Thermal analysis study of the effect of molecular weight on constrained amorphous phase in poly(phenylene sulfide)

We report a thermal analysis study of the effect of molecular weight on the amorphous phase structure of poly(phenylene sulfide), PPS, crystallized at temperatures just above the glass transition temperature. Thermal properties of Fortron PPS, having viscosity average molecular weights of 30000 to 91000, were characterized using temperature modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC). We find that while crystallinity varies little with molecular weight, the heat capacity increment at the glass transition decreases as molecular weight decreases. This leads to a smaller liquid-like amorphous phase, and a larger rigid amorphous fraction, in the lower molecular weight PPS. For all molecular weights, constrained fraction decreases as the scan rate decreases.This research is supported by the U. S. Army Research Office through contract DAAH04-96-1-0009. The authors thank Hoechst Celanese for providing different molecular weight Fortron samples and Dr. George Collins for providing sample information. The authors acknowledge the assistance of Elizabeth Oyebode and Leonardo Grimaldi with sample preparation and MDSC work.     

Dissociation quotients of succinic acid in aqueous sodium chloride media to 225°C

The first and second molal dissociation quotients of succinic acid were measured potentiometrically with a hydrogen-electrode, concentration cell. These measurements were carried out from 0 to 225°C over 25° intervals at five ionic strengths ranging from 0.1 to 5.0 molal (NaCl). The dissociation quotients from this and two other studies were combined and treated with empirical equations to yield the following thermodynamic quantities for the first acid dissociation equilibrium at 25°C: log K_1a=–4.210±0.003; H _1a ⁰ =2.9±0.2 kJ-mol^–1; S _1a ⁰ =–71±1 J-mol^–1-K^–1; and C _p1a ⁰ =–98±3 J-mol^–1-K^–1; and for the second acid dissociation equilibrium at 25°C: log K_2a=–5.638±0.001; H _2a ⁰ = –0.5±0.1 kJ-mol^–1; S _2a ⁰ =–109.7±0.4 J-mol^–1-K^–1; and C _p2a ⁰ = –215±8 J-mol^–1-K^–1.     

Energy Landscape of Aptamer/Protein Complexes Studied by Single‐Molecule Force Spectroscopy

Aptamers are single‐stranded nucleic acid molecules selected in vitro to bind to a variety of target molecules. Aptamers bound to proteins are emerging as a new class of molecules that rival commonly used antibodies in both therapeutic and diagnostic applications. With the increasing application of aptamers as molecular probes for protein recognition, it is important to understand the molecular mechanism of aptamer–protein interaction. Recently, we developed a method of using atomic force microscopy (AFM) to study the single‐molecule rupture force of aptamer/protein complexes. In this work, we investigate further the unbinding dynamics of aptamer/protein complexes and their dissociation‐energy landscape by AFM. The dependence of single‐molecule force on the AFM loading rate was plotted for three aptamer/protein complexes and their dissociation rate constants, and other parameters characterizing their dissociation pathways were obtained. Furthermore, the single‐molecule force spectra of three aptamer/protein complexes were compared to those of the corresponding antibody/protein complexes in the same loading‐rate range. The results revealed two activation barriers and one intermediate state in the unbinding process of aptamer/protein complexes, which is different from the energy landscape of antibody/protein complexes. The results provide new information for the study of aptamer–protein interaction at the molecular level.     

DFT Investigations About Pyrazine Molecules on Si(100)-2×1 Surface

It is important to understand the interface of aromatic molecules on semiconductor surfaces because of the rich functionality of such molecules on semiconductor surfaces. The chemisorption of pyrazine molecules on the Si( 100)-2×1 surface has been investigated using the B3LYP density functional theory with Si9H12 one-dimer and Si15H16 twodimer cluster models. The calculated results predict that N-dative bonded-state, C2= C5 [ 4 2 ] and the tightbridge1, 2, 5,6 products may coexist on the Si(100)-2×1 surface.     

Proper Choice of XC Functionals and Calculations of Fluorescence-Emitting Energies for Coumarin Derivatives

A scheme of time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) combined with single-excitation configuration interaction (CIS) approach was employed to make a detailed investigation of the emitting energy for fifteen well-known coumarin derivatives. The results showed that the predicted emitting energies as well as the absorption ones were dominated mainly by the exchange-correlation (XC) functional to be used. So long as a functional is properly chosen, the experimental emitting energy of most derivatives can be accurately reproduced within 0.16 eV by a calculation at the TDDFT/6-31G(d)//CIS/3-21G(d) theoretical level. It was found that, nevertheless, the hybrid functional, B3LYP, well predicted the absorption energies for all the fifteen coumarin derivatives but none of the functionals could work equally well for the emitting energy calculations. Two pure functionals, OLYP and BLYP, yield good emitting energies for the 7-aminocoumarins or derivatives with a N atom connected to 7-position, which exhibit inconspicuous charge transfer (CT) in their excited states, whereas the B3LYP hybrid functional, with 20% Hartree-Fock (HF) exchange energy, performs significantly better than OLYP and BLYP for those 3-substituted coumarins with larger CT in excited states. Thus, in comparison with the absorption energies, the selection of proper functionals for the emitting energy calculations becomes more complex. In all probability, it is effective and doable to choose an XC-functional with alterable fraction of HF exchange energy according to the composition and structure characteristics of molecule.     

Unexpected solids from enantiopure cationic palladium complexes and racemic anions: A structural study of chiral non-discrimination

Enantiomerically pure cationic complexes were obtained via cyclopalladation of primary amines and subsequent addition of a chelating ethylendiamine ligand. No diastereomeric resolution was observed upon combining these cations with racemic mandelate or hydratropate anions, but four less popular products, namely three double salts and a solid solution, were obtained and structurally characterized. For one of the double salts, the alternative ionic compounds based on different stereoisomers of the same residues were synthesized independently: The conventional racemic solid and both diastereomeric salts formed by enantiopure cations and anions were studied by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Lattice energy calculations confirm that the diastereomeric salts differ significantly; formation of the partially racemic double salt, however, is energetically favourable and precludes resolution.     

多孔二氧化硅中Gd3+ → Eu3+的能量传递

通过水热反应法，获得了单掺和双掺Eu³⁺，Gd³⁺的多孔二氧化硅组装体，研究了掺杂体系的光谱特性，观察到Gd³⁺ → Eu³⁺的能量传递。分析了能量传递过程，探讨了在多孔二氧化硅中Gd³⁺→Eu³⁺的能量传递的机理，其机理主要为电偶极-电偶极相互作用。     

TiO2/Eu-MCM纳米超分子材料的组装和光催化性能

利用有机相-水相界面共沉淀溶胶支持自组装方法制备粒径为15 nm、孔径为8 nm的分子筛Eu-MCM, 它拥有734 m²/g的比表面积和1.49 cm³/g的比孔容. 把TiO₂组装到Eu-MCM的孔道中, 组装成TiO₂/Eu-MCM纳米复合材料. XRD, RAMAN和选区电子衍射花样分析表明纳米复合材料中的TiO₂为锐钛型. TiO₂/Eu-MCM的发光表现为Eu^3＋离子的特征光谱, 激发峰分别为342 (⁵L₁₀), 358 (⁵L₉), 378 (⁵L₇), 390 (⁵L₆), 411 (⁵D₃), 462 (⁵D₂)和524 (⁵D₁) nm; 发射峰为579, 592, 613, 653和701 nm, 归属于⁵D₀→⁷F_J (J＝0, 1, 2, 3, 4)组态间的跃迁. 纳米复合材料的发光强度都要比Eu-MCM的发光强, 其中43%TiO₂/Eu-MCM的发光最强. 荧光和紫外漫反射结果表明客体TiO₂对主体分子筛存在能量传递效应. 在微弱的紫外灯光照射下, TiO₂/Eu-MCM纳米复合材料对苯酚的光催化氧化性能和其发光强度具有一定的相关性. 29%TiO₂/Eu-MCM的纳米复合材料拥有的比表面积、孔容和孔径分别为204 m²/g, 0.24 cm³/g和4.7 nm. 29%TiO₂/Eu- MCM对苯酚具有68%的最高光催化氧化产率和85%催化氧化选择性.     

OUH体系的结构和分析势能函数

采用密度泛涵B3LYP方法优化出了OUH分子的各种结构，确定了最稳定构型和离解能，以及它们的谐性力常数，并导出双原子分子UH,UO的Murrell-Sorbie势能函数及其光谱数据。采用多体项展式方法，导出OUH(X^4A')基态分子的分析势能函数，获得OUH(X^4A')体系的势能面，考察了这个势能函数的基本性质，正确地复现出OUH分子的平衡结构特征，结果表明：U+OH,O+UH,H+UO的反应均为无阈能的放热能反应。为进一步探讨OUH体系的反应动力学过程打下了基础。     

束-气条件下He(23S)与CH3Cl及CH3I的传能研究

在束-气条件下，通过检测产物的化学发光，研究了亚稳电子激发态He（23S）原子与CH3Cl、CH3I传能反应.采用参比反应的方法，测得了由上述反应产生的主要碎片CH（A2△）、CH（B2∑-）、CH（C2∑+）和H*形成速率常数．通过对测得的CH（A2△－X2∏r）和CH（B2∑-－X2∏r）色散谱进行计算机模拟，获得了初生态的CH（A2△，v＝0－2）和CH（B2∑-，v＝0态）的振动-转动布居，实验结果表明，CH（A2△，v＝0）态的转动布居是呈双Boltzman分布的，并且反应的可资用能大部分将转变成产物的平动能．根据实验结果和反应阈能的分析，本文对He（23S）与CH3Cl／CH3I传能反应机理进行了探讨。