Naphthalimide‐phthalimide derivative based photoinitiating systems for polymerization reactions under blue lights

Naphthalimide‐phthalimide derivatives (NDPDs) have been synthesized and combined with an iodonium salt, N‐vinylcarbazole, amine or 2,4,6‐tris(trichloromethyl)‐1,3,5‐triazine to produce reactive species (i.e., radicals and cations). These generated reactive species are capable of initiating the cationic polymerization of epoxides and/or the radical polymerization of acrylates upon exposure to very soft polychromatic visible lights or blue lights. Compared with the well‐known camphorquinone based systems used as references, the novel NDPD based combinations employed here demonstrate clearly higher efficiencies for the cationic polymerization of epoxides under air as well as the radical polymerization of acrylates. Remarkably, one of the NDPDs (i.e., NDPD2) based systems is characterized by an outstanding reactivity. The structure/reactivity/efficiency relationships of the investigated NDPDs were studied by fluorescence, cyclic voltammetry, laser flash photolysis, electron spin resonance spin trapping, and steady state photolysis techniques. The key parameters for their reactivity are provided. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 665–674     

Convergence of the parabolic Ginzburg–Landau equation to motion by mean curvature

We present some new results for the asymptotic behavior of the complex parabolic Ginzburg–Landau equation. In particular, we establish that, as the parameter ε tends to 0, vorticity evolves according to motion by mean curvature in Brakke's weak formulation. The only assumption we make is a natural energy bound on the initial data. In some cases, we also prove convergence to enhanced motion in the sense of Ilmanen. To cite this article: F. Bethuel et al., C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 336 (2003).     

Evidence of a worldwide stock market log-periodic anti-bubble since mid-2000

Following our investigation of the USA Standard and Poor index anti-bubble that started in August 2000 (Quant. Finance 2 (2002) 468), we analyze 38 world stock market indices and identify 21 “bearish anti-bubbles” and six “bullish anti-bubbles”. An “anti-bubble” is defined as a self-reinforcing price trajectory with self-similar expanding log-periodic oscillations. Mathematically, a bearish anti-bubble is characterize by a power law decrease of the price (or of the logarithm of the price) as a function of time and by expanding log-periodic oscillations. We propose that bearish anti-bubbles are created by positive price-to-price feedbacks feeding overall pessimism and negative market sentiment further strengthened by inter-personal interactions. Bullish anti-bubbles are here identified for the first time. The most striking discovery is that the majority of European and Western stock market indices as well as other stock indices exhibit practically the same log-periodic power law anti-bubble structure as found for the USA S&P500 index. These anti-bubbles are found to start approximately at the same time, August 2000, in all these markets. This shows a remarkable degree of worldwide synchronization. The descent of the worldwide stock markets since 2000 is thus an international event, suggesting the strengthening of globalization.     

A new approach towards peptidosulfonamides: synthesis of potential inhibitors of bacterial peptidoglycan biosynthesis enzymes MurD and MurE

Peptidosulfonamides are an emerging group of peptidomimetics with a variety of applications in medicinal chemistry. We present a novel approach to the synthesis of peptidosulfonamides, and apply it to a series of new potential inhibitors of the bacterial peptidoglycan biosynthesis enzymes MurD and MurE. The synthesis was conducted via N-phthalimido β-aminoethanesulfonyl chlorides, which are new building blocks for the synthesis of peptidosulfonamides. In the most crucial step, sulfonic acids or their sodium salts were converted into the corresponding sulfonyl chlorides using an excess of either SOCl₂ or SOCl₂/DMF, and then coupled to the C-protected amino acid. None of the compounds significantly inhibited MurD, however, some inhibited MurE; one had an IC₅₀ below 200 μM, which constitutes a promising starting point for further development. Molecular modelling simulations were performed on two analogues to investigate the absence of inhibitory activity of the sulfonamide compounds on MurD.     

Dynamics of multiple degree Ginzburg–Landau vortices

For the two-dimensional complex parabolic Ginzburg–Landau equation we prove that, asymptotically, vortices evolve according to a simple ordinary differential equation, which is a gradient flow of the Kirchhoff–Onsager functional. This convergence holds except for a finite number of times, corresponding to vortex collisions and splittings, which we describe carefully. The only assumption is a natural energy bound on the initial data. To cite this article: F. Bethuel et al., C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 342 (2006).     

Toward phenanthridin-2-ylidene: electrophilicity versus acidity in planar-constrained C-aryl iminium salts

A phenanthridinium salt was prepared in four steps, including an intramolecular CH-arylation and a hydride abstraction reaction. Treatment with sterically demanding bases does not lead to the corresponding carbene, but rather to addition products: the planar-constrained geometry significantly enhances the electrophilicity over the acidity of C-aryl iminium salts.     

“String” formulation of the dynamics of the forward interest rate curve

We propose a formulation of the term structure of interest rates in which the forward curve is seen as the deformation of a string. We derive the general condition that the partial differential equations governing the motion of such string must obey in order to account for the condition of absence of arbitrage opportunities. This condition takes a form similar to a fluctuation-dissipation theorem, albeit on the same quantity (the forward rate), linking the bias to the covariance of variation fluctuations. We provide the general structure of the models that obey this constraint in the framework of stochastic partial (possibly non-linear) differential equations. We derive the general solution for the pricing and hedging of interest rate derivatives within this framework, albeit for the linear case (we also provide in the appendix a simple and intuitive derivation of the standard European option problem). We also show how the “string” formulation simplifies into a standard N-factor model under a Galerkin approximation. Received: 30 January 1998 / Revised: 12 February 1998 / Accepted: 16 February 1998     

The composition analysis of YBa2Cu3O7-δ or PrBa2Cu3O7-δ thin films and (YBa2Cu3O7-δ/PrBa2Cu3O7-δ)n heterostructures prepared by CVD

Some YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ films and heterostructures prepared by Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) were analyzed in our laboratories by EPMA-EDX or WDX, RBS, SNMS and AES. It was found that in some cases the results of composition analysis can significantly deviate from each other. At least two main reasons for these deviations exist: the different lateral resolution and the application of different reference samples for the calibration. Received: 3 June 1996 / Revised: 14 October 1996 / Accepted: 16 October 1996