Initiation of polymer degradation via transfer of infectious species

A novel dual stage chemiluminescence detection system incorporating individually controlled hot stages has been developed and applied to probe for material interaction effects during polymer degradation. Utilization of this system has resulted in experimental confirmation for the first time that in an oxidizing environment a degrading polymer A (in this case polypropylene, PP) is capable of infecting a different polymer B (in this case polybutadiene, HTPB) over a relatively large distance. In the presence of the infectious degrading polymer A, the thermal degradation of polymer B is observed over a significantly shorter time period. Consistent with infectious volatiles from material A initiating the degradation process in material B it was demonstrated that traces (micrograms) of a thermally sensitive peroxide in the vicinity of PP could induce degradation remotely. This observation documents cross-infectious phenomena between different polymers and has major consequences for polymer interactions, understanding fundamental degradation processes and long-term aging effects under combined material exposures.     

Synergetic degradation of chitosan with gamma radiation and hydrogen peroxide

Chitosan samples were irradiated by ⁶⁰Co γ-rays in the presence of hydrogen peroxide with radiation dose from 10 kGy to 100 kGy. The degradation was monitored by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), revealing the existence of a synergetic effect on the degradation. Structures of the degraded products were characterized with Fourier-transform infrared spectra (FT-IR), ultraviolet-visible spectral (UV-vis) analysis, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Results showed that the crystallinity of chitosan decreases with degradation, and the crystalline state of water-soluble chitosan is entirely different from that of water-insoluble chitosan. An elemental analysis method was employed to investigate changes in the element content of chitosan after degradation. Mechanism of chitosan radiation degradation with and without hydrogen peroxide was also discussed.     

Ab initio through‐space/bond interaction analysis of the long C–C bonds in Bi(anthracene‐9,10‐dimethylene) photoisomers

The bi(anthracene‐9,10‐dimethylene) photoisomer has remarkably long C–C single bonds. To examine the lengthening of the C–C bond, we propose a novel procedure for quantitatively analyzing orbital interactions in a molecule at the level of the ab initio molecular orbital method. In this procedure, we can cut off the specific through‐space/bond interactions in a molecule by artificially increasing the absolute magnitude of the exponents in a Gaussian function. Then, the spatial orbital interactions were perfectly cut off, and, each term that makes up the total energy, that is, the nuclear–electron attractions, the electron–electron repulsions, and the nuclear–nuclear repulsions cancel each other. Several model molecules of the photoisomer were analyzed by this procedure. It was found that the orbital interaction between the p orbital on the benzene ring and the σ* orbital on the C–C bond in question, σ→σ* electron transfer through π orbital, weakens the C–C bond efficiently when these orbitals were located in the “periplanar” conformation. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2001     

Volume and compressibility changes on mixing aqueous solutions of the amino acid and poly(ethylene glycol)

The volume and compressibility changes on mixing aqueous solutions of the amino acid and poly(ethylene glycol) were measured with a vibration densimeter and a sing-around velocimeter at 298.15 K. For the system of alanine-PEG-H₂O, the additivity rule for the mean apparent molal volume and compressibility at infinite dilution held, and the excess volume and compressibility changes on mixing were obtained. For the system of glycine-PEG-H₂O, the additivity rule for the mean apparent molal compressibility at infinite dilution did not hold. While the mean apparent molal volume and compressibility changes were negative and positive for the systems of another amino acid-PEG-H₂O, respectively, where amino acids were valine, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine, and tryptophan. These results suggest that glycine and alanine are excluded from the hydration layer around PEG chain and the amino acids with a larger side chain than alanine are bound to the PEG chain due to the hydrophobic interaction. The hydration number per monomer around PEG chain was estimated to be 3.9.     

Raman spectra of olivine solid solutions (FexMg1−x )2SiO4 and spin-vibration interaction

Room temperature Raman spectra of synthesized powder (Fe_xMg_1?x )₂SiO₄ solid solutions are obtained. Frequency trend of all modes versus composition shows clearly the existence of a step at x = 0.3. A step-like behavior of vibration frequencies at the given composition that coincides with the percolation threshold for the olivine lattice is related to the appearance of magnetic excitations in the disordered magnetic medium owing to the spin-vibration interaction.     

Studies on diacetylenic vinyl compounds. VI. ESR studies on the polymerization of diacetylene containing acrylate and methacrylates

A number of diacetylene containing acrylate and methacrylates have been synthesized and the interaction between their propagating radicals and the diacetylene groups was studied by ESR spectroscopy. In the case of polymerization at 70°C using AIBN as an initiator, the propagating radicals of methacrylates are temporarily trapped with the diacetylenes with rapid exchange of the electron, thus showing strong signals of the propagating radicals. Gamma irradiation of the frozen state produces a blue color in samples, and the ESR signals were found to be those of uninteracted acrylate and methacrylates. From a comparison of spectral widths, there seems to exist an intramolecular interaction between the radicals and the diacetylene group at the frozen state. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

表面活性剂与金属离子的相互作用

烷基硫酸盐(CnS)的抗盐能力很差,在其中引进氧乙烯基(Eo)以后,形成的烷基聚氧乙烯基醚硫酸盐(CnEnS)的抗盐能力明显增强。把CnEnS加到CnS中,形成混合表面活性剂的低温抗盐能力也将明显改善。Doscher、Schott等人认为,CnEnS中的Eo与高价金属阳离子形成了一种“复合物”,这使得CnEnS具有很强的抗盐能力。Chiu则没有发现这种“复合物”。显然,了解CnEmS的抗盐机理,对于该类表面活性剂的理论研究和实际应用,都有重要的意义。     

Enthalpic determinations of aliphatic ester-solvent systems with correlations

Calorimetric measurements were carried out on ester-solvent systems where the esters were H(CH₂)_xCOO(CH₂)_yH, with x and y varying from 1 to 5, and the solvents were n-hexane and 1,2-dichloroethane. Calculation of the enthalpies of cavity formation enabled the enthalpies of interaction to be determined. Both enthalpies correlated with number of carbon atoms N, equal to x+y in the esters, giving for 1,2-dichloroethane

Formation of Supramolecular Polymers Constructed by Cyclodextrins with Cinnamamide

-Cyclodextrin having cinnamamide at 6- or 3-positions (6-CiNH--CD, 3-CiNH--CD) and -cyclodextrin with cinnamamide on 6-position (6-CiNH--CD) have been prepared. Supramolecular structures were formed in the solid state or aqueous solutions and characterized by measurements of NMR and vapor pressure osmometry (VPO). The results indicate that 6-CiNH--CD formed insoluble supramolecular polymers in the solid state, while 6-CiNH--CD and 3-CiNH--CD formed supramolecular complexes in aqueous solutions. 6-CiNH--CD was found to form a dimer in an aqueous solution. 3-CiNH--CD formed intermolecular complexes to give supramolecular polymers. The differences of the position of guest part on cyclodextrins caused to give a variety of supramolecular structures in aqueous solutions.     

A multireference configuration interaction method based on the separated electron pair wave functions

A multireference configurational interaction method based on the separated electron pair (SEP) wave functions, SEP‐CI approach, has been developed as an approximation to the traditional CASSCF method. It differs from the CASSCF method in that active orbitals are obtained from the SEP wave function without further optimization in the subsequent CI calculations, and the active space is automatically constructed according to the occupation coefficients of SEP natural orbitals. These features make the present SEP‐CI method computationally much less demanding than the CASSCF method. The applicability of the SEP‐CI method is illustrated with sample calculations on the insertion reaction of BeH₂ and dissociation energies of LiH, BH, FH, H₂O, and N₂. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 27: 39–47, 2006