The morphological effects upon enzymatic degradation of poly(butylene succinate-co-butylene terephthalate)s (PBST)

In this work, the enzymatic degradation of poly(butylene succinate-co-butylene terephthalate) (PBST) copolyesters was studied using the lipase from Pseudomonas (Lipase PS^®). The biodegradation behavior was found to strongly depend on the overall impacts of several important factors as the BT comonomer structure and molar content, thermal characteristics, morphology, the enzyme-substrate, and so forth. Further, the biodegraded residual film samples were allowed to be analyzed by means of gel permeation chromatography (GPC), proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and scanning electron microscope (SEM). On the experimental evidences, an exo-type mechanism of enzymatic chain hydrolysis preferentially occurring in the amorphous region was suggested for the PBST film samples.     

Palladium oxidase catalysis: selective oxidation of organic chemicals by direct dioxygen-coupled turnover

Selective aerobic oxidation of organic molecules is a fundamental and practical challenge in modern chemistry. Effective solutions to this problem must overcome the intrinsic reactivity and selectivity challenges posed by the chemistry of molecular oxygen, and they must find application in diverse classes of oxidation reactions. Palladium oxidase catalysis combines the versatility of Pd(II)-mediated oxidation of organic substrates with dioxygen-coupled oxidation of the reduced palladium catalyst to enable a broad range of selective aerobic oxidation reactions. Recent developments revealed that cocatalysts (e.g. Cu(II), polyoxometalates, and benzoquinone) are not essential for efficient oxidation of Pd(0) by molecular oxygen. Oxidatively stable ligands play an important role in these reactions by minimizing catalyst decomposition, promoting the direct reaction between palladium and dioxygen, modulating organic substrate reactivity and permitting asymmetric catalysis.     

Transition metal complexes in organic synthesis. Part 68: Iron-mediated total synthesis of mukonine and mukonidine by oxidative cyclization with air as the oxidizing agent

The oxidative cyclization of 5-(2-amino-5-methoxycarbonylphenyl)-substituted tricarbonyl[η⁴-cyclohexa-1,3-diene]iron complexes by air in protic medium provides the corresponding tricarbonyl[η⁴-4a,9a-dihydro-9H-carbazole]iron complexes. This procedure is applied to the total synthesis of the 3-methoxycarbonylcarbazole alkaloids mukonine and mukonidine.     

Effects of processing parameters on the mechanical properties of polypropylene random copolymer

The mechanical properties of polypropylene random copolymer (PP-R) with different processing parameters were studied. Special attention is devoted to the investigation of the influence of masterbatch addition on the variation in the mechanical properties of injection moulded PP-R. Tensile, instrumented Charpy impact, Shore D hardness, differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and Vicat softening temperature (VST) tests were conducted on the test samples containing different colour masterbatches varying from 0.5 to 10 wt%. The observed changes in the mechanical behaviour are explained by the type and level of masterbatch content. The natural UV weathering performance of the PP-R material was studied from the masterbatch type point of view. The effect of processing parameters on material performance was studied on samples which were directly obtained from extruded pipes and on injection moulded samples.

Finally, the effects of storage time on the polymer properties were investigated.     

Degradation thermique et etude vibrationnelle de MII(NH4)4(P3O9)2x4H2O(M II=Cu2+, Ni2+, Co2+)

We have studied the thermal behaviour under atmospheric pressure of isotypic tetrahydrate cyclotriphosphates M^II(NH₄)₄(P₃O₉)₂x4H₂O (M ^II=Cu, Ni and Co), between 25 and 1400°C, by X-ray diffraction, thermal analyses (TG and DTA) and infrared spectrometry. This study shows that the series of the compounds M^II(NH₄)₄(P₃O₉)₂x4H₂O (M ^II=Cu, Ni and Co) after elimination of water, in two different stages, and ammonia leads, at 400°C to cyclotetraphosphate M₂ ^IIP₄O₁₂ crystallized and to a thermal residue with a formula H₄P₄O₁₂ which undergoes under a thermal degradation by evolving water and pentoxide phosphorus. The kinetic characteristics of the dehydration and elimination of ammonia have been determinated. The vibrational spectra of Cu(NH₄)₄(P₃O₉)₂x4H₂O were examined and interpreted, in the domain of the valency frequencies, on the basis of the crystalline structure of its isotypic compound Co(NH₄)₄(P₃O₉)₂x4H₂O whose cycle has the site symmetry C₁, of our results of the calculation of the IR frequencies and the successive isotopic substitutions of the equivalent atoms (3P, 3Oi and 6Oe belonging to the P₃Oi₃Oe₆ ring) of the P₃O₉ ³⁻ cycle with high symmetry D_3h. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Photocatalytic degradation of sulfadiazine in suspensions of TiO2 nanosheets with exposed (001) facets

Antibiotics such as sulfonamides are widely used in agriculture as growth promoters and medicine in treatment of infectious diseases. However, the release of these antibiotics has caused serious environmental problems. In this paper, photocatalytic oxidation technology was used to degrade sulfadiazine (SDZ), one of the typical sulfonamides antibiotics, in UV illuminated TiO₂ suspensions. It was found that TiO₂ nanosheets (TiO₂-NSs) with exposed (001) facets exhibit much higher photoreactivity towards SDZ degradation compared to TiO₂ nanoparticles (TiO₂-NPs) with a rate constant increases from 0.017 min⁻¹ to 0.035 min⁻¹, improving by a factor of 2.1. Under the attacking of reactive oxygen species (ROSs) such as superoxide radicals (O₂^–) and hydroxyl radicals (OH), SDZ was steady degraded on the surface of TiO₂-NSs. Based on the identification of the produced intermediates by LC–MS/MS, possible degradation pathways of SDZ, which include desulfonation, oxidation and cleavage, were put forwards. After UV irradiation for 4 h, nearly 90% of the total organic carbon (TOC) can be removed in suspensions of TiO₂-NSs, indicating the mineralization of SDZ. TiO₂-NSs also exhibits excellent stability in photocatalytic degradation of SDZ in wide range of pH. Even after recycling used for 7 times, more than 91.3% of the SDZ can be efficiently removed, indicating that they are promising to be practically used in treatment of wastewater containing antibiotics.     

Influence of silica fillers during the electron irradiation of DGEBA/TETA epoxy resins, part II: Study of the thermomechanical properties

This work describes the influence of silica fillers on the thermomechanical properties of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A/triethylenetetramine (DGEBA/TETA) epoxy resins during ageing under electron beam irradiation. Whatever be the silica filler (pure micrometric ground and spherical silicas, nanometric silicas and coupling agent treated silicas), the glass transition temperature of the epoxy resins decreases with increasing irradiation dose, meaning that the main effect of the irradiation is chain scission. No influence of the silica fillers has been detected from the changes in the glass transition temperature with the increase in the irradiation dose. The disappearance of the cooperativity of the γ relaxation, the decrease of the α relaxation and the decrease of the elastic modulus at the rubbery plateau observed by dynamic mechanical analyses involve a decrease in the crosslink density of the epoxy resins. The occurrence of chemical reactions between the epoxy resin and the silica surface at high irradiation doses has been shown. Moreover, we show evidence that chemical reactions between the epoxy resin and the silica surface occur at high irradiation dose.     

Thermal and thermoxidative degradations of starch and thermosensitive starch-g-BAM copolymers

Summary Thermal degradation under N₂atmosphere and thermoxidative degradation under air atmosphere of increasingly grafting efficiency values (i.e. GE%=0.0 to 35.5) for starch and starch grafted with N-tert-butylacrylamide thermosensitive copolymers (starch-g-BAM) by Ozawa and Kissinger methods using thermogravimetric analysis (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry techniques (DSC) at 10, 30 and 50% mass losses respectively have been studied. Influence of physical inter and intra molecular interactions on grafting and consequently on activation energy of degradation (E_a,d) was investigated using Ozawa's method, whereas linear dependence of E_a,don GE% by scaling relations using Kissinger's method was determined. Furthermore, the thermoxidative degradation induces the possibility of molecular rearrangement, cyclization and partial crosslinking that is deduced from the activation energy of degradation (E_a,d) and residual mass of TG profile. Thermal stability of starch does not alter as a result of different grafting efficiency percentages.     

Fluorierung von Cyanurchlorid und Tieftemperatur-Kristallstruktur von [(ClCN)3F]+ [AsF6]−

Fluorination of Cyanuric Chloride and Low-Temperature Crystal Structure of [(ClCN)₃F]⁺[AsF₆]^? The low-temperature fluorination of cyanuric chloride, (ClCN)₃, with F₂/AsF₅ in SO₂F₂ solution yielded the salt [(ClCN)₃F]⁺ [AsF₆]^? ( 1 ) essentially in quantitative yield. Compound 1 was identified by a low-temperature single crystal X-ray structure determination: R 3 c, trigonal, a = b = 10.4246(23) Å, c = 15.1850(24) Å, V = 1429.1(4) Å 3, Z = 6, R_F = 0.056, R_w = 0.076 (for significant reflections), R_F = 0.088, R_w = 0.079 (for all reflections). Fluorination of neat (ClCN)₃ with [NF₄]⁺ [Sb₂F₁₁]^? yielded NF₃, CClF₃, SbF₃, N₂ and traces of CF₄. A qualitative scale for the oxidizing strength of the oxidative fluorinators NF₄⁺ and (XCN)₃F⁺ (X = H, F, Cl) has been computed ab initio.     

Thermal degradation of poly(vinyl chloride)

This paper presents an initial attempt at describing poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) thermal degradation through a semi-detailed and lumped kinetic model. A mechanism of 40 species and pseudocomponents (molecules and radicals) involved in about 250 reactions permits quite a good reproduction of the main characteristics of PVC degradation and volatilization. The presence of the two step mechanism—the first step of which corresponds to dehydrochlorination and the second to the tar release and residue char formation—are correctly predicted both in quantitative terms and in the temperature ranges. The model was validated by comparison with several thermo gravimetric analyses, both dynamic at different heating rates, and isothermal. When compared with the typical one step global apparent degradation models, the approach proposed here spans quite large operative ranges, especially when it comes to predicting product distributions. The initial results of these product predictions, even though quite preliminary, are encouraging and confirm the validity of the model.