Electron radiation effects on the structure of ultradisperse polytetrafluoroethylene

Electron radiation effects (40 mrad, 70 mrad, and 100 mrad) on the molecular and supramolecular structure and morphology of ultradisperse polytetrafluoroethylene obtained by the thermogas dynamic (TGD) method were studied by IR and EPR spectroscopy, X-ray phase analysis, and atomic force microscopy. Irradiation of ultradisperse powder in air leads to oxidized polymer forms due to the terminal carbonyl groups and stable peroxide radicals that appear in the structure. Fast electron radiation in doses of up to 100 mrad did not change the polymer crystallinity and particle entity, while thin films on the surface of ultradisperse polytetrafluoroethylene powder decomposed.     

Effects of Pressure and Pulsed Mechanical Action on the IR and ESR Spectra of Ultrafine Polytetrafluoroethylene

The sensitivity of thermogasdynamically dispersed polytetrafluoroethylene to mechanical action was studied by IR and ESR spectroscopy. It is shown that exposure of sample to a pressure of 10 000 kg/cm² and mechanical impact does not lead to transition from a helical to a planar zigzag conformation but increases the amorphous properties and the number of defects of the sample structure. It is assumed that the defects are due to the appearance of terminal =CF₃ groups and =CF₃ groups in the side chain or deformation of chain regions with conjugated bonds.     

Radiation-chemical synthesis and properties of tetrafluoroethylene telomeres in fluorine-containing solvents

The kinetics of radiation telomerization of tetrafluoroethylene in a series of fluorine-containing solvents was studied. A comparative analysis of their reactivity was carried out. The structure and some properties of the telomeres were studied by IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric and elemental analysis, and electron microscopy.     

Mechanochemical synthesis of nanosized europium nitrate with 1,10-phenanthroline

Mechanochemically synthesized europium nitrate with 1,10-phenanthroline (Phen) is formed into globules with sizes of 100–300 nm, which are assembled into larger globular aggregates or packed into layers. The increasing mechanical activation time induces sintering, generating porous aggregates with micro-and nanopores. Eu²⁺ paramagnetic centers, detectable by ESR, are generated by mechanical grinding. Possibly, they are positioned on the surfaces of nanoglobules. The complex Eu(NO₃)₃ · 2Phen synthesized conventionally from aqueous ethanol consists of needle-shaped microcrystallites. They do not give rise to ESR spectra.     

Morphology and structure of micro- and nanosize polytetrafluoroethylene powders prepared by the gas-phase method

Formation of fluoropolymer nanoaerosols and micropowders in the gas products of polytetrafluoroethylene pyrolysis and the hierarchical self-organization of ultradispersed powders were revealed. The features of the molecular and supramolecular structures of powders were analyzed. Low- and high-molecular-weight fractions of the fluoropolymers, constituting the powder particles were identified, and a method for their partitioning was proposed.     

Drying of colloidal solutions of fluoroalkyl oligomers

The change in the supramolecular structure upon drying (solvent removal) of colloidal solutions of fluoroalkyl oligomers at atmospheric pressure has been studied using atomic force microscopy. In an initial colloidal solution, micrometer-sized particles of the dense phase consist of randomly oriented oligomers in the form of rigid rods of a 3–5 nm length forming a porous framework filled with solvent molecules, which solvate the oligomer chains. The drying-induced capillary pressure, which in nanosized pores is of the same order of magnitude as the solvation energy, leads to framework deformation, collapse of the pores, and the formation of lamellar and dendritic structures on a 50–100 nm scale. The ordering of these structures (formation of blocks of parallel oriented fibers typical of a fluoroplastic) increases as the heat-treatment temperature and the drying rate are increased, increasing the roughness of the surface (ratio of real to smooth surface area) and its hydrophobicity.     

Structure and properties of core-shell microparticles in paraffin-ultradispersed polytetrafluoroethylene systems

Microsized spherical core-shell particles consisting of hydrocarbon cores encapsulated into fluoropolymer shells are obtained in supercritical carbon dioxide. Paraffins serve as a core material, while the polymer shell is formed from ultradispersed polytetrafluoroethylene. The morphology and molecular structure in the bulk and on the surface of the particles and the influence of conditions of particle formation on the shell thickness and the thermal properties of the materials are studied. The materials are composites comprised of paraffin cores coated with shells of loosened globular fluoropolymer particles with sizes of 0.2–1.7 μm. The shells is built of low- and high-molecular-mass fractions consisting of CF₃(CF₂)nCF₃ molecular chains with different lengths. The shell thickness is governed by preparation conditions, exposure time, and the percentage of the polymer in the initial dispersion.     

Synthetic calcium aluminosilicates and their sorption properties with respect to Sr<Superscript>2+</Superscript> ions

Sorption characteristics of synthetic calcium aluminosilicates (CAS) obtained in the multicomponent CaCl₂–AlCl₃–KOH–SiO₂–H₂O system are presented. The isotherms of Sr²⁺ sorption on CAS from aqueous solutions containing no additional salts were measured for Sr²⁺ concentration from 0.5 to 11.1 mmol/L and solid to liquid phase ratio S: L = 1: 100. The maximum sorption capacity of synthetic CAS was determined, the phase distribution constants of Sr²⁺ ions at different S: L ratios were found. The recoveries of Sr²⁺ ions from solutions containing 0.01 mol/L Ca(NO₃)₂ and from a solution simulating water of the Mayak plant sewage pond No. 11 were determined.     

Structure of an unprecedented G-quadruplex scaffold in the human c-kit promoter

The c-kit oncogene is an important target in the treatment of gastrointestinal tumors. A potential approach to inhibition of the expression of this gene involves selective stabilization of G-quadruplex structures that may be induced to form in the c-kit promoter region. Here we report on the structure of an unprecedented intramolecular G-quadruplex formed by a G-rich sequence in the c-kit promoter in K+ solution. The structure represents a new folding topology with several unique features. Most strikingly, an isolated guanine is involved in G-tetrad core formation, despite the presence of four three-guanine tracts. There are four loops: two single-residue double-chain-reversal loops, a two-residue loop, and a five-residue stem-loop, which contain base-pairing alignments. This unique structural scaffold provides a highly specific platform for the future design of ligands specifically targeted to the promoter DNA of c-kit.