Thermal hazards evaluation for sym-TCB nitration reaction using thermal screening unit (TSU)

A set of experiments was conducted in an HEL thermal screening unit with synthetic mixtures of raw materials in various proportions to evaluate the potential thermal hazards at normal and offset process conditions for nitration of symmetrical trichlorobenzene (TCB). The experiments were carried out in the adiabatic condition. The onset temperatures of the exotherms along with maximum temperature and pressure rise data for the desired and undesirable reactions were obtained. In the presence of excess nitric acid and oleum, the reaction shows a severe thermal runaway at the onset temperature of 138°C with a rapid rise in temperature and pressure leading to a potential explosion. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Nanocomposite Hydrogel of Pd@ZIF-8 and Laponite®: Size-Selective Hydrogenation Catalyst under Mild Conditions

The composite hydrogel of a nanoscale metal–organic framework (NMOF) and nanoclay has emerged as a new soft-material with advanced properties and applications. Herein, we report a facile synthesis of a hydrogel nanocomposite by charge-assisted self-assembly of Pd@ZIF-8 nanoparticles with Laponite^® nanoclay which coat the surface of Pd@ZIF-8 nanoparticles. Such surface coating significantly enhanced the thermal stability of the ZIF-8 compared to the pristine framework. Further, the Pd@ZIF-8+LP hydrogel nanocomposite shows better size-selective catalytic hydrogenation of olefins than Pd@ZIF-8 nanoparticles based on selective diffusion of the substrate.     

Tuning Aqueous Supramolecular Polymerization by an Acid-Responsive Conformational Switch

Besides their widespread use in coordination chemistry, 2,2’-bipyridines are known for their ability to undergo cis–trans conformational changes in response to metal ions and acids, which has been primarily investigated at the molecular level. However, the exploitation of such conformational switching in self-assembly has remained unexplored. In this work, the use of 2,2’-bipyridines as acid-responsive conformational switches to tune supramolecular polymerization processes has been demonstrated. To achieve this goal, we have designed a bipyridine-based linear bolaamphiphile, 1 , that forms ordered supramolecular polymers in aqueous media through cooperative aromatic and hydrophobic interactions. Interestingly, addition of acid (TFA) induces the monoprotonation of the 2,2’-bipyridine moiety, leading to a switch in the molecular conformation from a linear (trans) to a V-shaped (cis) state. This increase in molecular distortion along with electrostatic repulsions of the positively charged bipyridine-H⁺ units attenuate the aggregation tendency and induce a transformation from long fibers to shorter thinner fibers. Our findings may contribute to opening up new directions in molecular switches and stimuli-responsive supramolecular materials.     

Polymerization of lactide and synthesis of block copolymer catalyzed by copper(Ⅱ) Schiff base complex

In the present investigation, the novel copper Schiff base complex was synthesized and its catalytic activity was evaluated for the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of lactide and block polymerization of poly(lactide) with poly(ethylene glycol)methyl ether.     

Systematic evaluation of a few proline derivatives as catalysts for a direct aldol reaction

A series of pyrrolidine derivatives were prepared and examined as catalysts for an aldol reaction. Structural variations in these molecules involved altering the sterics at the α-position, the position of the carbonyl group, and the acidities of the hydrogen bonding sites. The effect of these factors on catalytic activity and enantioselectivity was studied. The experimental results revealed that additional sterics at the α-position were detrimental. However, no correlation was found between the catalytic activity and N–H acidity.     

Effect of Pr-Ca substitution on the transport and magnetic behavior of LaMnO3 perovskite

The effect of simultaneous substitution of a fluctuating cation and a divalent cation in LaMnO₃ perovskite modifies the properties of the material to exhibit large valence colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) effect. A good example of these properties is (La_1−2x Pr _x Ca _x )MnO₃ (LPCMO) type CMR material. In this communication it is reported that, with the increase in x (for x=0.1, 0.15, 0.2), the T _c varies between 100 and 120 K with improvisation in metal-insulator transition. Interestingly, resistance increases with x from few hundred ohms to few kilo ohms with corresponding decrease in the unit cell volume. The results of the studies using X-ray diffraction (XRD), electrical resistivity, magnetoresistance and ac susceptibility measurements on LPCMO samples for understanding the structural, transport and magnetic properties are discussed in detail.     

Catalytic activities of polymer‐supported metal complexes in oxidation of phenol and epoxidation of cyclohexene

The metal complexes of N, N′‐bis (o‐hydroxy acetophenone) propylene diamine (HPPn) Schiff base were supported on cross‐linked polystyrene beads. The complexation of iron(III), copper(II), and zinc(II) ions on polymer‐anchored HPPn Schiff base was 83.4, 85.7, and 84.5 wt%, respectively, whereas the complexation of these metal ions on unsupported HPPn Schiff base was 82.3, 84.5, and 83.9 wt%. The iron(III) complexes of HPPn Schiff base were octahedral in geometry, whereas copper(II) and zinc(II) ions complexes were square planar and tetrahedral. Complexation of metal ions increased the thermal stability of HPPn Schiff base. Catalytic activity of metal complexes was tested by studying the oxidation of phenol and epoxidation of cyclohexene in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. The polymer‐supported HPPn Schiff base complexes of iron(III) ions showed 73.0 wt% conversion of phenol and 90.6 wt% conversion of cyclohexene at a molar ratio of 1:1:1 of substrate to catalyst and hydrogen peroxide, but unsupported complexes of iron(III) ions showed 63.8 wt% conversion for phenol and 83.2 wt% conversion for cyclohexene. The product selectivity for catechol (CTL) and epoxy cyclohexane (ECH) was 93.1 and 98.3 wt%, respectively with supported HPPn Schiff base complexes of iron(III) ions but was lower with HPPn Schiff base complexes of copper(II) and zinc(II) ions. Activation energy for the epoxidation of cyclohexene and phenol conversion with unsupported HPPn Schiff base complexes of iron(III) ions was 16.6 kJ mol^?1 and 21.2 kJ mol^?1, respectively, but was lower with supported complexes of iron(III) ions. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Growth of highly oriented crystalline polyaniline films by self-organization

Silicon substrates with (100) orientation were modified with amino-silane self-assembled monolayer (SAM) to provide amino (NH(2)) moieties at the substrate surface. Self-organization of polyaniline during chemical polymerization, on this modified surface, leads to the growth of highly oriented films at the substrate-polymer interface. The morphology studied using scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy revealed the formation of polymer film with well faceted pyramidal crystallites. XPS and FTIR spectroscopy were used to analyze the chemical structure of the film. X-ray diffraction measurements show the crystalline nature of the polyaniline, whose lattice parameters are in agreement with the reported values. This study underlines the importance of a SAM in deciding the structure and morphology of the deposited polymer.     

Regulating Charge-Transfer in Conjugated Microporous Polymers for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

Bandgap engineering in donor–acceptor conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs) is a potential way to increase the solar-energy harvesting towards photochemical water splitting. Here, the design and synthesis of a series of donor–acceptor CMPs [tetraphenylethylene (TPE) and 9-fluorenone (F) as the donor and the acceptor, respectively], F_0.1CMP , F_0.5CMP , and F_2.0CMP , are reported. These CMPs exhibited tunable bandgaps and photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from water. The donor–acceptor CMPs exhibited also intramolecular charge-transfer (ICT) absorption in the visible region (λ_max=480 nm) and their bandgap was finely tuned from 2.8 to 2.1 eV by increasing the 9-fluorenone content. Interestingly, they also showed emissions in the 540–580 nm range assisted by the energy transfer from the other TPE segments (not involved in charge-transfer interactions), as evidenced from fluorescence lifetime decay analysis. By increasing the 9-fluorenone content the emission color of the polymer was also tuned from green to red. Photocatalytic activities of the donor–acceptor CMPs ( F_0.1CMP , F_0.5CMP , and F_2.0CMP ) are greatly enhanced compared to the 9-fluorenone free polymer ( F_0.0CMP ), which is essentially due to improved visible-light absorption and low bandgap of donor–acceptor CMPs. Among all the polymers F_0.5CMP with an optimum bandgap (2.3 eV) showed the highest H₂ evolution under visible-light irradiation. Moreover, all polymers showed excellent dispersibility in organic solvents and easy coated on the solid substrates.     

New latent metathesis catalysts equipped with exchangeable boronic ester groups on the NHC

Abstract

Latent metathesis catalysts equipped with boronate esters of diols as exchangeable end-groups on their NHC ligands and an S-chelated ruthenium-benzylidene core were synthesized. The stable S-chelated ruthenium complexes underwent hydrolysis under mild acidic conditions, allowing easy exchange of terminal units by several 1,2- and 1,3-diols, without degrading the central ruthenium benzylidene. Using this strategy, we also prepared metathesis catalysts equipped with diallyl substrates at the termini that showed concentration dependency on RCM reactions. Notably, the larger dendritic catalysts were more efficient at the more dilute condition.