Polyimides based on new diamines having pendant imide groups

New aromatic diamines were prepared in two steps from 4,5‐dichlorophthalic anhydride and primary amines. The resulting 4,5‐dichlorophthalimide was reacted with 4‐mercaptoaniline, so that the chloroatoms were substituted by the mercapto groups (via the sulfide anions). The new diamines were polycondensed either with the diphenyl ether 3,3′,4,4′‐tetracarboxylic anhydride or with bicyclooctane tetracarboxylic anhydride. These polycondensations were conducted in boiling m‐cresol with azeotropic removal of water. The isolated polyimides were characterized by viscosity measurement, IR‐spectroscopy, elemental analyses, and MALDI‐TOF mass spectrometry. The mass spectra evidenced a high content of cyclic polyimides, indicating nearly perfect reaction conditions. The mass spectra also proved the formation of copolymers containing one diamine with a trialkylamine group in the side chain. High glass transition temperatures but a low crystallization tendency were found by DSC measurements. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 6272–6281, 2005     

The direct correlation function of a one-dimensional Ising model

The strictly finite range of the direct correlation function for a homogeneous nearest neughbor Ising chain is shown to persist in the presence of arbitrary site-dependent coupling constants and an arbitrary external field. A method is developed to examine the range of the direct correlation function for many-neighbor interactions. It is found from numerical examples that, in general, third-neighbor and higher interactions induce long-range direct correlations, as does the presence of a field in the second-neighbor case.     

Some remarks on the direct limits of measure spaces

The present paper is devoted to some remarks and alterations concerning our preceding articles [1–3].     

Truthful revelation of preferences for a public good

We present a preference revelation mechanism for a public good under incomplete information, and a solution concept that singles out uniquely the truthful evaluation of demand. The solution concept we define is a variant of the maximin criterion, such that it maximizes a security level of utility against any range of others' choices of strategy which can be known through the realization of an outcome.     

Gas chromatographic separation of ethanolamines and ethylene glycols without preliminary derivatization

Summary An effective and rapid GC separation of ethanolamines, even in the presence of ethylene glycols, using short glass capillary columns is developed. No preliminary derivatisation of the sample is necessary. The separation is completed in 6 minutes.     

Magnetic nanoparticles used in headspace extraction coupled with DSI-GC-IT/MS for analysis of VOCs in dry Traditional Chinese Medicine

A novel magnetic method using polystyrene modified magnetic nanoparticles to perform thermoheadspace extraction was successfully developed for extraction and preconcentration of volatile organic components in dry Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) based on gas chromatography-ion trap/mass spectrometry with a Chromato Probe direct sample introduction device. The dried fruit of Amomum testaceum Ridl. was used as the object TCM. The optimum parameters of headspace magnetic solid-phase extraction were investigated, in which desorption solvent ethyl acetate played a key role in this method,and the headspace extraction temperature of 90℃ and the headspace extraction time of 15 min finally decided. Headspace solid-phase microextraction method was also used to analyze volatile compounds in the TCM to compare with the proposed method. The results show that 60 components were identified totally by two methods; most of the low boiling point chemical compounds are isolated by this new method. In this work, an environmental-friendly and cheap analytical method was established, and a new approach to analyze volatile compounds in dry Traditional Chinese Medicine was also provided.     

Fabrication and integration of planar electrodes for contactless conductivity detection on polyester-toner electrophoresis microchips

In this report, we describe the microfabrication and integration of planar electrodes for contactless conductivity detection on polyester-toner (PT) electrophoresis microchips using toner masks. Planar electrodes were fabricated by three simple steps: (i) drawing and laser-printing the electrode geometry on polyester films, (ii) sputtering deposition onto substrates, and (iii) removal of toner layer by a lift-off process. The polyester film with anchored electrodes was integrated to PT electrophoresis microchannels by lamination at 120 degrees C in less than 1 min. The electrodes were designed in an antiparallel configuration with 750 microm width and 750 microm gap between them. The best results were recorded with a frequency of 400 kHz and 10 Vpp using a sinusoidal wave. The analytical performance of the proposed microchip was evaluated by electrophoretic separation of potassium, sodium and lithium in 150 microm wide x 6 microm deep microchannels. Under an electric field of 250 V/cm the analytes were successfully separated in less than 90 s with efficiencies ranging from 7000 to 13,000 plates. The detection limits (S/N = 3) found for K+, Na+, and Li+ were 3.1, 4.3, and 7.2 micromol/L, respectively. Besides the low-cost and instrumental simplicity, the integrated PT chip eliminates the problem of manual alignment and gluing of the electrodes, permitting more robustness and better reproducibility, therefore, more suitable for mass production of electrophoresis microchips.     

A novel (S)-proline-modified task-specific chiral ionic liquid—an amphiphilic recoverable catalyst for direct asymmetric aldol reactions in water

A novel chiral (S)-proline-modified task-specific ionic liquid has been designed and synthesized as an efficient recoverable organocatalyst for the direct asymmetric aldol reaction between cycloalkanones and aromatic aldehydes in the presence of water. The catalyst retains its activity and selectivity over at least five reaction cycles.     

Flow rate influence on direct contact membrane distillation experiments: Different empirical correlations for Nusselt number

Direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) experiments using distilled water are reported. Influence on the process of feed and permeate flow rates through the cell has been investigated in a wide flow range, from 2 to 8 l/min. Two main effects have been studied, its effect on the heat transfer coefficient and on the effective membrane thickness. An empiric dependence of the membrane thickness with linear velocity through the cell has been included in the equation for mass flux through the membrane obtained from the “Dusty-Gas” model with satisfactory results.