Breakage of λ-DNA by inorganic tin and organotin compounds as environmental pollutants

In proportion to the environmental pollution problems caused by organotin compounds, the genotoxicities of tin compounds in the environments have become of interest so as to estimate their safety in recent years. In this work, isolated λ-DNA (double-strand DNA) was incubated with inorganic tin(II) and tin(IV) and five organotin compounds [n-butyltin trichloride, di(n-butyltin) dichloride, methyltin trichloride, dimethyltin dichloride and trimethyltin chloride] in reaction systems both with and without hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) content. The tin compounds tested in this study did not induce DNA breakage in the absence of hydrogen peroxide. Divalent inorganic tin (SnCl₂) and tetravalent inorganic tin (SnCl₄) caused DNA breakage in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (10 mM), and the DNA damage activity of inorganic tin was much more potent in divalent inorganic tin (SnCl₂) than in tetravalent inorganic tin (SnCl₄). Divalent inorganic tin (SnCl₂) induced DNA breakage in a concentration-dependent fashion at concentrations greater than 0.1 mM of SnCl₂ in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (10 mM). DNA breakage was not caused by n-butyltin compounds and methyltin compounds either in the presence or in the absence of hydrogen peroxide.     

Hydroxyapatite coating on porous silicon substrate obtained by precipitation process

Hydroxyapatite Ca₁₀(PO₄)₆(OH)₂ (HAP) is known as a bioactive and biocompatible material, HAP coatings were used to improve the biocompatible of substrate by many researcher, In this work, HAP thin films on porous silicon (PS) substrates have been prepared by aqueous precipitation method with rapid thermal annealing (RTA) processes. The HAP films had been prepared under the annealing temperature ranging from 300 to 1000 °C. By the measurement of X-ray diffraction (XRD), it was found that for the crystallinity optimization, the heat-treatment at 850–950 °C for 1 h would be favorable. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) measurements reveal a dense and smooth surface of the HAP film, and tightly adherence of the coating on porous silicon substrate after sintered. Thus, by this method, porous silicon could be increased its bioactivity and so that could be used in the biomedical area.     

Influence of humic substances on sorption and methylation processes of inorganic- and organo-tin species

The influence of humic substances on sorption and methylation processes for inorganic- and organotin species is presented. Four sediment samples from different locations of the Rivers Elbe, Mulde and Spittelwasser, Germany, with different organotin and humic contents were selected to extract the humic and fulvic acids. The various fractions—the original sediment, the humic acid, the fulvic acid and the residual sediment—were analysed for their organotin content. The individual buyltin species show quite different distribution patterns. Monobutyltin is found mostly associated with humic acids. Dibutyltin shows a nonunique behaviour. At low total organotin content, dibutyltin is found bonded to humic and fulvic acids, whereas at high organotin content dibutyltin is distributed more with the residual sediment. Most of the tributyltin remains in the sediment unextracted; only small quantities of it are in the fulvic acid fraction. Tetrabutyltin is only in the humic acid fraction when it binds to humic matter; it mostly remains in the sediment. General observations indicate that ionic butyltin species bind to fulvic acids whereas the non-polar tetrabutyltin is not found in the fulvic acid fractions in any of the samples. The appearance of monomethyl- and dimethyl-tin species in the humic and fulvic acid fractions after the alkaline extraction was surprising. There is a correlation between the humic content of the sample and the formation of methyltin species. Evidence is provided by experiments that humic substances act as methylation agents.     

Effect of reaction conditions on the molecular weight and polydispersity of linear poly(arylene ether phosphine oxide)s prepared from an AB monomer

A thorough study of the polymerization behavior of 4‐fluoro‐4′‐hydroxytriphenyl‐phosphine oxide, 2 , under nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions has been carried out. The synthesis of 2 was achieved in excellent yields by the reaction of bis(4‐fluorophenyl)phenylphosphine oxide, 1 , with one equivalent of potassium hydroxide in DMSO/water. The structure and purity of 2 were confirmed via ¹H, ¹³C, and ³¹P NMR spectroscopy along with elemental analysis. Polymerization reactions of 2 in NMP or DMSO at 180 °C provided the corresponding linear poly(arylene ether phosphine oxide)s, PAEPOs, with number average molecular weights, M_n, ranging from 11,700 to 36,500 Da. All of the polymer samples were completely soluble in chloroform, tetrahydrofuran, DMSO, NMP, and DMAc. The polymerization reactions were accompanied by a competing intramolecular process that resulted in the formation of cyclic oligomeric species that were removed via a final precipitation from methanol. Analysis using ³¹P NMR spectroscopy and size exclusion chromatography (SEC) confirmed that the majority of the lower molecular weight cyclic species were removed via this process. The polymer samples formed tough films when chloroform solutions were slowly evaporated on a glass slide. The PAEPO samples prepared in this study exhibited excellent thermal stability with T_d (5%) values between 503 and 542 in air while the glass transition temperatures ranged from 223 to 237 °C. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 2099–2106, 2006     

Template atom transfer radical polymerization of a diaminopyrimidine‐derivatized monomer in the presence of a uracil‐containing polymer

Uracil‐derivatized monomer 6‐undecyl‐1‐(4‐vinylbenzyl)uracil and diaminopyrimidine‐derivatized monomer 2,6‐dioctanoylamido‐4‐methacryloyloxypyrimidine (DMP) were synthesized and polymerized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). A well‐defined, highly soluble, uracil‐containing polymer, poly[6‐undecyl‐1‐(4‐vinylbenzyl)uracil] (PUVU), was prepared in dioxane at 90 °C with CuBr/1,1,4,7,10,10‐hexamethyltriethylenetetramine as the catalyst and methyl α‐bromophenylacetate as the initiator. PUVU was further used as a template for the ATRP of DMP. The enhanced apparent rate constant of the DMP polymerization in the presence of PUVU indicated that the ATRP of DMP occurred along the PUVU template. The template polymerization produced a stable and insoluble macromolecular complex, PUVU/poly(2,6‐dioctanoylamido‐4‐methacryloyloxypyrimidine). An X‐ray diffraction study confirmed that the complex had strandlike domains. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 6607–6615, 2006     

Synthesis and polymerization of a new nitrogen‐containing bis‐ortho‐diynylarene monomer

This study focuses on the preparation, characterization, and optical properties of new bis(3,4‐diphenylethynylphenyl)phenylamine. This is the first nitrogen‐containing bis‐ortho‐diynylarene (BODA) monomer having a nitrogen atom as the spacer group. BODA monomers are usually prepared from common bisphenols, thereby providing great synthetic versatility and the opportunity to develop a wide array of novel polyarylene thermosets by varying the aromatic spacer group. The new bis(3,4‐bisphenylethynylphenyl)phenylamine was synthesized in five steps. This compound emits an intense blue color (λ = 438 nm) upon irradiation by UV light and may be suitable for use as an emitting layer in electroluminescent devices. Bis‐(3,4‐bisphenylethynylphenyl)phenylamine and its polymer have photoluminescence quantum yields 34 and 38%, respectively, and long excited‐state lifetimes of 3.2 and 3.6 ns, respectively. The structure of the monomer and its polymer were characterized using spectroscopic techniques including Ultraviolet–visible Spectrophotometer, Photoluminescence Spectrophotometer, Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy, and Gel Permeation Chromatography. The polymerizations were studied by Differential Scanning Calorimeter. The amount of weight loss and the thermostability of the nitrogen‐containing polymer were determined from thermogravimetric analysis. The electrical conductivity of neat HCl‐doped BODA‐derived polymer film was measured according to the standard four‐point probe technique. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 6988–6996, 2006     

Preparation and Characterization of a Cobalt‐Containing Mono‐Phosphine Ligand and its Coordinated Molybdenum Complex

A cobalt‐containing monodentate phosphine [(μ₂‐PPh₂CH₂PPh₂‐κ²P)Co₂(CO)₄][μ₂‐η²‐PhC≡CP(i‐Pr)₂] 2f , was prepared from the reaction of (μ₂‐PPh₂CH₂PPh₂‐κ²P)Co₂(CO)₆ 1 with PhC≡CP(i‐Pr)₂. It was accompanied by an oxidized compound, [(μ₂‐PPh₂CH₂PPh₂‐κ²P)Co₂(CO)₄][μ₂‐η²‐PhC≡CP(=O)(i‐Pr₂)] 2fo during the chromatographic process. Further reaction of 2f with Mo(CO)₆ resulted in the formation of a 2f ‐ligated molybdenum complex 4 , [(μ₂‐PPh₂CH₂PPh₂‐κ²P)Co₂(CO)₄][μ₂‐η²‐PhC≡CP(i‐Pr₂)‐κP]‐Mo(CO)₅.     

The effect of oxidation on physical properties of porous silicon layers for optical applications

In order to understand the optical loss mechanisms in porous silicon based waveguides, structural and optical studies have been performed. Scanning and transmission electron microscopic observations of porous silicon layers are obtained before and after an oxidation process at high temperature in wet O₂. Pore size and shape of heavily p-type doped Si wafers are estimated and correlated to the optical properties of the material before and after oxidation. The refractive index was measured and compared to that determined by the Bruggeman model.     

Influence of temperature-pressure treatment on heavily hydrogenated silicon surface

Microstructure and related properties of hydrogenated silicon samples, Si:H, treated at high-temperature (HT) up to 1270 K under hydrostatic argon pressure (HP) up to 1.1 GPa are investigated. To prepare Si:H, Czochralski grown 0 0 1 oriented single crystalline Si wafer with 50 nm thick surface SiO₂ layer was heavily implanted with hydrogen using the immersion plasma source of hydrogen ions with energy 24 keV.The surface of HT-HP treated Si:H was characterised by scanning electron microscopy. Reflectivity pattern measurements in the wavelength range of 350-2000 nm have been performed to analyse their surface and bulk properties. The volume averaging method for a model of layer-like structure has been used to simulate the HT-HP treated Si:H. The analysis of Si:H samples suggests the multi-layer structure composed of Si, Si:H, SiO, SiO₂, and of porous Si layers in the sub-surface region. The porous Si:H samples model is in good consistency with experimental data from reflectance measurements.