Chemical analysis of size-tailored magnetic colloids using slurry nebulization in ICP-OES

In this work, inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy was utilized to directly determine the chemical composition of magnetic fluids constituted of size-sorted ferrite nanoparticles in aqueous solution. Nickel and cobalt nanoferrites were chemically synthesized following a bottom-up route and dispersed under various pH conditions. Size and structural characteristics of nanograins were investigated by X-ray diffraction using a synchrotron source. Chemical analysis was then carried out by directly introducing diluted magnetic fluid samples (slurries) into the spectrometer. To achieve reliable measurements, sample conditions and apparatus parameters were carefully investigated. Slurry stability must be optimized in order to obtain reproducible and accurate analysis. The instrument must also be calibrated to minimize the difference between the signal produced by slurries and that of aqueous ordinary solutions. Furthermore, slurry sample introduction offers many advantages over conventional sample digestion, including reduced sample pretreatment time, less possibility of contamination and the use of direct calibration with aqueous solutions.     

Novel superhydrophobic silica/poly(siloxane‐fluoroacrylate) hybrid nanoparticles prepared via surface‐initiated ATRP and their surface properties: The effects of polymerization conditions

A series of superhydrophobic poly(methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, MPTS‐b‐2,‐2,3,3,4,4,4‐heptafluorobutyl methacrylate, HFBMA)‐grafted silica hybrid nanoparticles (SiO₂/PMPTS‐b‐PHFBMA) were prepared by two‐step surface‐initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI‐ATRP). Under the adopted polymerization conditions in our previous work, the superhydrophobic property was found to depend on the SI‐ATRP conditions of HFBMA. As a series of work, in this present study, the effects of polymerization conditions, such as the initiator concentration, the molar ratio of monomer and initiator, and the polymerization temperature on the SI‐ATRP kinetics and the interrelation between the kinetics and the surface properties of the nanoparticles were investigated. The results showed that the SI‐ATRP of HFBMA was well controlled. The results also showed that both the surface microphase separation and roughness of the hybrid nanoparticles could be strengthened with the increase of the molecular weight of polymer‐grafted silica hybrid nanoparticles. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2010     

Synthesis of poly(ethylene glycol)/polypeptide/poly(D,L‐lactide) copolymers and their nanoparticles

Core‐shell structured nanoparticles of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)/polypeptide/poly(D ,L ‐lactide) (PLA) copolymers were prepared and their properties were investigated. The copolymers had a poly(L ‐serine) or poly(L ‐phenylalanine) block as a linker between a hydrophilic PEG and a hydrophobic PLA unit. They formed core‐shell structured nanoparticles, where the polypeptide block resided at the interface between a hydrophilic PEG shell and a hydrophobic PLA core. In the synthesis, poly(ethylene glycol)‐b‐poly(L ‐serine) (PEG‐PSER) was prepared by ring opening polymerization of N‐carboxyanhydride of O‐(tert‐butyl)‐L ‐serine and subsequent removal of tert‐butyl groups. Poly(ethylene glycol)‐b‐poly(L ‐phenylalanine) (PEG‐PPA) was obtained by ring opening polymerization of N‐carboxyanhydride of L ‐phenylalanine. Methoxy‐poly(ethylene glycol)‐amine with a MW of 5000 was used as an initiator for both polymerizations. The polymerization of D ,L ‐lactide by initiation with PEG‐PSER and PEG‐PPA produced a comb‐like copolymer, poly(ethylene glycol)‐b‐[poly(L ‐serine)‐g‐poly(D ,L ‐lactide)] (PEG‐PSER‐PLA) and a linear copolymer, poly(ethylene glycol)‐b‐poly(L ‐phenylalanine)‐b‐poly(D ,L ‐lactide) (PEG‐PPA‐PLA), respectively. The nanoparticles obtained from PEG‐PPA‐PLA showed a negative zeta potential value of ?16.6 mV, while those of PEG‐PSER‐PLA exhibited a positive value of about 19.3 mV. In pH 7.0 phosphate buffer solution at 36 °C, the nanoparticles of PEG/polypeptide/PLA copolymers showed much better stability than those of a linear PEG‐PLA copolymer having a comparable molecular weight. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Copolymerization of 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate with a comonomer with spiroacetal moiety

The study reports the synthesis of a copolymer based on 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate and 3,9‐divinyl‐2,4,8,10‐tetraoxaspiro[5.5]undecane (U) acquired through radical polymerization in the presence of 2,2′‐azobis(2‐methylpropionitrile). The attempt was to have a solid content as high as 10 wt %. The polymerization process was conducted in the presence of a classic ionic surfactant—sodium lauryl sulfate—and comparatively using two variants of protective colloid β‐cyclodextrin and poly(aspartic acid), respectively. The prepared dispersions were characterized from the viewpoint of their hydrodynamic radius, zeta potential, and conductivity evolution during syntheses. The mean particle size and size distribution and zeta potential and conductivity were also evaluated for the synthesized polymeric particles. The compositions of the polymers were confirmed by FTIR and ¹H NMR spectra, and also, the thermal stability of the polymeric compounds was evaluated. SEM and AFM investigations of the polymer morphology are also presented. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Synthesis,characterization, and ethylene (Co)polymerization behavior of trichlorotitanium 2‐(1‐(arylimino)propyl)quinolin‐8‐olates

A series of trichlorotitanium complexes containing 2‐(1‐(arylimino)propyl)quinolin‐8‐olates was synthesized by stoichiometric reaction of titanium tetrachloride with the corresponding potassium 2‐(1‐(arylimino)propyl)quinolin‐8‐olates and was fully characterized by elemental analysis, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction study of representative complexes. All titanium complexes, when activated with methylaluminoxane, exhibited high catalytic activity toward ethylene polymerization [up to 1.15 × 10⁶ g mol^?1(Ti) h^?1] and ethylene/α‐olefin copolymerization [up to 1.54 × 10⁶ g mol^?1 (Ti) h^?1]. The incorporation of comonomer was confirmed to amount up to 2.82 mol % of 1‐hexene or 1.94 mol % of 1‐octene, respectively. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

A convergence of photo‐bergman cyclization and intramolecular chain collapse towards polymeric nanoparticles

Employing enediynes as crosslinking precursors, a novel yet efficient strategy, namely photo‐triggered Bergman cyclization, was integrated with intramolecular chain collapse to yield polymeric nanoparticles with the size regime below 20 nm. Enediyne motif was designed delicately to possess a high photo‐reactivity, with the double bond locked in a methyl benzoate ring while triple bonds substituted with phenyls. Single electron transfer‐living radical polymerization was conducted to provide linear acrylate copolymers with controlled molecular weights and narrow polydispersities. Poly(butylarylate‐co‐ 5 ) went through UV‐irradiation with a concurrent Bergman cyclization, resulting in well‐defined ultrafine polymeric nanoparticles. Results from NMR, Raman scattering, photoluminescence and UV‐vis spectra corroborated the presence of conjugative structures in the polymeric nanoparticles, indicating the occurrence of photo‐induced Bergman cyclization. A series of other acrylate‐based nanoparticles were investigated to confirm the applicability of such a unique strategy in thermal sensitive but UV‐stable polymeric structures, making photo‐Bergman cyclization a promising tool towards polymeric nanoparticles. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Synthesis of polynorbornene‐poly(tert‐butyl acrylate) nanoparticles with original morphologies by tandem ROMP and ATRP in microemulsion

Composite latex particles based on homopolymers and graft‐copolymers composed of polynorbornene (PNB) and poly(tert‐butyl acrylate) (PtBA) were synthesized in microemulsion conditions by simultaneous combination of two distinct methods of polymerization: Ring‐opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) and atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Only one commercial compound (first generation Grubbs catalyst) was used to initiate the ROMP of norbornene (NB) and activate the ATRP of tert‐butyl acrylate (tBA). Well‐defined nanoparticles with hydrodynamic diameters smaller than 50 nm were prepared with original morphologies depending on the monomer compositions, the type of combination (polymer blend or graft‐copolymer), and the conditions of microemulsion polymerizations. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Rigid pyridyl substituted NHC ligands,their Pd(0) complexes and their application in selective transfer semihydrogenation of alkynes

The synthesis of an air‐stable series of Pd⁰ complexes with unsymmetric bidentate N‐pyridine N‐heterocyclic carbene ligands has been described. The carbenes were generated by synthesis of the silver(I) complexes from the imidazolium salts, followed by transmetallation of the C‐N ligands to obtain the target electron‐rich zerovalent palladium compounds. The bidentate coordination behaviour of the ligands was confirmed by ¹H, ¹³C NMR and X‐ray spectroscopy. The complexes are active precatalysts for the selective transfer semihydrogenation of alkynes to Z‐alkenes, with selectivities up to 99%. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.