Control of the block copolymer morphology in templated epoxy thermosets

It has been found that by the addition of low concentrations of an amphiphilic block copolymer to an epoxy resin, novel disordered morphologies can be formed and preserved through curing. This article will focus on characterizing the influence of the block copolymer and casting solvent on the templated morphology achieved in the thermoset sample. The ultimate goal of this work is to determine the parameters that would control the microphase morphology produced. Epoxy resins blended with a series of amphiphilic block copolymers based on hydrogenated polyisoprene (polyethylene-alt-propylene or PEP) and polyethylene oxide (PEO), specifically, were investigated. In this article, the cure-induced order–order phase transition from the spherical to wormlike micelle morphology will also be discussed. It is proposed that the formation of the wormlike micelle structure from the spherical micelle structure is similar to the phase transition behavior that occurs in dilute block copolymer solutions as a function of the influence of the solvent on micelle morphology. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 3338–3348, 2007     

A Role for Neuropeptides in UVB-Induced Systemic Immunosuppression

The aim of this study was to investigate the possible role of sensory nerves in UV light-induced systemic immunomodulation. Contact hypersensitivity to the low molecular weight compound picrylchloride was used as a model for cellular immunity that can be suppressed by low (i.e. suberythemal) doses of UV light even after exposure at a distant locus (i.e. systemic immunosuppression). In sensory nerve-depleted mice, achieved by two subcutaneous injections with the neurotoxin capsaicin before the age of 4 weeks, UV light exposure failed to inhibit contact hypersensitivity responses to picrylchloride. This indicates that sensory nerves are at least partially involved in the induction of systemic immunosuppression by UV light. In order to analyze whether sensory neuropeptides, such as calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and tachykinins, are involved in UV light-induced systemic immunosuppression, mice were pretreated with selective antagonists prior to each UV light exposure. These experiments indicated that CGRP but not the tachykinins plays a crucial role in the UV light-induced systemic immunosuppression.     

Self-assembly of dendrimers by slippage

[reaction: see text] A dendrimer with rotaxane-like characteristics has been assembled under thermodynamic control from complementary wedge-shaped precursors by slippage in CH(2)Cl(2). The driving force for the self-assembly process is the molecular recognition that exists as a result of [N(+)-H.O] and [C-H.O] hydrogen bonds between an NH(2)(+) center in one Fréchet-type benzyl ether wedge and a dibenzo[24]crown-8 unit that links the other two such wedges.     

Zur Kenntnis cyclischer Acylale, 8. Mitt.

Zusammenfassung Cyclische Acylale substituierter Methylen-malonsäuren verhalten sich bei der Titration mit Alkali wie einprotonige Säuren. Die Ursache dieses Verhaltens ist eine sehr rasch verlaufende und durch Zugabe von Mineralsäure wieder umkehrbare Addition von OH^–-Ionen an die genannten Verbindungen. Es werden chemische und spektroskopische Beweise für die Struktur der durch die OH^–-Anlagerung entstandenen mesomeren Anionen beigebracht. Über Darstellung und Reaktionen einiger Acylale substituierter Methylen-malonsäuren wird berichtet.Cyclic acylals of substituted methylenemalonic acids can be titrated as monoprotonic acids. The reason for such a behaviour is the very rapidly proceeding addition of OH^– to these compounds, readily reversible on addition of mineral acids. Chemical and spectroscopical evidence for the structure of the mesomeric anions formed by the addition of OH^– is given. The preparation and reactions of some acylals of substituted methylenemalonic acids are reported.Mit 3 AbbildungenEinige wichtige Ergebnisse der in dieser Arbeit mitgeteilten Untersuchungen wurden bereits in einer kurzen vorläufigen Mitt. veröffentlicht. Hier sollen die dort erwähnten Befunde ergänzt und das experimentelle Material nachgetragen werden.     

Examination of formamide,formamidic acid,amidine dimers,and the double proton transfer transition states involving these dimers

Structures and relative energies were obtained for the hydrogen bonded dimers of formamide and formamidic acid using the 3-21G basis set. A double proton transfer transition state is claimed to link these two dimers. While the structure of the transition state was intermediate between those of the two dimers, the energy was only 7.6 kJ/mol greater than the less stable formamidic acid dimer. The activation energy from the formamide dimer side of the reaction was found to be 125 kJ/mol of dimer. A similar transition state was found for the amidine dimer system. The activation energy for this model reaction was found to be 66.9 kJ/mol of dimer.     

A detailed analysis of pseudorotation in PH4F

Summary Pentacoordinated molecules are thought to undergo intramolecular isomerization by the widely accepted Berry pseudorotation mechanism. Through our investigations, we have found that the actual pseudorotation for the PH₄F system is more complex than that envisioned by Berry. The potential energy surface of PH₄F is mapped out at the RHF/6-311G(d, p) level. According to the Berry mechanism, this system is expected to have two minima and two maxima; however, the system actually has two transition states and one global minimum. The minimum energy path from the highest transition state is followed to the second transition state, which in turn has a minimum energy path leading to the global minimum. Along the path between the two transition states there is a branching region. This portion of the potential energy surface is probed extensively.Dedicated to Prof. Klaus Ruedenberg     

Oxorhenium(V)‐ and Tricarbonylrhenium(I) Complexes with Substituted Pyrazoles as Products of the Degradation of Hydrotrispyrazolylborates

Hydrotris(3, 5‐dimethylpyrazol‐1‐yl)borate and hydrotris(3‐phenylpyrazol‐1‐yl)borate decompose during reactions with [ReOCl₃(PPh₃)₂] and [NEt₄]₂[Re(CO)₃Br₃], respectively. The generated pyrazole ligands form complexes with the rhenium(V) oxo and the rhenium(I ) tricarbonyl cores. X‐ray crystal structures of the oxo‐bridged dimer [Cl(PPh₃)(O)Re(μ‐O)(μ‐Me₂pz)₂Re(O)(HMe₂pz)Cl] ( 1 ) and [Re(CO)₃(HPhpz)₂(Phpz)] ( 2 ) (HMe₂pz = 3, 5‐dimethylpyrazole, HPhpz = 3‐phenylpyrazole) show that the substituted pyrazoles can readily deprotonate and act as monodentate or bridging anionic ligands. Re‐N bond lengths between 2.09 and 2.14Å have been observed for the bridging and between 2.12 and 2.23Å for the terminal pyrazole ligands.     

Thermally activated conduction in molecular junctions

We report temperature dependence measurements on the conductance of individual molecular wires. The results show for the first time in a molecular junction the theoretically predicted transition from coherent superexchange tunneling conductance to an activated hopping mechanism as temperature is increased.     

New poly(d-glucaramidoamine)s induce DNA nanoparticle formation and efficient gene delivery into mammalian cells

In this report, four new poly(d-glucaramidoamine)s (1-4) have been designed to lower the toxicity of conventional polymeric nucleic acid delivery vehicles by incorporating a carbohydrate comonomer within a polyethylenimine (PEI)-like backbone. Polymers 1-4 were synthesized via polycondensation of esterified d-glucaric acid and four different amine-containing comonomers [diethylenetriamine (1), triethylenetetramine (2), tetraethylenepentamine (3), and pentaethylenehexamine (4)] in methanol. Viscometry and NMR studies suggest that the polymers are mostly linear (for 1-4, the alpha value in the Mark-Houwink-Sakurada equation = 0.6-0.7), thus indicating that polymerization occurs predominantly through the primary amines with a low degree of branching off the secondary amines. Results of gel electrophoresis shift assays show that polymers 1-4 bind pDNA at N/P ratios of 5, 3, 2, and 2, respectively. Also, dynamic light scattering and TEM experiments indicate that 1-4 compact DNA into nanoparticles (polyplexes) between 140 and 440 nm at an N/P ratio of 30. Furthermore, polyplexes formed with 1-4 deliver pDNA (plasmid DNA) containing the firefly luciferase reporter gene to BHK-21 cells in a nontoxic and highly efficient manner (as determined by luciferase gene expression). In particular, polymer 4 reveals very high delivery efficiency (equivalent to linear PEI). This result may be due in part to the "proton sponge" hypothesis proposed by Behr et al. Polymers containing amines that are protonated in the endosomal pH range (between about 7.4-5.0) reveal enhanced gene delivery profiles.