Stephanie Hesse

Determination of the 13C chemical shift anisotropies of cellulose I and cellulose II

The chemical shift anisotropies (CSAs) of cellulose Iα and Iβ, the two crystalline constituents of bacterial cellulose produced by Acetobacter xylinum (DSM 14666), and regenerated cellulose II are reported for each of the spectroscopically resolved carbon resonances using the phase adjusted spinning sideband (PASS) experiment. The data are compared with experimental results using the recoupling of anisotropy information (RAI) technique and with theoretical calculations of the structure of cellulose, including the hydrogen bonding systems.

Fabrication of Chromophoric Xerogels by Synergistic Combination of Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution and the Sol-Gel Process

The nucleophilic substitution of fluorine of aromatic compounds with n-aminoalkyl trialkoxysilanes and consecutive sol-gel process have been used for the fabrication of various chromophoric sol-gel materials. The displacement of the fluoro substituent of an activated aromatic molecule occurs by a primary or secondary amino group of (CH3O)3Si-(CH2)3-NHR [R- = H-; CH3-, (CH3O)3Si-(CH2)3-] in tetraalkoxysilane or alcohol as solvent and the sol-gel process can be carried in the same vessel. The HF formed is trapped by a tertiary amine and simultaneously serves as the catalyst for the sol-gel process. Various aromatic compounds have been checked for this purpose: 1-(4-fluorophenyl)-2-nitroethylene, 1-(4-fluorophenyl)-2,2-dicyanoethylene, 4-fluorobenzonitrile, 4-fluoronitrobenzene, 4,4′-difluorobenzophenone, 4,4′-difluorobenzil, 7,7′-difluorodibenzylideneacetone, tetrafluoro-p-benzoquinone, and 1,5-difluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene. Mono and disubstitution has been studied by UV/Vis- and solid state NMR spectroscopy of the xerogels.