Chiroptical effects in the second harmonic signal of collagens I and IV

We performed polarization-resolved surface second harmonic generation (SHG) experiments on thin films of collagen I and IV molecules, as well as conventional CD measurements. We found that collagen IV presents little CD and no SHG optical activity, whereas collagen I exhibits large chiroptical effects involving both one-electron and excitonic coupling mechanisms. We estimated that these chiral components enhance the SHG signal from fibrillar collagen in biological tissues by typically a factor of 2. By comparing the distinct behaviors of collagens I and IV in SHG microscopy and in surface SHG experiments, we concluded that SHG microscopy is a sensitive probe of the micrometer-scale structural organization of collagen in biological tissues.     

Multiplex multidimensional nanoLC-MS system for targeted proteomic analyses

The present work describes a dual-column and dual-sprayer LC-MS system for high-throughput proteomic analyses. This system consists of two precolumns for sample desalting and two analytical columns. Each column is terminated by a nanoelectrospray emitter mounted on a robotic arm enabling their sequential positioning in front of the sampling cone of the mass spectrometer. The effluent from each emitter is recorded in separate acquisition channels without detectable crosstalk. Gradient elution to both nanoLC columns is delivered by a single HPLC system via a flow splitter. The reproducibility of retention time and peak intensity of the present multiplex system were comparable to those obtainable using a single emitter configuration. Replicate injections of complex tryptic digests (n = 10) indicated that this system provided good reproducibility of retention time and peak intensity on both columns with RSD values of less than 0.9 and 18.6%, respectively. The application of this system is demonstrated for the monitoring of protein expression changes in U937 human monocyte cells with and without phorbol ester administration. Furthermore, we also demonstrated the use of this multiplex system in a 2-D LC configuration to increase sample loading and throughput for the analysis of biomarker samples of higher complexity. Variations in peptide abundance down to two-fold change were identified across salt fractions for spiked tryptic digests present at a level of 50 fmol in 1.5 microg of plasma samples.     

Structural and kinetic effects of chloride ions in the palladium-catalyzed allylic substitutions

Addition of ligands to [Pd(η³-RCHCHCH₂)(μ-Cl)]₂ or chloride ions to cationic [(η³-RCHCHCH₂)PdL₂]⁺BF₄⁻ induces the formation of neutral complexes η¹-RCHCHCH₂PdClL₂ (R=H with L=(4-ClC₆H₄)₃P, (4-CH₃C₆H₄)₃P, (4-CF₃C₆H₄)₃P or L₂=1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)butane (dppb), 1,1′-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene (dppf); R=Ph with L=(4-ClC₆H₄)₃P), instead of the expected cationic complexes [(η³-RCHCHCH₂)PdL₂]⁺Cl⁻. In the presence of chloride ions, the reaction of morpholine with the cationic complexes [(η³-allyl)Pd(PAr₃)₂]⁺BF₄⁻ (Ar=4-ClC₆H₄, 4-CH₃C₆H₄) goes slower and involves both cationic [(η³-allyl)Pd(PAr₃)₂]⁺ and neutral η¹-allyl-PdCl(PAr₃)₂ complexes as reactive species in equilibrium with Cl⁻. The cationic complex is more reactive than the neutral one. However, their relative contribution in the reaction strongly depends on the chloride concentration, which controls their relative concentration. The neutral η¹-allyl-PdCl(PAr₃)₂ may become the major reactive species at high chloride concentration. Consequently, [Pd(η³-allyl)(μ-Cl)]₂ associated with ligands or cationic [(η³-allyl)PdL₂]⁺BF₄⁻, used indifferently as precursors in palladium-catalyzed allylic substitutions, are not equivalent. In both situations, the mechanism of the Pd-catalyzed allylic substitution depends on the concentration of the chloride ions, delivered by the precursor or purposely added, that determines which species, [(η³-allyl)PdL₂]⁺ or/and η¹-allyl-PdClL₂ are involved in the nucleophilic attack with consequences on the rate of the reaction and probably on its regioselectivity. Consequently, the chloride ions of the catalytic precursors [Pd(η³-allyl)(μ-Cl)]₂ must not be considered as ‘innocent’ ligands.     

Normal modes of a model radiating system

In order to gain insight into normal modes of realistic radiating systems, we study the simple model problem of a finite string and a semi-infinite string coupled by a spring. As expected there is a family of modes which are basically the modes of the finite string slowly damped by the radiation of energy to infinity on the semi-infinite string. But we also study another family of modes, found by Dyson in a different model problem, which are strongly damped modes of the semi-infinite string itself. These may be analogous to the modes of black holes, and they are likely to be present in relativistic stars as well. The question of whether the instability in these modes which Dyson found is present in realistic stars remains open.     

Infimal Convolution and Optimal Time Control Problem I: Fréchet and Proximal Subdifferentials

We consider a general minimal time problem with a convex constant dynamics and a lower semicontinuous extended real-valued target function defined on a Banach space. If the target function is the indicator function of a closed set, this problem is a minimal time problem for a target set, studied previously in particular by Colombo, Goncharov and Mordukhovich. We investigate several properties of the Fréchet and proximal subdifferentials for the infimum time function. Also explicit expressions of the above mentioned subdifferentials as well as various directional derivatives are obtained. We provide some examples to show the essentiality of assumptions of our theorems.     

Impact of Heteroatom Substitution on Dual-State Emissive Rigidified 2-(2’-hydroxyphenyl)benzazole Dyes: Towards Ultra-Bright ESIPT Fluorophores**

2-(2’-Hydroxyphenyl)benzazole (HBX) fluorophores are well-known excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) emitters largely studied for their synthetic versatility, photostability, strong solid-state fluorescence and ability to engineer dual emission, thus paving the way to applications as white emitters, ratiometric sensors, and cryptographic dyes. However, they are heavily quenched in solution, due to efficient non-radiative pathways taking place as a consequence of the proton transfer in the excited-state. In this contribution, the nature of the heteroring constitutive of these rigidified HBX dyes was modified and we demonstrate that this simple structural modification triggers major optical changes in terms of emission color, dual emission engineering, and importantly, fluorescent quantum yield. Investigation of the photophysical properties in solution and in the solid state of a series of ethynyl-TIPS extended HBX fluorophores, along with ab initio calculations demonstrate the very promising abilities of these dyes to act as bright dual-state emitters, in both solution (even in protic environments) and solid state.     

Phosphahelicenes: From Chiroptical and Photophysical Properties to OLED Applications

Herein, the experimental physicochemical and chiroptical properties of a series of phosphahelicenes are reported, focusing on their UV/Vis absorption, luminescence, electronic circular dichroism, optical rotations, and circularly polarized luminescence. Furthermore, detailed analysis of absorption and ECD spectra performed with the help of quantum-chemical calculations allowed us to highlight general features of these helicenic phosphines. Finally, due to well-suited electrochemical properties and thermal stability, the systems were successfully used as emitters in organic light-emitting diodes.