Synthesis, characterization and liquid crystalline properties of polyacrylates and polymethacrylates containing aryl ester pendant unit

Synthesis and biological properties of novel glucose-based fluoro segmented macromolecular architectures

The emergence of novel well-defined biological macromolecular architectures containing fluorine moieties displaying superior functionalities can satisfactorily address many biomedical challenges. In this research, ABA- and AB-type glucose-based biological macromolecules were synthesized using acryl-2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-D-glucopyranoside with pentafluorophenyl (FPM), pentafluorobenzyl (FBM), phenyl (PM) and benzyl (BM) methacrylate-based macro-RAFT agents following RAFT polymerization. The macro-RAFT agents and the corresponding copolymers were characterized by 19F, 1H, and 13C NMR and FTIR spectroscopic techniques to understand the chemical structure, molecular weight by size-exclusion chromatography, thermal analysis by TGA and DSC. Thermal stability (Td5%) of the FPM and FBM fluoro-based polymers was observed in the range of 219-267 °C, while the non-fluoro PM and BM polymers exhibited in the range of 216-264 °C. Among the macro-RAFT agents, PFPM (107 °C, ΔH: 0.613 J/g) and PPM (103 °C, ΔH: 0.455 J/g) showed higher Tm values, while among the block copolymers, PFBM-b-PG (123 °C, ΔH: 0.412 J/g) and PG-b-PFPM-b-PG (126 °C, ΔH: 0.525 J/g) exhibited higher Tm values. PFBMT and PPM macro-RAFT agents, PPM-b-PG and PG-b-PPM-b-PG copolymer spin-coated films showed the highest hydrophobicity (120°) among the synthesized polymers. The block copolymers exhibited self-assembled segregation by using relatively hydrophobic segments as the core and hydrophilic moieties as the corona. Synthesized biological macromolecules exhibit maximum antibacterial activity towards S. aureus than E. coli bacteria. Fluorophenyl (PFPM) and non-fluorobenzyl-based (PBMT) macro-RAFT agents exhibit low IC50 values, suggesting high cytotoxicity. All the triblock copolymers exhibit lesser cytotoxicity than the di-block polymers.

Experimental and theoretical approaches for identification of p-benzophenoneoxycarbonylphenyl acrylate

The aim of this multidisciplinary study is to characterize a title compound, p-benzophenoneoxycarbonylphenyl acrylate (BPOCPA) synthesized by condensation reaction of p-acryloyloxybenzoyl chloride (ABC) with 4-hydroxybenzophenone (HBP) by means of experimental and theoretical evidences. The spectroscopic properties of the compound are experimentally examined by Fourier transformation-infrared (FTIR) spectra (in the region 400-4000 cm(-1)) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) chemical shifts (with a frequency of 400 MHz). For the theoretical studies, the optimized molecular structures, vibrational frequencies including infrared intensities and Raman activities, corresponding vibrational spectra interpreted with the aid of normal coordinate analysis based on scaled density functional force field, atomic charges, thermodynamic properties, (1)H and (13)C NMR chemical shifts, JCH and JCC coupling constants belonging to the BPOCPA compound are analyzed in the ground state by the way of the density functional theory (B3LYP) with the standard 6-311++G(d,p) level of theory for the first time. All the results obtained show that the calculated vibrational frequencies and chemical shifts are observed to be in good agreement with the available experimental findings. According to the comparison between experimental results and theoretical data, the calculation level chosen plays an important role in understanding of dynamics of the title compound studied in this work. The self-consistent field (SCF) energy of the molecule in six different solvent media is also analyzed at the same basis set by applying both the Onsager and Polarizable Continuum Model (PCM). It is found that the SCF energies deduced from the methods reduce with the enhancement of the solvent polarity as a consequence of the increment in the stability of the compound studied. Besides, the changes of the PCM calculations are found to be higher than those of the Onsager ones, confirming that the former method displays a more stable structure than latter model.

Experimental and theoretical studies on the identification of p-biphenyloxycarbonylphenyl acrylate

This study presents the identification of a title compound, p-biphenyloxycarbonylphenyl acrylate by means of experimental and theoretical evidences. The spectroscopic properties of the compound were experimentally investigated by Fourier transformation-infrared spectra (in the region 400-4000 cm(-1)) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) chemical shifts (with a frequency of 400 MHz). Moreover, the optimized molecular structures, vibrational frequencies including infrared intensities and Raman activities, corresponding vibrational spectra interpreted with the aid of normal coordinate analysis based on scaled density functional force field, thermodynamic properties, atomic charges and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectra were analyzed utilizing ab initio Hartree-Fock (HF) and Density Functional Theory (B3LYP) methods at 6-31G(d,p) calculation level. It was found that the vibrational frequencies and chemical shifts obtained were shown to have a good agreement with available experimental results. We not only simulated frontier molecular orbitals (FMO) and molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) but also evaluated the transition state and energy band gap clearly.

Electron-beam-initiated polymerization of poly(ethylene glycol)-based wood impregnants

The current study demonstrates that methacrylate and acrylate poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) functional oligomers can be effectively impregnated into wood blocks, and cured efficiently to high conversions without catalyst by e-beam radiation, allowing for less susceptibility to leaching, and favorable properties including higher Brinell hardness values. PEG based monomers were chosen because there is a long history of this water-soluble monomer being able to penetrate the cell wall, thus bulking it and decreasing the uptake of water which further protects the wood from fungal attack. Diacrylate, dimethacrylate, and dihydroxyl functional PEG of M(w) 550-575, of concentrations 0, 30, 60, and 100 wt % in water, were vacuum pressure impregnated into Scots Pine blocks of 15 × 25 × 50 mm in an effort to bulk the cell wall. The samples were then irradiated and compared with nonirradiated samples. It was shown by IR, DSC that the acrylate polymers were fully cured to much higher conversions than can be reached with conventional methods. Leaching studies indicated a much lower amount of oligomer loss from the cured vinyl functional PEG chains in comparison to hydroxyl functional PEG indicating a high degree of fastening of the polymer in the wood. The Brinell hardness indicated a significant increase in hardness to hardwood levels in the modified samples compared to the samples of hydroxyl functional PEG and uncured vinyl PEG samples, which actually became softer than the untreated Scots Pine. By monitoring the dimensions of the sample it was found by weight percent gain calculations (WPG %) that water helps to swell the wood structure and allow better access of the oligomers into the cell wall. Further, the cure shrinkage of the wood samples demonstrated infiltration of the oligomers into the cell wall as this was not observed for methyl methacrylate which is well-documented to remain in the lumen. However, dimensional stability of the vinyl polymer modified blocks when placed in water was not observed to the same extent as PEG.