pH-responsive aqueous foams stabilized by hairy latex particles

Polystyrene (PS) latex particles carrying pH-responsive poly[2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate] (PDEA) hair (PDEA-PS particles) were synthesized by dispersion polymerization and characterized in terms of diameter, diameter distribution, morphology, chemical composition, surface chemistry, and pH-response using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), elemental microanalysis, (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, the laser diffraction method, and zeta potential measurements. The hairy particles can act as pH-responsive stabilizers of aqueous foams by adsorption at the air-water surface. Above pH 8.0, where particles have nonprotonated PDEA hair, which is relatively hydrophobic, particle-stabilized foams are stable for at least 1 month. Optical microscopy and SEM confirmed that flocculated PDEA-PS latex particles were adsorbed at the air-water interface and stabilized the aqueous foams. At pH 6.1 and 7.1, relatively stable foams can be prepared that remain stable for at least 24 h. SEM studies indicated that the PDEA-PS particles were adsorbed at the air-water interface as a monolayer at pH 6.1. At pH 5.1 and 3.1, where the particles have cationic water-soluble PDEA hairs with hydrophilic character, no foam was formed. Rapid defoamation can be induced by lowering the solution pH; the addition of acid caused the in situ protonation of 2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate residues, which impart water-soluble hydrophilic character to the PDEA hair, and the PDEA-PS particles desorbed from the air-water interface. The foaming and defoaming cycles could be repeated at least five times.     

"Click-made" biaryl-linker improving efficiency in protein labelling for the membrane target protein of a bioactive compound

We report on the design, synthesis and assessment of a novel biaryl-linked (BArL) molecular probe for the exploration of low-abundant target proteins for bioactive compounds based on the activity based protein profiling (ABPP) approach. Surprisingly, the performance of the BArL probe was better than that of the stepwise tagging approach that is considered to be the most effective method used in ABPP study.     

Towards single cell heat shock response by accurate control on thermal confinement with an on-chip microwire electrode

Metal electrodes with micron scale width enable the heating of less than a dozen cells in a confluent layer at predictable temperatures up to 85 °C with an accuracy of ±2 °C. Those performances were obtained by a preliminary robust temperature calibration based on biotin-rhodamine fluorescence and by controlling the temperature map on the substrate through thermal modeling. The temperature accuracy was proved by inducing the expression of heat shock proteins (HSP) in a few NIH-3T3 cells through a confined and precise temperature rise. Our device is therefore effective to locally induce a heat shock response with almost single-cell resolution. Furthermore, we show that cells heated at a higher temperature than the one of heat shock remain alive without producing HSP. Electrode deposition being one of the most common engineering processes, the fabrication of electrode arrays with a simple control circuit is clearly within reach for parallel testing. This should enable the study of several key mechanisms such as cell heat shock, death or signaling. In nanomedicine, controlled drug release by external stimuli such as for example temperature has attracted much attention. Our device could allow fast and efficient testing of thermoactivable drug delivery systems.     

A divergent synthesis of dihydropyridazinones,N‐substituted dihydropyrazoles,and O‐substituted pyrazoles

Dihydropyridazinones 4a , 4b , N‐substituted dihydropyrazoles 5b , 5c , 5d , and O‐substituted pyrazoles 6a , 6b , 6c , 6d have been synthesized starting from spirocyclopropanepyrazole derivative 2 . Treatment of 2 with α‐chloro esters, e.g., methyl chloroacetate, ethyl chloroacetate, isopropyl chloroacetate, and tert‐butyl chloroacetate, in potassium carbonate/sodium iodide system caused ring opening and subsequent C‐ or N‐attack nucleophilic substitution to give the corresponding dihydropyridazinones 4a , 4b and N‐substituted dihydropyrazoles 5b , 5c , 5d . On the other hand, in the absence of sodium iodide, O‐substituted pyrazoles 6a , 6b , 6c , 6d were obtained from 2 via an O‐attack nucleophilic substitution. J. Heterocyclic Chem., 2011.     

Synthesis of 3‐Acyl‐4‐alkenylpyrrolidines by Platinum‐Catalyzed Hydrative Cyclization of Allenynes

A series of nitrogen‐tethered allenynes (‘5‐aza‐1,2‐dien‐7‐ynes’) 1 were transformed to the corresponding 3‐acyl‐4‐alkenylpyrrolidines 3 when treated with a catalytic amount of PtCl₂ in MeOH at 70°. Initial Pt‐promoted cyclization forms a nonclassical carbocationic intermediate. In contrast to the cycloisomerization in toluene, which produced the bicyclic cyclobutenes 2 , the intermediate is intercepted by addition of an oxygen nucleophile to achieve the formal hydrative cyclization.     

Untersuchungen über Hydratation von Metallhalidrauchen mit Elektronenbeugung

Zusammenfassung Mittels Elektronenbeugung wurden Versuche durchgeführt, die Hydratationsf?higkeit einiger Metallhalide festzustellen. Bei den Cd-Haliden nimmt die Hydratationsf?higkeit nach folgender Reihe ab: CdCl₂>CdBr₂>CdJ₂ und bei Metallchloriden nach folgender Reihe ZnCl₂>CdCl₂>PbCl₂>HgCl₂>Hg₂Cl₂ ab. Diese Ergebnisse entsprechen dem Anionen- oder Kationendurchmesser. Für 80% rel. Feuchtigkeit zeigen Hg₂Cl₂ und PbCl₂ Platzwechsel der Atome.