Pesticide‐conjugated polyacrylate nanoparticles: novel opportunities for improving the photostability of emamectin benzoate

Emamectin benzoate, a macrocyclic lactone, can be used in low quantities to control arthropod pests, effectively. However, its poor photostability prevents its further use. To delay its photodegradation, novel acrylate‐type polymeric nanoparticles were synthesized and tested as materials for improving pesticide photostability. N‐acylated emamectin benzoate was synthesized via bonding emamectin benzoate to acrylamide. The resulting pesticide, containing the double bond linkage –C=C–N–, was copolymerized with butyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate by the emulsion polymerization method. The refined polymers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectroscopy, and result illustrated the pesticide was conjugated to the polymers. Atomic force microscope and dynamic light scattering analyses were also used for determining the average particle diameters of pesticide–polymer conjugates. Photostability tests showed that the nanoparticles obtained exhibited greatly improved photostability. Additionally, the laboratory toxicity tests demonstrated that the insecticidal effects of the novel emamectin benzoate formulation were better than those of the control pesticide formulation (emamectin benzoate EC). Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Potential of O‐MMT as a Reinforcing Filler for Uncured and Dynamically Cured PVC/XNBR Composites

Organic montmorillonite modified with quaternary ammonium (O‐MMT) was compounded with uncured and dynamically cured poly(vinyl chloride)/carboxylated nitrile butadiene rubber (PVC/XNBR) composites, using a Brabender Plasticorder at 130°C and 50 rpm rotor speed. The reinforcing efficiency of the O‐MMT was investigated in the uncured PVC/XNBR composite and the dynamically cured PVC/XNBR counterpart. Mixing and dynamic curing of the composites were monitored by typical torque‐time curves derived from a Brabender internal mixer. The torque‐time curves revealed that the dynamic curing process was successful and the incorporation of O‐MMT has no adverse effect on the processibility of the composites. It has been found that the introduction of crosslinks within the rubbery phase in the presence of the O‐MMT has further improved the tensile properties. DMA studies revealed that dynamically cured composite with O‐MMT showed higher storage modulus than the composite without O‐MMT. Furthermore, a one‐step tensile modulus vs. temperature curve and a related one peak tensile loss modulus vs. temperature curve were obtained, consequently, both are characteristics of a miscible polymers system. Further evidence on the composite miscibility was purchased by thermal scans from DSC, which showed a single glass transition temperature of PVC/XNBR composites. This claim was further supported by ATR‐IR spectra which revealed that hydrogen bonding is extensively involved in PVC/XNBR composites. This evidence unveiled the exact nature of the specific interactions responsible for miscibility and hence, enhanced mechanical properties. Furthermore, we proved in our studies the reinforcing role played by layered clay due to better dispersion, as well as improved interactions.     

Study of the Molecular Mobility in Polymers with the Thermally Stimulated Recovery Technique—A Review

Thermally stimulated recovery (TSR) is a non‐conventional mechanical spectroscopy technique that allows to analyse in detail the relaxation processes of polymeric systems in the low frequency region. This work reviews the main aspects and potentialities of this technique. The different kinds of TSR experiments that can be performed, global and thermal sampling (TS) experiments, are described and illustrated with several examples. Also, the different methods for the determination of the thermokinetic parameters (activation energy and pre‐exponential factor) of the thermal sampling (TS) procedure are explained and compared. In this context, the compensation phenomenon, which always appears in TSR results when the studies are performed in the glass transition region of a given system, is discussed. Examples of the application of this technique to different polymeric systems during the last 20 years are provided. An emphasis will be made on the analysis of the effect of crystallinity degree and crosslink density on the TSR response. A comparison between the results (characteristic times and activation energies) obtained by different techniques, namely TSR, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), is made.     

酸催化溶胶-凝胶法制备高强度SiO2增透膜研究进展

高强度增透膜是用于减少表面反射、增加光线透光率的薄膜,具有密度低、折射率可调、耐磨性好的特点.本文综述了高强度增透膜的制备方法与研究进展,介绍了酸催化溶胶-凝胶法制备SiO2溶胶的机理及影响因素,酸催化溶胶-凝胶法及两种辅助酸催化溶胶-凝胶法制备高强度增透膜的方法,对高强增透膜制备的发展方向和应用前景进行了展望.     

Structural Fluctuation of Disilanyl Double‐Pillared Bisheteroarenes

Silacyclophanes possessing two disilanyl pillars were synthesized from tricyclic heteroarenes in one‐pot synthetic procedures. The step‐like anti structures of three congeners bearing two heteroarene units were revealed in single crystals by X‐ray crystallographic analysis. Depending on the structures of aromatic units, torsion angles at the disilanyl pillars altered to maintain the overall step‐like molecular structures. The structure, however, fluctuated between anti and syn conformers in a solution phase despite the presence of eight methyl groups on the ring periphery. The analysis of the coalescence temperature with NMR spectroscopy showed the fundamental energetics of the dynamics. The subtle structural differences affected the dynamic behavior of the silacyclophanes.     

Calculations of dynamic dipole polarizabilities of Li and Na atoms in debye plasma using the model potential technique

The effects of Debye plasma on the frequency‐dependent polarizabilities of Li and Na atoms are investigated using symplectic algorithm within the framework of the pseudostate summation technique. Dynamic dipole polarizabilities of Li (2s ²S) and Na(3s ²S) as functions of scaled number density of the plasma electrons for arbitrary plasma temperature are presented. Screening effects on the resonance frequencies are also presented. In free‐atomic cases, our calculated results are comparable with the reported theoretical and experimental predictions. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Task‐Specific Ionic Liquids Possessing Two Brönsted Acid Sites

Abstract

Task‐specific ionic liquids possessing two Brönsted acid sites with –COOH, HSO^? ₄, or H₂PO^? ₄ groups have been designed, synthesized, and characterized. Under mild conditions and without any additional organic solvent, the esterification of isopropanol by chloroacetic acid could be carried out in these new task‐specific ionic liquids. In comparison with most of acidic ionic liquids in current use, these ionic liquids are halogen free and more environmentally benign as media and catalysts.     

Equilibrium and Dynamic Surface Tension of Carboxymethylchitosan and Alkyl Trimethylammonium Bromide Mixtures

A water-soluble derivative of chitosan, carboxymethylchitosan (CMCH), was mixed with alkyltrimethylammoniumbromides (C_mTAB) and was studied on the adsorption at air/water interface using equilibrium and dynamic surface tension method. The effects of surfactant and polymer concentrations, surfactant chain length, as well as pH of solution were investigated. Addition of the surfactants remarkably promotes the polymer adsorption. Increasing any one of surfactant concentration, surfactant chain length, and pH will facilitate the adsorption of the mixture whereas little effects of polymer concentration were observed. The results are explained in terms of the interaction between CMCH and C_mTAB under different conditions.     

Dynamic Surface Elasticity of Polyelectrolyte/Surfactant Adsorption Films at the Air/Water Interface: Carboxylmethylchitosan and Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide

The dynamic surface elasticity of the solution of carboxymethylchitosan (CMCH) and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (C₁₆TAB) was measured as a function of the surfactant concentration and the surface age by the oscillating drop method. The results showed that the surface layer of the CMCH/C₁₆TAB solution transformed from loose to structured with the increase in the surfactant concentration. The surface elasticity versus the surface pressure curve during the adsorption showed different features at different surfactant concentration ranges, which was connected with the structural transformation of the surface layer. Our results show that the measurement of dynamic surface dilational properties is a powerful tool for studying the surface kinetics, which is helpful for dealing non-equilibrium systems in industry.