Hierarchical structure in polymer‐based drug delivery systems as probed by calorimetric measurements

Thermoporosimetry (TPM), a differential scanning calorimetry technique that relies on the shift of transition temperatures caused by the confinement of liquids, was applied to elucidate the complex morphology of drug‐loaded polymeric microcapsules prepared by the emulsion solvent evaporation method. For the very first time, TPM has been applied simultaneously with two liquids as structural probes. It was found that Miglyol, which dissolves the selected drug (Ibuprofen), is confined inside vesicles having a mean radius of 26.3 nm, whereas water, which is the continuous phase, is trapped inside a swollen polymeric network of Eudragit with an average mesh radius of 1.7 nm. A proposed hierarchical structure is given, which predicts that Eudragit microcapsules are formed from a collection of inert oil vesicles partitioned by polymeric Eudragit membranes swollen by water. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 1939–1945, 2010     

Possible use of DFT approaches for the determination of double exchange interactions

DFT calculations are performed on a model mixed-valence system presenting a double exchange phenomenon. Due to the intrinsic multireference character of the lowest Ms components of the spin states, it is shown that the interactions involved in the double-exchange model cannot be simply extracted from the DFT energies as it is sometimes done. It is, however, possible to extract from different DFT single determinant energies the interactions of a generalized Hubbard Hamiltonian, from which, in a second step, the double-exchange spectrum may be evaluated. The problems generated by the charge and spin polarization are discussed in both symmetric and non symmetric geometries, and the sensitivity of the results to the choice of the density functional is illustrated.     

A Cox Process Involved in the Bose–Einstein Condensation

The point process corresponding to the configurations of bosons in standard conditions is a Cox process driven by the square norm of a centered Gaussian process. This point process is infinitely divisible. We point out the fact that this property is preserved by the Bose–Einstein condensation phenomenon and show that the obtained point process after such a condensation occured, is still a Cox process but driven by the square norm of a shifted Gaussian process, the shift depending on the density of the particles. This law provides an illustration of a “super”- Isomorphism Theorem existing above the usual Isomorphism Theorem of Dynkin available for Gaussian processes. Submitted: February 8, 2008. Accepted: March 5, 2008.     

A serendipitous conversion of enaminolactone nitriles with primary amines: a new synthesis of substituted 2-aminopyridine derivatives

In the course of our studies on Cerpegin analogues synthesis, a serendipitous reactivity of enaminolactone nitrile has been observed. Instead of expecting iminocerpegins, we have gained new class of substituted 2-aminopyridines. The methodology has been applied on a wide range of primary amines, as aliphatic, aromatic, heteroaromatic and also, diamines, hydrazines and chiral amines.     

Bacteria encapsulation in colloidal inorganic matrices: Is it a general method?

Zirconium oxyhydroxide nanoparticles prepared by an aqueous route were evaluated for Escherichia coli bacteria encapsulation. A low viability rate was measured 24 hours after immobilization that could be attributed to nanoparticle cytotoxicity. Moreover, the presence of glycerol, a long-term cell-preserving molecule, hindered gel formation, probably due to its adsorption on the nanoparticle surface. A comparison with boehmite and ferrihydrite gels previously synthesized following a similar aqueous colloidal route suggests that the generalization of this method will rely on a careful control of the nanoparticle surface reactivity and may require surface chemical modification.