Control over Nanostructures and Associated Mesomorphic Properties of Doped Self‐Assembled Triarylamine Liquid Crystals

We have synthesized a series of triarylamine‐cored molecules equipped with an adjacent amide moiety and dendritic peripheral tails in a variety of modes. We show by ¹H NMR and UV/Vis spectroscopy that their supramolecular self‐assembly can be promoted in solution upon light stimulation and radical initiation. In addition, we have probed their molecular arrangements and mesomorphic properties in the bulk by integrated studies on their film state by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), variable‐temperature polarizing optical microscopy (VT‐POM), variable‐temperature X‐ray diffraction (VT‐XRD), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Differences in the number and the disposition of the peripheral tails significantly affect their mesomorphic properties associated with their lamellar‐ or columnar‐packed nanostructures, which are based on segregated stacks of the triphenylamine cores and the lipophilic/lipophobic periphery. Such structural tuning is of interest for implementation of these soft self‐assemblies as electroactive materials from solution to mesophases.     

A tunable microwave notch absorber filter

A magnetized plasma column is found to be a notch absorber of microwave radiation propagating in the extraordinary mode. Based on this fact, a compact tunable microwave filter is designed and tested successfully. The center frequency of the absorbed band can be varied by adjusting the background magnetic field stength. The 3dB bandwidth and amount of attenuation are functions of the plasma current. These characteristics offer a great tunability, often sought after in microwave devices. This filter can find applications in microwave measurement systems where filtering of unwanted harmonics and spurious signals can directly affect the accuracy and resolution of the measurements.     

Novel estradiol derivatives labeled with Ru,W, and Co complexes. Influence on hormone-receptor affinity of several organometallic groups at the 17 alpha position

In order to elucidate the extent to which recognition of the estrogen receptor is influenced by addition of an organometallic substituent at the 17 alpha position, modification of 17 beta-estradiol at this position was carried out by using the organometallic groups -C identical to C(eta 5-C5H4)RuCp, CH2-(eta 5-C5H4)RuCp, -C identical to C-(eta 5-C5H4)-W(CO)3(Me), -(C identical to CCHO)Co2(CO)6, and -(C identical to CCH2OH)Co2(CO)6. The relative binding affinity (RBA) values for estradiol receptor alpha showed that recognition was good (RBA between 20 and 13.5%) when the organometallic moiety was attached at the end of a rigid alkyne spacer. However, the affinity of the modified hormone for the receptor was severely reduced (RBA = 1%) for a substituent such as -CH2-(eta 5-C5H4)RuCP, in which the spacer is reduced to a single flexible sp3 carbon atom, allowing the organometallic moiety greater freedom of movement around the attachment point. The RBA values found were in agreement with results obtained from a molecular-modeling study in which 5, an organometallic hormone with a rigid spacer, or 7, a molecule with a flexible spacer, was inserted into the cavity of the recently characterized Ligand-Binding Domain of estrogen receptor alpha.     

Hygrometric Determination of Water Activities and Osmotic and Activity Coefficients of NH4Cl–LiCl–H2O at 25°C

The mixed aqueous electrolyte system of ammonium and lithium chlorides has been studied by the hygrometric method at 25°C. The relative humidities of this system are measured at total molalities from 0.3 to 6 mol-kg^{– 1} for different ionic-strength fractions y of NH₄Cl with y = 0.33, 0.50, and 0.67. The data obtained allow the deduction of new water activities and osmotic coefficients. The experimental results are compared with the predictions of the ECA (extended composed additivity) law proposed in our previous work. The Zdanovskii–Stokes–Robinson (ZSR), the Robinson–Stokes (RS), Reilly–Wood–Robinson (RWR), the Pitzer, and the Lietzke–Stoughton (LS II) models are also compared with our results. Predictions made using these models are, in general, consistent with our results. From these measurements, new Pitzer mixing ionic parameters are determined and used to predict the solute activity coefficients in the mixture for different ionic-strength fractions.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic separation and dual competitive binding assay of corrinoids in biological material

Corrinoids were extracted with hot ethanol from human plasma and faeces and separated by high-performance liquid chromatography. The corrinoids (cobalamin and cobalamin analogues) were quantified in the eluted fractions by a dual radioisotope assay using as binders intrinsic factor and haptocorrin to detect cobalamin and total corrinoids, respectively. Recoveries ranged from 37.7 +/- 5.1% for hydroxycobalamin to 75.0 +/- 9.1% for cyanocobalamin. In plasma, the main forms of cobalamin were the coenzymes methylcobalamin and 5'-deoxyadenosylcobalamin (32.1 +/- 13.4 and 28.4 +/- 12.3%, respectively, of total corrinoids). The cobalamin analogue fraction of plasma was eluted with a retention time close to that of cobinamide and of deoxyadenosylcobalamin. In the faeces, most of the corrinoids separated were detected better by the haptocorrin assay than by the intrinsic factor assay. One corrinoid peak was eluted with the same retention time as cobinamide. This peak was detected by haptocorrin assay but not by intrinsic factor assay. It could therefore correspond to cobinamide.     

High-performances membranes for pervaporation I. Poly(vinyl alcohol)–poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone) blends

Dense membranes were prepared from poly(vinyl alcohol)–poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVA–PVP) blends of different compositions and studied in swelling and dehydration by pervaporation of three organic solvents contaminated by 5 wt% water. The swelling generally increases with the PVP content. No extraction occurs in water–tetrahydrofuran (THF) and water–methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) mixtures. In ethanol containing 10 wt% of water, there is no extraction for blends containing less than 40 wt% PVP and an increasing extraction beyond this PVP content. The pervaporation flux of the water–ethanol mixture increases drastically at the same threshold whereas the water permselectivity falls to a low level. The values of the diffusion and permeability coefficients determined from transient permeation of the test water–ethanol mixture exhibit a similar sudden increase at the same PVP content threshold. This singular behavior of the blend membranes is interpreted by a strong affinity of the PVP component to ethanol, combined with a disappearance of crystallites in the blend at this threshold. Consequently the amorphous membrane can swell freely according to the affinity of the PVP component, leading to the observed behavior.     

Scattering of electromagnetic waves by a layer of air plasma surrounding a conducting cylinder

In this paper, the total scattering and back-scattering cross-sections (respectively represented by and _b) of an air plasma layer surrounding a conducting cylinder are studied. The plasma layer can be turned ON and OFF to allow for a comparison between the scattering cross-section of the bare cylinder and the plasma covered cylinder. The plasma layer is generated at atmospheric pressure, which results in a very highly collisional case. The scattered fields are calculated using a cylindrical expansion, with coefficients satisfying the appropriate boundary conditions, and which are a function of the refractive index of the air plasma. The results of our study are presented as plots of the total scattering cross-section, , and back-scattering cross-section, _b, versus frequency. The scattering cross-section gives an average characteristic of the scattering process from obstacles. Once the scattering cross-section is known, the actual scattered energy per unit length per second can be calculated by multiplying by the incident energy per unit area per second.     

Physical,chemical and biological studies on transition metal complexes of chelating tridentate ligand

Summary The interaction of 1-benzoin-4-phenylthiosemicarbazone (H₂ BPS) with some transition metal ions has been investigated. The ligand can function as a tridentate chelating agent, giving M(HBPS)₂ and M(BPS). Potentiometric studies proved that the mechanism of chelation is based on hydrogen ion liberation. Spectral studies in solution show that the ligand could be used for the microdetermination of Cu^IIions. On the basis of magnetic and spectral data, an octahedral structure is proposed for the Co^II and Ni^II complexes and a square-planar structure for the Cu^II complex. The corrosion inhibition of aluminium in Cl₃CCO₂H using H₂BPS is studied. The electrical conductivity of H₂BPS and of its complexes have been measured. The ligand shows an activation energy in the range of semiconducting materials. The antimicrobial activity of all compounds has also been demonstrated.     

Interaction of long chain alkylammonium cations with reduced charge montmorillonite

Reduced charge montmorillonites (RCM) were prepared using lithium thermal treatment. The sorption of octylammonium (OA), dodecylammonium (DDA) and hexadecylammonium ions (HDA) on differently charged samples were studied. The amounts of DDA and HDA sorbed on each RCM exceed the cation exchange capacity (CEC) but that of OA exceeds only the CEC of samples with the lowest CEC. The sorption is affected not only by the layer charge but also by the formation of collapsed interlayer spaces in the lowest charged montmorillonites. X-ray measurements confirmed the decrease of the layer charge after lithium thermal treatment and the layer charge heterogeneity in RCMs.