Organic phase enzyme electrodes based on organohydrogel

A dimethylformamide-polyhydroxyl cellulose organo-hydrogel has been prepared, and its applications for enzyme immobilization in construction of organic phase biosensors have been exploited. With horseradish peroxidase, tyrosinase, and bilirubin oxidase immobilized in the organohydrogel, enzyme electrodes can be operated in various situations, including aqueous buffer, oil/water mixtures, and anhydrous organic solvents, and even in dimethylformamide, to determine analytes of different solubilities, e.g., organic peroxides, phenolic compounds and bilirubin. Biosensing has no restrictions in terms of measuring media and solubilities of analytes.

Miscibility and crystallization of poly(beta-hydroxybutyrate) and poly(p-vinylphenol) blends

The miscibility and crystallization behavior of poly(beta-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and poly(p-vinylphenol) (PVPh) blends were studied by differential scanning calorimetry and optical microscopy (OM). The blends exhibit a single composition-dependent glass transition temperature, characteristic of miscible systems, A depression of the equilibrium melting temperature of PHB is observed. The interaction parameter values obtained from analysis of the melting point depression are of large negative values, which suggests that PHB and PVPh blends are thermodynamically miscible in the melt. Isothermal crystallization kinetics in the miscible blend system PHB/PVPh was examined by OM. The presence of the amorphous PVPh component results in a reduction in the rate of spherulite growth of PHB. The spherulite growth rate is analyzed using the Lauritzen-Hoffman model, The isothermally crystallized blends of PHB/PVPh were examined by wide-angle X-ray diffraction and smell-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The long period obtained from SAXS increases with the increase in PVPh component, which implies that the amorphous PVPh is squeezed into the interlamallar region of PHB.

Synthesis of a series of chiral copolymers with azo groups and investigations of reversible liquid crystalline alignment induced by the LB films of these materials

A series of liquid crystalline copolymers, poly{2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate}-co-{6-[4-(S-2-methyl-1-butyloxycarbonylphenylazo)phenoxy]hexyl methacrylate} with an azobenzene moiety as photoreactive mesogenic unit, was prepared and investigated by using DSC, polarized optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The results show that these polymers exhibit smectic phases. Z-type Langmuir-Blodgett films of these copolymers were successfully deposited onto calcium fluoride and quartz. Reversible homeotropic and planar liquid crystal alignments were induced by using the photochromism of the LB films of one of the copolymers containing 20.6 mol % of the azo unit.

Ionic conductivity of polymer gel electrolytes based on poly(polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate)

Gel electrolytes have been prepared by thermal polymerization of poly(polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate) (P(PEGD)) in the presence of propylene carbonate (PC) and alkali metal salts, such as LiClO4, LICF(3)SO(3) and LiBF4. The conductivity was studied by means of impedance spectroscopy, and it is found that the temperature dependence of conductivities follow a Arrhenius relationship when the molar percentage of PC is higher than 75% or LiClO4 concentration is lower than 0.9 mol/l. However, when LiCF3SO3 or LiBF4 is used instead of LiClO4 as the salt, the situation is different. For LICF(3)SO(3), the Arrhenius relationship almost holds true for all the salt concentrations studied; while for LiBF4, the Arrhenius equation hardly fits for any salt concentration. The dependence of activation energy on salt concentration is also examined, both for LiClO4 and LiCF3SO3, the values of E(a) tend to reach a minimum value with increasing salt concentration. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY AND IN-SITU IR MICROSPECTROELECTROCHEMISTRY IN A VERSATILE THIN-LAYER REFLECTION FOURIER-TRANSFORM IR MICROSPECTROELECTROCHEMICAL CELL

A simple, convenient and versatile thin layer reflection Fourier transform IR microspectroelectrochemical (FTIRMSEC) cell has been described and characterized. Electrochemistry and in situ FTIR microspectroscopy were studied by using the hexacyanoferrate redox couple in aqueous sulphate solution, indicating that this type of cell is characteristic of both micro- or ultramicroelectrode and thin layer spectroelectrochemistry. Furthermore, the application of this FTIRMSEC cell to IR for characterization of the products of electrochemical reactions was carried out for the oxidation of (mesotetraphenylporphinato)manganese(III) perchlorate in dichloromethane + tetrabutylammonium perchlorate solution. Finally, the advantages and problems of this type of cell compared with a conventional optically transparent thin layer FTIR spectroelectrochemical cell were discussed.

STUDY ON THE NON-STIOCHIOMETRIC SNO2-X NANOCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL BY XRD, XPS AND ESR

Nonstiochiometric SnO2-x nanocrystalline material were successfully prepared through Sol-Gel process using anhydrous stannic chloride and iso-propyl alcohol. TEM observation shows that the mean diameter of the powder sintered at 700 degrees C for 2 hours is about 20 nm. By the investigation of XRD and ESR, we can conclude that the sample sintered at 300 degrees C for 2 hours was amorphous and it grew into nanocrystalline with the oxygen vacancies and defects when sintered at 700 degrees C for 2 hours. Using these conclusion, the ESR signals and the difference between the two SnO2-x samples are explained.

MOLECULAR-STATE OF GRAFT-COPOLYMERS IN THE INTERFACIAL AREA OF POLYOLEFIN AND POLAR POLYMER

In order to characterize the interface in polymer blends, a new method is suggested, in which the interface is exposed by selectively dissolving in solvent. By means of X-ray photoelectron spectrometry, we studied the molecular state in the interfacial ar

SYNTHESIS AND CRYSTAL-STRUCTURE OF [ME4C2CP2SMCL-CENTER-DOT-THF]2

Me4C2(C5H4MgCl)2(THF) (THF = tetrahydrofuran) reacts with anhydrous SmCl3 in THF to give [Me4C2CP2SMCl.THF]2. The molecule is a dimer. Sm1 and Sm2 are bridged unsymmetrically by two chlorine atoms [Sm(1)-CI(1) 2.787(2), Sm(1)-Cl(2) 2.848(2), Sm(2)-Cl(1) 2

INFLUENCE OF ESTER GROUP-SIZE IN PMAS ON BETA-PHASE CRYSTALLIZATION OF PVF2 IN HIGHLY ORIENTED FILMS OF PVF2/PMAS BLENDS

Influence of ester group size in polymethacrylates (PMAs) , including PMMA, PEMA and PBMA, on beta phase crystallization of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVF2) in highly oriented films of PVF2/PMAs=80/20 blends has been investigated by FTIR and TEM. The melt-drawn films of pure PVF2 consist of highly oriented lamellae, in which the alpha phase is predominant. Adding a given amount of PMAs (20 wt%) into PVF2 results in formation of fibrillar crystals and increase of relative amount of the beta phase. The influence extent is in order of PMMA > PEMA > PBMA, regarding the ester group size in the PMAs.

MISCIBILITY OF POLY(N-VINYL-2-PYRROLIDONE) WITH POLY(ETHER SULFONE) AND 2 PHENOLPHTHALEIN-BASED POLYMERS

Blends of poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP) with poly(ether sulphone) and two phenolphthalein-based polymers, viz. phenolphthalein poly(ether ether sulphone) and phenolphthalein poly(ether ether ketone) were prepared by casting from a common solvent and studied by differential scanning calorimetry. It was found that all the PVP blends are miscible and show a single, composition-dependent glass transition temperature (T(g)). The T(g)-composition dependence has been analysed by the use of the Gordon-Taylor equation. The values of the k parameter in the Gordon-Taylor equation obtained are all not high for the three pairs, in accordance with the fact that there is no strongly specific interaction between PVP and any of the other polymers.

SYNTHESIS, PROPERTIES AND MOLECULAR-STRUCTURE OF 5-COORDINATE N,N-DIBENZYLDITHIOCARBAMATE COMPLEXES OF TITANOCENE, ZIRCONOCENE AND HAFNOCENE

The five complexes (RC5H4)2M(S2CNBz2)Cl (R = H, CH3; M = Ti, Zr, Hf; Bz = CH2C6H5) have been prepared by the reaction of (RC5H4)2MCl2 with anhydrous sodium salts of dibenzyldithiocarbamate in refluxing CH2Cl2. These complexes have been characterized by elemental analysis, IR and H-1 NMR. X-ray crystal structure determination of Cp2Zr(S2CNBZ2)Cl shows the molecule has a five-coordinate bent metallocene geometry in which the zirconium atom is attached to two eta-5-C5H5 groups, one bidentate dibenzyldithiocarbamate ligand and one chlorine [Zr-Cl, 2.549(1) angstrom; Zr-S, 2.734(1), 2.667(1); Cl-Zr-S, 137.6(1)-degrees and 73.3(1)-degrees; S-Zr-S, 64.3(1)-degrees]. The catalytic system Cp2Ti (S2CNBZ2)Cl-NaH exhibits high initial catalytic activity of hydrogenation of hexene-1 under mild conditions.

MISCIBILITY OF POLY(N-VINYL-2-PYRROLIDONE) WITH A COPOLYAMIDE

Blends of poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP) with a copolyamide (CoPA) randomly composed of 1:1:1 (wt) nylon 6, nylon 66 and nylon 610 structural units were prepared by casting from a common solvent. They were found to be miscible and show a single, composition-dependent glass transition temperature (T(g)). The addition of PVP to CoPA significantly lowers the crystallinity owing to an increasing T(g) of the system. The observed miscibility is proposed to be the result of specific interactions between the proton acceptor groups of PVP and the amide groups of CoPA.

CRYSTALLIZATION OF POLY(ARYL-ETHER-ETHER-KETONE)S BLENDS

The crystallization and melting behaviour of poly(aryl-ether-ether-ketone) (PEEK) in blends with another polymer of the same family containing a bulky pendant phenolphthalein group (PEK-C) have been investigated by thermal methods. The small interaction energy density of the polymer pair (B = -8.99 J/cm3), evaluated from equilibrium melting point depression, is consistent with the T(g) data that indicate partial miscibility in the melt. Two conjugated phases are in equilibrium at 430-degrees-C: one is crystallizable and contains about 35 wt% of PEK-C; the other, containing only 15 wt% of PEEK, does not form crystals upon cooling and it interferes with the development of spherulites in the sample. The analysis of kinetic data according to nucleation theories shows that crystallization of PEEK in the explored temperature range takes place in Regime III and that a transition to Regime II might be a consequence of an increase in the amount of non-crystallizable molecules in the PEEK-rich phase. A composition independent value of the end surface free energy of PEEK lamellae has been derived from kinetic data (sigma-e = 40 +/- 4 erg/cm2) in excellent agreement with previous thermodynamic estimates. A new value for the equilibrium melting temperature of PEEK (T(m)-degrees = 639 K) has been obtained; it is about 30-degrees-C lower than the commonly accepted value and it explains better the "memory effect" in the crystallization from the melt of this high performance polymer.

SYNTHESES AND CRYSTAL-STRUCTURES OF TRIINDENYLLANTHANIDE COMPLEXES (ETA-5-C9H7)3LN.OC4H8 (LN=ND,GD,ER)

The complexes named in the title (eta-5-C9H7)3Ln.OC4H8 (Ln = Nd, Gd, Er) were synthesized by the reaction of anhydrous lanthanide trichlorides with indenyl potassium and cyclooctadienyl potassium (1:2:1 molar ratio) in THF. The complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, infrared and H-1-NMR spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. In addition, the crystal structures of (eta-5-C9H7)3Nd.OC4H8 (1) and (eta-5-C9H7)3Gd.OC4H8 (2) were determined by an X-ray diffraction study. Complexes 1 and 2 belong to hexagonal space group P6(3) with unit cell parameters a = b = 11.843(3), c = 10.304(4) angstrom, V = 1251.7(9) angstrom-3, D(c) = 1.49 g.cm-3, Z = 2 for 1, and a = b = 11.805(2), c = 10.236(2) angstrom, V = 1235.4(6) angstrom-3 D(c) = 1.54 g.cm-3, Z = 2 for 2. The structures were solved by Patterson and Fourier techniques and refined by least-squares to final discrepancy indices of R = 0.049, R(w) = 0.053 using 925 independent reflections with I greater-than-or-equal-to 3-sigma(I) for 1, and R = 0.023, R(w) = 0.025 using 1327 independent reflections with I greater-than-or-equal-to 3-sigma(I) for 2. Coordination numbers for Nd3+ and Gd3+ are 10; the average bond lengths Nd-O and Gd-O are 2.557(21) and 2.459(13) angstrom, respectively. The structural studies showed the complexes to have 3-fold symmetry, but the THF molecule has no such symmetry; consequently the arrangement of carbon atoms in the THF molecule are disordered.