Influence of Swelling and Disruption of the Starch Granule on the Composition of the Starch-Polyacrylonitrile Copolymer

Abstract

The results of an evaluation of polymers as cryogenic adhesives are presented. It was observed that polyether-based polyurethanes provided the most attractive capability as adhesives for use at liquid hydrogen temperatures.     

Über die Vertheilung der Primzahlen

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Ceric-initiated polymerization onto polyacrylonitrile with carbohydrate end groups. Graft versus block copolymer formation

Starch-g-polyacrylonitrile (starch-g-PAN) copolymers were prepared by ceric ammonium nitrate initiation, and the major portion of the starch in these graft copolymers was then removed by acid hydrolysis to yield PAN with oligosaccharide end groups. Although these PAN-oligosaccharide samples reacted with methyl methacrylate in the presence of ceric ammonium nitrate, the resulting products were largely graft copolymers rather than the expected PAN-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) block copolymers. The following evidence is presented for a PAN-g-PMMA structure: (i) PAN without oligosaccharide end groups also produced a copolymer with methyl methacrylate under our reaction conditions. (ii) Starch-g-PAN (51 or 37% add-on) was a less reactive substrate toward ceric-initiated polymerization than PAN with oligosaccharide end groups. (iii) Low-add-on (18%) starch-g-PAN reacted with methyl methacrylate to give a final graft copolymer in which a large percentage of PMMA was grafted to the PAN component rather than to starch.     

A Validated HPLC-PDA-HRMS Method to Investigate the Biological Stability and Metabolism of Antiparasitic Triterpenic Esters

Pentacyclic triterpenes (PTs) are commonly found in medicinal plants with well-known antiparasitic effects. Previous research on C-3 and C-27 triterpenic esters showed effective and selective in vitro antiparasitic activities and in vivo effectiveness by parenteral routes. The aim of this study was to determine triterpenic esters’ stability in different biological-like media and the main microsomal degradation products. An HPLC-PDA method was developed and validated to simultaneously analyze and quantify bioactive triterpenic esters in methanol (LOQ: 2.5 and 1.25–100 µg/mL) and plasma (LOQ: 5–125 µg/mL). Overall, both triterpenic esters showed a stable profile in aqueous and buffered solutions as well as in entire plasma, suggesting gaining access to the ester function is difficult for plasma enzymes. Conversely, after 1 h, 30% esters degradation in acidic media was observed with potential different hydrolysis mechanisms. C-3 (15 and 150 µM) and C-27 esters (150 µM) showed a relatively low hepatic microsomal metabolism (<23%) after 1 h, which was significantly higher in the lowest concentration of C-27 esters (15 µM) (>40% degradation). Metabolic HPLC-PDA-HRMS studies suggested hydrolysis, hydroxylation, dehydration, O-methylation, hydroxylation and/or the reduction of hydrolyzed derivatives, depending on the concentration and the position of the ester link. Further permeability and absorption studies are required to better define triterpenic esters pharmacokinetic and specific formulations designed to increase their oral bioavailability.     

Al–Cu intermetallic coatings processed by sequential metalorganic chemical vapour deposition and post-deposition annealing

Sequential processing of aluminum and copper followed by reactive diffusion annealing is used as a paradigm for the metalorganic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD) of coatings containing intermetallic alloys. Dimethylethylamine alane and copper N,N′-di-isopropylacetamidinate are used as aluminum and copper precursors, respectively. Deposition is performed on steel and silica substrates at 1.33 kPa and 493–513 K. Different overall compositions in the entire range of the Al–Cu phase diagram are obtained by varying the relative thickness of the two elemental layers while maintaining the overall thickness of the coating close to 1 μm. As-deposited films present a rough morphology attributed to the difficulty of copper to nucleate on aluminum. Post-deposition annealing is monitored by in situ X-ray diffraction, and allows smoothening the microstructure and identifying conditions leading to several Al–Cu phases. Our results establish a proof of principle following which MOCVD of metallic alloys is feasible, and are expected to extend the materials pool for numerous applications, with innovative thin film processing on, and surface properties of complex in shape parts.