Synthèse et propriétés photochimiques de modèles imides et amides contenant des structures norbornadiènes pentaméthylés

Four pentamethylated norbardiene (NBD) models containing imide, bis-imide and diamides were synthesized in the first step of this work with a good yield and characterized by IR, ¹HNMR and ¹³CNMR spectroscopies. These models were used for study, by UV-Visible spectrophotometry, of the photochemical isomerisation under solar radiations of NBD residues, which they contain to quadricyclane (QC). Acquired results show, for all these models, that more than 70 % of NBD are transformed into QC after only 30 minutes of solar radiations and following a first order rate.     

Combination of Statistical Similarity Measure and Derivative Morphological Profile Approach for Oil Slick Detection in SAR Images

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is widely used to detect and monitor oil pollution on the sea surface. As it is sensitive to surface roughness, the presence of oil film on the sea surface decreases the backscattering of this target type resulting in a dark feature patches in SAR images. In this paper, a new approach for oil slicks detection is presented. It is mainly based on SAR image texture analysis using the combination of a statistical similarity measure and a derivative morphological profile. Oil slicks signature is extracted trough two steps procedure. First, SAR image inspection is performed in order to highlight the dark spots suspected to be oil slicks. The inspection is achieved through a similarity measure between a local probability density function (lpdf) of clean water and the lpdf of the area to be inspected. The local distribution is estimated in the neighbourhood of each pixel and compared to a reference one using the Kullback-Leibler KL distance between distributions. Second, and once spots highlighted, texture features extraction using the Derivative Morphological Profile is porformed in order to improve the detection results. algorithm has been applied to Envisat Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) and European Remote Sensing (ERS) images and it yields an accurate segmentation results. Indeed, the features extraction improves the detection slicks probability Pd of ASAR, respectively ERS, images from 93.08 %to 97.37 %and from 96.32 to 99.57 % on one hand, and reduces the false alarms probability respectively from 6.92 to 2.63 %and from 3.68 to 0.59 % on the other hand.     

Theoretical investigation of luminescence behavior as a function of alkyl chain size in 4-aminobenzonitrile alicyclic derivatives

There is still controversy about the structure of the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) emitting species in pi-electron donor-acceptor systems that show dual fluorescence. Although the twisted ICT model is quite generally accepted, the planar ICT model is not ruled out because firm experimental evidence supports it. Among these it is the fact that some rigidized systems such as bicyclic 4-aminobenzonitrile derivatives exhibit dual fluorescence. We present here an ab initio CASSCF/CASPT2 study of a series of these compounds with the alicyclic chain ranging from 5 to 7 carbon atoms and compare their ICT mechanism with the more flexible 4-aminobenzonitrile (ABN) and 4-(dimethylamino)benzonitrile (DMABN). We present the energetics, geometries, and valence bond structures of the critical points of the potential-energy surfaces of the ground, local excited (LE), and ICT states. Our results show that the photophysical differences of the studied systems may be rationalized by two factors: the position of the ICT and LE potential-energy surfaces at the first stages of the ICT reaction and the relative energies of the excited-state minima. Computational evidence is presented that a twisted ICT structure can be adopted in some molecules such as NXC6 and NXC7 and that the anomalous band of the fluorescence spectra of these systems is emitted from a twisted ICT species.     

Diameter-selective dispersion of single-walled carbon nanotubes using a water-soluble, biocompatible polymer

One-step diameter-selective dispersion of HiPco single-walled carbon nanotubes has been accomplished through noncovalent complexation of the nanotubes with a water-soluble, biocompatible polymer chitosan at room temperature.     

Infrared spectroscopy of hydrated amino acids in the gas phase: protonated and lithiated valine

We report here infrared spectra of protonated and lithiated valine with varying degrees of hydration in the gas phase and interpret them with the help of DFT calculations at the B3LYP/6-31++G** level. In both the protonated and lithiated species our results clearly indicate that the solvation process is driven first by solvation of the charge site and subsequently by formation of a second solvation shell. The infrared spectra of Val x Li+ (H2O)4 and Val x H+ (H2O)4 are strikingly similar in the region of the spectrum corresponding to hydrogen-bonded stretches of donor water molecules, suggesting that in both cases similar extended water structures are formed once the charge site is solvated. In the case of the lithiated species, our spectra are consistent with a conformation change of the amino acid backbone from syn to anti accompanied by a change in the lithium binding from a NO coordination to OO coordination configuration upon addition of the third water molecule. This change in the mode of metal ion binding was also observed previously by Williams and Lemoff [J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom. 2004, 15, 1014-1024] using blackbody infrared radiative dissociation (BIRD). In contrast to the zwitterion formation inferred from results of the BIRD experiments upon addition of a third water molecule, our spectra, which are a more direct probe of structure, show no evidence for zwitterion formation with the addition of up to four water molecules.     

Quantitative measurement of naphthalene in low-pressure flames by jet-cooled laser-induced fluorescence

We have recently developed a new laser based set-up (Jet-Cooled Laser-Induced Fluorescence) for the analysis of aromatic compounds generated in flames. This method relies on the extraction of the species from the flame via a thin microprobe and their direct analysis inside a supersonic free jet by Laser-Induced Fluorescence (LIF). Under the supersonic conditions of the jet, the vibronic spectra of the molecules become structured as the possibility of electronic transitions is reduced, allowing their selective detection by LIF. In addition, due to the very low quenching efficiency inside the jet, LIF signals can be directly related to the population of the probed species and easily calibrated into absolute concentrations. All of the work presented here has been carried out for naphthalene, which is an important PAH involved in soot formation mechanisms. The calibration procedure is described in detail. We also report a detailed study of the quantitative features of the technique, in particular cooling efficiencies and collision rates as well as some additional potential factors that could bias the quantitative aspect of the method. Finally, the possibilities of the technique for the measurement of PAH within flames in the presence of soot particles along with its accuracy and reproducibility are demonstrated by recording naphthalene mole fractions profiles in several rich CH₄/O₂/N₂ flames. A detection limit of the order of a ppb is demonstrated under flame conditions with and without the presence of soot particles.     

Liquid crystalline comb-like polyimides with biphenyl-based side groups

We have synthesized series of comb-like polyimides with mesogenic units in their side groups. Such comb-like polyimides were obtained by polycondensation of aromatic diamines bearing biphenyl-based mesogenic moieties with bicyclo[2,2,2]oct-7-ene 2,3,5,6-tetracarboxylic dianhydride (BCDA). The different diamines, with two lengths of spacer (with 6 and 11 methylene groups), were synthesized in three steps using as mesogenic groups: biphenyl, 4-cyanobiphenyl and 4-(2-methyl-1-butoxy)biphenyl. The synthesis of the polyimides was performed in two steps: polycondensation of a dianhydride with a diamine in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone at room temperature giving the corresponding polyamic acid, followed by thermal cyclization into the corresponding polyimide. The comb-like polyimides were studied by X-ray diffraction between room temperature and 250°C. Two types of smectic structure were established: SmA₁ for the long spacer and SmC₁ for the short spacer.     

Copolyimides containing alicyclic and fluorinated groups: Solubility and gas separation properties

A series of polyimides with alicyclic and fluorinated moieties previously synthesized were studied for gas separation applications. The solubility behavior of polyimides in various solvents was analyzed through the solubility parameter approach. Permeability coefficients and ideal selectivities were determined for common gases, that is, He, H₂, O₂, and N₂. Polyimide permeabilities were correlated to an improvement of the soluble character and were increased by the introduction of both alicyclic and fluorinated structures. The effect of the casting solvent on gas separation properties was also pointed out. It was found that it is enhanced with increasing diameters for the gas molecules. Finally, some correlations between permeability coefficients and microstructural parameters were discussed. The probability of correlation appears to be also dependent on the diameter and on the polarizability of the gas molecule. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 2413–2426, 2005.     

Mechanistic aspects of bond activation with perfluoroarylboranes

In the mid-1990s, it was discovered that tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane, B(C(6)F(5))(3), was an effective catalyst for hydrosilylation of a variety of carbonyl and imine functions. Mechanistic studies revealed a counterintuitive path in which the function of the borane was to activate the silane rather than the organic substrate. This was the first example of what has come to be known as "frustrated Lewis pair" chemistry utilizing this remarkable class of electrophilic boranes. Subsequent discoveries by the groups of Stephan and Erker showed that this could be extended to the activation of dihydrogen, initiating an intense period of activity in this area in the past 5 years. This article describes the early hydrosilylation chemistry and its subsequent applications to a variety of transformations of importance to organic and inorganic chemists, drawing parallels with the more recent hydrogen activation chemistry. Here, we emphasize the current understanding of the mechanism of this process rather than focusing on the many and emerging applications of hydrogen activation by fluoroarylborane-based frustrated Lewis pair systems.