Vesicle propulsion in haptotaxis: A local model

We study theoretically vesicle locomotion due to haptotaxis. Haptotaxis is referred to motion induced by an adhesion gradient on a substrate. The problem is solved within a local approximation where a Rayleigh-type dissipation is adopted. The dynamical model is akin to the Rousse model for polymers. An invariant formulation is used to solve a dynamical model which includes a kind of dissipation due to bond breaking/restoring with the substrate. For a stationary situation where the vesicle acquires a constant drift velocity, we formulate the propulsion problem in terms of a nonlinear eigenvalue (the a priori unknown drift velocity) one of Barenblat-Zeldovitch type. A counting argument shows that the velocity belongs to a discrete set. For a relatively tense vesicle, we provide an analytical expression for the drift velocity as a function of relevant parameters. We find good agreement with the full numerical solution. Despite the oversimplification of the model it allows the identification of a relevant quantity, namely the adhesion length, which turns out to be crucial also in the nonlocal model in the presence of hydrodynamics, a situation on which we have recently reported (I. Cantat and C. Misbah, Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 235 (1999)) and which constitutes the subject of a forthcoming extensive study. Received 10 February 2000     

Direct observation of variations of optical properties in single quantum dots by using time-resolved near-field scanning optical microscope

We study the variations of optical properties of self-assembled In_0.5Ga_0.5As single quantum dots (QDs) in the spatial and time domains by combining a near-field scanning optical microscope with an ultrafast pulsed laser. Through the examinations of several tens of QDs, we find that the variations of photoluminescence (PL) intensity strongly depend on the condition of the initial carrier creation. The differences in quantum efficiency and those in the carrier flow rate into QDs cause the large distribution of PL intensity when the carriers are excited in the barrier layers. From the results of time-resolved PL decay measurements, we find that there are two types of QDs exhibiting quite different PL decay profiles.     

Novel carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions using carbocations produced from substituted propargyl silyl ethers by the action of TMSOTf.

Highly useful carbon-carbon bond forming reactions using stable allenyl, propargyl, or allyl-propargyl hybrid cations have been developed. These carbocations could be generated from silyl 1-(pi-donor)-substituted propargyl ethers by the action of trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate in dichloromethane at -78 degrees C to room temperature and could be attacked nucleophilically by electron rich arenes, allylsilanes, or enol silyl ethers, giving rise to allenes, alkynes, and their derivatives. A novel method for regio- and stereoselective synthesis of conjugated enynes utilizing allyl-propargyl hybrid cations has also been established.     

Aromatization of enamines promoted by a stoichiometric amount of palladium(II) salts: a novel method for the synthesis of aromatic amines.

Enamines (1a-r) prepared from cyclohexanones, cyclohexane-1,3-diones, or tetralones led to arylamines (2a-r) in one pot when treated with a stoichiometric amount of palladium salts [PdCl2-(MeCN)2] in acetonitrile in the presence of triethylamine at room temperature or at elevated temperature, in some cases for 5 min to 2 h. The initial electrophilic attack of palladium chloride on the beta-carbon of the enamines led to a sigma-palladium species (8) which triggered a series of reactions (-->9-->10-->11-->12) destined for aromatization to give 2a-r in good yields. The intervention of such a sigma-palladium species has been attested by a trapping experiment. On the basis of this reaction mechanism, we have developed another new process capable of transforming acyclic compounds having 6-en-2-one frameworks (16, 23, 25) to arylamines (2s-u) when their enamines were treated under the similar conditions as above, featuring again the formation of sigma-palladium species such as 8 as the initial key intermediate.     

Radiation induced DNA strand breaks measured by a modified method of gel scanning

Gel electrophoresis is an effective method for assaying plasmid DNA fractions, and UV lights with long wavelengths such as 315 nm is used to image the gel. In the present work, the sensitivities of detecting the fluorescence emitted from ethidium bromide (EB) stained DNA bands in the gel illuminated with UV lights of various wavelengths were compared. It was found that, in the range 245 to 320 nm, shorter excitation wavelength had higher detection sensitivity, thus 260 nm was selected for further studies. With this excitation light, as little as 0.7 ng DNA was detected. The fluorescence of DNA-EB bands had a good linear response to DNA quantity in a wide range. In addition, measured via this modified method, the yield of DNA strand breaks and the second-order rate coefficient of the reaction between DNA and √OH radical were consistent with many previous studies.     

Radiative lifetime measurements of metastable levels in Kr3+ using electrostatic ion beam trap

The radiative lifetimes of the metastable 4s²4p^{3 2}P_3/2 and ²P_1/2 levels in Kr³⁺ ions were measured using an electrostatic ion beam trap. The lifetimes were determined by measuring the number of photons emitted during the ²P_3/2 → ⁴S_3/2 and ²P_1/2 → ⁴S_3/2 forbidden transitions of the stored Kr³⁺ ions, as a function of the storage time. The obtained lifetime values for the ²P_3/2 and ²P_1/2 states were 23.3 ± 1.4 and 52.8 ± 3.8 ms, respectively. For the ²P_3/2 state, this is the first experimental investigation of the radiative lifetime. Considering the experimental errors, the obtained lifetimes are consistent with the previously reported theoretical predictions for each state and the experimental result for the ²P_1/2 state.     

Photo-modulation of supramolecular polymorphism in the self-assembly of a scissor-shaped azobenzene dyad into nanotoroids and fibers

Recent advances in the research field of supramolecularly engineered dye aggregates have enabled the design of simple one-dimensional stacks such as fibers and of closed structures such as nanotoroids (nanorings). More complex and advanced supramolecular systems could potentially be designed using a molecule that is able to provide either of these distinct nanostructures under different conditions. In this study, we introduced bulky but strongly aggregating cholesterol units to a scissor-shaped azobenzene dyad framework, which affords either nanotoroids, nanotubes, or 1D fibers, depending on the substituents. This new dyad with two trans-azobenzene arms shows supramolecular polymorphism in its temperature-controlled self-assembly, leading to not only oligomeric nanotoroids as kinetic products, but also to one-dimensional fibers as thermodynamic products. This supramolecular polymorphism can also be achieved via photo-triggered self-assembly, i.e., irradiation of a monomeric solution of the dyad with two cis-azobenzene arms using strong visible light leads to the preferential formation of nanotoroids, whereas irradiation with weak visible light leads to the predominant formation of 1D fibers. This is the first example of a successful light-induced modulation of supramolecular polymorphism to produce distinctly nanostructured aggregates under isothermal conditions.

Introduction of the bulky yet strongly aggregating cholesterol units to an azobenzene dyad lead to a supramolecular polymorphism not only in its temperature-controlled but also in photo-triggered self-assembly, leading to toroids and helical fibers.     

Unusual low-temperature thermodynamic properties of pellet samples of (DMe-DCNQI)<Subscript>2</Subscript>M (<Emphasis Type="Italic">M</Emphasis>=Li,Ag)

Summary We have performed low-temperature heat capacity measurements on pellet samples of (DMe-DCNQI)₂M (M=Li, Ag) which is known to show spin-Peierls transitions at 51 and 86 K, respectively. A linearly temperature-dependent term in the low-temperature heat capacity has been observed for both the samples: It is attributable to the spin-wave excitations induced by the inhomogeneous pressure effects produced in the pellet forming process. Although the temperature dependences of the magnetic susceptibility in both materials are almost the same, the coefficient of T-linear term of the Ag salt becomes three times larger that that of the Li salt. The peculiar electronic state originating from the competition of the spin-Peierls mechanism and the Coulomb repulsion is suggested.