On the Fundamental Polymer Chemistry of Inverse Vulcanization for Statistical and Segmented Copolymers from Elemental Sulfur

In this concept review, the fundamental and polymerization chemistry of inverse vulcanization for the preparation of statistical and segmented sulfur copolymers, which have been actively developed and advanced in various applications over the past decade is discussed. This concept review delves into a discussion of step-growth polymerization constructs to describe the inverse vulcanization process and discuss prepolymer approaches for the synthesis of segmented sulfur polyurethanes. Furthermore, this concept review discusses the advantages of inverse vulcanization in conjunction with dynamic covalent polymerization and post-polymerization modifications to prepare segmented block copolymers with enhanced thermomechanical and flame retardant properties of these materials.     

Single Crystal to Single Crystal (SC‐to‐SC) Transformation from a Nonporous to Porous Metal–Organic Framework and Its Application Potential in Gas Adsorption and Suzuki Coupling Reaction through Postmodification

A new amino‐functionalized strontium–carboxylate‐based metal–organic framework (MOF) has been synthesized that undergoes single crystal to single crystal (SC‐to‐SC) transformation upon desolvation. Both structures have been characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray analysis. The desolvated structure shows an interesting 3D porous structure with pendent ?NH₂ groups inside the pore wall, whereas the solvated compound possesses a nonporous structure with DMF molecules on the metal centers. The amino group was postmodified through Schiff base condensation by pyridine‐2‐carboxaldehyde and palladium was anchored on that site. The modified framework has been utilized for the Suzuki cross‐coupling reaction. The compound shows high activity towards the C?C cross‐coupling reaction with good yields and turnover frequencies. Gas adsorption studies showed that the desolvated compound had permanent porosity and was microporous in nature with a BET surface area of 2052 m² g^?1. The material also possesses good CO₂ (8 wt %) and H₂ (1.87 wt %) adsorption capabilities.     

Logarithmic Regge pole

This work presents the subtraction procedure and the Regge cut in the logarithmic Regge pole approach. The subtraction mechanism leads to the same asymptotic behavior as previously obtained in the non-subtraction case. The Regge cut, in contrast, introduces a clear role to the non-leading contributions for the asymptotic behavior of the total cross-section. From these results, some simple parameterization is introduced to fit the experimental data for the proton-proton and antiproton-proton total cross-section above some minimum value up to the cosmic-ray. The fit parameters obtained are used to present predictions for the \begin{document}$ \rho(s)$\end{document} -parameter as well as to the elastic slope \begin{document}$ B(s)$\end{document} at high energies.     

HPLC with fluorescence detection assay of perampanel,a novel AMPA receptor antagonist,in human plasma for clinical pharmacokinetic studies

Perampanel (Fycompa®), a novel α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor antagonist, is registered for the adjunctive treatment of patients (aged ≥12 years) with refractory partial‐onset seizures. To support therapeutic drug monitoring, a simple high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assay with fluorescence detection was developed to determine perampanel concentrations in human plasma and validated to support clinical trials. Human plasma samples (1.0 mL) were processed by liquid extraction using diethyl ether, followed by chromatographic separation on a YMC Pack Pro C₁₈ column (150 × 4.6 mm i.d., 5 µm) with isocratic elution of acetonitrile–water–acetic acid–sodium acetate (840:560:3:1.8, v/v/v/w) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. Column eluent was monitored at excitation and emission wavelengths of 290 and 430 nm, respectively. The assay was linear (range 1.0–500 ng/mL) and this could be extended to 25 µg/mL by 50‐fold dilution integrity. No endogenous peaks were detected in the elution of analytes in drug‐free blank human plasma from six individuals and no interference was observed with co‐medications tested. Intra‐ and inter‐batch reproducibility studies demonstrated accuracy and precision within the acceptance criteria of bioanalytical guidelines. Validation data demonstrated that our assay is simple, selective, reproducible and suitable for therapeutic drug monitoring of perampanel. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

(e, 3e) test on e-e correlations in helium

The angular variations of the five-fold differential cross section obtained by using different wave functions of helium are compared with experimental data. It is found that in the coplanar geometry two kinematical arrangements, (i) equal energy sharing between the two ejected electrons with one of them ejected along the momentum transfer direction and the other along varying direction and (ii) the Bethe ridge condition with fixed sum of ejected electron energies and varying angle between them, are very sensitive to e-e correlations contained in the target wave function. This comparison has been used to show that open-shell class of wave functions better incorporate e-e correlations than the closed-shell class.     

Dissociative excitation cross sections of the lead atom in collisions between electrons and PbI2 molecules

Dissociative excitation of the lead atom in e-PbI₂ collisions has been studied experimentally. 27 excitation cross sections were measured for an energy of the exciting electrons equal to 100 eV. Nine optical excitation functions were recorded with variation of the electron energy in the range 0–100 eV. The most probable reaction channels for low electron energies are discussed, as well as the ratio of the dissociative excitation cross sections for the lead atom in e-PbI₂ and e-PbCl₂ collisions. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 73, No. 6, pp. 701–706, November–December, 2006.     

Preparation of macromonomers by copolymerization of methyl acrylate dimer involving β fragmentation

The unsaturated dimer of methyl acrylate [CH₂C(CO₂CH₃)CH₂CH₂CO₂CH₃, or MAD] was copolymerized with various monomers to prepare copolymers bearing the ω-unsaturated end group [CH₂C(CO₂CH₃)CH₂ ] arising from β fragmentation of the MAD propagating radical. Copolymerizations of MAD with cyclohexyl and n-butyl acrylate resulted in copolymers with ω-unsaturated end groups, and increasing the temperature up to 180 °C resulted in an increase in the rate of β fragmentation of MAD radicals relative to propagation. Only a small amount of unsaturated end groups was introduced by copolymerization with ethyl methacrylate (EMA), and the EMA content in the copolymer increased with temperature. These findings could be explained by the reversible addition of the poly(EMA) radical to MAD. The copolymerization with ethyl α-ethyl acrylate (EEA) did yield a copolymer containing unsaturated end groups with MAD units as part of the main chain, although the steric hindrance of the ethyl group suppressed homopropagation and crosspropagation of EEA, resulting in low polymerization rates. Therefore, the copolymerization of MAD with acrylic esters at high temperatures was noted as a convenient route for obtaining acrylate–MAD copolymers bearing unsaturated end groups at the ω end (macromonomer). © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 597–607, 2004     

Dendrimers as scaffolds for multifunctional reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer agents: Syntheses and polymerization

The synthesis and characterization of novel first‐ and second‐generation true dendritic reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) agents carrying 6 or 12 pendant 3‐benzylsulfanylthiocarbonylsulfanylpropionic acid RAFT end groups with Z‐group architecture based on 1,1,1‐hydroxyphenyl ethane and trimethylolpropane cores are described in detail. The multifunctional dendritic RAFT agents have been used to prepare star polymers of poly(butyl acrylate) (PBA) and polystyrene (PS) of narrow polydispersities (1.4 < polydispersity index < 1.1 for PBA and 1.5 < polydispersity index < 1.3 for PS) via bulk free‐radical polymerization at 60 °C. The novel dendrimer‐based multifunctional RAFT agents effect an efficient living polymerization process, as evidenced by the linear evolution of the number‐average molecular weight (M_n) with the monomer–polymer conversion, yielding star polymers with molecular weights of up to M_n = 160,000 g mol^?1 for PBA (based on a linear PBA calibration) and up to M_n = 70,000 g mol^?1 for PS (based on a linear PS calibration). A structural change in the chemical nature of the dendritic core (i.e., 1,1,1‐hydroxyphenyl ethane vs trimethylolpropane) has no influence on the observed molecular weight distributions. The star‐shaped structure of the generated polymers has been confirmed through the cleavage of the pendant arms off the core of the star‐shaped polymeric materials. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 5877–5890, 2004     

Synthesis and characterization of well‐defined diblock and triblock copolymers of poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) and poly(ethylene oxide)

Well‐defined diblock and triblock copolymers composed of poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) were successfully synthesized through the reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization of N‐isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) with PEO capped with one or two dithiobenzoyl groups as a macrotransfer agent. ¹H NMR, Fourier transform infrared, and gel permeation chromatography instruments were used to characterize the block copolymers obtained. The results showed that the diblock and triblock copolymers had well‐defined structures and narrow molecular weight distributions (weight‐average molecular weight/number‐average molecular weight < 1.2), and the molecular weight of the PNIPAM block in the diblock and triblock copolymers could be controlled by the initial molar ratio of NIPAM to dithiobenzoate‐terminated PEO and the NIPAM conversion. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 4873–4881, 2004     

Addition–fragmentation chain transfer: Molecular weight distributions and retardation in the system methyl methacrylate/methyl α‐(bromomethyl)acrylate

A detailed investigation of addition–fragmentation chain transfer (AFCT) in the free‐radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) in the presence of methyl α‐(bromomethyl)acrylate (MBMA) was carried out to elucidate mechanistic details with efficient macromonomer synthesis as an underlying goal. Advanced modeling techniques were used in connection with the experimental work. Curve fitting of simulated and experimental molecular weight distributions with respect to the rate coefficient for addition of propagating radicals to MBMA (k_add) over 60–120 °C resulted in E_add = 21.7 kJ mol^?1 and A_add = 2.18 × 10⁶ M^?1 s^?1 and a very weak temperature dependence of the chain‐transfer constant (E_add ≈ E_p). The rate coefficient for fragmentation of adduct radicals at 60 °C was estimated as k_f ≈ 39 s^?1 on the basis of experimental data of the MMA conversion and the concentration of 2‐carbomethoxy‐2‐propenyl end groups. The approach developed is generic and can be applied to any AFCT system in which copolymerization does not occur and in which the resulting unsaturated end groups do not undergo further reactions. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 2640–2650, 2004