Fine characterization of the ethylene and ethane sorption in poly(amide 12-block-tetramethylenoxide) copolymer/AgBF4 membranes

Ethylene/ethane sorption characteristics were determined for dry Pebax™ (poly(amide 12-block-tetramethylenoxide) copolymer)/AgBF₄ membranes by using an electronic microbalance. The membranes containing 0.7 and 22 wt.% AgBF₄ showed a dual-mode sorption isotherm. The ethane isotherms for all the membranes were of the Henry-type, which is the normal sorption for gases in rubbery polymers. The abnormal presence of Langmuir sorption sites only for ethylene in the rubbery copolymer, never reported sofar, is attributed to the silver-based specific complexation sites. The silver salt which dissolved in limited amounts in the rubbery copolymer had a much smaller Langmuir sorption capacity than the salt that crystallized in the copolymer. The sorption kinetics indicate that the crystallized salt did adsorb slowly ethylene according to a zeroth-order kinetics, but not ethane. The gas uptake kinetics resulting from a step of the pressure surrounding the copolymer exhibited one stage for ethane but two stages for ethylene. For the latter, there was first a fast Fickian sorption stage, then a drift of the zeroth-order sorption of ethylene on salt crystals, which contributes for a large part to the total uptake. The zeroth-order sorption suggests that the sorbed ethylene amount in the second-stage is independent of the crystal-surface coverage. The value of the Fickian diffusion coefficient calculated by fitting the kinetics with a solution of the second Fick’s law was 5 × 10⁻¹² m²/s for both ethylene (the first stage) and ethane, and is typical for small organic compounds in a rubbery material.     

Effect of solution chemistry on the surface charge of polymeric reverse osmosis and nanofiltration membranes

A streaming potential analyzer has been used to investigate the effect of solution chemistry on the surface charge of four commercial reverse osmosis and nanofiltration membranes. Zeta potentials of these membranes were analyzed for aqueous solutions of various chemical compositions over a pH range of 2 to 9. In the presence of an indifferent electrolyte (NaCl), the isoelectric points of these membranes range from 3.0 to 5.2. The curves of zeta potential versus solution pH for all membranes display a shape characteristic of amphoteric surfaces with acidic and basic functional groups. Results with salts containing divalent ions (CaCl₂, Na₂SO₄, and MgSO₄) indicate that divalent cations more readily adsorb to the membrane surface than divalent anions, especially in the higher pH range. Three sources of humic acid, Suwannee River humic acid, peat humic acid, and Aldrich humic acid, were used to investigate the effect of dissolved natural organic matter on membrane surface charge. Other solution chemistries involved in this investigation include an anionic surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulfate) and a cationic surfactant (dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide). Results show that humic substances and surfactants readily adsorb to the membrane surface and markedly influence the membrane surface charge.     

Phase separation of poly(γ-benzyl L-glutamate) to liquid crystal and isotropic solution in various helicogenic solvents

Solvent effects on the phase separation of poly(-benzyl L-glutamate) to liquid crystal and isotropic solution have been observed in various helicogenic solvents. The temperature-composition phase diagrams have been determined for each solution. The critical concentrations, ₂ ^* , at which the phase separation occours have been compared in various solvents. In dimethylformamide in which the polymer is molecularly dispersed, the observed ₂ ^* value has agreed with that calculated by Flory's theory. In some solvents in which the polymer aggregates in a head-to-tail mode such as chloroform, the observed ₂ ^* values have been considerably small. It is assumed that the polymer aggregates behave as longer particles than the original particles. In dioxane in which the polymer aggregates highly both in a head-to-tail and a side-by-side modes, the ₂ ^* value has been a little larger than that in chloroform. In this case the relationship between the aggregation and the liquid crystal formation is so complicated that further investigation is necessary. In aromatic solvents such asm-cresol that dissolves the polymer almost molecularly, the ₂ ^* is smaller than that in dimethylformamide. Therefore, the intermolecular interactions between the phenyl groups in the side groups of the polymer and those in solvent molecules must be considered.The author is grateful to Mr. K. Sano and Mr. M. Watanabe for their observation of the liquid crystal formation.     

Chiral separation of 1,1'-bi-2-naphthol and its analogue on molecular imprinting monolithic columns by HPLC

Two molecular imprinting polymer (MIP) monolithic columns with (S)-(-)-1,1'-bi-2-naphthol and (R)-(+)-5,5',6,6',7,7',8,8'-octahydro-1,1'-bi-2-naphthol as the templating molecules, respectively, have been prepared by in situ polymerization using 4-vinylpyridine and ethylene dimethacrylate as functional monomer and cross-linker, respectively. The columns with good flow-through properties were obtained by changing the molar ratio of the functional monomer and the template molecule. The effects of mobile-phase composition on separation of enantiomers were systematically investigated. The results indicate that hydrophobic interaction in aqueous solution and hydrogen-bonding interaction in ACN between the enantiomers and polymers could play important roles in the retention and resolution. The effects of chromatographic conditions, such as flow rate, column temperature, sample loading, on the enantioseparation were also studied. Further, these two MIP columns show a cross-reactivity.     

Preparation and characterization of silica—polyimide composite membranes coated on porous tubes for CO2 separation

Silica-polyimide microcomposite membranes were prepared on γ-alumina-coated α-alumina support tubes, and their gas permeation properties were evaluated with He, N₂ and CO₂. Smoothing of the substrate surface and hybridization of silica and polyamic acid were both effective to form defect-free thin composite membranes. The CO₂ permeance of a membrane with a silica content of 68 wt% was one order of magnitude higher than that of a polyimide membrane having the same thickness. The permselectivity of CO₂ to N₂ was 30 at 30°C and 13 at 100°C. Contributions of the silica and polyimide phases to permeance of the composite membrane were analyzed with a two-phase permeation model. The effective thickness of the rate-controlling polyimide phase was less than one-tenth of the total thickness of the silica-polyimide membrane.     

Stable silica gel-bound crown ethers. Selective separation of metal ions and a potential for separations of amine enantiomers

Silica gel-bound crown ethers and aza macrocycles have been synthesized with the attaching arm connected to the carbon framework of the macrocycles. The interactions of these bound macrocycles with cations are almost identical to those involving the analogous free macrocycles. This has allowed for predictable cation separation, concentration, and removal processes to be performed on a small scale. Quantum mechanical calculations and NMR measurements indicate that similarly bound chiral macrocycles will be capable of use in separating chiral organic amines.Dedicated to the memory of Professor James J. Christensen who died on 5 September 1987.     

Optimization of the Synthesis of 2,6–Dinitro-4-trifluoromethylphenyl Ether Substituted Cyclodextrin Bonded Chiral Stationary Phases

The comparisons of five different chiral stationary phases (CSPs) based on 2,6-dinitro-4-trifluoromethylphenyl (DNP-TFM) ether substituted β-cyclodextrin are presented. The five CSPs differ from each other in the linkage/spacer chemistry, or on the position of the substituents on β-cyclodextrin, or in the sequence of the synthetic procedure. The results show that there are two optimum combinations: (1) DNP-TFM randomly substituted on the β-cyclodextrin as the chiral selector along with a carbamate linkage chain bonding it to the silica support; and (2) β-cyclodextrin derivatized by DNP-TFM substituents only on the C-2 and C-3 positions of the cyclodextrin with an ether linkage chain anchoring it to the silica gel. These two combinations show complementary separations for some enantiomers. The spacer chain effect is much more pronounced for the CSP based on the β-cyclodextrin derivatives with DNP-TFM substituents only on C-2 and C-3 positions than its randomly substituted counterpart. The sequence of derivatizing the cyclodextrin and attaching it to silica gel also affects its selectivity and efficiency. The β-cyclodextrin should be derivatized before it is linked to the silica gel.     

Chiral separations by capillary electromigration techniques in nonaqueous media. II. Enantioselective nonaqueous capillary electrochromatography

A review on the advantages, peculiarities, and the potential of enantioselective capillary electrochromatography (CEC) in nonaqueous media is presented. Some fundamentals on CEC with particular focus on enantioselective CEC are discussed. The strategies, concepts, preferentially utilized chiral selectors and column technologies that have been utilized to succeed in highly efficient enantiomer separations by nonaqueous CEC are described thoroughly.     

氰戊菊酯立体异构体在手性键合相上的分析

本文介绍了采用高效液相色谱法在(R)-N-3,5-二硝基苯甲酰苯甘氨酸手性键合相上氰戊菊酯的四个立体异构体的分离,以外消旋氰戊菊酯样品为参照,计算了光学活性氰戊菊酯样品的四个立体异构体的百分含量,确定了在手性键合相上氰戊菊酯四个立体异构体构型的流出顺序为SR→RS→SS→RR。     

Systematic optimization of micellar electrokinetic chromatographic separation of flavonoids

Summary A simple and rapid systematic optimization scheme was described for the micellar electrokinetic chromatographic separation of a group of flavonoids. The scheme employed an interpretative optimization approach to predict the optimum conditions for the separation of a group of flavonoids by micellar electrokinetic chromatography. By performing a set of nine pre-planned experiments conducted over the maximum working range for the system, global optimum separation conditions could be determined. To validate the optimization procedure, additional experiments were performed using the optimum experimental conditions derived from the optimization scheme. The results showed that satisfactory separation of all the peaks could be obtained. In addition, the application of the method in micropreparative micellar electrokinetic chromatography of the flavonoids was demonstrated.