Aggregation of hydrophobically modified polysaccharides in solution and at the air-water interface

The present article focuses on the comparative study of physicochemical properties of two ionic pullulan derivatives modified by 10 or 35 C8 chains per 100 anhydroglucose units, named CMP10C8 and CMP35C8, respectively. In aqueous solutions, these derivatives exhibited an associative behavior as evidenced by pyrene fluorescence spectroscopy. This phenomenon, which stems from intra- and/or intermolecular interactions between the hydrophobic groups grafted on the polymer backbone, results in the formation of more or less condensed aggregates depending on the C8 ratio and the ionic strength of the media. The hydrophobically modified pullulans also displayed surface properties. Their adsorption at the air-solution interface was assessed from surface tension measurements. The results showed that both hydrophobized polymers adsorb in a coil conformation occupying a large interfacial molecular area. The comparison of these molecular areas indicated that CMP35C8 adopts a more shrunken conformation at the interface than CMP10C8, due to stronger intramolecular interactions. The stability of the adsorbed monolayer under bulk dilution was investigated by ellipsometric measurements. Whereas bulk dilution had no effect on the stability of the adsorbed CMP35C8 film, it provoked significant changes in the adsorbed CMP10C8 monolayer. The stability of the CMP35C8 monolayers was attributed to the existence of intermolecular associations between the adsorbed coils.     

Characterisation of middle-distillates by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC x GC): A powerful alternative for performing various standard analysis of middle-distillates

The detailed characterisation of middle distillates is essential for a better understanding of reactions involved in refining process. Owing to higher resolution power and enhanced sensitivity, comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC x GC) is a powerful tool for improving characterisation of petroleum samples. The aim of this paper is to compare GC x GC and various ASTM methods -- gas chromatography (GC), liquid chromatography (LC) and mass spectrometry (MS) -- for group type separation and detailed hydrocarbon analysis. Best features of GC x GC are demonstrated and compared to these techniques in terms of cost, time consumption and accuracy. In particular, a new approach of simulated distillation (SimDis-GC x GC) is proposed: compared to the standard method ASTM D2887 it gives unequal information for better understanding of conversion process.     

NMR-restrained docking of a peptidic inhibitor to the N-terminal domain of the phosphoenolpyruvate:sugar phosphotransferase enzyme I

Starting from the NMR structure of the binary complex between the N-terminal domain of the unphosphorylated enzyme I (EIN) of the phosphoenolpyruvate:sugar phosphotransferase (PTS) and the histidine-containing phosphocarrier protein (HPr), a molecular model of the phosphorylated transition state of the related complex was established using constrained simulated annealing. The coordinates of the phosphorylated EIN enzyme were then used in a second step for flexible docking of a decapeptide inhibitor of EIN whose enzyme-bound conformation itself was determined by NMR using transferred nuclear Overhauser effects. Two phosphorylation models of the peptide inhibitor were investigated and shown to be both functional. Interestingly, one model is very similar to that of the complex between EIN and its natural substrate HPr. The present study demonstrates that NMR-guided flexible docking constitutes an interesting tool for docking highly flexible peptide ligands and facilitates the upcoming protein-based design of nonpeptide EIN inhibitors for discovering new antibiotics.     

Asymmetric synthesis of the tricyclic core of cyathin diterpenoids via intramolecular Heck reaction

The enantioselective synthesis of the ketones 3 which displays the carbon core of NGF-inducing cyathane diterpenes is described. The key tricyclic trienone 22 was assembled in 13 steps from Michael adduct (R)-8a via intramolecular Heck cyclization of the chiral triflate 21. The trienone 22 was further elaborated into ketone 3 through trimethylaluminum-promoted expansion of the C-ring with trimethylsilyldiazomethane.     

Utilisation des plans factoriels fractionnaires pour l'étude de la réaction de bucherer-bergs: Synthèse de la cyclohexane spirohydantoîne

The only sixteen experiments of a fractional factorial design have been necessary to study the influence on the yield of cyclohexanospirohydantoin of the seven following factors: flask volume, cyanide and ammonium carbonate concentrations, quanities of water and ethanol, temperature and reaction time. The experimental strategy and results are compared with a recently published Simplex optimization, showing a better knowledge of the reaction after using a factorial design.     

Stereoselective synthesis of (1R,3S)-cis-chrysanthemic acid through microbiological reduction of 2,2,5,5-tetramethyl 1,4-cyclohexanedione.

An efficient, highly stereoselective synthesis of (1$\text{R}$,3$\text{S}$)-$\text{cis}$-chrysanthemic acid 6 is described. The crucial step of this synthesis was the microbiological reduction of dione 1 into ($\text{S}$)-ketol 2.     

Highly diastereoselective synthesis of C6-functionalized dihydroimidazotriazines

[reaction: see text] The first examples of C(6)-substituted 7-hydroxy-6,7-dihydro-5H-imidazo[1,2-b][1,2,4]triazines have been prepared by ring closure of different 5(2H)-1,2,4-triazin-3-ones 1a-c with 40% aqueous glyoxal and various nucleophiles (alcohols, thiols, or amines). The structure and exact stereochemistry of 2a was established by a single X-ray diffraction study and (1)H and (13)C NMR spectra analysis. The process was shown to be totally regio- and diastereoselective. A mechanism involving an imine intermediate was proposed.     

Construction of giant dendrimers using a tripodal building block

Giant pentane-soluble organo-silicon dendrimers have been synthesized using a triallylphenol brick according to a new divergent construction that uses a hydrosilylation-nucleophilic substitution sequence up to the ninth generation (G(9)). All the reactions were monitored by (1)H, (13)C, and (29)Si NMR until G(9), indicating that they were clean at the NMR accuracy until this last generation. MALDI TOF mass spectra were recorded for G(1) to G(4) and show the nature and amounts of defects that are intrinsic to the divergent construction. This technique and SEC (recorded up to G(5)) confirm the monodispersity (1.00 to 1.02) from G(1) to G(5). HRTEM and AFM images recorded for the high generations disclose the expected smooth dendrimer size progression and the globular shape. At G(9), the theoretical number of termini (TNT) is 177 407 branches (abbreviation: G(9)-177 047). It is estimated that more than 10(5) terminal branches are actually present in the G(9) dendrimer, far beyond the De Gennes "dense-packing" limit (6000 branches), and it is believed that the branch termini turn inside the dendrimer toward the core. This is corroborated by lower reaction rates and yields for the highest generation numbers presumably due to intradendritic reactions. It is probable that the dendritic construction is limited by the density of branches inside the dendrimer, i.e., far beyond the dense-packing limit.     

A Long Cycle‐Life High‐Voltage Spinel Lithium‐Ion Battery Electrode Achieved by Site‐Selective Doping

Spinel LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ (LNMO) is a promising cathode candidate for the next‐generation high energy‐density lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs). Unfortunately, the application of LNMO is hindered by its poor cycle stability. Now, site‐selectively doped LNMO electrode is prepared with exceptional durability. In this work, Mg is selectively doped onto both tetrahedral (8a) and octahedral (16c) sites in the Fd m structure. This site‐selective doping not only suppresses unfavorable two‐phase reactions and stabilizes the LNMO structure against structural deformation, but also mitigates the dissolution of Mn during cycling. Mg‐doped LNMOs exhibit extraordinarily stable electrochemical performance in both half‐cells and prototype full‐batteries with novel TiNb₂O₇ counter‐electrodes. This work pioneers an atomic‐doping engineering strategy for electrode materials that could be extended to other energy materials to create high‐performance devices.     

Easy access to 3- or 5-heteroarylamino-1,2,4-triazines by S(N)Ar, S(N)H, and palladium-catalyzed N-heteroarylations

In this paper, N-arylations between two heteroaryl compounds were studied. Conditions were found to generate selectively either 3- or 5-heteroarylamino-1,2,4-triazines by investigating anionic processes (use of bases such as 2,2',6,6'-tetramethylpiperidine/tBuOK/nBuLi) or Pd-catalyzed N-arylations [Pd(OAc)(2), xantphos]. These methods were successfully applied to a wide variety of heteroarylamines and allowed us to pursue our work on fused polynitrogen compounds synthesis.