General base catalysis in the decomposition of N-Cl-Valine in aqueous solution

This article analyzes the kinetics of the decomposition of N-Cl-Valine in aqueous solution, which is formed rapidly by chlorination of Valine with sodium hypochlorite. A general-base catalyzed process not yet described is reported. The experimental evidence shows two competitive decomposition paths: an unimolecular concerted fragmentation process (k = (1.8 ± 0.1) · 10^?4 s^?1 at 298 K) and the other one is an E2 elimination process whose importance increases with pH and depends on the nature and the concentration of the bases present in the medium. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Photothermal microanalysis of thermal discontinuities in metallic samples

Modeling the behavior of a protective coating during a thermal shock not only requires the knowledge of its own thermophysical characteristics, but also those of the coating–substrate discontinuity. According to its nature, this discontinuity can be modeled as a zero-thickness interface (thermal contact resistance) or a finite thickness layer (thermal third body). This paper presents an experimental device and two associated thermal transfer models developed in view of the microscale characterization of such discontinuities.     

Lightly crosslinked,mesomorphic networks obtained through the reaction of dimeric,liquid‐crystalline epoxy–imine monomers and heptanedioic acid

We reacted various dimeric, liquid‐crystalline epoxy–imine monomers, differing in the length of the central aliphatic spacer or the dipolar moments, with heptanedioic acid. The resulting systems showed a liquid‐crystalline phase in some cases, depending on the dimer and on the reaction conditions. The systems were characterized with respect to their mesomorphic properties and then were submitted to dynamic mechanical thermal analysis in both fixed‐frequency and frequency‐sweep modes in the shear sandwich configuration. The arrangement in the liquid‐crystalline phase seemed to be mainly affected both by the polarization of the mesogen and by the reaction temperature, which favored the liquid‐crystalline arrangement when it was lying in the range of stability of the dimer mesophase. In agreement with other recent literature data, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis results suggested that the presence of the mesogen directly incorporated into the main chain increased the lifetimes of the elastic modes both in the isotropic phase and in the liquid‐crystalline phase with respect to side‐chain liquid‐crystalline elastomers and that the time–temperature superposition principle did not hold through the liquid‐crystalline‐to‐isotropic transition. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44:6270–6286, 2006     

N,N‐dimethylaminopyridine as initiator in the copolymerization of diglycidylether of bisphenol A with six‐membered cyclic carbonates

N,N‐Dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) was used as initiator to cure mixtures of diglycidylether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) and 1,3‐dioxan‐2‐one (TMC) or 5,5‐dimethyl‐1,3‐dioxan‐2‐one (DMTMC). The curing was studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier transform infrared in the attenuated‐total‐reflection mode (FTIR/ATR). FTIR/ATR was used to monitor the competitive reactive processes and to quantify the evolution of the groups involved in the curing. We observed the formation of five‐membered cyclic carbonates and anionic carbonate groups that remain unreacted at the chain ends. The formation of these groups was explained by the attack of the anionic propagation species on the methylene carbon of the carbonate group, which leads to an alkyl‐oxygen rupture. By performing the cure in the thermobalance we could evaluate the loss of CO₂ produced in the samples containing carbonates. The kinetics were studied by DSC and analyzed with isoconversional procedures. The addition of carbonates slows down the curing rate. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) experiments were used to evaluate the properties of the materials obtained. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 2873–2882, 2006     

Studies of some new bioactive acrylic esters

Four typical bioactive esters of acrylic monomers, N-p-acryloxybenzoyloxysuccinimides, 3-ac-ryloxy-4-oxo-3,4-dihydro-1,2,3-benzotriazines, N-acryloxy-5-norbornene-2,3-dicarboximides, and I-p-acryloxybenzoyloxybenzotriazoles, were Synthesized and polymerized as reactive polymers. Twelve new monomers were prepared by coupling acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, p-acryloxybenzoic acid, or p-methacryloxybenzoic acid with four N-hydroxy compounds such as N-hydroxysuccinimide (HOSu), 3-hydroxy-4-oxo-3,4-dihydro-1,2,3-benzotriazine (HOObt), N-hydroxy-5-norbornene-2,3-dicarboximide (HONB), and I -hydroxybenzotriazole (HOBT) in the presence of dicyclohexylcarbodimide. All monomers polymerized readily in solution with azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as free radical initiator. The resulting reactive polymers with reactive ? OSu, ? OObt, ? ONB, or ? OBT group on the side chain are equally reactive toward n-butylamine at room temperature in the formation of corresponding polyacrylamides. Reactive polymers were used to immobilizetrypsin. It has been found that poly(N-p-methacryloxybenzoyloxy-5-norbornene-2,3-dicarboximide)-trypsin matrix had high activity around three times that of the poly(N-methacryloxy-5-norbornene-dicarboximide)-trypsin matrix. It is proposed that this activity may be due to the presence of a long spacer arm with a hydrophobic and rigid benzene ring between the ligand and matrix. The reactive poly(N-p-methacryloxybenzoyloxysuccinimide-p-methacryloxybenzoic acid) copolymer was used to immobilize the serum protein. This immobilized protein was a hopeful bioactive solid immunoadsorbent.     

Minimum order of loop networks of given degree and girth

Behzad, Chartrand and Wall proposed the conjecture that any regular digraph of degreer and girthg has ordern r(g – 1) + 1. The conjecture was proved in [3] for vertex transitive graphs. For Loop Networks the conjecture is equivalent to a theorem of Shepherdson in additive number theory. We show that, except for graphs of a particular structure, Loop Networks, and in general Abelian Cayley graphs, verify the stronger inequalityn (r + 1)(g – 1) – 1. This bound is best possible.Supported by the Spanish Research Council (CICYT) under project TIC 90-0712 and Acción Integrada Hispanofrancesa, TIC 79B.     

Synthesis of tridimensional polymers by the copolymerization of phenylglycidylether with aromatic diglycidylethers

Copolymers from phenylglycidylether and several aromatic diglycidylethers are prepared using different ratios of difunctional comonomers and the AIP/ZnCl₂ initiator system. It is found that the percentage of incorporated comonomer depends on the nature of the aromatic moiety introduced. The copolymers are characterized by ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy and turn out to be completely regular and with a high degree of isotacticity (about 80%) that confirms the high degree of regio- and stereoselectivity of the initiator system used. The thermal characteristics of copolymer networks are investigated using differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetry. Two fusion endotherms are observed which vary with the degree of crosslinking. By thermogravimetric analyses the thermal stability is found to increase when the crosslinking degree does. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

New glycidyl ester compounds containing a preformed imide ring—I

The synthesis of the new esterglycidyl compounds produced by condensation of bis-carboxyimides with a large excess of epichlorohydrin were reported. To define the optimal conditions of condensation the process with monofunctional compounds were studied at first. For all synthesis, yield and epoxide and chlorine contents were found. The structure of glycidyl esters was determined by elementary analysis, IR and ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra. The physical properties were also defined.