Simultaneous fabrication of superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic polyimide surfaces with low hysteresis

Polyimide is of great interest in the field of MEMS and microtechnology. It is often used for its chemical, thermal, mechanical, and optical properties. In this paper, an original study is performed on controlled variation of polyimide film wettability. A two-step microtexturing method is developed to transform hydrophilic polyimide surfaces into a superhydrophobic surface with low magnitude of hysteresis (Δθ ≈ 0° and contact angle θ ≈ 158°). This method is based on the conception of a new kind of fakir surface with triangular cross-section micropillars, the use of a two-scale roughening, and a C(4)F(8) coating. We demonstrate that the absence of hysteresis is related to a combination of two scales of structuring and the pillar shape. The technology that has been developed results in the simultaneous fabrication of adjacent superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic small areas, which allows an effect of self-positioning of water droplets when deposited on such a checkerboard-like surface.     

Direct functionalisation of group 10 N-heterocyclic carbene complexes for diversity enhancement

The synthesis of alkyne-substituted N-heterocyclic carbene complexes of Pd(II) and Pt(II) is reported. Catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition with azides has been applied as a modular way of functionalisation of group 10 transition metal NHC complexes to generate potentially new metallodrugs.     

New transesterification reaction between acetylated wood and tetramethoxysilane: A feasibility study

Novel transesterification of acetylated maritime pine sapwood (Pinus pinaster Soland) reaction was performed with tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) in presence of dibutyltin oxide as a catalyst. Transesterification was confirmed by weight percent gain calculations (WPG), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) as well as ¹³C and ²⁹Si NMR CP-MAS analysis. The results showed that transesterification indeed occurs via exchange of acetate groups from acetylated wood and methoxysilane groups from TMOS. The effect of temperatures and reaction time upon transesterification efficiency was also investigated.     

An efficient way to 1,7-enynes and ethyl 8-yn-2-enoates from aldohexoses and to polyhydroxylated 1-vinylcyclohexenes

In this paper, we report the synthesis of carbohydrate-derived 1,7-enynes and subsequent metathesis to yield polyhydroxylated 1-vinylcyclohexenes. For example, we converted D-glucose 2 to the (6,7)-dideoxy-D-gluco-hept-6-ene-pyranose 7, which led to the desired 1,7-enyne 16. The ring-closing metathesis of this 1,7-enyne 16 with the second generation Grubbs catalyst, under Mori's conditions, gave the corresponding polyhydroxylated 1-vinylcyclohexene 25 in 76% yield. The conversion of several aldohexoses into polyhydroxylated 1-vinylcyclohexenes was carried out with satisfying yields. We report also the synthesis of two carbohydrate-derived ethyl 8-yn-2-enoates from D-glucose derivatives.     

DEUSS: a perdeuterated poly(oxyethylene)-based resin for improving HRMAS NMR studies of solid-supported molecules

A novel resin called DEUSS (perdeuterated poly(oxyethylene)-based solid support) has been prepared by anionic polymerization of deuterated [D4]ethylene oxide, followed by cross-linking with deuterated epichlorohydrin. DEUSS can be suspended in a wide range of solvents including organic and aqueous solutions, in which it displays a high swelling capacity. As measured by proton HRMAS of the swollen polymer, the signal intensity of the oxyethylene protons is reduced by a factor of 110 relative to the corresponding nondeuterated poly(oxyethylene)poly(oxypropylene) (POEPOP) resin, thus facilitating detailed HRMAS NMR studies of covalently linked molecules. This 1H NMR invisible matrix was used for the solid-phase synthesis of peptides, oligoureas, and a series of amides as well as their characterization by HRMAS NMR spectroscopy. On-bead NMR spectra of high quality and with resolution comparable to that of liquid samples were obtained and readily interpreted. The complete absence of the parasite resin signals will be of great advantage, for example, for the optimization of multistep solid-phase stereoselective reactions, and for the conformational study of resin-bound molecules in a large variety of solvents.     

Chiral discrimination within disordered adlayers on metal surfaces

Using a novel non-linear optical technique enantiomeric excess within a translationally disordered overlayer on a metal surface has been monitored for the first time.     

Co(II)5(OH)6(SO4)2(H2O)4: the first ferromagnet based on a layered cobalt-hydroxide pillared by inorganic...OSO3-Co(H2O)4-O3SO..

The synthetic mineral Co(II)5(OH)6(SO4)2(H2O)4 (1), obtained by hydrothermal reaction of CoSO4.7H2O and NaOH at 165 degrees C and consisting of brucite-like Co4(OH)6O2 layers pillared by OSO3-Co(H2O)4-O3SO, is a ferromagnet (T(Curie)= 12 K, Hc= 580 Oe).     

Identification and functional characterization of a novel α-conotoxin (EIIA) from Conus ermineus

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are one of the most important families in the ligand-gated ion channel superfamily due to their involvement in primordial brain functions and in several neurodegenerative pathologies. The discovery of new ligands which can bind with high affinity and selectivity to nAChR subtypes is of prime interest in order to study these receptors and to potentially discover new drugs for treating various pathologies. Predatory cone snails of the genus Conus hunt their prey using venoms containing a large number of small, highly structured peptides called conotoxins. Conotoxins are classified in different structural families and target a large panel of receptors and ion channels. Interestingly, nAChRs represent the only subgroup for which Conus has developed seven distinct families of conotoxins. Conus venoms have thus received much attention as they could represent a potential source of selective ligands of nAChR subtypes. We describe the mass spectrometric-based approaches which led to the discovery of a novel α-conotoxin targeting muscular nAChR from the venom of Conus ermineus. The presence of several posttranslational modifications complicated the N-terminal sequencing. To discriminate between the different possible sequences, analogs with variable N-terminus were synthesized and fragmented by MS/MS. Understanding the fragmentation pathways in the low m/z range appeared crucial to determine the right sequence. The biological activity of this novel α-conotoxin (α-EIIA) that belongs to the unusual α4/4 subfamily was determined by binding experiments. The results revealed not only its selectivity for the muscular nAChR, but also a clear discrimination between the two binding sites described for this receptor.     

The low energy tautomers and conformers of the dipeptides HisGly and GlyHis and of their sodium ion complexes in the gas phase

The low-lying conformers of the dipeptides HisGly and GlyHis, and of their sodium cation complexes, have been studied with a combination of Monte Carlo search with the Amber force field and local geometry optimization at the ab initio HF/6-31G(d) level, completed with MP2(full)/6-311+G(2d,2p) energetics at the HF/6-31G(d) geometries. For each dipeptide, both the N(delta)-H and N(epsilon)-H tautomers of the imidazole side chain of His were considered. For each of the four isomeric dipeptides, 20-30 conformers were fully characterized at the ab initio level. All low energy structures are found to involve H-bonding at the N(delta) position of imidazole, either as a N-H donor or a N acceptor, depending upon the tautomer. In three out of the four species, the most stable conformer involves a C-terminus carboxylic acid in its less favorable trans conformation, in order to maximize intramolecular H bonding. It turns out that the lowest energy tautomer of HisGly is N(epsilon)-H, while that of GlyHis is N(delta)-H. This result argues in favor of the diversity of His tautomeric states in peptides and proteins. The sodium cation complexes of both GlyHis and HisGly have been studied as well, again considering both tautomers in each case. In three out of the four species, the most stable structure involves chelation of sodium by the two carbonyl oxygens and the imidazole ring. On the contrary, the sodium complex of the N(delta)-H tautomer of HisGly favors chelation to the peptidic carbonyl oxygen, the imidazole ring and the amino terminus. In the N(epsilon)-H tautomers of both peptides, the most favorable binding site of imidazole is the N(delta) nitrogen, while in the N(delta)-H tautomers, it is the pi cloud which provides side chain interaction. As a result, both GlyHisNa+ and HisGlyNa+ favor the N(epsilon)-H tautomer of His, in contrast to what was found for the free peptides.