Partially biobased polysilylethers (PSEs) are synthesized via dehydrocoupling polymerization catalyzed by an anionic iridium complex. Different types (AB type or AA and BB type) of monomers are suitable. Levulinic acid (LA) and succinic acid (SA) have been ranked within the top 10 chemicals derived from biomass. BB type monomers (diols) derived from LA and SA have been applied to the synthesis of PSEs. The polymerization reactions employ an air-stable anionic iridium complex bearing a functional bipyridonate ligand as catalyst. Moderate to high yields of polymers with number-average molecular weights ( M n ) up to 4.38 × 10 4 were obtained. A possible catalytic cycle via an Ir-H species is presented. Based on the results of kinetic experiments, apparent activation energy of polymerization in the temperature range of 0–10 °C is about 38.6 kJ/mol. The PSEs synthesized from AA and BB type monomers possess good thermal stability ( T 5 = 418 °C to 437 °C) and low glass-transition temperature ( T g = −49.6 °C).
As efficient drug carriers, stimuli-responsive mesoporous silica nanoparticles are at the forefront of research on drug delivery systems. An acid-responsive system based on silyl ether has been applied to deliver a hybrid prodrug. Thiol-ene click chemistry has been successfully utilized for tethering this prodrug to mesoporous silica nanoparticles . Here, by altering the steric bulk of the substituent on the silicon atom, the release rate of a model drug, camptothecin, was controlled. The synthesized drug delivery system was investigated by analytical methods to confirm the functionalization and conjugation of the mesoporous silica nanoparticles. Herein, trimethyl silyl ether and triethyl silyl ether were selected to regulate the release rate. Under normal plasma conditions (pH 7.4), both types of camptothecin-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles (i.e., MSN-Me-CPT and MSN-Et-CPT) did not release the model drug. However, under in vitro acidic conditions (pH 4.0), based on a comparison of the release rates, camptothecin was released from MSN-Me-CPT more rapidly than from MSN-Et-CPT. To determine the biocompatibility of the modified mesoporous silica nanoparticles and the in vivo camptothecin uptake behavior, MTT assays with cancer cells and confocal microscopy observations were conducted, with positive results. These functionalized nanoparticles could be useful in clinical treatments requiring controlled drug release . Statement of Significance As the release rate of drug from drug-carrier plays important role in therapy effects, trimethyl silyl ether (TMS) and triethyl silyl ether (TES) were selected as acid-sensitive silanes to control the release rates of model drugs conjugated from MSNs by thiol-ene click chemistry. The kinetic profiles of TMS and TES materials have been studied. At pH 4.0, the release of camptothecin from MSN-Et-CPT occurred after 2 h, whereas MSN-Me-CPT showed immediate drug release. The results showed that silyl ether could be used to control release rates of drugs from MSNs under acid environment, which could be useful in clinical treatments requiring controlled drug release .
Yinqiao Liu,Jialu Han,Wensheng Yan,Qiuran Jiang,Jiamei Luo,Liying Zhang,Jun Wang,Wanshuang Liu
Growing environmental concerns are driving the development of bio-based and recyclable thermosetting polymers. In this work, we synthesized a novel liquid cycloaliphatic epoxide containing silyl ether bonds from α-terpineol, a renewable monoterpene alcohol. After optimizing the accelerator content, the epoxy resin cured with methylhexahydrophthalic anhydride exhibited a high glass transition temperature (172 °C) and an acceptable tensile strength (57.2 MPa), the presence of silyl ether bonds imparts the resin with inherent degradability in fluoride and acidic organic solutions, offering a pathway for recycling. Finally, the optimized epoxy system was used to prepare a thermally conductive adhesive with boron nitride (BN) as the filler. The resulting epoxy composite 35 wt% BN, exhibited an enhanced thermal conductivity of 1.298 W/m·K. Crucially, the high-value BN fillers could be recovered non-destructively through selective chemical recycling of the epoxy matrix.
Qing-Nan Wang,Xianghui Liu,Kai Wang,Yan Liu,Sheng-Mei Lu,Can Li
Summary p -Methyl benzaldehyde ( p -MBA) is a class of key chemical intermediates of pharmaceuticals. Conventional industrial processes for p -MBA production involve the consecutive photochlorination, amination, and acid hydrolysis of petroleum-derived p -xylene, while producing vast pollutants and waste water. Herein, we report a direct, green route for selective synthesis of p -MBA from acetaldehyde using a diphenyl prolinol trimethylsilyl ether catalyst. The optimized p -MBA selectivity is up to 90% at an acetaldehyde conversion as high as 99.8%. Intermediate structure and 18 O-isotope data revealed that the conversion of acetaldehyde to p -methylcyclohexadienal intermediates proceeds in an enamine-iminium intermediate mechanism. Then, controlled experiments and D-isotope results indicated that the dehydrogenation of p -methylcyclohexadienal to p -MBA and H 2 is catalyzed by the same amines through an iminium intermediate. This is an example that metal-free amines catalyze the dehydrogenation (releasing H 2 ), rather than using metals or stoichiometric oxidants.