Induction heating for surface triggering styrene polymerization on titanium modified with ATRP initiator

Titanium and its alloys present high interests for technological applications due to their high corrosion resistance, mechanical properties and biocompatibility. In combination with these remarkable characteristics, some Ti applications require specific surface properties that can be imparted with suitable surface functionalizations of the TiO(2) oxide layer. The present work aims to study the surface-initiated ATR polymerization of styrene on titanium substrates, using grafted 11-(2-bromoisobutyrate)-undecyl-1-phosphonic acid as initiator and to compare the impact of two different heating ways on the efficiency of this polymerization: induction vs. conventional heating. The ability of the initiator to bind titanium substrates and act as an initiator for ATRP of styrene is investigated: both heating conditions led to the polymerization of styrene on modified titanium substrates. However, induction heating appeared to be much more efficient than conventional heating, leading to the formation of a thicker, much denser polystyrene layer than conventional heating after only 1h of polymerization.     

Surface-initiated ATRP of 2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl 2-(trimethylammonio)ethyl phosphate on Phynox

Phynox is of high interest for technological applications due to its high corrosion resistance, mechanical properties and biocompatibility. In combination with these remarkable characteristics, some Phynox applications require specific surface properties that can be imparted with suitable surface functionalizations of the oxide layer. The present work aims at studying the surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of 2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl 2-(trimethylammonio)ethyl phosphate (MPC) on Phynox substrates, using grafted 11-(2-bromoisobutyrate)-undecyl-1-phosphonic acid as initiator. The ability of the initiator to bind Phynox substrates and act as an initiator for ATRP of MPC is investigated. It appears that ATRP polymerization of MPC on modified Phynox substrates already takes place in aqueous media at room temperature, but the yield at 90 °C is superior.     

Study of a driven and braked wheel using maximal monotone differential inclusions: applications to the nonlinear dynamics of wheeled vehicles

A wheel subjected to two friction forces, one exerted by the ground and one exerted by the brake pad, is studied. A formalism using multivalued operators allows us to write the constitutive laws of this wheel in the form of a differential inclusion, for which we have the existence and the uniqueness of the solution, as well as the convergence of the associated numerical scheme. This wheel may be connected by itself to a chassis. The chassis may also be connected to two of these wheels. In these two cases, we again obtain a well-posed differential inclusion, in terms of existence, uniqueness, and convergence of the numerical scheme. In a more general manner, numerous applications can be proposed in the domain of the nonlinear dynamics of wheeled vehicles.     

On the trajectory of an individual chosen according to supercritical Gibbs measure in the branching random walk

Consider a branching random walk on the real line. Madaule (2016) showed the renormalized trajectory of an individual selected according to the critical Gibbs measure converges in law to a Brownian meander. Besides, Chen (2015) proved that the renormalized trajectory leading to the leftmost individual at time $n$ converges in law to a standard Brownian excursion. In this article, we prove that the renormalized trajectory of an individual selected according to a supercritical Gibbs measure also converges in law toward the Brownian excursion. Moreover, refinements of this results enables to express the probability for the trajectories of two individuals selected according to the Gibbs measure to have split before time $t$, partially answering a question of Derrida and Spohn (1988).     

Displacement of droplets on a vibrating structure

A water droplet placed on a vibrating surface moves toward the antinode of the vibration. The acoustic radiation pressure can explain this non-linear phenomenon. In this paper, the use of a piezoelectric actuator to produce a displacement of liquid droplets is pointed out. Due to geometry of the actuator and the position of piezoelectric ceramics, it is possible to generate stationary modes in the structure where the nodal lines can move.     

Fluorescent PET chemosensors for lithium

The synthesis of the chiral diaza-9-crown-3 derivatives 1 (S,S) and 2 (R,R) is described. These sensors were designed as luminescent chemosensors for lithium where the fluorescence emission from the naphthalene moieties was ‘switched on’ upon Li⁺ recognition by the crown ether moiety in organic solvents, showing excellent selectivity over other group I and group II cations. Even though the recognition of Li⁺ was not achieved in water (pH 7.4) or aqueous alcohol solution, the fluorescence (which was switched on at pH 7.4) was substantially modulated by spherical anions, where the fluorescence emission was quenched in the presence of Br⁻ and I⁻ but less by Cl⁻ and not by acetate. This indicates that the emission was quenched by heavy-atom affect. The recognition of Li⁺ was also investigated by ¹H NMR in CD₃CN and by observing the changes in the circular dicromism spectra. For the former, the resonances for the crown ether moiety and α-methyl protons adjacent to the ring were sifted upfield and broadened, whereas for 1 the intensity of the CD signal for the π-π transition was substantially modulated upon Li⁺ recognition.     

Reactivity of cyclohexene epoxides toward intramolecular acid-catalyzed cyclizations for the synthesis of naturally occurring cage architectures

This account compiles our results on the reactivity of cyclohexene epoxides toward the synthesis of naturally occurring cage architectures, in particular, the one found in harringtonolide. Bicyclic and branched monocyclic functional triads (hydroxy-epoxy-esters) were synthesized with the aim of undertaking cascade processes toward the formation of lactone and/or cycloether bridges, through a central epoxide opening. This work successfully culminated in the cascade cyclization of the fully oxygenated bridge-structure of harringtonolide, by using a dual Brønsted-Lewis acid complex.     

Palladated cyclodextrin and halloysite containing polymer and its carbonized form as efficient hydrogenation catalysts

β‐Cyclodextrin (β‐CD) and glycidyl methacrylate monomer were polymerized in the presence of functionalized halloysite nanoclay (Hal) to afford a polymeric network (Hal‐P‐CD) containing Hal and CD. Hal‐P‐CD was then applied as a catalyst support for the immobilization of Pd nanoparticles. The resulting nanocomposite, Pd@Hal‐P‐CD, could serve as a catalyst for the hydrogenation of nitrobenzene. The precise study by the preparation of control samples confirmed the contribution of CD as both phase transfer and capping agent, P (polymer) and Hal to the catalysis. Moreover, the results confirmed the importance of CD: glycidyl methacrylate monomer ratio. Pd@Hal‐P‐CD was also carbonized to prepare Pd@Hal‐C. Notably, the characterization of Pd@Hal‐C showed that carbonization led to the growth of mean diameter of Pd nanoparticles, increase of Pd content and partial destruction of Hal. However, the catalytic activity of Pd@Hal‐C was superior to Pd@Hal‐P‐CD. Pd@Hal‐C was also highly recyclable and could be recovered and recycled for several reaction runs. The study of the carbonization temperature showed that this factor affected the nature of the resulting carbon and the catalyst prepared at elevated temperature showed higher catalytic activity.