New integrated measurement protocol using capillary electrophoresis instrumentation for the determination of viscosity, conductivity and absorbance of ionic liquid-molecular solvent mixtures

The low vapor pressure and the versatility of the physico-chemical properties of ionic liquids make them really attractive as an alternative for conventional molecular solvents. The knowledge of their physico-chemical properties (viscosity, conductivity, miscibility with organic solvents and anion-cation interactions) has appeared mandatory for better targeting their applications, although it is generally still lacking or incomplete.This work promotes capillary electrophoresis instrumentation as an integrated apparatus for measurement of viscosity, conductivity and absorbance of pure ionic liquids and ionic liquid-molecular solvent mixtures. Compared to current conventional techniques, the assets of this instrumentation for this purpose are the combined availability of a pressure delivery system, power supply, diode array absorbance detector and thermoregulation device, allowing unattended, automatic and easy operation, involving minimum sample handling. Most importantly, the required sample volume can be reduced to about 50 μL, making this protocol very cost-effective. A protocol was optimized with respect to time, sample consumption and data reliability for the determination of these physico-chemical parameters. Ionic liquids selected for method development and validation differed in the nature of their cation (butyl- and ethyl-methylimidazolium) and anion (trifluoromethanesulfonate and bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide). Various molecular solvents were mixed with these ionic liquids (acetonitrile, methanol, dimethylformamide and trifluoroethanol) and the same physico-chemical properties were determined by optimized methods. The knowledge of these data should be of great support in various application areas, including the development of new separation media for capillary electrophoresis and chromatographic techniques.     

Nonequilibrium synthesis and assembly of hybrid inorganic-protein nanostructures using an engineered DNA binding protein

We show that a protein with no intrinsic inorganic synthesis activity can be endowed with the ability to control the formation of inorganic nanostructures under thermodynamically unfavorable (nonequilibrium) conditions, reproducing a key feature of biological hard-tissue growth and assembly. The nonequilibrium synthesis of Cu(2)O nanoparticles is accomplished using an engineered derivative of the DNA-binding protein TraI in a room-temperature precursor electrolyte. The functional TraI derivative (TraIi1753::CN225) is engineered to possess a cysteine-constrained 12-residue Cu(2)O binding sequence, designated CN225, that is inserted into a permissive site in TraI. When TraIi1753::CN225 is included in the precursor electrolyte, stable Cu(2)O nanoparticles form, even though the concentrations of [Cu(+)] and [OH(-)] are at 5% of the solubility product (K(sp,Cu2O)). Negative control experiments verify that Cu(2)O formation is controlled by inclusion of the CN225 binding sequence. Transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction reveal a core-shell structure for the nonequilibrium nanoparticles: a 2 nm Cu(2)O core is surrounded by an adsorbed protein shell. Quantitative protein adsorption studies show that the unexpected stability of Cu(2)O is imparted by the nanomolar surface binding affinity of TraIi1753::CN225 for Cu(2)O (K(d) = 1.2 x 10(-)(8) M), which provides favorable interfacial energetics (-45 kJ/mol) for the core-shell configuration. The protein shell retains the DNA-binding traits of TraI, as evidenced by the spontaneous organization of nanoparticles onto circular double-stranded DNA.     

Nickel determination in osteoblast-like cell culture medium by adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry with a mercury microelectrode

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of nickel, which is an alloying element in commonly used metallic biomaterials, on the biomaterials mineralization process. An electrochemical method was developed to quantify this metal ion in osteoblast-like cell culture medium (OST) by performing adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry (CSV) with dimethylglyoxime (DMG) at a mercury film microelectrode (MFM). The optimized analytical conditions and the square-wave CSV parameters for the analysis are: DMG concentration: 5.00 × 10⁻⁴ mol L⁻¹; ammonium chloride buffer: 0.10 mol L⁻¹ (pH 9.2); frequency: 50 Hz, amplitude 20 mV; step: 2 mV; adsorption time: 10 s, deposition potential: −0.70 V and reduction potential: −1.20 V. The limit of detection was 7.70 × 10⁻⁹ mol L⁻¹ for an adsorption time of 10 s. The results achieved by CSV using the MFM were compared to those obtained by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) to ensure the reliability of the electrochemical method. The mineralization process was evaluated by biochemical and histochemical assays.     

Utilisation de la phenyl-2 dimethyl-4,5 phosphorine comme equivalent synthetique de h=cP. Application a la synthese de la dimethyl-3,4 phosphorine

3,4-Dimethylphosphorin is prepared in five steps from 2,3-dimethylbutadiene and 2-phenyl-4,5-dimethylphosphorin; this synthetic scheme is formally equivalent to a [4+2] cycloaddition between 2,3-dimethylbutadiene and HCP.     

Oligomérisation anionique de l'ethylène. I. Etude cinétique

A kinetic study of ethylene oligomerization in hexane, in the presence of n-BuLi–TMEDA complexes, allowed us to suggest a new mechanism for anionic ethylene oligomerization. n-BuLi and n-Bu(CH₂CH₂)Li species have the same reactivity. The RLi–TMEDA complex in a 1-to-1 stoichiometry is the active species. The following kinetic equation has been established: It reflects the intervention of associated species (n-BuLi–TMEDA)₂ as well as the influence of the concentration of the complexing agent on the kinetics of oligomerization.     

Regioselectivite de la reaction des dialkyl cuprates de magnesium sur des aldehydes α,β-ethyleniques

Various magnesium organocuprates give conjugative addition products with α,β-ethylenic aldehydes, and even with acrolein. The enolates may be trapped with bromine or trimethylsilyl chloride.     

Probing the glycosidic linkage: UV and IR ion-dip spectroscopy of a lactoside

The beta(1-->4) glycosidic linkage found in lactose is a prevalent structural motif in many carbohydrates and glycoconjugates. Using UV and IR ion-dip spectroscopies to probe benzyl lactoside isolated in the gas phase, we find that the disaccharide unit adopts only a single, rigid structure. Its fully resolved infrared ion-dip spectrum is in excellent agreement with that of the global minimum structure computed ab initio. This has glycosidic torsion angles of phi(H) (H1-C1-O-C4') approximately 180 degrees and psi(H) (C1-O-C4'-H4') approximately 0 degrees which correspond to a rotation of approximately 150 degrees about the glycosidic bond compared to the accepted solution-phase conformation. We discuss the biological implications of this discovery and the generality of the strategies employed in making it.     

Conversion directe des phospholes en dihydro-6,7 phosphepines dans la sphere de coordination du tungstene

In the presence of AlCl₃, [1-β-chloroethyl-3,4-dimethylphosphole]pentacarbonyltungsten($\text{1}$) rearranges into [1-chloro-3,4-dimethyl-6,7-dihydrophosphepin]pentacarbonyltungsten ($\text{3}$).     

Reduction des oxydes de phosphines par le systeme Cp2TiCl2-Mg

Phosphine oxides with at least one aryl-P bond are reduced into the corresponding phosphines by stoechiometric amounts of Mg-Cp₂TiCl₂ in boiling THF.     

Volume and heat capacity of model non-aqueous self-assembly systems

Blends of immiscible polymers are often stabilized by block copolymers which can form non-aqueous micelles and microemulsions in the liquid polymers. The phase diagrans, apparent volumes and apparent heat capacities of model non-aqueous binary and ternary systems were studied in order to investigate the conditions under which such self-assembly systems could form. 1,2-Hexanediol, which can cosolubilize hexane and ethyleneglycol, forms inverse micelles in hexane and weak microaggregates in ethyleneglycol. Genapol X-060, a commercial alcoholic surfactant containing on the average an aliphatic chain of 13 carbons and 6 oxyethylenes (C₁₃E₆), forms microaggregates in poly(ethyleneglycol) 400. These self-assembly systems are strengthen in the presence of a third component which has an affinity for the inner phase.Presented at the Symposium, 76^th CSC Congress, Sherbrooke, Quebec, May 30–June 3, 1993, honoring Professor Donald Patterson on the occasion of his 65^th birthday.