeric nanoparticles functionalized with quaternary ammonium groups. Optimum conditions for the preparation of the coated fibre are presented. The fibre was used for the extraction of a mixture of seven anions from water samples which are analysed by coupling the SPME fibre to an ion chromatographic system via a special interface. The results obtained proved the suitability of this novel coating as a new SPME fibre. A linear calibration for the target analytes was achieved over the concentration range from 5 μg L⁻¹ to 5 mg L⁻¹ (r² > 0.988), while limits of detection for these ions were all below 3.7 μg L⁻¹ (S/N = 3). The reproducibility of a single fibre (n = 4) under similar conditions was between 7 and 12%, while the fibre to fibre reproducibility (n = 5) was between 8.9 and 14%.     

Fourier Algebras on Topological Foundation *-Semigroups.

We introduce the notion of the Fourier and Fourier-Stieltjes algebras of a topological *-semigroup and show that these are commutative Banach algebras. For a class of foundation semigroups, we show that these are preduals of von Neumann algebras.     

New integrable problems of motion of a rigid body with a particle oscillating or bouncing in it

Some qualitative aspects of the problem of motion about a fixed point of a rigid body with a particle moving in it in a prescibed (sinusoidal) way was treated in [1–3]. The mechanical system comprised of a rigid body containing an internal mass that moves along a fixed line in the body was considered in several works [4–5]. Recently, an integrable case of this system was found, in which the body is dynamically axisymmetric and moves under no external forces while the particle moves on the axis of dynamical symmetry under the action of Hooke's force to the fixed point [5].In the present note we introduce a more general integrable case in which the particle moves on the axis of dynamical symmetry and is subject to an arbitary conservative force that depends only on the distance from the fixed point. Separation of variables is accomplished and the solution is reduced to quadratures. As a special version of this problem, the case when the particle bounces elastically between two points is briefly discussed.     

Condensed 1,2,4-triazines. Regioselective condensations with benzo[h]quinoline-5,6-dione

Benzo[h]quinoline-5,6-dione condenses with semicarbazide and its derivatives regioselectively at the 6-position and the products cyclize into the corresponding condensed 1,2,4-triazines. Reactions of the obtained triazines with a variety of reagents are described.     

Spectroscopic studies of structural changes in irradiated LDPE and its blends

The low temperature glass transition occurring at low temperature in polyethylene samples was studied using Fourier transform infrared, FT‐Raman spectroscopic techniques, which are known to be sensitive to any structural changes in the investigated samples. Anomalous behavior was obtained in the temperature range (98 K → 383 K) indicating the existence of phase transition occurring at about 98 K and disappearing at about 323 K while heating for unirradiated virgin low density polyethylene (VPE) sample with or without crosslinking agent (trimethylol propane triacrylate, TMPTA). Addition of TMPTA monomer caused severe changes in the temperature dependence of both unirradiated and irradiated polyethylene samples. The results given indicated the occurrence of abnormal temperature dependence, which is thought to be related with low temperature structural change resulting from local crosslinking in scrapped polyethylene (SPE) sample already suffering from high degree of crosslinking. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) thermograms confirmed the observed new phase transition observed in both unirradiated and irradiated TMPTA loaded VPE/SPE (50/50 wt %) blend. Irradiation, addition of TMPTA as a crosslinking agent, and blending VPE with SPE were found to affect remarkably the variation of the vibration spectrum of LDPE and consequently the resulting structural changes. The experimental results obtained were discussed and correlated with reorientational disorders of the molecular segments (local crosslinking). © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 850–859, 2007     

A study of the direct spectrophotometric determination of uranium(VI) in trialkylamine extracts with 2-(5-bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-diethylaminophenol

A straightforward spectrophotometric method is described for the determination of uranium(VI) in trialkylamine sulphate extracts in kerosene diluent; 2-(5-bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-diethylaminophenol (Br-PADAP) is used for colour formation without resort to backextraction into an aqueous phase. The method provides good tolerance to sulphate ion and rapid colour development and appears to be free from interference when applied to extracts from uranium sulphate leach liquors.