Bio‐oil from whole‐tree feedstock in resol‐type phenolic resins

Renewable chemicals are of growing importance in terms of opportunities for environmental concerns over fossil‐based chemicals. Lignocellulosic biomass can be converted into energy and chemicals via thermal and biological processes. Among all the transformation processes available, fast pyrolysis is the only one to produce a high yield of a liquid‐phase product called bio‐oil or pyrolysis oil. Bio‐oil is considered to be a promising substitute for phenol in phenol formaldehyde (PF) resin synthesis. In this work, bio‐based phenolic resins have been formulated, partially substituting phenol by bio‐oils from two Canadian whole‐tree species. The new resins are produced by replacing 25, 50, and 75% of phenol with bio‐oil for each species (three bioresins per species). The aim of this study is to synthesize renewable resins with competitive price and satisfactory quality. The results obtained have shown that substitution degree up to 50% provided reactivity and performance equal or superior to the pure PF resin. They also present a good storage stability, improved shear strength, and thermal stability comparable to the pure PF. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2014 , 131, 40014.     

Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy spectroscopic investigation of the aging mechanism of polyethylene terephthalate vascular prostheses

This article attempts to develop and prove a technique to determine the degradation of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) for vascular prostheses. The implicit goal is to be able to quantify the amount of degradation to study the effect of in vivo aging. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H‐NMR) provides a comprehensive view of chemical macromolecular structures. Examination of a series of PET vascular prostheses showed significant chemical differences between the virgin prostheses and the explants collected after aging, especially for diethylene glycol and cyclic oligomers groups. Aging was investigated in terms of chemical scission of ester and ether linkages caused by hydrolytic reaction during the in vivo stay. Besides, we extended this ¹H‐NMR technique to determine hydroxyl end‐group concentrations and therefore the average number of macromolecular weight. To validate ¹H‐NMR results, complementary techniques, the chemical titration method and the classical viscosimetric method, were used. The results showed an increase of hydroxyl end‐group concentration and a decrease in the macromolecular weight for the explants. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

In Vitro and In Vivo Pharmaco-Toxicological Characterization of 1-Cyclohexyl-x-methoxybenzene Derivatives in Mice: Comparison with Tramadol and PCP

1-cyclohexyl-x-methoxybenzene is a novel psychoactive substance (NPS), first discovered in Europe in 2012 as unknown racemic mixture of its three stereoisomers: ortho, meta and para. Each of these has structural similarities with the analgesic tramadol and the dissociative anesthetic phencyclidine. In light of these structural analogies, and based on the fact that both tramadol and phencyclidine are substances that cause toxic effects in humans, the aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro and in vivo pharmacodynamic profile of these molecules, and to compare them with those caused by tramadol and phencyclidine. In vitro studies demonstrated that tramadol, ortho, meta and para were inactive at mu, kappa and delta opioid receptors. Systemic administration of the three stereoisomers impairs sensorimotor responses, modulates spontaneous motor activity, induces modest analgesia, and alters thermoregulation and cardiorespiratory responses in the mouse in some cases, with a similar profile to that of tramadol and phencyclidine. Naloxone partially prevents only the visual sensorimotor impairments caused by three stereoisomers, without preventing other effects. The present data show that 1-cyclohexyl-x-methoxybenzene derivatives cause pharmaco-toxicological effects by activating both opioid and non-opioid mechanisms and suggest that their use could potentially lead to abuse and bodily harm.