Heterochain model for simultaneous long‐chain branching and crosslinking. III. Multicomponent polymerization

The matrix formula developed in the context of heterochain theory, M?_w = M?_wp + WF ( I ? M )^?1 S , was applied to describe the molecular weight development during free‐radical multicomponent polymerization. All of the required probabilistic parameters are expressed in terms of the kinetic‐rate constants and the various concentrations associated with them. In free‐radical polymerization, the number of heterochain types, N, needs to be extrapolated to infinity, and such extrapolation is conducted with only three different N values. This matrix formula can be used as a benchmark test if other approximate approaches can give reasonable estimates of the weight‐average molecular weights. The moment equations with the average pseudo‐kinetic‐rate constants for branching and crosslinking reactions may provide poor estimates when the copolymer composition drift during polymerization is very significant. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 2801–2812, 2004     

Chemically modified proton‐conducting membranes based on sulfonated polyimides: Improved water stability and fuel‐cell performance

A series of branched/crosslinked sulfonated polyimide (B/C‐SPI) membranes were prepared and evaluated as proton‐conducting ionomers based on the new concept of in situ crosslinking from sulfonated polyimide (SPI) oligomers and triamine monomers. Chemical branching and crosslinking in SPI oligomers with 1,3,5‐tris(4‐aminophenoxy)benzene as a crosslinker gave the polymer membranes very good water stability and mechanical properties under an accelerated aging treatment in water at 130 °C, despite their high ion‐exchange capacity (2.2–2.6 mequiv g^?1). The resulting polymer electrolytes displayed high proton conductivities of 0.2–0.3 S cm^?1 at 120 °C in water and reasonably high conductivities of 0.02–0.03 S cm^?1 at 50% relative humidity. In a single H₂/O₂ fuel‐cell system at 90 °C, they exhibited high fuel‐cell performances comparable to those of Nafion 112. The B/C‐SPI membranes also displayed good performances in a direct methanol fuel cell with methanol concentrations as high as 50 wt % that were superior to those of Nafion 112. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 3751–3762, 2006     

Studies on the Physicochemical Properties, Structure and Antitumor Activity of an Oligosaccharide Homologue SnS-2 from the Root of Scrophularia ningpoensis Hemsh

An oligosaccharide homologue named SnS-2 was isolated from the root of Scrophularia ningpoensis Hemsl.SnS-2 was purified by means of gel-permeation chromatography and ion-exchange chromatography. Its physicochemical properties, including carbohydrate content and molecular weight were determined. The structure of SnS-2 was elucidated by chemical methods along with ^1H and ^13C NMR spectroscopy, including two-dimensional DQCOSY and H-detected ^1H, ^13C HMQC experiments. These results show that SnS-2 possesses a backbone consisting of terminal α-Galp-(1→, α-Galp-(1→6), α-Glcp-(1→6) and nonreducing end β-Fruf-(2→. The bioactive assay showed that it could inhibit the growth of Lewis pulmonary carcinoma implanted in mice.     

A β-glucosidase from Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

The filamentous fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, grown on a xylose medium, was found to excrete one β-glucosidase (β-glu x). The enzyme was purified to apparent homogeneity by ammonium sulfate precipitation, gel filtration, anion-exchange chromatography, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) gel filtration chromatography. Its molecular mass was estimated to be 130 kDa by HPLC gel filtration and 60 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, suggesting that β-glu x may be a homodimer. For p-nitrophenyl β-d-glucopyranoside hydrolysis, apparent K _m and V _max values were found to be 0.09 mM and 193 U/mg, respectively, while optimum temperature and pH were 55–60°C and pH 5.0, respectively. β-Glu x was strongly inhibited by Fe²⁺ and activated about 35% by Ca²⁺. β-Glu x possesses strong transglucosylation activity in comparison with commercially available β-glucosidases. The production rate of total glucooligosaccharides (GOSs) from 30% cellobiose at 50°C and pH 5.0 for 6 h with 0.6 U/mL of enzyme preparation was 80 g/L. It reached 105 g/L under the same conditions when using cellobiose at 350 g/L (1.023 M). Finally, GOS structure was determined by mass spectrometry and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.     

Thermodynamics of mixtures of hexane and heptane isomers with normal and branched hexadecane

Molar excess mixing enthalpies h ^E , Gibbs free energies g ^E and hence entropies s ^E have been obtained using calorimetry and the vapor sorption method at 25°C for hexane isomers+2,2,4,4,6,8,8-heptamethylnonane, a highly branched C ₁₆ . The h ^E and g ^E are negative while Ts ^E are positive, but small. The values are explained by the Prigogine-Flory theory through negative free volume contributions to h ^E and Ts ^E , counterbalanced in the case of Ts ^E by the positive combinatiorial Ts ^E for mixing molecules of different size. No contribution is seen from the interaction between methyl and methylene groups. The excess quantities are also obtained for hexane and heptane isomers mixed with n-hexadecane. Values of h ^E and Ts ^E are now strongly positive, while those of g ^E are only slightly less negative. The interpretation requires two recently advanced contributions in addition to those of the Prigogine-Flory theory: 1) a decrease of order when correlations of orientations between n-C ₁₆ molecules in the pure liquid are replaced in the solution by weaker correlations whose strengths depend on the shapes of the lower alkane isomers. For lower alkane isomers of the same shape, but highly sterically hindered, h ^E and Ts ^E are small, manifesting, 2) a negative contribution, ascribed to a rotational ordering of n-C ₁₆ segments on the sterically-hindered molecule. Enthalpy-entropy compensation is observed for these new contributions, arising from their rapid fall-off with increase of temperature.     

Parallel synthesis of multi-branched oligosaccharides related to elicitor active pentasaccharide in rice cell based on orthogonal deprotection and glycosylation strategy

We describe a parallel and efficient synthesis of multi-branched oligosaccharides 3a-g based upon the structure of the phytoalexin elicitor active branched pentasaccharide 2. One-pot sequential orthogonal deprotection of tetrasaccharide 5 with three different protecting groups provided each of seven glycosyl acceptors 4a-g. Glycosylation of the acceptors 4a-g, followed by deprotection provided branched oligosaccharides 3a-g. All the reaction processes from scaffold 5 to 3a-g except for final hydrogenolysis were achieved utilizing an automated synthesizer in a parallel fashion.     

非线型聚苯类大分子的研究进展

对支化及树枝状聚苯、环状聚苯、环状聚苯乙炔以及环蕃等几类以苯环为基本结构单元的非线型大分子的研究, 特别是合成作了综述。     

Free‐volume variation in polyethylenes of different crystallinities: Positron lifetime,density, and X‐ray studies

High‐quality positron lifetime measurements (70 million total counts) are reported for polyethylenes (PEs) of different crystallinities (X_c = 3–82%). The specific volumes of the crystalline and amorphous phases (V_c and V_a, respectively) were estimated from density and wide‐angle X‐ray scattering (WAXS) experiments. Some samples (those with low values of X_c) were branched PEs, and those with high values of X_c were linear PEs for which X_c was varied with changes in the crystallization temperature. Both V_c and V_a increase with decreasing X_c in the range 0% ≤ X_c ≤ 56% (the branched PEs) but are constant for X_c ≥ 56% (the linear PEs). The lifetime spectra were analyzed with the MELT and LIFSPECFIT routines. Artifacts that can appear in the spectrum analysis were checked via an analysis of computer‐generated spectra. Four lifetime components appeared in all of the PEs; the two long‐lived ones are attributed to pick‐off annihilation of ortho‐positronium (o‐Ps) in crystalline regions (τ₃) and in holes of the amorphous phase (τ₄). With increasing X_c, τ₃ decreases from about 1.2 to 1 ns, τ₄ decreases from 3.0 to 2.5 ns, and the intensity I₄ decreases from 29 to 0%. An increase in I₃ from 6 to 12% was observed. A comparison with simulations shows that the true I₃ value approaches 0 for X_c → 0%. The decrease in I₄ is weaker than the increase in X_c; this leads to the conclusion that the apparent specific o‐Ps yield in the amorphous phase I₄^Xc increases with X_c. Possible reasons for this surprising results are discussed. The fractional free hole volume [h = (V_a ? V_occ)/V_a, where V_occ is the crystalline occupied volume] was estimated from density and WAXS results. Between X_c = 0 and 56%, h decreases from 0.151 to 0.090, but it does not change further above X_c = 56%. The mean size (v) of the local free volumes (holes) estimated from τ₄ decreases from 200 to 150 ų. The number density of holes (N_h) calculated from these values (N_h = h/v) also decreases from 0.8 to 0.6 nm^?3 in the range 0% ≤ X_c ≤ 56%. The values of V_a, V_c, h, and N_h increase with an increasing degree of branching but do not vary for linear PEs. The possible influence of a crystalline–amorphous interfacial phase (three‐phase model) on the observed lifetime parameters is also discussed. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 40: 65–81, 2002     

Some Pharmaceutical Properties of a New Branched Cyclodextrin, 6-O-α-(4-O- α-D-Glucuronyl)-D-glucosylβ-cyclodextrin

Some physicochemical and biological properties of a new branched cyclodextrin, 6-O--(4-O--d-glucuronyl)-d-glucosyl--cyclodextrin GUG--CyD) were investigated. Further, theinteraction of GUG--CyD with several drugs was studied by the solubility and spectroscopic methods, and compared with those of parent -CyD and 6-O--maltosyl--CyD(₂--CyD).The hemolytic activity of GUG--CyD on rabbit erythrocytes was lower than those of -CyD and ₂--CyD. GUG--CyD and ₂--CyD showed negligible cytotoxicity on Caco-2 cells up to at least 0.1 M. The inclusion ability of GUG--CyD to neutral and acidic drugs was comparable to or slightly smaller than those of -CyD and ₂--CyD, probably because of a steric hindrance of the branched sugar. On the other hand, GUG--CyD showed greater affinity for the basic drugs, compared with -CyD and ₂--CyD, owing to the electrostatic interaction of its carboxylate anion with positive charge of basic drugs. Thus GUG--CyD may be useful as a safe solubilizing agent particularly for basic drugs.