Synthesis,Photophysics and Nonlinear Optical Properties of Stilbenoid Pyrimidine‐Based Dyes Bearing Methylenepyran Donor Groups

The nonlinear properties and the photophysical behavior of two π‐conjugated chromophores that incorporate an electron‐deficient pyrimidine core (A) and γ‐methylenepyrans as terminal donor (D) groups have been thoroughly investigated. Both dipolar and quadrupolar branching strategies are explored and rationalized on the basis of the Frenkel exciton model. Even though a cooperative effect is clearly observed if the dimensionality is increased, the nonlinear optical (NLO) response of this series is moderate if one considers the nature of the D/A couple and the size of the chromophores (as measured by the number of π electrons). This effect was attributed to a disruption in the electronic conjugation within the dyes’ scaffold for which the geometry deviates from planarity owing to a noticeable twisting of the pyranylidene end‐groups. This latter structural parameter also has a strong influence on the excited‐state dynamics, which leads to a very efficient fluorescence quenching.     

Toward phenanthridin-2-ylidene: electrophilicity versus acidity in planar-constrained C-aryl iminium salts

A phenanthridinium salt was prepared in four steps, including an intramolecular CH-arylation and a hydride abstraction reaction. Treatment with sterically demanding bases does not lead to the corresponding carbene, but rather to addition products: the planar-constrained geometry significantly enhances the electrophilicity over the acidity of C-aryl iminium salts.     

Efficient Synthesis of 3‐Pyrrolylquinolines via an 1,3‐Dipolar Cycloaddition/Oxidation Sequence

The synthesis of some new functionalized quinolyl derivatives relies on the 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition of an azomethine ylide, generated from sarcosine and paraformaldehyde, to quinolyl α,β‐unsaturated esters, followed by oxidation of the pyrrolidinyl moiety to pyrrole with activated MnO₂.     

Mass spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy study of silicone tunneled dialysis catheter integrity after an exposure of 15 days to 60% ethanol solution

Anti-infectious lock is an emerging therapeutic option for preventing and/or controlling catheter-associated infection. Ethanol has widespread bactericidal activity, limited side effects, and low risk of inducing antimicrobial resistance. However, concerns have been raised about ethanol-induced catheter structural degradation. In this study, silicone catheters were immersed at 37 degrees C in three different solvents: 0.9% sodium chloride, 60% ethanol, and 95% ethanol for 4 h, 15 days and 15 days after a first storage of 4 h. Scanning electron microscopy (magnification 1000-20 000 times) of the inner surface of the catheter revealed no damage to the lumen surfaces of catheters immersed in 95% ethanol for 15 days compared with the reference catheter. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS) analysis of the storage solutions revealed a significant release of polydimethylsiloxanes having a number of dimethylsiloxane units lower than 30 in the 95% ethanol solution and a structure highly consistent with a cyclic structure. Most release occurred within the first 4 h of exposure. In contrast, there was no difference in the small amounts of silicone released in 0.9% sodium chloride as reference and 60% ethanol solution, whatever the exposure time. These results should allow the development of clinical trials to assess the efficacy of the 60% ethanol lock technique in preventing or controlling the infectious complications of silicone dialysis catheters.     

Dynamic kinetic resolution of amines involving biocatalysis and in situ free radical mediated racemization

[reaction: see text] The association of lipase-catalyzed enzymatic resolution with in situ racemization mediated with the thiyl radical enables the dynamic kinetic resolution of non-benzylic amines. It leads to (R)-amides with high enantioselectivities. It can be applied either to the conversion of racemic mixtures or to the inversion of (S)-enantiomers.     

Surface characterization of three marine bacterial strains by Fourier transform IR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry, correlation with adhesion on stainless steel surfaces

Adhesion of bacterial strains on solid substrates is likely related to the properties of the outer shell of the micro-organisms. Aiming at a better understanding and control of the biofilm formation in seawater, the surface chemical composition of three marine bacterial strains was investigated by combining Fourier transform IR spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). The D41 strain surface showed evidence of proteins, as deduced from the NH2 and NCO XPS and ToF-SIMS fingerprints; this strain was found to adhere to stainless steel, glass, or Teflon surfaces in a much higher quantity (2 orders of magnitude) than the two other ones, DA and D01. The latter are either enriched in COOH or sulfates, and this makes them more hydrophilic and less adherent to all substrates. Correlations with physicochemical properties and adhesion seem to demonstrate the role of the external layer composition, in particular the role of proteins more than that of hydrophobicity, on their adhesion abilities.     

Critical behavior of a two-species reaction-diffusion problem in 2D

In this work we study the critical behavior of a model that simulates the propagation of an epidemic process over a population. We simulate the model on two-dimensional finite lattices to determine the critical density of the diffusive population. A finite size scaling analysis is employed to determine the order parameter and correlation length critical exponents.     

Particle-hole symmetry and the Pfaffian state

We show that the particle-hole conjugate of the Pfaffian state-or "anti-Pfaffian" state-is in a different universality class from the Pfaffian state, with different topological order. The two states can be distinguished easily by their edge physics: their edges differ in both their thermal Hall conductance and their tunneling exponents. At the same time, the two states are exactly degenerate in energy for a nu=5/2 quantum Hall system in the idealized limit of zero Landau level mixing. Thus, both are good candidates for the observed sigma_{xy}=5/2(e;{2}/h) quantum Hall plateau.