Current R & D activities at TRCRE in polymer processing by EB

The current status of the R & D activities is presented on electron beam processing of polymers being carried out at TRCRE. Topics included are sterilization of medical products, graft polymers for selective separation or absorbents and curing of liquid prepolymer-monomer systems.     

Synthesis and cation-binding properties of poly-and bis(thiacrown ether)s

Poly- and bis(thiacrown ether) derivatives in which some oxygen atoms of benzocrown ether moiety are replaced by sulfur atoms have been synthesized. Their cation-binding abilities were investigated by using the solvent extraction method. The poly- and bis(benzothiacrown ether)s showed great affinity for silver ion, being more excellent in the affinity than the corresponding monocyclic analogs. They, however, possess very poor cation-binding ability for alkali and alkaline-earth metal ions. The poly- and bis(thiacrown ether)s also bind mercuric ions effectively, whereas the corresponding monomeric analogs do not at all.     

Structural and Magnetic Study of N2, NO,NO2, and SO2 Adsorbed within a Flexible Single‐Crystal Adsorbent of [Rh2(bza)4(pyz)]n

The crystalline one‐dimensional compound, [Rh^II₂(bza)₄(pyz)]_n ( 1 ) (bza=benzoate, pyz=pyrazine) demonstrates gas adsorbency for N₂, NO, NO₂, and SO₂. These gas‐inclusion crystal structures were characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray crystallography as 1 ?1.5 N₂ (298 K), 1 ?2.5 N₂ (90 K), and 1 ?1.95 NO (90 K) under forcible adsorption conditions and 1 ?2 NO₂ (90 K) and 1 ?3 SO₂ (90 K) under ambient pressure. Crystal‐phase transition to the P space group that correlates with gas adsorption was observed under N₂, NO, and SO₂ conditions. The C2/c space group was observed under NO₂ conditions without phase transition. All adsorbed gases were stabilized by the host lattice. In the N₂, NO, and SO₂ inclusion crystals at 90 K, short interatomic distances within van der Waals contacts were found among the neighboring guest molecules along the channel. The adsorbed NO molecules generated the trans‐NO???NO associated dimer with short intermolecular contacts but without the conventional chemical bond. The magnetic susceptibility of the NO inclusion crystal indicated antiferromagnetic interaction between the NO molecules and paramagnetism arising from the NO monomer. The NO₂ inclusion crystal structure revealed that the gas molecules were adsorbed in the crystal in dimeric form, N₂O₄.     

Photochemically generated silicon-carbon double-bonded intermediates VIII. Photolysis of phenyldisilane derivatives in the presence of olefins

Photolysis of phenylpentamethyldisilane, 1,1-diphenyltetramethyldisilane and 1-isopropyl-1-phenyltetramethyldisilane in the presence of a wide variety of olefins has been studied. All reactions investigated, with the exception of those with 1-methylcyclohexene and tetramethylethylene, afforded the corresponding 1/1 addition products. Yields of the adducts depended highly on the structure of the olefins used. In the photolysis of phenylpentamethyldisilane in the presence of an equimolar mixture of 1,1- and 1,2-bis(trimethylsilyl)ethene under competitive reaction conditions, the main product was the one arising from the 1,1-isomer. A possible mechanism for the process of addition of olefin to the photochemically generated silicon-carbon double-bonded intermediate (A) is discussed.     

Polymer-supported bases. IX. Synthesis and catalytic activity of polymer-bound 4-(1-pyrrolidino)pyridine moieties

Polystyrene-bound 4-(1-pyrrolidino)pyridine moieties were prepared by the reaction of chloromethylated polystyrene resins with pyrrolidinopyridine derivatives containing hydroxyl groups. The supported amines were effective catalysts for acylations of tert-alcohols or enols, acylrearrangements, and diester synthesis from epoxides and anhydrides. Some of the low ring-substituted (8–15%) catalysts exhibited high activity comparable to that of 4-(N,N-dimethylamino)pyridine, though the activity was a little lower than that of 4-(1-pyrrolidino)pyridine. The recovered catalysts can be re-used, except for acyl rearrangements, without significant decrease in activity.     

Membranes obtained by preirradiation grafting of acrylic acid onto poly(tetrafluoroethylene–perfluorovinyl ether)

Some properties of the membranes obtained by preirradiation grafting of acrylic acid onto poly(tetrafluoroethylene-perfluorovinyl ether) copolymer (PFA) films have been investigated. The dimensional change caused by grafting and swelling behavior, water uptake, electrical conductivity, and mechanical properties of the grafted films were found to increase as the grafting proceeds. The influence of the preparation conditions (such as preirradiation dose, monomer concentration, grafting temperature, and film thickness) on those properties was studied. These properties were found to be dependent mainly on the degree of grafting regardless of grafting conditions, except at higher monomer concentration (>40 wt %). The electric conductivity and mechanical properties for the membranes obtained at higher AAc concentrations were lower than those obtained at lower ones. Analysis by x-ray microscopy of the grafted films revealed that the grafting begins at the part close to the film surface and proceeds into the central part with progressive diffusion of monomer to give finally homogeneous distribution of the electrolytes in the whole bulk of the polymer. The membranes show good electrochemical and mechanical properties which make them acceptable for practical use as cation-exchange membranes.     

Rotamers of some radical-ions as evidenced by optical and ESR spectroscopy

Conformational isomerizations of radical-ions are studied both experimentally and theoretically. The representative systems of stilbenes, polyenes, and non-planar alicyclic compounds will be reviewed first. Then, the result of the study on the radical-cations of 1,4-dithiacyclohexane and ethane-1,4-dithiol will be presented. It is found that the former cation suffers a change from a chair form to a boat form and the latter from an anti- or a gauche-form to a cis form even in a rigid matrix. The conformational changes are manifested by drastic changes in the electronic absorption and ESR spectra. The strong “through-space” interaction between the lone pair orbitals of the sulfur atoms is responsible for the conformational changes. Ab initio MO calculations lend support to the analysis of the experimental results.     

Dynamic dendrimer at electrified interface: potential dependent adsorption-desorption and reorientation of a 4-pyridyl-modified PAMAM dendrimer

Potential-dependent dynamic adsorption-desorption and reorientation of a 4-pyridyl modified PAMAM G2 dendrimer at a Au(111) electrode has been demonstrated.