Cellulose esters from waste cotton fabric via conventional and microwave heating

The esterification of cellulose from waste cotton fabric in a N,N-dimethylacetamide/lithium chloride solvent system was carried out using different types of fatty acid chloride including butyryl chloride, capryloyl chloride, and lauroyl chloride as esterifying agents, and N,N-dimethyl 1-4-aminopyridine as a catalyst under conventional and microwave activation. Microwave esterification was performed under 2.45 GHz with power varying from 90 to 450 W. The optimum conditions for esterification of cotton cellulose with various esterifying agents were investigated in terms of reaction time and temperature to attain appropriate %weight increase and degree of substitution of esterified-cellulose. The degree of substitution, functional group and chemical structure, and thermal stability of cellulose ester powder were characterized by ¹H NMR, FTIR, and TGA/SDTA analysis. Morphologies, crystallinity, and solubility of modified cellulose by two different heating methods were compared.     

Hydrophobic plastics films synthesis by mean of agaroid acylation with lauroyl chloride in the N,N-dimethylacetamide homogeneous system

The synthesis of hydrophobic plastic films was performed by acylation of agaroids with lauroyl chloride in the N,N-dimethylacetamide homogeneous system. All the plastic films were characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy and their degrees of substitution (DS) was deduced from their ¹H-NMR spectra. In addition, thermomechanical feature of plastic films were analyzed and compared to those obtained from other kinds of hydrophobic plastic films. Latin square design of experiments helped us to determine optimized experimental conditions and identify the most important factors. Hence, mild conditions of acylation (90∘C, 1 eq/OH of lauroyl chloride, 1 eq/OH of 4-dimethylaminopyridine, 5,min) led to the production of highly substituted plastic films (DS = 3.62; maximum 4) with a high weight yield (211%) displaying mechanical properties close to polyethylene low density.     

Preliminary chemico-biological studies on Ru(III) compounds with S-methyl pyrrolidine/dimethyl dithiocarbamate

[RuCl₃ · nH₂O] and Na(trans-[RuCl₄(DMSO)₂]) were reacted with 1-pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate (PDT), its S-methyl ester (PDTM), and N,N-dimethylcarbamodithioic acid methyl ester (DMDTM) in water or methanol in order to obtain the corresponding Ru(III) derivatives. Once isolated and purified, the complexes were characterized by means of elemental analysis, conductivity measurements, FT-IR and ¹H NMR spectroscopy, ion electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), and thermal analyses. The crystal structure of mer-[Ru(DMDTM)(DMSO)Cl₃] has been also determined by X-ray crystallography. In vitro cytotoxic activity of all the synthesized complexes was eventually evaluated on some selected human tumor cell lines.     

Antifungal property of quaternized chitosan and its derivatives

Five water-soluble chitosan derivatives were carried out by quaternizing either iodomethane or N-(3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl) trimethylammonium chloride (Quat188) as a quaternizing agent under basic condition. The degree of quaternization (DQ) ranged between 28 ± 2% and 90 ± 2%. The antifungal activity was evaluated by using disc diffusion method, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) methods against Trichophyton rubrum (T. rubrum), Trichophyton mentagrophyte (T. mentagrophyte), and Microsporum gypseum (M. gypseum) at pH 7.2. All quaternized chitosans and its derivatives showed more effective against T. rubrum than M. gypseum and T. mentagrophyte. The MIC and MFC values were found to range between 125-1000 μg/mL and 500-4000 μg/mL, respectively against all fungi. Our results indicated that the quaternized N-(4-N,N-dimethylaminocinnamyl) chitosan chloride showed highest antifungal activity against T. rubrum and M. gypseum compared to other quaternized chitosan derivatives. The antifungal activity tended to increase with an increase in molecular weight, degree of quaternization and hydrophobic moiety against T. rubrum. However, the antifungal activity was depended on type of fungal as well as chemical structure of the quaternized chitosan derivatives.     

Sonochemical syntheses of strawberry-like nano-structure mixed-ligand lead(II) coordination polymer: Thermal, structural and X-ray powder diffraction studies

Nano-structure of a new Pb(II) two-dimensional coordination polymer, {[Pb(2-pyc)(N₃)(H₂O)]_n (1), 2-Hpyc = 2-pyridinecarboxylic acid} was synthesized by a sonochemical method. The new nano-structure was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, IR spectroscopy and elemental analyses. Compound 1 was structurally characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction and consists of two-dimensional polymeric units. The thermal stability of compound 1 was studied by thermal gravimetric and differential thermal analyses and compared. PbO nano-powder was obtained by calcination of the nano-structure of compound 1 at 400 °C. This study demonstrates the coordination polymers may be suitable precursors for the preparation of nano-scale materials and dependent on their packing they may produce different and interesting morphologies.     

Synthesis and characterization of novel guar gum hydrogels and their use as Cu sorbents

To prepare novel hydrogels for use in water technologies, guar gum was subjected to acid hydrolysis. The depolymerized guar gum obtained there from and the native guar gum were oxidized to their respective polycarboxylic forms using NO_x as oxidant. All these polymers were crosslinked with N,N-methylenebisacrylamide, and were used as Cu²⁺ sorbents. The candidate hydrogel exhibiting the highest uptake was used further to investigate the effect of external stimuli on sorption. The sorption on hydrogels was fast as the highest sorption was observed after 2 h at 40 °C and 20 ppm of Cu²⁺ ions. The hydrogel prepared from the oxidized guar gum afforded the maximum sorption capacity of 125.893 mg g⁻¹. Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms, and pseudo second order kinetics matches the experimental data. The evidence of sorption was obtained by characterizing Cu²⁺-loaded hydrogels by FTIR spectroscopy.     

Exploring the properties of mixed valence cyanide bridged dinuclear complexes: Solvent stabilization of electronic isomers

We report here the synthesis and properties of a family of mixed-valence cyanide-bridged dinuclear complex ions trans-[(L′L₄Ru^II(μ-NC)Fe^III(CN)₅]⁻ (with L = pyridine or 4-dimethylaminopyridine (dmap) and L′ = pyridine, 4-methoxypyridine (meopy) or 4-dimethylaminopyridine)) whose properties could be adjusted smoothly by changing the acceptor properties of the solvent and the σ donor properties of the L′ pyridine ligand. In solution these complexes exhibit an intense solvent-dependent MM′CT (Ru^II → Fe^III) absorption in the near infrared region. Analysis of this band in different complexes and solvents suggests an enhanced interaction as the energies of the metal centers come closer. From this trend the anion trans-[(dmap)₅Ru(μ-NC)Fe(CN)₅]⁻ (dmap = 4-dimethylaminopyridine) in water is expected to belong to the class II-III, but its spectral properties indicates a ground state with Ru(III)-Fe(II) character. The stabilization of this electronic isomer is probably related to the better donor properties of the hexacyanoferrate(II) moiety and its stronger interaction with water.     

Synthesis and properties of fatty acid starch esters

Being completely bio-based, fatty acid starch esters (FASEs) are attractive materials that represent an alternative to crude oil-based plastics. In this study, two synthesis methods were compared in terms of their efficiency, toxicity and, especially, product solubility with starch laurate (C₁₂) as model compound. Laurates (DS > 2) were obtained through transesterification of fatty acid vinylesters in DMSO or reaction with fatty acid chlorides in pyridine. The latter lead to higher DS-values in a shorter reaction time. But due to the much better solubility of the products compared to lauroyl chloride esterified ones, vinylester-transesterification was preferred to optimize reaction parameters, where reaction time could be shortened to 2 h. FASEs C₆–C₁₈ were also successfully prepared via transesterification. To determine the DS of the resulting starch laurates, the efficient ATR-IR method was compared with common methods (elementary analysis, ¹H NMR). Molar masses (M_w) of the highly soluble starch laurates were analyzed using SEC-MALLS (THF). High recovery rates (>80%) attest to the outstanding solubility of products obtained through transesterification, caused by a slight disintegration during synthesis. Particle size distributions (DLS) demonstrated stable dissolutions in CHCl₃ of vinyl laurate esterified – contrary to lauroyl chloride esterified starch. For all highly soluble FASEs (C₆–C₁₈), formation of concentrated solutions (10 wt%) is feasible.     

A facile one-pot synthesis of a fluorescent agarose-O-naphthylacetyl adduct with slow release properties

A microwave assisted facile synthesis of a fluorescent 6-O-naphthylacetyl agarose (NA-agarose) employing carbodiimide chemistry (dicyclohexylcarbodiimide/4-dimethylaminopyridine) has been described. NA-agarose was characterized by TGA, GPC, UV spectrophotometry, fluorescence spectroscopy, FT-IR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra, exhibiting that in NA-agarose the naphthylacetyl group was attached to the backbone of the agarose polymer. The hydrolysis of NA-agarose in heterogeneous aqueous phase showed that the 1-naphthyl acetic acid (NAA), a plant growth regulator, got released in a controlled manner, the release rate being dependent on the hydrophilicity of the polymer adduct as well as on pH and temperature. The fluorescence emission (λ_max 332 nm) of NA-agarose (1 × 10⁻³ M) in ethylene glycol was significantly higher (ca. 82%) than that of the molar equivalent of NAA content in the product i.e. 0.08 mg in 1 × 10⁻³ M solution. The resulting polymer would be of potential utility as a sustained release plant growth regulator and sensory applications.     

Investigations about dissolution of cellulose in the 1-allyl-3-alkylimidazolium chloride ionic liquids

In this work, the 1-allyl-3-alkylimidazolium chloride ionic liquids were synthesized and characterized by increasing carbon atoms (n ≤ 6) of alkyl chains on a cationic 3-imidazole ring. The results indicated that 1-allyl-3-alkylimidazolium chloride with asymmetrical structure on the two sides of a cationic 3-imidazole ring (i.e., n = 1, 2, 6) exhibited alkalinity and lower thermal stabilities, and showed better solubility to the cellulose samples at 60-120 °C than those with symmetrical structures (n = 3, 4). The cellulose samples treated by 20% (w/w) ethylenediamine solution showed better solubility in 1-allyl-3-ethyl, hexyl-imidazolium chloride ionic liquids than that treated with 20% (w/w) NaOH solution at 5 °C for 72 h. XRD and TG analysis indicated that 0 0 2 plane apparent crystallite size as well as thermal stability of the regenerated cellulose samples from the ionic liquids decreased significantly compared with the untreated cellulose samples.     

Synthesis and structural characterization of copper(II) bishexafluoroacetylacetonate complexes with N-donor ligands

The reactions of Cu(hfac)₂ with different N-donor ligands such as 2-ethynylpyridine and imidazole give copper complexes Cu(hfac)₂(ethynylpyridine) (1) and Cu(hfac)₂(ImH)₂ (2), respectively. The reaction of Cu(hfac)₂ · (ethynylpyridine) (1) and ethynylpyridine with oxygen in tmeda (tmeda = N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine) in the presence of copper(I) chloride gives Cu(hfac)₂(tmeda) (3). Finally, [Cu(hfac)₂(H₂O)]₂(μ-TCNE) (4) was prepared by reaction of Cu₂O on the free acid β-diketone in the presence of TCNE (TCNE = tetracyanoethylene) (ratio 1.5:1:1), under an atmosphere of oxygen-free Ar. The previously synthesized Cu(hfac)TCNE proceeded further reaction by disproportionation, yielding [Cu(hfac)₂(H₂O)]₂(μ-TCNE). All new compounds have been structurally characterized and their thermal properties were examined by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).     

Nanoheterogeneous catalytic hydrogenation of N-, O- or S-heteroaromatic compounds by re-usable aqueous colloidal suspensions of rhodium(0)

The hydrogenation of various nitrogen-, oxygen- or sulfur-heterocyclic aromatic compounds by various surfactant-stabilized aqueous rhodium(0) colloidal suspensions was investigated. The nanocatalysts in the size range of 2.1-2.4 nm have been synthesized by reducing RhCl₃ · 3H₂O with sodium borohydride and were stabilized by highly water soluble N,N-dimethyl-N-cetyl-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)ammonium bromide or chloride salts. The catalytic reactions were performed under mild reaction conditions, namely room temperature and under atmospheric hydrogen pressure. The influence of the bromide or chloride nature of the surfactant counter-ion on the recycling of the aqueous phase containing the Rh(0) particles was studied.     

Blend miscibility of cellulose propionate with poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone-co-methyl methacrylate)

The blend miscibility of cellulose propionate (CP) with poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone-co-methyl methacrylate) (P(VP-co-MMA)) was investigated. The degree of substitution (DS) of CP used ranged from 1.6 to >2.9, and samples for the vinyl polymer component were prepared in a full range of VP:MMA compositions. Through DSC analysis and solid-state ¹³C NMR and FT-IR measurements, we revealed that CPs of DS < 2.7 were miscible with P(VP-co-MMA)s of VP ≥ ∼10 mol% on a scale within a few nanometers, in virtue of hydrogen-bonding interactions between CP-hydroxyls and VP-carbonyls. When the DS of CP exceeded 2.7, the miscibility was restricted to the polymer pairs using P(VP-co-MMA)s of VP = ca. 10–40 mol%; the scale of mixing in the blends concerned was somewhat larger (ca. 5–20 nm), however. The appearance of such a “miscibility window” was interpretable as an effect of intramolecular repulsion in the copolymer component. Results of DMA and birefringence measurements indicated that the miscible blending of CP with the vinyl polymer invited synergistic improvements in thermomechanical and optical properties of the respective constituent polymers. Additionally, it was found that the VP:MMA composition range corresponding to the miscibility window was expanded by modification of the CP component into cellulose acetate propionate.     

Synthesis, characterization and equilibrium study of the dinuclear adducts formation between nickel(II) Salen-type complexes with diorganotin(IV) dichlorides in chloroform

Adduct formation between R₂SnCl₂ (R = methyl and n-butyl) as acceptors, and nickel(II) complexes of tetradentate Schiff base ligands ([NiL]) where L = [3-methoxysalen, N,N′-bis(3-methoxysalicylidene)ethylenediamine], [4-methoxysalen, N,N′-bis(4-methoxysalicylidene)ethylenediamine], [5-methoxysalen, N,N′-bis(5-methoxysalicylidene)ethylenediamine], [salen, N,N′-bis(salicylaldehydo)ethylenediamine], [5-chlorosalen, N,N′-bis(5-chlorosalicylidene)ethylenediamine] and [5-bromosalen, N,N′-bis(5-bromosalicylidene)ethylenediamine] as donors have been investigated in chloroform as a solvent by means of UV-Vis spectrophotometeric analysis. Adducts have been characterized by ¹H NMR, IR and electronic spectroscopy. The formation constants and the thermodynamic free energies were measured using UV-Vis spectrophotometry titration for 1:1 adduct formation at various temperatures (T = 278-308 K). The trend of the adduct formation of the nickel Schiff base complexes with a given tin acceptor decreases as follow:

Ni(3-MeOSalen)>Ni(5-MeOSalen)>Ni(4-MeOSalen)     

Method to conjugate polysaccharide antigens to surfaces for the detection of antibodies

A new generic method for the conjugation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-derived polysaccharide antigens from gram-negative bacteria has been developed using Salmonella as a model. After removal of lipid A from the LPS by mild acidolysis, the polysaccharide antigen was conjugated to polystyrene microbeads modified with N-alkyl hydroxylamine and N-alkyl-O-methyl hydroxylamine surface groups by incubation of antigen and beads for 16 h at 40 °C without the need for coupling agents. The efficiency of the new method was evaluated by flow cytometry in model samples and serum samples containing antibodies against Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella dublin. The presented method was compared with a similar method for conjugation of Salmonella polysaccharide antigens to surfaces. Here, the new method showed higher antigen coupling efficiency by detecting low concentrations of antibodies. Furthermore, the polysaccharide-conjugated beads showed preserved bioactivity after 1 year of use.     

An azomethin-zinc complex for organic electroluminescence: Crystal structure, thermal stability and optoelectronic properties

An azomethin-zinc complex, bis[salicylidene(4-dimethylamino)aniline]zinc(II) (Zn(sada)₂) was synthesized and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. Crystal data for Zn(C₁₅H₁₅N₂O)₂ was determined as follows: space group, triclinic, ; a = 10.2791(9) Å, b = 16.5008(14) Å, c = 17.5984(15) Å, α = 114.830(2)°, β = 96.579(2)°, γ = 97.674(2)°, Z = 4. Through thermal analysis characterization and FT-IR spectra, this complex was proved to have good thermal stability. The vapor-deposited films exhibited uniform and environment-stable morphology. The light emission and charge transporting performance of Zn(sada)₂ in organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) were investigated preliminarily, and the results indicated the superior electron transporting property of this complex. Compared with the typical bilayer device of N,N′-diphenyl-N,N′-bis(1-naphthyl)-benzidine (NPB)/tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum (Alq₃), the device with Zn(sada)₂ as the electron transporting layer exhibited a much lower turn-on voltage of 2.5 V (it is usually 3.5 V for an NPB/Alq₃ device).     

Evaluation of the accessible inclusion sites in copolymer materials containing β-cyclodextrin

The accessible inclusion sites of insoluble copolymers containing β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) were studied in aqueous solutions by measuring the absorbance changes (decolourization) of phenolphthalein (phth) at pH 10.5. The various copolymers were reacted at different β-CD:crosslinker mole ratios with five individual types of crosslinker agents (epichlorohydrin (EP), sebacoyl chloride (SCL), terephthaloyl chloride (TCL), glutaraldehyde (GLU), and poly(acrylic) acid (PAA), respectively). The decolourization provided estimates of the 1:1 binding constants (K₁) for the β-CD monomer/phth complex. Comparable values of K₁ were measured for copolymer/phth complexes with highly accessible β-CD inclusion sites as compared with the 1:1 β-CD/phth complex. The surface accessibility of the β-CD inclusion binding sites for the polymers ranged from ∼10 to 72%. The observed variability of the inclusion sites was attributed to: (i) steric effects in the annular hydroxyl region of β-CD, (ii) the degree of crosslinking of the copolymer and (iii) the accessibility of the micropore sites within the copolymers. The Gibbs free energy (ΔG°) and site occupancy (θ) of phth adsorbed to the copolymer materials was estimated independently using the Sips isotherm model. The ΔG° values ranged between −27.6 and −30.9 kJ mol⁻¹ for the copolymers and are in close agreement with the value for the 1:1 β-CD/phth complexes (ΔG° = −27 kJ mol⁻¹) in aqueous solution.     

Cellulose nanocrystals as a reinforcing material for electrospun poly(methyl methacrylate) fibers: Formation, properties and nanomechanical characterization

Uniform fibers composed of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) reinforced with progressively increasing contents of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), up to 41 wt% CNCs, have been successfully produced by electrospinning. The morphological, thermal and nanomechanical properties of the composite sub-micron fibers were investigated. The CNCs derived from wood pulp by sulfuric acid hydrolysis were well dispersed in solutions of PMMA and the processing solvent N,N-dimethylformamide prior to fiber formation. Well-formed fibers with controllable diameters were generated reproducibly at all CNC contents investigated including 41 wt%. The orientation of the CNCs along the fiber axis was facilitated by the electrospinning process and observed directly from microscopy examination. Shifts in thermal transitions of PMMA with increasing CNC content suggest hydrogen bonding interactions between CNC hydroxyl groups and carbonyl groups on the PMMA matrix. Nanoscale dynamic mechanical analysis (nano-DMA) was performed using nanoindentation on single fibers perpendicular to the fiber axis. Many of the current challenges associated with single fiber nanoindentation are addressed, such as fiber diameter range and minimum, depth to diameter ratio, and valid depth range under these experimental conditions. Fibers that contained 17 wt% CNCs showed a modest increase of 17% in the storage modulus of PMMA, a high modulus polymer of interest for transparent composite applications.     

Chitosan derivatives alter release profiles of model compounds from calcium phosphate implants

The aim of the current study was to evaluate the impact of chitosan derivatives, namely N-octyl-chitosan and N-octyl-O-sulfate chitosan, incorporated in calcium phosphate implants to the release profiles of model drugs. The rate and extent of calcein (on M.W. 650 Da) ED, and FITC-dextran (M.W. 40 kDa) on in vitro release were monitored by fluorescence spectroscopy. Results show that calcein release is affected by the type of chitosan derivative used. A higher percentage of model drug was released when the hydrophilic polymer N-octyl-sulfated chitosan was present in the tablets compared with the tablets containing the hydrophobic polymer N-octyl-chitosan. The release profiles of calcein or FD from tablets containing N-octyl-O-sulfate revealed a complete release for FD after 120 h compared with calcein where 20% of the drug was released over the same time period. These results suggest that the difference in the release profiles observed from the implants is dependent on the molecular weight of the model drugs. These data indicate the potential of chitosan derivatives in controlling the release profile of active compounds from calcium phosphate implants.     

Tl benzene multicarboxylic acid coordination polymers: Structural, thermal and fluorescence studies

[Tl₃(μ-1,2,3-btc)]_n (1,2,3-H₃btc = 1,2,3-benzenetricarboxylic acid) (1), [Tl₂(μ-1,3,5-Hbtc)(H₂O)]_n (1,3,5-H₃btc = 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid) (2) and [Tl₄(μ-1,2,4,5-btc)]_n (1,2,4,5-H₄btc = 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic acid) (3), three new Tl^I coordination polymers have been synthesized, characterized by elemental analysis and IR spectroscopy and their structures determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The thermal stability of compounds 1-3 were studied by thermal gravimetric (TG) and differential thermal analyses (DTA). The single-crystal X-ray analysis of compounds 1-3 shows that the compounds are structurally diverse showing three-dimensional coordination polymers. The carboxylic groups of the ligands 1,2,3-btc³⁻, 1,3,5-Hbtc²⁻ and 1,2,4,5-btc⁴⁻ in the new Tl^I coordination polymers are not chelated and only act as bridging groups. In compounds 1-3, the lone pair of Tl(I) atoms is ‘active’ in the solid state and the coordination spheres are hemisphere type. Solution state luminescent spectra of compound 2 indicate intense fluorescent emissions at ca. 400 nm.