Rheological properties of multisticker associative polyelectrolytes in semidilute aqueous solutions

Multisticker associative polyelectrolytes of acrylamide (≈86 mol %) and sodium 2‐acrylamido‐2‐methylpropanesulfonate (≈12 mol %), hydrophobically modified with N,N‐dihexylacrylamide groups (≈2 mol %), were prepared with a micellar radical polymerization technique. This process led to multiblock polymers in which the length of the hydrophobic blocks could be controlled through variations in the surfactant‐to‐hydrophobe molar ratio, that is, the number of hydrophobes per micelle (N_H). The rheological behavior of aqueous solutions of polymers with the same molecular weight and the same composition but with two different hydrophobic block lengths (N_H = 7 or 3 monomer units per block) was investigated as a function of the polymer concentration with steady‐flow, creep, and oscillatory experiments. The critical concentration at the onset of the viscosity enhancement decreased as the length of the hydrophobic segments in the polymers increased. Also, an increase in the N_H value significantly enhanced the thickening ability of the polymers and affected the structure of the transient network. In the semidilute unentangled regime, the behavior of the polymer with long hydrophobic segments (N_H = 7) was studied in detail. The results were well explained by the sticky Rouse theory of associative polymer dynamics. Finally, the viscosity decreased with an increase in the temperature, mainly because of a lowering of the sample relaxation time. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 1640–1655, 2004     

Taking snapshots of photoexcited molecules in disordered media by using pulsed synchrotron X-rays

Photoexcited molecules are quintessential reactants in photochemistry. Structures of these photoexcited molecules in disordered media in which a majority of photochemical reactions take place remained elusive for decades owing to a lack of suitable X-ray sources, despite their importance in understanding fundamental aspects in photochemistry. As new pulsed X-ray sources become available, short-lived excited-state molecular structures in disordered media can now be captured by using laser-pulse pump, X-ray pulse-probe techniques of third-generation synchrotron sources with time resolutions of 30-100 ps, as demonstrated by examples in this review. These studies provide unprecedented information on structural origins of molecular properties in the excited states. By using other ultrafast X-ray facilities that will be completed in the near future, time-resolution for the excited-state structure measurements should reach the femtosecond time scales, which will make "molecular movies" of bond breaking or formation, and vibrational relaxation, a reality.     

Preparation of block copolymer vesicles in solution

Block copolymer vesicles can be prepared in solution from a variety of different amphiphilic systems. Polystyrene‐block‐poly(acrylic acid), polystyrene‐block‐poly(ethylene oxide), and many other block copolymer systems can produce vesicles of a wide range of sizes; those in the range of 100–1000 nm have been explored extensively. Different factors, such as the absolute and relative block lengths, the presence of additives (ions, homopolymers, and surfactants), the water content in the solvent mixture, the nature and composition of the solvent, the temperature, and the polydispersity of the hydrophilic block, provide control over the types of vesicles produced. Their high stability, resistance to many external stimuli, and ability to package both hydrophilic and hydrophobic compounds make them excellent candidates for use in the medical, pharmaceutical, and environmental fields. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 923–938, 2004     

Polysulfonylamine. CLX [1] Kristallstrukturen von Metall‐di(methansulfonyl)amiden. 10 [2] Die dreidimensionalen Koordinationspolymere M[(CH3SO2)2N] mit M = Kalium,Rubidium, Caesium (isotype Strukturen für M = K,Rb)

Polysulfonylamines. CLX. Crystal Structures of Metal Di(methanesulfonyl)amides. 10. The Three‐Dimensional Coordination Polymers M[(CH₃SO₂)₂N], where M is Potassium, Rubidium, Cesium (Isotypic Structures for M = K, Rb) Low‐temperature X‐ray crystal structures are reported for KA (monoclinic, space group P2₁/c, Z′ = 1), RbA (isotypic and isostructural with KA), and CsA (monoclinic, P2₁/n, Z′ = 1), where A^— denotes the anion obtained by deprotonation of the strong nitrogen acid (MeSO₂)₂NH. In KA and RbA, the anion is distorted into a rare C₁ conformation, whereas the standard C₂ conformation is retained in the cesium complex. The structures consist of three‐dimensional coordination networks, in which each cation adopts an irregular (O₆N)‐heptacoordination by forming close contacts to one (O, N)‐chelating, one (O, O)‐chelating and three κ¹O‐bonding ligands; however, the coordination number for Cs⁺ is effectively increased to 8 by a very short Cs···Cs contact distance of 422.5 pm. The crystal packings of the isotypic compounds KA and RbA display lamellar layer substructures that involve six independent ligand‐metal bonds and comprise an internal cation lamella and peripheral regions built up from anion monolayers; the 3D framework is completed by one independent M—O bond cross‐linking the layer substructures. In contrast, CsA features anion monolayers that intercalate planar zigzag chains of cations (Cs···Cs alternatingly 422.5 and 487.5 pm, Cs···Cs···Cs 135.7°), whereby each chain is surrounded and coordinated by four anion stacks and each anion stack connects two cation chains. All structures exhibit close C—H···A interanion contacts consistent with weak hydrogen bonding.     

Hierarchical Structure‐Within‐Structure Morphologies in A2‐star‐(B‐alt‐C) Molecules

We employ dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) to examine the self‐assembly behavior of A₂‐star‐(B‐alt‐C) molecules. We successfully observe various types of hierarchical structure‐within‐structures, such as A‐formed spheres in the matrix formed by B and C alternating layers, hexagonally packed A‐formed cylinders in the matrix with B and C segregated layers, B and C alternating layers‐within‐lamellae, coaxial B and C alternating domains within hexagonally packed BC‐formed cylinders in the A‐matrix, and co‐centric BC‐alternating domains within BC‐formed spheres in the A‐matrix, by increasing the A composition. Generally speaking, the small length‐scale B and C segregated domains are in parallel to the large length‐scale structures. This hierarchical periodicity along the same axis as well as the various characteristic structures, that the A₂‐star‐(B‐alt‐C) copolymers display, are quite different from those in A‐block‐(B‐graft‐C) coil‐comb copolymers. Moreover, it is interesting to find that when the copolymer chain length increases, though the hierarchical structure type is maintained, the number of small length‐scale lamellae that can form within the large length‐scale structure increases. These hierarchical structures under various compositions are reported theoretically for the first time in the copolymer systems consisting of the alternating blocks, and are in good agreement with the most recent experimental work by Matsushita and co‐workers (Macromolecules 2007 , 40, 4023).     

Titanyl Acetylacetonate as an Efficient Catalyst for Regioselective 1,2‐Reduction of α,β‐Unsaturated Carbonyl Compounds and Conversion of α‐Diketones & Acyloins to Vicinal Diols with Sodium Borohydride

α,β‐Unsaturated aldehydes and ketones were reduced readily and exclusively to their corresponding allylic alcohols with NaBH₄ and catalytic amounts of titanyl acetylacetonate at room temperature. Reduction reactions were carried out in CH₃CN or THF. This reducing system was also efficient for the reduction of α‐diketones and acyloins to their corresponding vicinal diols in CH₃CN.     

Fitting complex potential energy surfaces to simple model potentials: application of the simplex-annealing method

A stochastic method of optimization, which combines simulated annealing with simplex, is implemented to fit the parameters of a simple model potential. The main characteristic of the method is that it explores the whole space of the parameters of the model potential, and therefore it is very efficient in locating the global minimum of the cost function, in addition to being independent of the initial guess of the parameters. The method is employed to fit the complex intermolecular potential energy surface of the dimer of water, using as a reference the spectroscopic quality anisotropic site-site potential of Feller et al. The simple model potential chosen for its reparameterization is the MCY model potential of Clementi et al. The quality of the fit is assessed by comparing the geometry of the minimum, the harmonic frequencies, and the second virial coefficients of the parameterized potential with the reference one. Finally, to prove more rigorously the robustness of this method, it is compared with standard nonstochastic methods of optimization.     

Schrödinger Equation Solutions for the Central Field Power Potential Energy I. V(r) = V 0(r/a 0)2ν−2, ν ≥ 1

The solution of a generalized non-relativistic Schrödinger equation with radial potential energy V(r)=V ₀(r/a ₀)^2–2 is presented. After reviewing the general properties of the radial ordinary differential equation, power series solutions are developed. The Green's function is constructed, its trace and the trace of its first iteration are calculated, and the ability of the traces to provide upper and lower bounds for the ground eigenvalue is examined. In addition, WKB-like solutions for the eigenvalues and eigenfunctions are derived. The approximation method yields valid eigenvalues for large quantum numbers (Rydberg states).     

O. Carboxyphenylhydrazoethylacetoacetate as an Analytical Reagent for the Determination of Cu(II) and Co(II) in Complex Materials

An extraction‐spectrophotometric method for the determination of trace amounts of copper and cobalt based on their extraction into n‐pentanol with 0. carboxyphenylhydrazoethylacetoacetate (O.CPHEAA) was per formed. Copper was extracted from pH 6.0 – 8.0 and ionic strength 0.5 M – KCl. The maximum absorption of the extracted Cu(II) ‐ O.CPHEAA complex (1:1 & 1:2 species) occurs at 415 nm. The proposed method succeeded in as saying a concentration of 3–63 μg per 10 mL of n‐pentanol (? = 1.25 × 10⁴L mol^?1 cm^?1). The method failed to ex tract cobalt ion into various organic sol vents over a pH range of 2–11. The suggested method is highly selective and sensitive according to a wide scheme of interference studied. Copper in some plant samples was accurately estimated using the suggested method. The obtained results and the results of the AAS method were consistent. The reproducibility test shows a relative standard deviation of 1%. Sandell sensitivity for A = 0.001 is 5 × 10^?3 μg cm^?2.     

Synthesis of New Reagent 2‐Acetylthiophenethiocynate and its Use in Extraction of Pt(IV) Spectrophotometrically

2‐Acetyl thiophenethiocynate (ATT) was synthesized and its characterization study was carried out using elemental analysis, IR and NMR techniques. The new reagent was proposed as an extractant for the development of the extractive spectrophotometric method for determination of Pt(IV) metal. The reagent complexes with the metal to produce a yellow colored complex which was then extracted into ethyl acetate at pH 11.2–11.6 having an absorption maxima at 400 nm. The thermal study showed that the extraction reactions are exothermic in nature with the reagent, and the stoichiometric ratio of Pt(IV) to 2‐acetyl thiophenethiocynate in the organic phase was 1:2. The method permits separation and determination of platinum from real and binary mixtures. The separation of Pt(IV) from bivalent metal ions has been also studied.