Upper rim appended hybrid calixarenes via click chemistry

We report the application of "click" chemistry for the synthesis of hybrid calixarenes appended on the upper rim with carbohydrate and N,C-protected alpha-amino acids. The chemoselective N- or C-deprotection of the alpha-amino acids and their subsequent transformation into dipeptides is described. The first example of a chemo-enzymatic synthesis on upper rim derived calix[4]arenes using trans-sialidase affords sialylated lactose calix[4]arenes. Our innovative chemo-enzymatic process paves the way for further applications.     

Reversible Clustering of Gold Nanoparticles under Confinement

A limiting factor of solvent‐induced nanoparticle self‐assembly is the need for constant sample dilution in assembly/disassembly cycles. Changes in the nanoparticle concentration alter the kinetics of the subsequent assembly process, limiting optical signal recovery. Herein, we show that upon confining hydrophobic nanoparticles in permeable silica nanocapsules, the number of nanoparticles participating in cyclic aggregation remains constant despite bulk changes in solution, leading to highly reproducible plasmon band shifts at different solvent compositions.     

The search for a new model structure of β-Factor XIIa

We present the search for a new model of -factor XIIa, a blood coagulation enzyme, with an unknown experimental 3D-structure. We decided to build not one but three different models using different homologous proteins as well as different techniques and different modellers. Additional studies, including extensive molecular dynamics simulations on the solvated state, allowed us to draw several conclusions concerning homology modelling, in general, and -factor XIIa, in particular.     

β‐CdC2O4

Crystals of an­hydrous cadmium oxalate, β‐[Cd(C₂O₄)], have been synthesized hydro­thermally and the crystal structure solved using single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction data. The Cd and oxalate ions lie about independent inversion centres. The structure consists of a three‐dimensional framework built from sheets of cadmium octahedra linked together by oxalate groups.     

Comparison of several models for multi-size bubbly flows on an adiabatic experiment

This paper deals with the modelling and numerical simulation of isothermal bubbly flows with multi-size bubbles. The study of isothermal bubbly flows without phase change is a first step towards the more general study of boiling bubbly flows. Here, we are interested in taking into account the features of such isothermal flow associated to the multiple sizes of the different bubbles simultaneously present inside the flow. With this aim, several approaches have been developed. In this paper, two of these approaches are described and their results are compared to experimental data, as well as to those of an older approach assuming a single average size of bubbles. These two approaches are (i) the moment density approach for which two different expressions for the bubble diameter distribution function are proposed and (ii) the multi-field approach. All the models are implemented into the NEPTUNE_CFD code and are compared to a test performed on the MTLOOP facility. These comparisons show their respective merits and shortcomings in their available state of development.     

Mössbauer quadrupole splittings and electronic structure in heme proteins and model systems: a density functional theory investigation

We report the results of a series of density functional theory (DFT) calculations aimed at predicting the (57)Fe M?ssbauer electric field gradient (EFG) tensors (quadrupole splittings and asymmetry parameters) and their orientations in S = 0, (1)/(2), 1, (3)/(2), 2, and (5)/(2) metalloproteins and/or model systems. Excellent results were found by using a Wachter's all electron basis set for iron, 6-311G for other heavy atoms, and 6-31G for hydrogen atoms, BPW91 and B3LYP exchange-correlation functionals, and spin-unrestricted methods for the paramagnetic systems. For the theory versus experiment correlation, we found R(2) = 0.975, slope = 0.99, intercept = -0.08 mm sec(-)(1), rmsd = 0.30 mm sec(-)(1) (N = 23 points) covering a DeltaE(Q) range of 5.63 mm s(-)(1) when using the BPW91 functional and R(2) = 0.978, slope = 1.12, intercept = -0.26 mm sec(-)(1), rmsd = 0.31 mm sec(-)(1) when using the B3LYP functional. DeltaE(Q) values in the following systems were successfully predicted: (1) ferric low-spin (S = (1)/(2)) systems, including one iron porphyrin with the usual (d(xy))(2)(d(xz)d(yz))(3) electronic configuration and two iron porphyrins with the more unusual (d(xz)d(yz))(4)(d(xy))(1) electronic configuration; (2) ferrous NO-heme model compounds (S = (1)/(2)); (3) ferrous intermediate spin (S = 1) tetraphenylporphinato iron(II); (4) a ferric intermediate spin (S = (3)/(2)) iron porphyrin; (5) ferrous high-spin (S = 2) deoxymyoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin; and (6) ferric high spin (S = (5)/(2)) metmyoglobin plus two five-coordinate and one six-coordinate iron porphyrins. In addition, seven diamagnetic (S = 0, d(6) and d(8)) systems studied previously were reinvestigated using the same functionals and basis set scheme as used for the paramagnetic systems. All computed asymmetry parameters were found to be in good agreement with the available experimental data as were the electric field gradient tensor orientations. In addition, we investigated the electronic structures of several systems, including the (d(xy))(2)(d(xz),d(yz))(3) and (d(xz),d(yz))(4)(d(xy))(1) [Fe(III)/porphyrinate](+) cations as well as the NO adduct of Fe(II)(octaethylporphinate), where interesting information on the spin density distributions can be readily obtained from the computed wave functions.     

A New Method to Prepare Transition Metal Salts of Bulk and Supported Heteropolyacids. Application to the Catalysis of the Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Isobutyric Acid

Transition metal salts of heteropolyacids have been prepared taking into account the strong acidic and cation exchanging properties of the solid heteropolyacids. The exchange between protons and the transition metal cation is carried out by stirring a suspension of the hydrated heteropolyacid in a solution of the metal acetylacetonate complex in toluene. The exchange occurs on the surface of the solid particles and diffusion of protons and metal cations into the hydrated lattice leads to the substitution of all the protons. The method can be utilized in order to prepare supported vanadyl and copper molybdophosphates from supported heteropolyacids and they have been studied in the catalysis of the oxidative dehydrogenation of isobutyric acid. The effect of vanadyl counter-ions on the catalytic behavior is the same as observed with bulk catalysts but, on the contrary, copper supported molybdophosphate shows an acid catalytic activity not observed with bulk catalysts.