Ultraweak-absorption microscopy of a single semiconductor quantum dot in the midinfrared range

We show that we can measure the room temperature ultraweak absorption of a single buried semiconductor quantum dot. This is achieved by monitoring the deformation field induced by the absorption of midinfrared laser pulses and locally detected with an atomic force microscope tip. The absorption is spectrally and spatially resolved around lambda approximately 10 microm wavelength with 60 nm lateral resolution (lambda/150). The electronic S-D intersublevel absorption of a single quantum dot is identified around 120 meV and exhibits a homogeneous linewidth of approximately 10 meV at room temperature.     

Hybrid copolymer latexes cross-linked with methacryloxy propyl trimethoxy silane. Film formation and mechanical properties

We describe in this work the copolymerization reaction of 3-trimethoxysilyl propyl methacrylate (MPS) with styrene (Styr.) and n-butyl acrylate (BuA) monomers through emulsion polymerization. The so-produced hybrid copolymer (P(BuA-co-MPS)) and terpolymer (P(Styr-co-BuA-co-MPS)) latexes were cast into films that displayed a good optical transparency. The copolymers microstructure in the films was characterized by FTIR, ¹³C and ²⁹Si solid state NMR spectroscopies, and was found to be highly dependent on parameters such as the monomer feed composition, the suspension pH and the silane addition profile. The films obtained from the hybrid latexes showed improved dynamic mechanical properties indicating that a reinforcing organo-mineral network had formed in the composite materials. The dynamic modulus of the hybrids increased with increasing silane contents while, concurrently, the tan δ peak shifted to higher temperatures, broadened and decreased in intensity. To cite this article: S. Vitry et al., C. R. Chimie 6 (2003).     

Synthesis and crystal structures of some bis(3‐methyl‐1H‐indol‐2‐yl)(salicyl)methanes

Four 2,2′‐bisindolylmethanes (BIMs), a useful class of polyindolyl species joined to a central carbon, were synthesized using salicylaldehyde derivatives and simple acid catalysis; these are 2‐[bis(3‐methyl‐1H‐indol‐2‐yl)methyl]‐6‐methylphenol, (IIa), 2‐[bis(3‐methyl‐1H‐indol‐2‐yl)methyl]‐4,6‐dichlorophenol, (IIb), 2‐[bis(3‐methyl‐1H‐indol‐2‐yl)methyl]‐4‐nitrophenol, (IIc), and 2‐[bis(3‐methyl‐1H‐indol‐2‐yl)methyl]‐4,6‐di‐tert‐butylphenol, (IId). BIMs (IIa) and (IIb) were characterized crystallographically as the dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) disolvates, i.e. C₂₆H₂₄N₂O·2C₂H₆OS and C₂₅H₂₀Cl₂N₂O·2C₂H₆OS, respectively. Both form strikingly similar one‐dimensional hydrogen‐bonding chain motifs with the DMSO solvent molecules. BIM (IIa) packs into double layers of chains whose orientations alternate every double layer, while (IIb) forms more simply packed chains along the a axis. BIM (IIa) has a remarkably long c axis.     

Syntheses of rod-shaped fluorescent 1,3,2-benzodiazaboroles with phosphonium, and phosphane chalcogenide acceptor functions

A series of 1,4-phenylenes X-C(6)H(4)-BDB with a 1,3,2-benzodiazaborolyl (BDB) and a phosphorus based end group [X = PPh(2) (2), P(O)Ph(2) (3), P(S)Ph(2) (4), P(Se)Ph(2) (5), P(AuCl)Ph(2) (6) and P(Me)Ph(2) (7)] as well as 2-(2')thienyl-1,3,2-benzodiazaboroles with a second end group X [X = PPh(2) (8), P(S)Ph(2) (9), P(Se)Ph(2) (10) and P(Me)Ph(2) (11)] in the 5' position were synthesised using established methodologies. Molecular structures of 2-9 and 11 were determined by X-ray diffraction. Compounds 3, 4, 6, 7, 9 and 11 show intense blue luminescence in cyclohexane, toluene, chloroform, dichloromethane and tetrahydrofuran with pronounced solvatochromism. Thereby Stokes shifts in the range of 8950-10?440 cm(-1) and quantum yields up to 0.70 were observed in dichloromethane solutions. In contrast to this, for the selenides 5 and 10 quantum yields are small (<0.1). The absorption maxima (298-340 nm) are well reproduced by TD-DFT computations (B3LYB/G-311G(d,p)) and arise from strong HOMO-LUMO transitions. With the exception of 5 and 10 the HOMOs of the molecules under study are mainly located on the benzodiazaborole group. In 5 and 10 the HOMOs are on the selenium atoms. The LUMOs of all new neutral molecules are mainly represented by the phenylene or thiophene bridge. In the phosphonium cations the LUMOs have additional contributions from the phosphonium unit.     

Iron-catalyzed reductive radical cyclization of organic halides in the presence of NaBH4: evidence of an active hydrido iron(I) catalyst

Iron made'em: iron(II) complexes such as FeCl(2) and [FeCl(2)(dppe)(2) ] (dppe=1,2-bisdiphenylphosphinoethane) are efficient precatalysts for the radical cyclization of unsaturated iodides and bromides in the presence of NaBH(4). Cyclic voltammetry studies suggests that the reaction occurs through a radical mechanism via an anionic hydrido iron(I) species as the key intermediate for the activation of the substrates by electron transfer.     

Synthesis and inhibition properties of conformational probes for the mutase-catalyzed UDP-galactopyranose/furanose interconversion

UDP-galactose mutase is a flavoenzyme that catalyzes the isomerization of UDP-galactopyranose into UDP-galactofuranose, a key step in the biosynthesis of important bacterial oligosaccharides. Several mechanisms for this unique ring-contraction have been proposed, one of them involving a putative 1,4-anhydrogalactopyranose as an intermediate in the reaction. The purpose of this study was to probe the mutase binding site with conformationally restricted analogues of its substrate. Thus, we describe the straightforward synthesis of two C-glycosidic UDP-galactose derivatives: analogue 1, presenting a galactose moiety locked in a bicyclic (1,4)B boat conformation, and UDP-C-Galf 2, where the galactose residue is locked in the conformation of the mutase substrate. The two molecules were found to be inhibitors of UDP-galactose mutase at levels depending on the redox state of the enzyme. Strong inhibition of the native enzyme, but a low one of the reduced mutase, were observed with UDP-C-Galf 2, whereas 1 displayed intermediate inhibition levels under both native and reducing conditions. These data provide evidence of a significant conformational difference of the mutase binding pocket in the reduced enzyme and in the native one, the enzyme switching from a low Galf-affinity state (reduced enzyme) to a very strong one (native enzyme). It is remarkable that the mutase binds the boat-locked analogue 1 with similar affinities in both its conformational states. These results support a mechanism involving the formation of 1,4-anhydrogalactopyranose as a low-energy intermediate. An alternative explanation would be that the distortion of the galactose moiety during the cycle contraction transiently brings the carbohydrate into a conformation close to a (1,4)B boat.     

Access to diversely α-substituted cyclopentenones from α-chlorocyclopentenones

α-Chlorocyclopentenones can readily be transformed into a variety of α-substituted cyclopentenones via their dimethyltrimethylene acetals.