The authors extend their appreciation to Dr. Thomas J. Emge and Wei Liu of Rutgers University for their analysis and expertise in small-angle X-ray diffraction and powder X-ray diffraction. Furthermore, the authors acknowledge Hao Wang for his support with the N2 adsorption experiments.

1. Al(OH)3 Nanoparticle Synthesis
<ol>
	<li>Dissolve 1.40 g of aluminum chloride hexahydrate in 5.822 g of deionized water.</li>
	<li>Add 2.778 g of L-arginine to the aqueous aluminum chloride solution while under magnetic stirring. Add the L-arginine slowly, so that the added arginine dissolves and does not form large clumps or chunks; furthermore, a slow addition reduces local concentrations of alkalinity and provides conditions for a more controllable hydrolysis.</li>
	<li>Once all the arginine dissolves into the solution, heat the solution for 72 h at 50 &#176;C; at this point, the solution may appear as a cloudy suspension.</li>
</ol>
2. Precipitating Al(OH)3 with NaCl
<ol>
	<li>Prepare a GPC column that is 49 in long and 1.125 in diameter. Pack the gel in successive steps of adding gel and allowing water to flow through the column to ensure proper packing, with minimal space between the gel beads. Pack the gel to about 80% of the column; the amount of gel packed varies every time and only affects the retention time of the separated species.</li>
	<li>Introduce 10 mL of as-synthesized Al(OH)3 nanoparticle suspension (prepared in step 1.3) into the column using an HPLC pump with a 10 mL injector loop. Custom-make the injector loop using tubing with an external diameter of approximately 0.125 in and a length that is calibrated to deliver 10 mL of injected sample.</li>
	<li>Collect the column elution in intervals correlating with the dRI peak location. Connect the GPC output to the input of a differential refractive index (dRI) detector. 
	NOTE: As separated species come out of the GPC, they appear on the dRI detector as a peak and are then collected in 125 mL bottles. The GPC column produces two well-resolved peaks, which are both collected and analyzed with size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) and elemental analysis (EA) to discern arginine from aluminum species. The total volume collected will depend on size of the GPC column, the total amount of packing material used, and the flow rate of the deionized water used to elute the column.
	<ol>
		<li>Collect the majority of the peak 1 fraction over 100 min at a 0.2 mL/min flow rate.</li>
		<li>Collect the eluent in 30 min intervals once a peak emerges on the RI detector of the GPC column. 
		NOTE: Changing the interval range will change the concentration and purity of the resulting purified peak 1 material. It is better to collect small intervals of the peak at first to determine which portion contains the highest concentration and purity of peak 1 species for a specific column.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Prepare 1 wt% of NaCl.</li>
	<li>Add the prepared NaCl solution dropwise to 10 mL of purified Al(OH)3 nanoparticles; the material prepared using NaCl precipitation is not used for further experiments.</li>
</ol>
3. Preparation of Al-MCM-41
<ol>
	<li>Activate approximately 1.0 g of MCM-41 at 120 &#176;C under vacuum for 3 h in a vacuum oven.</li>
	<li>Prepare 50.0 g of aluminum chloride solution by combining 9.6926 g of AlCl3&#183;6H2O with 40.3074 g of deionized water.</li>
	<li>Add 0.7 g of activated MCM-41 to 50.0 g of aluminum chloride solution (prepared in step 3.2).</li>
	<li>Allow adequate mixing time (1 h) to ensure homogeneity of the AlCl3 diffused throughout the MCM-41 channels.</li>
	<li>Add L-arginine to the heterogeneous mixture to an Arg/Al molar ratio of 2.75 under magnetic stirring. Similarly to step 1.2, add the arginine slowly enough so as to allow the instantaneously formed flocculates to redissolve and reduce the clumping of the arginine before continuing the addition.</li>
	<li>Once homogeneous, heat the mixture at 50 &#176;C for 72 h.</li>
	<li>Filter the obtained heterogeneous solution using a Buchner funnel, under vacuum and equipped with qualitative 90 mm filter paper circles (or any other appropriate filter papers).</li>
	<li>Wash the filtered white powder with excess deionized water to ensure the removal of unreacted aluminum chloride, arginine, or water-soluble byproducts from the produced Al-MCM-41 material.</li>
</ol>

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The authors have nothing to disclose.

The preparation of an aqueous aluminum chloride solution entailed the use of a crystalline hexahydrate salt of aluminum chloride. Although the anhydrous form can also be used, it is not preferred due to its significant hygroscopic properties, which make it difficult to work with and to control the concentration of aluminum. It is noteworthy that aluminum chloride solution should be used within several days of preparation because over time, the [Al(H2O)6]3+ aqua acid hydrolyzes to yield un...

Materials made of aluminum hydroxide are promising candidates for a variety of industrial applications, including catalysis, pharmaceuticals, water treatment, and cosmetics.1,2,3,4 At elevated temperatures, aluminum hydroxide absorbs a substantial amount of heat during decomposition to yield alumina (Al2O3), making it a useful flame-retarding agent.5 The four known polymorphs of aluminum hydroxide (i.e., gibbsite, bayerite, nordstrandite, and doyleite) have been investigated using computational and experimental techniques to improve our understanding of the formation and structures thereof6. The preparation of nanoscale particles is of particular interest due to their potential to exhibit quantum effects and properties differing from those of their bulk counterparts. Nanogibbsite particles with dimensions on the order of 100 nm are easily prepared under various conditions7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14.
Overcoming inherent challenges associated with reducing the particle sizes further is difficult; therefore, only a few cases exist where nanogibbsite particles have dimensions on the order of 50 nm.14,15,16,17 To the best of our knowledge, there have been no reports of nanogibbsite particles smaller than 50 nm. In part, this is attributed to the fact that nanoparticles tend to agglomerate due to electrostatic instability and the high probability for the formation of hydrogen bonds between the colloidal particles, especially in polar protic solvents. Our objective was to synthesize small Al(OH)3 nanoparticles by using exclusively safe ingredients and precursors. In the current work, aqueous particle aggregation was inhibited by incorporating an amino acid (i.e., L-arginine) as a buffer and stabilizer. Moreover, it is reported that the guanidinium-containing arginine prevented aluminum hydroxide particle growth and aggregation to yield an aqueous colloidal suspension with average particle sizes of 10-30 nm. It is proposed here that the amphoteric and zwitterionic properties of arginine mitigated the surface charge of aluminum hydroxide nanoparticles during the mild hydrolysis to disfavor particle growth beyond 30 nm. Although arginine was not capable of reducing the particle size below 10 nm, such particles were achieved by taking advantage of the &#34;cage&#34; confinement effect within the mesopores of MCM-41. Characterization of the Al-MCM-41 composite material revealed ultrafine aluminum hydroxide nanoparticles within the mesoporous silica, which has an average pore size of 2.7 nm.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="650">
	<tbody>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:261px;">aluminum chloride hexahydrate</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">Alfa Aesar</td>
			<td align="right" style="width:119px;">12297</td>
			<td style="width:167px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:261px;">L-arginine</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">BioKyowa</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">N/A</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:261px;">aluminum hydroxide</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td align="right" style="width:119px;">239186</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:261px;">Bio-Gel P-4 Gel</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">Bio-Rad</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">150-4128</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:261px;">Mesoporous siica (MCM-41 type)</td>
			<td style="width:103px;">Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td align="right" style="width:119px;">643645</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

facile preparation of ultrafine aluminum hydroxide particles with or without mesoporous mcm-41 in ambient environments

An aqueous suspension of nanogibbsite was synthesized via the titration of aluminum aqua acid [Al(H2O)6]3+ with L-arginine to pH 4.6. Since the hydrolysis of aqueous aluminum salts is known to produce a wide array of products with a wide range of size distributions, a variety of state-of-the-art instruments (i.e., 27Al/1H NMR, FTIR, ICP-OES, TEM-EDX, XPS, XRD, and BET) were used to characterize the synthesis products and identification of byproducts. The product, which was comprised of nanoparticles (10-30 nm), was isolated using gel permeation chromatography (GPC) column technique. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) identified the purified material as the gibbsite polymorph of aluminum hydroxide. The addition of inorganic salts (e.g., NaCl) induced electrostatic destabilization of the suspension, thereby agglomerating the nanoparticles to yield Al(OH)3 precipitate with large particle sizes. By utilizing the novel synthetic method described here, Al(OH)3 was partially loaded inside the highly ordered mesoporous framework of MCM-41, with average pore dimensions of 2.7 nm, producing an aluminosilicate material with both octahedral and tetrahedral Al (Oh/Td = 1.4). The total Al content, measured using energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX), was 11% w/w with a Si/Al molar ratio of 2.9. A comparison of bulk EDX with surface X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) elemental analysis provided insight into the distribution of Al within the aluminosilicate material. Furthermore, a higher ratio of Si/Al was observed on the external surface (3.6) as compared to the bulk (2.9). Approximations of O/Al ratios suggest a higher concentration of Al(O)3 and Al(O)4 groups near the core and external surface, respectively. The newly developed synthesis of Al-MCM-41 yields a relatively high Al content while maintaining the integrity of the ordered silica framework and can be used for applications where hydrated or anhydrous Al2O3 nanoparticles are advantageous.

Nanogibbsite Synthesis
Nanogibbsite was prepared by titrating AlCl3&#183;6H2O (14 wt%) with L-arginine to a final Arg/Al molar ratio of 2.75. The synthesis of nanogibbsite particles was monitored via SEC, which is a widely used analysis technique for partially hydrolyzed aluminum chloride solutions, capable of discerning five domains arbitrarily designated as peaks 1, 2, 3, 4, and 51...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Facile Preparation of Ultrafine Aluminum Hydroxide Particles with or without Mesoporous MCM-41 in Ambient Environments at JoVE.com

Facile Preparation of Ultrafine Aluminum Hydroxide Particles with or without Mesoporous MCM-41 in Ambient Environments

An ultrafine aluminum hydroxide nanoparticle suspension was prepared via the controlled titration of [Al(H2O)]3+ with L-arginine to pH 4.6 with and without cage-effect confinement within mesoporous channels of MCM-41.

An aqueous suspension of nanogibbsite was synthesized via the titration of aluminum aqua acid [Al(H2O)6]3+ with L-arginine to pH 4.6. Since the hydrolysis ...

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10.8K Views.  Colgate-Palmolive Company. An ultrafine aluminum hydroxide nanoparticle suspension was prepared via the controlled titration of [Al(H2O)]3+ with L-arginine to pH 4.6 with and without cage-effect confinement within mesoporous channels of MCM-41.

Video: Facile Preparation of Ultrafine Aluminum Hydroxide Particles with or without Mesoporous MCM-41 in Ambient Environments

Particles without a Box: Brush-first Synthesis of Photodegradable PEG Star Polymers under Ambient Conditions

Convenient methods for the rapid, parallel synthesis of diversely functionalized nanoparticles will enable discovery of novel formulations for drug delivery, biological imaging, and supported catalysis. In this report, we demonstrate parallel synthesis of brush-arm star polymer (BASP) nanoparticles by the &#34;brush-first&#34; method. In this method, a norbornene-terminated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) macromonomer (PEG-MM) is first polymerized via ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) to generate a living brush macroinitiator. Aliquots of this initiator stock solution are added to vials that contain varied amounts of a photodegradable bis-norbornene crosslinker. Exposure to crosslinker initiates a series of kinetically-controlled brush+brush and star+star coupling reactions that ultimately yields BASPs with cores comprised of the crosslinker and coronas comprised of PEG. The final BASP size depends on the amount of crosslinker added. We carry out the synthesis of three BASPs on the benchtop with no special precautions to remove air and moisture. The samples are characterized by gel permeation chromatography (GPC); results agreed closely with our previous report that utilized inert (glovebox) conditions. Key practical features, advantages, and potential disadvantages of the brush-first method are discussed.

Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) brush-arm star polymers (BASPs) with narrow mass distributions and tunable nanoscopic sizes are synthesized in via ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of a PEG-norbornene macromonomer followed by transfer of portions of the resulting living brush initiator to vials containing varied amounts of a rigid, photo-cleavable bis-norbornene crosslinker.

Convenient methods for the rapid, parallel synthesis of diversely functionalized nanoparticles will enable discovery of novel formulations for drug ...

Activating Molecules, Ions, and Solid Particles with Acoustic Cavitation

The chemical and physical effects of ultrasound arise not from a direct interaction of molecules with sound waves, but rather from the acoustic cavitation: the nucleation, growth, and implosive collapse of microbubbles in liquids submitted to power ultrasound. The violent implosion of bubbles leads to the formation of chemically reactive species and to the emission of light, named sonoluminescence. In this manuscript, we describe the techniques allowing study of extreme intrabubble conditions and chemical reactivity of acoustic cavitation in solutions. The analysis of sonoluminescence spectra of water sparged with noble gases provides evidence for nonequilibrium plasma formation. The photons and the "hot" particles generated by cavitation bubbles enable to excite the non-volatile species in solutions increasing their chemical reactivity. For example the mechanism of ultrabright sonoluminescence of uranyl ions in acidic solutions varies with uranium concentration: sonophotoluminescence dominates in diluted solutions, and collisional excitation contributes at higher uranium concentration. Secondary sonochemical products may arise from chemically active species that are formed inside the bubble, but then diffuse into the liquid phase and react with solution precursors to form a variety of products. For instance, the sonochemical reduction of Pt(IV) in pure water provides an innovative synthetic route for monodispersed nanoparticles of metallic platinum without any templates or capping agents. Many studies reveal the advantages of ultrasound to activate the divided solids. In general, the mechanical effects of ultrasound strongly contribute in heterogeneous systems in addition to chemical effects. In particular, the sonolysis of PuO2 powder in pure water yields stable colloids of plutonium due to both effects.

Acoustic cavitation in liquids submitted to power ultrasound creates transient extreme conditions inside the collapsing bubbles, which are the origin of unusual chemical reactivity and light emission, known as sonoluminescence. In the presence of noble gases, nonequilibrium plasma is formed. The "hot" particles and the photons generated by collapsing bubbles are able to excite species in solution.

The chemical and physical effects of ultrasound arise not from a direct interaction of molecules with sound waves, but rather from the acoustic ...

Synthesis and Catalytic Performance of Gold Intercalated in the Walls of Mesoporous Silica

As a promising catalytically active nano reactor, gold nanoparticles intercalated in mesoporous silica (GMS) were successfully synthesized and properties of the materials were investigated. We used a one pot sol-gel approach to intercalate gold nano particles in the walls of mesoporous silica. To start with the synthesis, P123 was used as template to form micelles. Then TESPTS was used as a surface modification agent to intercalate gold nano particles. Following this process, TEOS was added in as a silica source which underwent a polymerization process in acid environment. After hydrothermal processing and calcination, the final product was acquired. Several techniques were utilized to characterize the porosity, morphology and structure of the gold intercalated mesoporous silica. The results showed a stable structure of mesoporous silica after gold intercalation. Through the oxidation of benzyl alcohol as a benchmark reaction, the GMS materials showed high selectivity and recyclability.

Here, we present a protocol with a sol-gel process to synthesize gold intercalated in the walls of mesoporous materials (GMS), which is confirmed to possess a mesoporous matrix with gold intercalated in the walls imparting great stability and recyclability.

As a promising catalytically active nano reactor, gold nanoparticles intercalated in mesoporous silica (GMS) were successfully synthesized and properties ...

Facile and Efficient Preparation of Tri-component Fluorescent Glycopolymers via RAFT-controlled Polymerization

Synthetic glycopolymers are instrumental and versatile tools used in various biochemical and biomedical research fields. An example of a facile and efficient synthesis of well-controlled fluorescent statistical glycopolymers using reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT)-based polymerization is demonstrated. The synthesis starts with the preparation of &#946;-galactose-containing glycomonomer 2-lactobionamidoethyl methacrylamide obtained by reaction of lactobionolactone and N-(2-aminoethyl) methacrylamide (AEMA). 2-Gluconamidoethyl methacrylamide (GAEMA) is used as a structural analog lacking a terminal &#946;-galactoside. The following RAFT-mediated copolymerization reaction involves three different monomers: N-(2-hydroxyethyl) acrylamide as spacer, AEMA as target for further fluorescence labeling, and the glycomonomers. Tolerant of aqueous systems, the RAFT agent used in the reaction is (4-cyanopentanoic acid)-4-dithiobenzoate. Low dispersities (&#8804;1.32), predictable copolymer compositions, and high reproducibility of the polymerizations were observed among the products. Fluorescent polymers are obtained by modifying the glycopolymers with carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester targeting the primary amine functional groups on AEMA. Lectin-binding specificities of the resulting glycopolymers are verified by testing with corresponding agarose beads coated with specific glycoepitope recognizing lectins. Because of the ease of the synthesis, the tight control of the product compositions and the good reproducibility of the reaction, this protocol can be translated towards preparation of other RAFT-based glycopolymers with specific structures and compositions, as desired.

An efficient, three-step synthesis of RAFT-based fluorescent glycopolymers, consisting of glycomonomer preparation, copolymerization, and post-modification, is demonstrated. This protocol can be used to prepare RAFT-based statistical glycopolymers with desired structures.

Synthetic glycopolymers are instrumental and versatile tools used in various biochemical and biomedical research fields. An example of a facile and ...

Construction and Systematical Symmetric Studies of a Series of Supramolecular Clusters with Binary or Ternary Ammonium Triphenylacetates

Functions of clusters in nano or sub-nano scale significantly depend on not only kinds of their components but also arrangements, or symmetry, of their components. Therefore, the arrangements in the clusters have been precisely characterized, especially for metal complexes. Contrary to this, characterizations of molecular arrangements in supramolecular clusters composed of organic molecules are limited to a few cases. This is because construction of the supramolecular clusters, especially obtaining a series of the supramolecular clusters, is difficult due to low stability of non-covalent bonds compare to covalent bonds. From this viewpoint, utilization of organic salts is one of the most useful strategies. A series of the supramolecules could be constructed by combinations of a specific organic molecule with various counter ions. Especially, primary ammonium carboxylates are suitable as typical examples of supramolecules because various kinds of carboxylic acids and primary amines are commercially available, and it is easy to change their combinations. Previously, it was demonstrated that primary ammonium triphenylacetates using various kinds of primary amines specifically construct supramolecular clusters, which are composed of four ammoniums and four triphenylacetates assembled by charge-assisted hydrogen bonds, in crystals obtained from non-polar solvents. This study demonstrates an application of the specific construction of the supramolecular clusters as a strategy to conduct systematical symmetric study for clarification of correlations between molecular arrangements in supramolecules and kinds and numbers of their components. In the same way with binary salts composed of triphenylacetates and one kind of primary ammoniums, ternary organic salts composed of triphenylacetates and two kinds of ammoniums construct the supramolecular clusters, affording a series of the supramolecular clusters with various kinds and numbers of the components.

This article describes construction of a series of hydrogen-bonding supramolecular clusters in crystals using primary ammonium triphenylacetates, which are recrystallized from non-polar solvents. This selective construction of the supramolecular clusters leads to effective systematical symmetric studies about a correlation between the supramolecular clusters and their components.

Functions of clusters in nano or sub-nano scale significantly depend on not only kinds of their components but also arrangements, or symmetry, of their ...

Facile Preparation of Internally Self-assembled Lipid Particles Stabilized by Carbon Nanotubes

We present a facile method to prepare nanostructured lipid particles stabilized by carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Single-walled (pristine) and multi-walled (functionalized) CNTs are used as stabilizers to produce Pickering type oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions. Lipids namely, Dimodan U and Phytantriol are used as emulsifiers, which in excess water self-assemble into the bicontinuous cubic Pn3m phase. This highly viscous phase is fragmented into smaller particles using a probe ultrasonicator in presence of conventional surfactant stabilizers or CNTs as done here. Initially, the CNTs (powder form) are dispersed in water followed by further ultrasonication with the molten lipid to form the final emulsion. During this process the CNTs get coated with lipid molecules, which in turn are presumed to surround the lipid droplets to form a particulate emulsion that is stable for months. The average size of CNT-stabilized nanostructured lipid particles is in the submicron range, which compares well with the particles stabilized using conventional surfactants. Small angle X-ray scattering data confirms the retention of the original Pn3m cubic phase in the CNT-stabilized lipid dispersions as compared to the pure lipid phase (bulk state). Blue shift and lowering of the intensities in characteristic G and G&#39; bands of CNTs observed in Raman spectroscopy characterize the interaction between CNT surface and lipid molecules. These results suggest that the interactions between the CNTs and lipids are responsible for their mutual stabilization in aqueous solutions. As the concentrations of CNTs employed for stabilization are very low and lipid molecules are able to functionalize the CNTs, the toxicity of CNTs is expected to be insignificant while their biocompatibility is greatly enhanced. Hence the present approach finds a great potential in various biomedical applications, for instance, for developing hybrid nanocarrier systems for the delivery of multiple functional molecules as in combination therapy or polytherapy.

We report on a smart application of carbon nanotubes for kinetic stabilization of lipid particles that contain self-assembled nanostructures in their cores. The preparation of lipid particles requires rather low concentrations of carbon nanotubes permitting their use in biomedical applications such as drug delivery.

We present a facile method to prepare nanostructured lipid particles stabilized by carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Single-walled (pristine) and multi-walled ...

Facile Preparation of 4-Substituted Quinazoline Derivatives

Reported in this paper is a very simple method for direct preparation of 4-substituted quinazoline derivatives from a reaction between substituted 2-aminobenzophenones and thiourea in the presence of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). This is a unique complementary reaction system in which thiourea undergoes thermal decomposition to form carbodiimide and hydrogen sulfide, where the former reacts with 2-aminobenzophenone to form 4-phenylquinazolin-2(1H)-imine intermediate, whilst hydrogen sulfide reacts with DMSO to give methanethiol or other sulfur-containing molecule which then functions as a complementary reducing agent to reduce 4-phenylquinazolin-2(1H)-imine intermediate into 4-phenyl-1,2-dihydroquinazolin-2-amine. Subsequently, the elimination of ammonia from 4-phenyl-1,2-dihydroquinazolin-2-amine affords substituted quinazoline derivative. This reaction usually gives quinazoline derivative as a single product arising from 2-aminobenzophenone as monitored by GC/MS analysis, along with small amount of sulfur-containing molecules such as dimethyl disulfide, dimethyl trisulfide, etc. The reaction usually completes in 4-6 hr at 160 &#186;C in small scale but may last over 24 hr when carried out in large scale. The reaction product can be easily purified by means of washing off DMSO with water followed by column chromatography or thin layer chromatography.

A protocol for facile preparation of 4-substituted quinazoline derivatives from 2-aminobenzophenones, thiourea and dimethyl sulfoxide is presented.

Reported in this paper is a very simple method for direct preparation of 4-substituted quinazoline derivatives from a reaction between substituted ...

Visualization of Ambient Mass Spectrometry with the Use of Schlieren Photography

This manuscript outlines how to visualize mass spectrometry ambient ionization sources using schlieren photography. In order to properly optimize the mass spectrometer, it is necessary to characterize and understand the physical principles of the source. Most commercial ambient ionization sources utilize jets of nitrogen, helium, or atmospheric air to facilitate the ionization of the analyte. As a consequence, schlieren photography can be used to visualize the gas streams by exploiting the differences in refractive index between the streams and ambient air for visualization in real time. The basic setup requires a camera, mirror, flashlight, and razor blade. When properly configured, a real time image of the source is observed by watching its reflection. This allows for insight into the mechanism of action in the source, and pathways to its optimization can be elucidated. Light is shed on an otherwise invisible situation.

This paper presents a protocol for the visualization of gaseous streams of an ambient ionization source using schlieren photography and mass spectrometry.

This manuscript outlines how to visualize mass spectrometry ambient ionization sources using schlieren photography. In order to properly optimize the mass ...

Facile Synthesis of Worm-like Micelles by Visible Light Mediated Dispersion Polymerization Using Photoredox Catalyst

Presented herein is a protocol for the facile synthesis of worm-like micelles by visible light mediated dispersion polymerization. This approach begins with the synthesis of a hydrophilic poly(oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate) (POEGMA) homopolymer using reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization. Under mild visible light irradiation (&#955; = 460 nm, 0.7 mW/cm2), this macro-chain transfer agent (macro-CTA) in the presence of a ruthenium based photoredox catalyst, Ru(bpy)3Cl2 can be chain extended with a second monomer to form a well-defined block copolymer in a process known as Photoinduced Electron Transfer RAFT (PET-RAFT). When PET-RAFT is used to chain extend POEGMA with benzyl methacrylate (BzMA) in ethanol (EtOH), polymeric nanoparticles with different morphologies are formed in situ according to a polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) mechanism. Self-assembly into nanoparticles presenting POEGMA chains at the corona and poly(benzyl methacrylate) (PBzMA) chains in the core occurs in situ due to the growing insolubility of the PBzMA block in ethanol. Interestingly, the formation of highly pure worm-like micelles can be readily monitored by observing the onset of a highly viscous gel in situ due to nanoparticle entanglements occurring during the polymerization. This process thereby allows for a more reproducible synthesis of worm-like micelles simply by monitoring the solution viscosity during the course of the polymerization. In addition, the light stimulus can be intermittently applied in an ON/OFF manner demonstrating temporal control over the nanoparticle morphology.

This article describes a process for producing polymeric self-assembled nanoparticles using visible light mediated dispersion polymerization. Using low energy visible light to control the polymerization allows for the reproducible formation of self-assembled worm-like micelles at high solids content.

Presented herein is a protocol for the facile synthesis of worm-like micelles by visible light mediated dispersion polymerization. This approach begins ...

Facile Preparation of (2Z,4E)-Dienamides by the Olefination of Electron-deficient Alkenes with Allyl Acetate

Direct cross-coupling between two alkenes via vinylic C-H bond activation represents an efficient strategy for the synthesis of butadienes with high atomic and step economy. However, this functionality-directed cross-coupling reaction has not been developed, as there are still limited directing groups in practical use. In particular, a stoichiometric amount of oxidant is usually required, producing a large amount of waste. Due to our interest in novel 1,3-butadiene synthesis, we describe the ruthenium-catalyzed olefination of electron-deficient alkenes using allyl acetate and without external oxidant. The reaction of 2-phenyl acrylamide and allyl acetate was chosen as a model reaction, and the desired diene product was obtained in 80% isolated yield with good stereoselectivity (Z,E/Z,Z = 88:12) under optimal conditions: [Ru(p-cymene) Cl2]2 (3 mol %) and AgSbF6 (20 mol %) in DCE at 110 &#186;C for 16 h. With the optimized catalytic conditions in hand, representative &#945;- and/or &#946;-substituted acrylamides were investigated, and all reacted smoothly, regardless of aliphatic or aromatic groups. Also, differently N-substituted acrylamides have proven to be good substrates. Moreover, we examined the reactivity of different allyl derivatives, suggesting that the chelation of acetate oxygen to the metal is crucial for the catalytic process. Deuterium-labeled experiments were also conducted to investigate the reaction mechanism. Only Z-selective H/D exchanges on acrylamide were observed, indicating a reversible cyclometalation event. In addition, a kinetic isotope effect (KIE) of 3.2 was observed in the intermolecular isotopic study, suggesting that the olefinic C-H metalation step is probably involved in the rate-determining step.

Facile Preparation of 2Z,4E-Dienamides by the Olefination of Electron-deficient Alkenes with Allyl Acetate

The ruthenium-catalyzed olefination of electron-deficient alkenes with allyl acetate is described here. By using aminocarbonyl as a directing group, this external oxidant-free protocol has high efficiency and good stereo- and regioselectivity, opening a novel synthetic route to (Z,E)-butadiene skeletons.

Direct cross-coupling between two alkenes via vinylic C-H bond activation represents an efficient strategy for the synthesis of butadienes with high ...