Synthesis of isocoumarins and alpha-pyrones via tandem Stille reaction/heterocyclization

A general route to alpha-pyrones and 3-substituted isocoumarins from (Z)-iodovinylic acids 1a-f or 2-iodobenzoic acids 4a-c is described, including compounds bearing a substituent on the aromatic ring. Treatment of (Z)-beta-iodovinylic acids 1a-f or 2-iodobenzoic acids 4a-c with various allenyltributyltin reagents in the presence of palladium acetate, triphenylphosphine, and tetrabutylammonium bromide in dimethylformamide provided good yields of the corresponding alpha-pyrones 3a-k or 3-substituted isocoumarins 5a-g via tandem Stille reaction and 6-endo-dig oxacyclization.     

Extraction and analysis of different Cannabis samples by headspace solid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A headspace solid-phase microextraction combined with GC-MS method was developed for the extraction and analysis of cannabinoids from Cannabis samples. Different commercially available fibres were evaluated; polydimethylsiloxane 100 microm was selected as the most efficient one. In order to enhance sensitivity and reduce analysis time, the sampling temperature was studied and it showed that extraction should be performed at a high temperature (150 degrees C). In relation with the high lipophilicity of cannabinoids, a relatively long desorption time (3 min) was necessary to ensure a total transfer from the fibre into the injection port of the gas chromatograph. The method was finally applied to the extraction of Swiss marijuana samples from different regions. Data treatment by principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis allowed a discrimination of the different batches.     

Crystal Smectic-B Phase from a Mesomorphic Ferrocene Derivative

The thermal properties of two ferrocene derivatives, substituted by either one or two cholesteryloxycarbonyl units, were investigated. While the monosubstituted ferrocene derivative 1 was found to be non-mesomorphic, the disubstituted ferrocene derivative 2 exhibited a crystal smectic-B phase. This result shows that ferrocene-containing thermotropic liquid crystals, despite the bulkiness of the metallocene core, are not limited to disordered calamitic phases.     

Unexpected Rearrangement of Diethyl (±)(S,S)-1,2-epoxy-2-Phenylpentylphosphonate by NH 3(aqu.) : An Easy Entry to Ethyl 1-Formyl-1-Phenylbutylphosphonate

A simple reaction of diethyl ( - )(S,S)-1,2-epoxy-2-phenylpentylphosphonate with 28% NH 3(aqu.) in MeOH led to the ethyl 1-formyl-1-phenylbutylphosphonate in excellent yield. The procedure consists simply in stirring the substrate and 28% NH 3(aqu.) in MeOH, at 40;C.     

Multiscale NMR investigations of two anatomically contrasted genotypes of sorghum under watered conditions and during drought stress

Today, in the presence of global warming, understanding how plants respond to drought stress is essential to meet the challenge of developing new cultivars and new irrigation strategies, consistent with the maintenance of crop productivity. In this context, the study of the relation between plants and water is of central interest for modeling their responses to biotic and abiotic constraints. Paradoxically, there are very few direct and noninvasive methods to quantify and measure the level and the flow of water in plants. The present work aims to develop a noninvasive methodology for living plant based on nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) at low magnetic field and imaging (MRI) to tackle the issue of water quantity in plants. For this purpose, a portable NMR device measuring the signal level at 8 mT was built. This instrument addresses specific challenges such as miniaturization, accessibility, and overheating in order to maintain the plant intact of time over long period. Time dependence of the water content in sorghum plants is reported under abiotic stress as well as the fraction of transpirable soil water and the photosynthesis activity through the leaves. At high magnetic field (9.4 T), T2 maps were acquired on the same sorghum plants at two time points. The combination of these approaches allows us to identify ecophysiological biomarkers of drought stress. One particular interesting result concerns the spatial distribution of water in two anatomically contrasted sorghum genotypes.     

Non-equilibrium gate tunneling current in ultra-thin (<2 nm) oxide MOS devices

The modeling of the electrical properties of ultra-thin (<2 nm thick) oxide metal–oxide–semiconductor (MOS) structures requires the self-consistent solution of the Schrödinger and the Poisson equations. To calculate the change density profile required by the Poisson equation, the occupancy of the quantum electronic states solution of the Schrödinger equation is a key issue. The most widely used approximation consists in assuming that the states that impinge from cathode and anode are occupied according to the Fermi–Dirac distribution with a quasi-Fermi (imref) level equal to that of the corresponding reservoir. The cathode and anode quasi-Fermi levels differ in the applied bias. In this work, we study the failure of this quasi-equilibrium approximation in the case of a MOS structure biased in accumulation. Our approach consists in considering the balance between inelastic scattering of electrons in the accumulation layer and the tunneling through the oxide. Using this procedure, we estimate that this quasi-equilibrium approximation fails for oxide thickness between 1 and 2 nm. Finally, we argued that kinetic treatments of transport are required for thinner oxides.