Exploring Redox States,Doping and Ordering of Electroactive Star‐Shaped Oligo(aniline)s

We have prepared a simple star‐shaped oligo(aniline) ( TDPB ) and characterised it in detail by MALDI‐TOF MS, UV/Vis/NIR spectroscopy, time‐dependent DFT, cyclic voltammetry and EPR spectroscopy. TDPB is part of an underdeveloped class of π‐conjugated molecules with great potential for organic electronics, display and sensor applications. It is redox active and reacts with acids to form radical cations. Acid‐doped TDPB shows behaviour similar to discotic liquid crystals, with X‐ray scattering investigations revealing columnar self‐assembled arrays. The combination of unpaired electrons and supramolecular stacking suggests that star‐shaped oligo(aniline)s like TDPB have the potential to form conducting nanowires and organic magnetic materials.     

Fluid structure interaction problems in large deformation

The present article deals with the simulation of fluid structure interaction problems in large deformation, and discusses two aspects of their numerical solution: (i) the derivation of energy conserving time integration schemes in presence of fluid structure coupling, moving grids, and nonlinear kinematic constraints such as incompressibility and contact, (ii) the introduction of adequate preconditioners efficiently chaining local fluid and structure solvers. Solutions are proposed, analyzed and tested using nonlinear energy correcting terms, and added mass based Dirichlet Neumann preconditioners. Numerical applications include nonlinear impact problems in elastodynamics and blood flows predictions within flexible arteries. To cite this article: P. Le Tallec et al., C. R. Mecanique 333 (2005).     

Characterization of the Vitrocell® 24/48 <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro</Emphasis>aerosol exposure system using mainstream cigarette smoke

Background

Only a few exposure systems are presently available that enable cigarette smoke exposure of living cells at the air-liquid interface, of which one of the most versatile is the Vitrocell® system (Vitrocell® Systems GmbH). To assess its performance and optimize the exposure conditions, we characterized a Vitrocell® 24/48 system connected to a 30-port carousel smoking machine. The Vitrocell® 24/48 system allows for simultaneous exposure of 48 cell culture inserts using dilution airflow rates of 0-3.0 L/min and exposes six inserts per dilution. These flow rates represent cigarette smoke concentrations of 7-100%.

Results

By characterizing the exposure inside the Vitrocell® 24/48, we verified that (I) the cigarette smoke aerosol distribution is uniform across all inserts, (II) the utility of Vitrocell® crystal quartz microbalances for determining the online deposition of particle mass on the inserts, and (III) the amount of particles deposited per surface area and the amounts of trapped carbonyls and nicotine were concentration dependent. At a fixed dilution airflow of 0.5 L/min, the results showed a coefficient of variation of 12.2% between inserts of the Vitrocell® 24/48 module, excluding variations caused by different runs. Although nicotine and carbonyl concentrations were linear over the tested dilution range, particle mass deposition increased nonlinearly. The observed effect on cell viability was well-correlated with increasing concentration of cigarette smoke.

Conclusions

Overall, the obtained results highlight the suitability of the Vitrocell® 24/48 system to assess the effect of cigarette smoke on cells under air-liquid interface exposure conditions, which is closely related to the conditions occurring in human airways.

     

A new heteroleptic oxalate‐based compound: poly[[2‐(aminomethyl)pyridine]di‐μ6‐oxalato‐chromium(III)potassium(I)]

The title compound, [KCr(C₂O₂)₂(C₆H₈N₂)]_n, was obtained from aqueous solution and analyzed with single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction at 100 K. It crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c and displays a three‐dimensional polymeric architecture built up by bimetallic oxalate‐bridged Cr^III–K helical chains linked through centrosymmetric K₂O₂ units to yield a sheet‐like alternating P/M arrangement which looks like that of the previously described two‐dimensional [NaCr(ox)₂(pyim)(H₂O)]·2H₂O [pyim is 2‐(pyridin‐2‐yl)imidazole; Lei et al. (2006). Inorg. Chem. Commun. 9 , 486–488]. The Cr^III ions in each helix have the same chirality. The infinite neutral sheets are eclipsed with respect to each other and are held together by a hydrogen‐bonding network involving 2‐(aminomethyl)pyridine H atoms and oxalate O atoms. Each sheet gives rise to channels of Cr₄K₄ octanuclear rings and each resultant hole is occupied by a pair of 2‐(aminomethyl)pyridine ligands with partial overlap. The shortest Cr...Cr distance [5.593 (4) Å] is shorter than usually observed in the K–M^III–oxalate family.     

Comparison between methods of generation of waveriders derived from conical flowsComparaison de méthodes de génération de waveriders derivés d'écoulements coniques

Waveriders are supersonic or hypersonic lifting configurations which are generated from a known flowfield, preventing leakage from the high-pressure undersurface to the uppersurface, and allowing high lift-to-drag ratios. A method based on an Euler code is used to study waveriders generated from the flow field around axisymmetric bodies. In the case of a cone, the results are compared with those given by the Taylor–Maccoll system and inviscid hypersonic small-disturbance theory. In the present study conditions at Mach 5, the last method paradoxically works at high cone angles (greater than 10°) while the best lift-to-drag ratio are obtained with small angles. To cite this article: B. Mangin et al., C. R. Mecanique 334 (2006).     

Conséquences de l'agrégation et de la percolation de charges sur le comportement viscoélastique de nanocomposites

The aim of the present Note is to differentiate the relative contributions of the aggregation and the percolation phenomena to the viscoelastic behaviour of composites. This separation is performed through the development of a micromechanical model, by taking into account the percolation concept. To cite this article: P. Mélé et al., C. R. Mecanique 333 (2005).