Phenethyl

Reaction of 3-substituted isocoumarins (la-h) with excess of sodium borohydride in methanol gave the corresponding 2-(2-(hydroxymethyl)phenyl)ethanol derivatives (2a-h). Antimicrobial activities of synthesized compounds were measured, using Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Proteus mirabilis) and Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus).

The biosynthesis of herpesvirus DNA in rabbit kidney cells is inhibited to 50% by PEA (2-Phenylethanol) at 0.65 mg PEA/ml. The inhibition of cellular DNA synthesis in uninfected cells by PEA is about twice as sensitive as that of viral DNA synthesis.
The cellular DNA-dependent DNA polymerase is inhibited in a non-competitive way. The 50% inhibitory concentration amounts to 0.8 mg PEA/ml.
In contrast the herpesvirus induced DNA-dependent DNA polymerase is 10-fold more resistant towards PEA.

Styrenic block-copolymer polymerizable surfactants, when engaged in emulsion polymerization of core−shell acrylic latexes, are forming copolymers containing a large majority of monomer units. These copolymers can be extracted, and analyzed, after extensive washing of the particles by ultrafiltration.

ω-(p-Vinylphenyl)alkanols, including methanol, ethanol, propanol, pentanol, and hexanol, have been partially alkoxidated with potassium naphthalene to initiate anionic polymerization of ethylene oxide (EO) in order to directly prepare the corresponding α-p-vinylphenylalkyl-ω-hydroxy poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) macromonomers. p-Vinylphenylmethanol, i.e. p-vinylbenzyl alcohol (VBA) afforded the expected well-defined macromonomer via living polymerization mechanism and the kinetics have been examined as a function of extent of potassium-alkoxidation.

Anionic polymerizations of 2-(4-vinylphenyl)ethoxy(trialkyl)silanes and 2-(4-vinylphenyl)ethoxy(t-butoxydimethyl)silane were investigated with oligo(α-methylstyryl)dilithium or -dipotassium as initiator in tetrahydrofuran at −78°C. These monomers readily polymerized to form ‘living polymers’. Subsequent deprotection of the silyl groups from the resulting polymers gave poly[2-(4-vinylphenyl)ethanol]s of the desired molecular weights with narrow molecular weight distributions ().

Poly[2-(4-vinylphenyl)ethanol]s of known chain legth and of narrow molecular weight distribution have been synthesized by means of anionic living polymerization of the corresponding trimethylsilylated monomer, 2-(4-vinylphenyl)ethoxy-(trimethyl)silane, followed by acid hydrolysis. A block copolymer of poly[2-(4-vinylphenyl)ethanol-b-styrene-b-]2-(4-vinylphenyl)ethanol has also been prepared using living polystyryldianion as the initiator.