Remarkable Lewis acid effects on polymerization of functionalized alkenes by metallocene and lithium ester enolates

Drastic effects of Lewis acids E(C₆F₅)₃ (E = Al, B) on polymerization of functionalized alkenes such as methyl methacrylate (MMA) and N,N-dimethyl acrylamide (DMAA) mediated by metallocene and lithium ester enolates, Cp₂Zr[OC(OⁱPr)CMe₂]₂ (1) and Me₂CC(OⁱPr)OLi, are documented as well as elucidated. In the case of metallocene bis(ester enolate) 1, when combined with 2 equiv. of Al(C₆F₅)₃, it effects highly active ion-pairing polymerization of MMA and DMAA; the living nature of this polymerization system allows for the synthesis of well-defined diblock and triblock copolymers of MMA with longer-chain alkyl methacrylates. In sharp contrast, the 1/2B(C₆F₅)₃ combination exhibits low to negligible polymerization activity due to the formation of ineffective adduct Cp₂Zr[OC(OⁱPr)CMe₂]⁺[OC(OⁱPr)CMe₂B(C₆F₅)₃]⁻ (2). Such a profound Al vs. B Lewis acid effect has also been observed for the lithium ester enolate; while the Me₂CC(OⁱPr)OLi/2Al(C₆F₅)₃ system is highly active for MMA polymerization, the seemingly analogous Me₂CC(OⁱPr)OLi/2B(C₆F₅)₃ system is inactive. Structure analyses of the resulting lithium enolaluminate and enolborate adducts, Li⁺[Me₂CC(OⁱPr)OAl(C₆F₅)₃]⁻ (3) and Li⁺[Me₂CC(OⁱPr)OB(C₆F₅)₃]⁻ (4), coupled with polymerization studies, show that the remarkable differences observed for Al vs. B are due to the inability of the lithium enolborate/borane pair to effect the bimolecular, activated-monomer anionic polymerization as does the lithium enolaluminate/alane pair.     

Vapor generation – atomic spectrometric techniques. Expanding frontiers through specific-species preconcentration. A review

We review recent progress in preconcentration strategies associated to vapor generation techniques coupled to atomic spectrometric (VGT-AS) for specific chemical species detection. This discussion focuses on the central role of different preconcentration approaches, both before and after VG process. The former was based on the classical solid phase and liquid–liquid extraction procedures which, aided by automation and miniaturization strategies, have strengthened the role of VGT-AS in several research fields including environmental, clinical, and others. We then examine some of the new vapor trapping strategies (atom-trapping, hydride trapping, cryotrapping) that entail improvements in selectivity through interference elimination, but also they allow reaching ultra-low detection limits for a large number of chemical species generated in conventional VG systems, including complete separation of several species of the same element. This review covers more than 100 bibliographic references from 2009 up to date, found in SCOPUS database and in individual searches in specific journals. We finally conclude by giving some outlook on future directions of this field.     

Possible key intermediates in arsenic biochemistry: Synthesis and identification by liquid chromatography electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and high resolution mass spectrometry

Arsenic is a type 1 carcinogen and its toxicity is critically dependent on chemical speciation. However, after decades of research, the biogenesis of at least fifty naturally occurring arsenic species is still not well understood.Here, based on experimental work, it is proposed a set of pathways for the formation of multiple arsenic species that might help to clarify the present situation.These are focused on the thiol protein arsenic bond and on its interaction with reactive metabolites. In fact, arsenic bound to glutathione interacting with sulfur adenosyl methionine (SAM), MethylCB₁₂ and AdoCB₁₂, forms a number of complexes that might be key intermediates in arsenic biochemistry. These include dimethylarsino glutathione (DMAG) m/z 412 [M + H]⁺, synthesized non-enzymatically from glutathione and cacodylate. Trimethylarsonio glutathione (TMAG) m/z 426 [M]⁺ synthesized from DMA, GSH and SAM, apparently by a classical Challenger methylcarbonium attack. Tetramethyl arsonium ion m/z 135 [M]⁺ is formed in a third step, apparently by carbanion methylation. The presence of trimethylarsine oxide (TMAO) m/z 137 [M + H]⁺ is attributed to the hydrolysis of TMAG or TMA, or to carbanion methylation of dimethylarsinoyl glutathione (m/z 428 [M]⁺) formed from cacodylate and GSH. Cantoni type attacks of DMAG on SAM were unsuccessful, eventually due to competition of the trivalent S⁺ atom of SAM for the As^III atom attack. The presence of dimethylarsonio diglutathione (DMADG m/z 717 [M]⁺), is suggested to result from a GS^- attack on dimethylarsenoyl glutathione (m/z 428 [M + H]⁺). The presence of dimethylarsenoyladenosine (m/z 372 [M + H]⁺), trimethylarsenosugar adenine (m/z 370 [M]⁺), and dimethylthioarsenosugar adenine (m/z 388 [M + H]⁺), is explained by the synthesis of the pecursor dimethylarsonio-adenosine glutathione DMAAG (m/z 661 [M]⁺), a likely source of oxo-and trimethylated arsenosugars, as well as of thio-arsenosugars by the cleavage of its S-C bond. The results gathered suggest that cell vacuoles might play a major role in arsenic metabolism, and that the dominance of oxo-As sugars, in algae extracts, may be supported by a mechanism of synthesis independent of DMAAG (m/z 661).They also offer an explanation for the reason why arsenobetaine, and tetramethylarsonium are loosely bound to biotic tissues. Four arsenic species new to science, to the best of our knowledge, and a number of known arsenic compounds were synthesized in this work, identified by HPLC–ESI-MSⁿ and FTICR–ESI-MS, and suggestions regarding their mechanisms of synthesis were advanced. These results provide a framework for arsenic biochemistry which may explain the origin of a significant part of arsenic known metabolites.     

Hydrophobic modification of wood via surface-initiated ARGET ATRP of MMA

To convert the hydrophilic surface of wood into a hydrophobic surface, the present study investigated activators regenerated by electron transfer for atom transfer radical polymerization (ARGET ATRP) as a method of grafting methyl methacrylate (MMA) onto the wood surface. The wood treated with 2-bromoisobutyryl bromide and with the subsequently attached MMA via ARGET ATRP under different polymerization times (2 h, 4 h, 6 h, 8 h) were examined using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. All the analyses confirmed that PMMA had been grafted onto the wood surface. Water contact angle measurement proved that the covering layer of PMMA on wood made the surface hydrophobic. Polymerization time had a positive influence on the contact angle value and higher contact angle can be produced with the prolongation of the polymerization time. When the reaction time was extended to 8 h, the contact angle of treated wood surface reached 130° in the beginning, and remained at 116° after 60 s. The ARGET ATRP method may raise an alteration on the wood surface modification.     

MMA基混凝土修补材料的改性

以甲基丙烯酸甲酯(MMA)、引发剂、增塑剂等为原料合成高分子聚合物MMA基混凝土修补材料,在MMA体系中加入四氯乙烯(PCE),对MMA基混凝土修补材料进行改性,并应用红外光谱、体积收缩和粘结强度实验对制备好的改性修补材料进行分析.结果表明:PCE在反应过程中与MMA发生了聚合反应.当MMA与PCE的质量比为10∶1时,体积收缩率最低,可以下降到14%;改性修补材料抗折强度达到7.2MPa,在砂浆试件上断裂.     

HAP/P(MMA-St)复合微球的制备及其吸附性能

以微孔纳米羟基磷灰石（HAP）为无机载体,甲基丙烯酸甲酯（MMA）和苯乙烯（St）为聚合单体,采用悬浮聚合法制备了HAP/P(MMA-St)复合微球。研究了影响球体粒度及其分布的主要因素和微球的吸附性能。结果表明,表面活性剂用量（质量分数,下同）为1‰、MMA用量为2%,HAP用量为30%,转速为300r/min时复合微球的合格球收率最高为86.4%。当微球中HAP的含量为36.07%时,HAP/P(MMA-St)微球对牛血清蛋白的最大吸附量Qe=18.70 mg/g,比未加HAP时,增加了4.65 mg/g。     

纳米SiO2锚固光敏基团引发MMA光接枝聚合研究

对纳米SiO2进行了锚固光引发剂的表面修饰,进而引发甲基丙烯酸甲脂(MMA)光接枝聚合制备有机/无机复合粒子.纳米SiO2粒子首先用氯化亚砜进行表面氯化,再与光引发剂2-羟基-4-(2-羟基乙氧基)-2-甲基苯丙酮(Irgacure2959)反应从而锚固上光引发剂.通过紫外光引发MMA在经过修饰过的纳米SiO2表面上进行表面光接枝聚合.采用IR、TGA和TEM等方法表征了接枝前后纳米粒子的变化,证明了表面接枝物的存在,并研究了不同反应条件对单体转化率、接枝率和接枝效率的影响.研究结果表明,搅拌对接枝过程的影响比较显著.TGA结果显示未搅拌聚合时接枝率只能达到比较小的程度,而在搅拌条件下180min内MMA的接枝率可达到110%.     

Synthesis,characterization, microstructure determination,thermal studies of poly (N-vinyl pyrrolidone-maleic anhydride-methyl methacrylate)

Synthesis of Poly (N-vinyl pyrrolidone-maleic anhydride-methyl methacrylate) terpolymer using azobisisobutyronitrile in 1,4-dioxan is described. The polymers with different composition were synthesized and characterized using FTIR, ¹HNMR, ¹³NMR, TGA and DSC techniques. The monomer-monomer interactions were studied using Finemann-Ross and Kelen-Tudos methods by calculating the reactivity ratio. The reactivity ratio r₁ and r₂ with respect to methyl methacrylate and N-vinylpyrrolidone-maleic anhydride complexomer are found to be 6.05 and 0.06 respectively. The study showed methyl methacrylate have higher reactivity than N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone-maleic anhydride complex, i.e., the terpolymer contained methyl methacrylate in higher ratio. The thermal stability of poly (N-vinyl pyrrolidone-maleic anhydride-methyl methacrylate) was 165°C and the glass transition temperature was found to increase from 153°C to 182°C as MMA concentration increase. The studies indicate the activity of the polymer to inhibit bacterial growth is very poor.     

Recent developments in manufacturing emulsions and particulate products using membranes

Membrane emulsification (ME) is a relatively new technique for the highly controlled production of particulates. This review focuses on the recent developments in this area, ranging from the production of simple oil-in-water (O/W) or water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions to multiple emulsions of different types, solid-in-oil-in-water (S/O/W) dispersions, coherent solids (silica particles, solid lipid microspheres, solder metal powder) and structured solids (solid lipid microcarriers, gel microbeads, polymeric microspheres, core-shell microcapsules and hollow polymeric microparticles). Other emerging technologies that extend the capabilities into different membrane materials and operation methods (such as rotating membranes, repeated membrane extrusion of coarsely pre-emulsified feeds) are introduced. The results of experimental work carried out by cited researchers in the field together with those of the current authors are presented in a tabular form in a rigorous and systematic manner. These demonstrate a wide range of products that can be manufactured using different membrane approaches. Opportunities for creation of new and novel entities are highlighted for low throughput applications (medical diagnostics, healthcare) and for large-scale productions (consumer and personal products).     

The orientational state of uniaxially stretched PMMA

Uniaxially stretched samples of PMMA were investigated by Brillouin Spectroscopy (BS). From the velocity of hypersound we could determine most of the elastic constants. Using a recently developed analysis [1] it is demonstrated that the properties of this polymer can be well described by the aggregate model. This result offers the possibility of mapping the mechanical properties by birefringence measurements. The dependence of the fourth momentP ₄ on the second momentP ₂ is identical with that determined for PC [2] and follows, in the measured range, that of an affine orientational state. Nevertheless, the dependence on the stretching ratio differs for different molecular weights. Thus the partition of the deformation into an orientational and an elongational contribution, as has been proposed [3], seems to be well founded.The partition depends on the stretching conditions.