Influence of preparation methods on structure and properties of PA6/PA66 blends: A comparison of melt‐mixing and in situ blending

The blends composed of polyamide 6 (PA6) and polyamide 66 (PA66) were obtained using two different preparation methods, one of which was the melt‐mixing through a twin‐screw extruder and the subsequent injection molding; and the other, the in situ blending through anionic polymerization of ε‐caprolactam in the presence of PA66. For the former, there existed a remarkable improvement in toughness but a drastic drop in strength and modulus; however, for the latter, a reverse but less significant trend of mechanical properties change appeared. Various characterizations were conducted, including the analyses of crystalline morphology, crystallographic form, and crystallization and melting behaviors using polarized optical microscopy (POM), wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), respectively; observation of morphology of fractured surface with scanning electron microscope (SEM); measurement of glass transition through dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA); and the intermolecular interaction as well as the interchange reaction between the two components by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT‐IR) and ¹³C solution NMR. The presence and absence of interchange reaction was verified for the in situ and melt‐mixed blends, respectively. It is believed that the transreaction resulted in a drop in glass transition temperature (T_g) for the in situ blends, contrary to an increase of T_g with increasing PA66 content for the melt‐mixed ones. And the two kinds of fabrication methods led to significant differences in the crystallographic form, spherulite size and crystalline content and perfection as well. Accordingly, it is attempted to explain the reasons for the opposite trends of changes in the mechanical properties for these two blends. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 1176–1186, 2007     

A convection/reaction/switching system

We consider a spatially distributed hybrid system consisting of a convection/reaction system in which the reaction switches discontinuously in time between modes, independently at each spatial point on reaching “switching thresholds”. The model involves a novel formulation for evolution of the free boundary between the modal regions.     

A nodal coupling of finite and boundary elements

This article presents and analyzes a simple method for the exterior Laplace equation through the coupling of finite and boundary element methods. The main novelty is the use of a smooth parametric artificial boundary where boundary elements fit without effort together with a straight approximate triangulation in the bounded area, with the coupling done only in nodes. A numerically integrated version of the algorithm is also analyzed. Finally, an isoparametric variant with higher order is proposed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 19: 555–570, 2003     

A computational study into the reactivity of epichlorohydrin and epibromohydrin under basic conditions in the gas phase and solution

Ab initio molecular orbital calculations were carried out on epibromohydrin (EBH) and epichlorohydrin (ECH) in an attempt to elucidate their reactivity with respect to a hard nucleophile, hydroxide. These systems were modeled in both the gas phase and a polar solvent under basic conditions. In the gas phase, it was determined that a direct displacement mechanism (nucleophilic attack at the C1 position) was operative for EBH, while an indirect pathway (nucleophilic attack at the C3 position and subsequent intramolecular displacement) was followed for ECH. In an acetone solution, only the indirect displacement mechanism was found to occur. An electrostatic argument is advanced to account for this behavior in polar solution. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The silicon effect on the regioselectivity of the Tsuji-Trost reaction. Experimental and theoretical approaches

Regioselectivity of the Tsuji-Trost reaction on allyl acetates and carbonates substituted with silyl groups at the olefinic moiety has been analyzed. Silicon atom in the central carbon atom increases the stability of the intermediate π-allylpalladium cation with respect to the isomeric π-allylpalladium cation featuring the silicon in a terminal carbon atom.     

现代热力学的完整分类系统--非平衡非耗散热力学新领域

在同一体系中同时有多个不可逆过程时，不可逆过程之间会有相互影响，原来的非自发过程有可能在其他自发过程的影响下得以进行，这种现象就称为热力学耦合或反应耦合，长期以来，经典热力学把热力学第二定律的等式作为平衡体系的充分必要条件，其中隐含了一个前提性的假定，即经典热力学的对象只限于非耦合的体系，摈弃这一隐含的前提性假定以后，热力学自身就发展成为一个现代热力学的完整学术体系，适用于任何宏观体系（包括极其复杂的生命体系），现代热力学的完整学术体系中包含了一个崭新的非平衡非耗散热力学新领域，由于该领域属于热力学第二定律的等式部分，因此可以定量计算，并得到一系列理论计算的非平衡相图，与文献上报道的激尖低压金刚石合成等的大量实验数据相符。     

Density functional theory study on antiferromagnetic interactions in a silver (I) complex of nitronyl nitroxide

A one-dimensional (1D) silver (I) complex of nitronyl nitroxide with fairly strong antiferromagnetic interaction, in which the metal ions are diamagnetic, is investigated by means of the ab initio crystal orbital method based on the density functional theory. The calculated values of the magnetic coupling constant (J) are close to the experimental measured J value in the periodic system. The magneto-structural correlation reveals that the existence of an antiferromagnetic coupling pathway along nitronyl nitroxide units via silver (I) ion in this system. The spin population distribution also shows the existence of spin delocalization along the ONCNO–Ag–ONCNO, which affords a rational interpretation for the antiferromagnetic interaction mechanism.     

Asymmetric synthesis of abietane diterpenoids via B-alkyl Suzuki-Miyaura coupling. Formal total asymmetric synthesis of 12-deoxyroyleanone and cryptoquinone

A convergent synthetic strategy for abietane diterpenoids via B-alkyl Suzuki-Miyaura coupling and Lewis acid-mediated cyclization reactions is established. Asymmetric total synthesis of 12-deoxyroyleanone, an antileishmanial diterpene, is described.