Since C^C* cyclometalated Pt(II) complexes with N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands have been identified as potential emitter materials in organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs), very promising results regarding quantum yields, colour and stability have been presented. Herein, we report on four nitrile substituted complexes with a chelating NHC ligand (1-(4-cyanophenyl)-3-isopropyl-1H-benzo[d]imidazole or 4-(tert-butyl)-1-(4-cyanophenyl)-3-methyl-1H-imidazole) and a bidentate monoanionic auxiliary ligand (acetylacetone or dimesitoylmethane). The complexes have been fully characterized including extensive 2D NMR studies (COSY, HSQC, HMBC, NOESY, 195Pt NMR), three of them also by solid-state structures. Photophysical measurements in amorphous PMMA films and pure emitter films at room temperature reveal the impact of the mesityl groups in the auxiliary ligand, which led to a significant increase of the quantum yield, while the decay lifetimes decreased. The electron withdrawing nitrile groups shift the emission towards blue colour coordinates.

No description available.

Upgrading or migrating a build system can be a daunting task. Complete build system migration requires significant effort. To make the process more effective, we automated the first steps of migration, and attempted to analyze the new build results to find anomalies. Our findings show promise for automation as a first step of migration, and we see that automated evaluation could have some potential.

Les nanoparticules métalliques (MNPs) appliquées en catalyse représentent un domaine attractif en raison de leurs propriétés physiques et chimiques intéressantes. D'autre part, l'ajout d'un autre métal au métal hôte (ici nanoparticules bimétalliques, BMNPs) peut modifier les propriétés électroniques (transfert de charge, hybridation d'orbitales, etc.) et/ou géométriques (alliage, coeurcoquille, hétérodimères, etc.), ce qui peut conduire à améliorer le comportement catalytique, voire envisager une nouvelle réactivité. Le glycérol, quant à lui, possède une structure supramoléculaire complexe qui favorise l'immobilisation des MNPs, et évite leur agglomération, et donc facilite le recyclage de la phase catalytique. Des nanoparticules de Cu(0) (CuNPs) immobilisées dans du glycérol ont été synthétisées en présence de poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) comme stabilisant sous pression d'hydrogène. Les CuNPs dispersées dans le glycérol se sont avérées être un catalyseur robuste pour diverses réactions : formation de liaison C-N, synthèse d'amines propargyliques di- (via couplage croisé déshydrogénant), tri- (via un couplage aldéhyde-amine-alcyne A3) et tétra-substituées (via un couplage cétone-amine-alcyne KA2) ainsi que pour la synthèse d'hétérocycles: indolizines, benzofuranes et quinolines, par des procédés tandem de cycloisomérisation-couplage A3 en utilisant des benzaldéhydes ortho-fonctionnalisés. La phase catalytique de glycérol peut être recyclée plus de cinq fois (formation de liaisons C-N et pour le couplage A3), sans détecter de traces significatives de cuivre dans les produits organiques extraits. Des nanoparticules bimétalliques de palladium-cuivre (PdCuNPs) immobilisées dans le glycérol ont été synthétisées par des méthodes de co-réduction. Selon les différents rapports métalliques, les PdCuNPs peuvent être considérées comme des petits coeurs de Pd enrobés par du Cu (Pd/Cu = 1/1), des alliages aléatoires (Pd/Cu = 1/2) ou un mélange de nanoparticules monométalliques (Pd/Cu = 2/1). Par une voie de synthèse séquentielle, nous obtenons un mélange de nanoparticules monométalliques. La structure des PdCuNPs a également été confirmée par la réactivité observée pour l'hydrogénation des alcynes, montrant Pd1Cu1 et Pd1Cu2 comme structures bimétalliques. Ainsi, ces catalyseurs ont permis d'ajuster la sélectivité des alcènes. En outre, l'influence de Pd incorporé dans le Cu a également été étudiée dans la cycloaddition d'un azidure avec un alcyne (CuAAC). Plus intéressant, des nanoparticules bimétalliques Pd1Cu1 dans le glycérol, agissant comme système catalytique multitâche, ont été utilisées pour les réactions "onepot", notamment la réaction CuAAC et les réactions de couplage croisé C-C (Sonogashira, Suzuki- Miyaura et Heck) (catalysées au Pd). Grâce à des cinétiques différentes entre les réactions CuAAC et couplages C-C, ces procédés tandem ont permis d'obtenir les produits en rendements élevés. De plus, l'hydroaminométhylation d'oléfines catalysée par des complexes de Rh pour synthétiser les amines peut se dérouler dans le glycérol et a montré de meilleures réactivités que dans les solvants organiques. Ces résultats positifs permettent de concevoir un nouveau système biphasique dans le but de recycler la phase catalytique. / Metal nanoparticles (MNPs) applied in catalysis represent an attractive field due to their interesting physical and chemical properties. Besides, the addition of another metal to the host metal in the same entity (bimetallic nanoparticles, BMNPs) can trigger changes in electronic properties (charge transfer, orbital hybridization, etc.) and/or geometric features (alloy, core-shell, heterodimers, etc.), inducing modifications in their catalytic behavior, in terms of activity, selectivity, robustness, or even leading to new reactivity. Concerning the solvent, glycerol, showing a complex supramolecular structure, favors the dispersion of metal nanoparticles, avoiding their agglomeration and then facilitating the recycling of catalytic phase. Small and spherical zero-valent copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) immobilized in glycerol were synthesized using poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) as stabilizer under hydrogen pressure. CuNPs dispersed in glycerol proved to be a robust and versatile catalyst for a diversity of C-N bond formation reactions, synthesis of di- (via cross-dehydrogenative coupling), tri- (via aldehydeamine- alkyne A3 coupling) and tetra-substituted propargylic amines (via ketone-amine-alkyne KA2 coupling) as well as different types of heterocycles, in particular indolizines, benzofurans and quinolines, by tandem A3-cycloisomerization processes using ortho-functionalized benzaldehydes as substrates. Interestingly, the catalytic glycerol phase could be recycled more than five times in C-N bond formation and A3 coupling reactions, preserving their reactivity, without detecting a significant copper content in the extracted organic products. Bimetallic palladium-copper nanoparticles (PdCuNPs) dispersed in glycerol were prepared by co-reduction methodology. Depending on the different metal ratios used, Pd nanoparticles coated by Cu (Pd/Cu = 1/1), random alloy (Pd/Cu = 1/2) or mainly mixture of monometallic nanoparticles (Pd/Cu = 2/1) were obtained. By a sequential way of synthesis, a mixture of monometallic nanoparticles was mainly observed. In terms of reactivity, the effect of one metal to other one, on catalytic activity and selectivity was evaluated. The structure of the different PdCuNPs was also confirmed by the observed reactivity in the selective formation of alkenes by hydrogenation of alkynes, proving that Pd1Cu1 and Pd1Cu2 correspond to bimetallic structures. Besides, the influence of Pd incorporated into Cu on azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) was also studied. Interestingly, Pd1Cu1 in glycerol were applied in one-pot processes acting as multitask catalytic system, involving CuAAC and Pd-catalyzed C-C cross couplings (Sonogashira, Suzuki-Miyaura and Heck). Thanks to the different rates between CuAAC and C-C couplings, these tandem processes permitted to obtain the desired products in high yields. Furthermore, Rh-catalyzed hydroaminomethylation of olefins, in order to synthesize amines, could be carried out in glycerol, generally showing a better reactivity compared to common organic solvents. These preliminary encouraging results permit to plan the design of a new biphasic system, including the recycling of the catalytic phase.

No description available.

Mice infected with neurotropic variants of the murine coronavirus, mouse hepatitis virus, (strains JHMV or J2.2–V–1) develop acute and chronic CNS infections, and provide a model system to study the pathogenesis of virus–induced neuroinflammation, mechanisms of virus persistence, and anti–viral immune responses in the CNS. Using the J2.2–V–1 model of CNS infection, we addressed the role of sustained CCL2 production during viral infection using mice in which CCL2 was expressed transgenically in oligodendrocytes. Tonic CCL2 expression in the CNS resulted in delayed kinetics of virus clearance, and converted what is typically a mild, nonlethal disease to acutely lethal encephalitis, with the majority of mice succumbing to the infection. CCL2 induced a rapid and dysregulated inflammatory response that was no longer protective and was unable to efficiently clear virus from the CNS. Infected CCL2 Tg mice had increased numbers of Foxp3–expressing CD4 T cells (Tregs) and of macrophages and microglia expressing elevated levels of YM–1, a marker for alternatively activated macrophages, and nitric oxide. Our results showed that CCL2 has effects beyond serving as a chemoattractant for leukocytes, and has effects on the composition and function of inflammatory cells at sites of infection. In a separate set of experiments, I identified and characterized two additional heteroclitic variants of the JHMV epitope S598 that induced CD8 T cells with greater antigen sensitivity to the native S598 determinant relative to the cells primed by the native epitope. One of these heteroclitic epitopes elicited a T cell response with nearly complete cross–reactivity towards the native peptide. The structural data show that these heteroclitic epitopes induced modest conformational changes in the local environment of the peptide–MHCI complex. I also provide data to support the notion that heteroclitic determinants augment functional avidity by increasing surface epitope density. Collectively, these data will help guide the design of heteroclitic epitopes in the setting of vaccine development. Lastly, I examined the consequences of oxidative stress induced by viral infection on antigen presentation. The brains of JHMV–infected mice were found to have signs of oxidative stress, with significantly decreased ratios of reduced (GSH) to oxidized (GSSG) glutathione, suggesting that there is an environment that is conducive for cysteine modification with oxidized glutathione. We found that virus–induced oxidative stress resulted in the presentation of both native and S–glutathionylated forms of the JHMV epitope S510 by infected cells. A subset of the S510–specific CD8 T cells failed to recognize the modified form of the epitope, suggesting that GSH–modification of a cysteine–containing viral epitope might interfere with T cell recognition. Further, GSH-modified peptides were identified in stressed human cells, including herpes virus–transformed B cells, suggesting that the modification is not limited to mouse cells. Collectively these findings have implications for both anti–viral immunity and anti–tumor immunity, where oxidative stress has been shown to play a role during infection and tumorgenesis.

Diverse biological activities of polyketide natural products are often associated with specific structural motifs, biosynthetically introduced after construction of the polyketide core. Therefore, investigation of such "post-polykektide synthase (PKS)" modifications is important, and the accumulated knowledge on these processes can be applied for combinatorial biosynthesis to generate new polyketide derivatives with enhanced biological activities. In addition to the practical value, a lot of unprecedented chemical mechanisms can be found in the enzymes involved therein, which will significantly advance our understanding of enzyme catalysis. The works described in this dissertation focus on elucidating a number of post-PKS modifications involved in the biosynthesis of an insecticidal polyketide, spinosyn A, in Saccharopolyspora spinosa. First, three methyltransferases, SpnH, SpnI, and SpnK, responsible for the modification of the rhamnose moiety, have been investigated to verify their functions and to study how they are coordinated to achieve the desired level of methylation of rhamnose. In vitro assays using purified enzymes not only established that SpnH, SpnI, and SpnK are the respective rhamnose 4ʹ-, 2ʹ-, and 3ʹ-O-methyltransferase, but also validated their roles in the permethylation process of spinosyn A. Investigation of the order of the methylation events revealed that only one route catalyzed by SpnI, SpnK, and SpnH in sequence is productive for the permethylation of the rhamnose moiety, which is likely achieved by the proper control of the expression levels of the methyltransferase genes involved in vivo. The key structural feature of spinosyn A is the presence of the unique tetracyclic architecture likely derived from the monocyclic PKS product. To elucidate this "cross-bridging" process, which had been hypothesized to involve four enzymes, SpnF, SpnJ, SpnL, and SpnM, the presumed polyketide substrate was chemically synthesized using Julia-Kocienski olefination, Stille cross-coupling, and Yamaguchi macrolactonization as key reactions. Incubation of the synthesized substrate with SpnJ produced a new product where the 15-OH group of the substrate is oxidized to the ketone. Next, it was demonstrated that incubation of this ketone intermediate with SpnM produces a tricyclic compound, via a transient monocyclic intermediate with high degree of unsaturation. Whereas it was initially thought that SpnM catalyzes both dehydration and [4+2] cycloaddition in sequence, detailed kinetic analysis revealed that SpnM is only responsible for the dehydration step, and the [4+2] cycloaddition step is indeed catalyzed by SpnF. Finally, successful conversion of the tricyclic intermediate to the tetracyclic core was demonstrated using SpnL. Proposed chemical mechanisms of SpnF and SpnL, Diels-Alder and Rauhut-Currier reactions, respectively, are interesting because enzymes capable of catalyzing these reactions have yet to be characterized in vitro. This work not only establishes the biosynthetic pathway for constructing the spinosyn tetracyclic core, but also epitomizes the significance of the post-PKS modification as a rich source of new enzyme catalysis. / text

The catalytic activation of enones in C-C bond forming processes represents a promising alternative to the prefabrication of chemically labile enols and enolates. Through the use of a (diketonato)cobalt/silane catalyst system, we have devised highly diastereoselective aldol and Michael cycloreductions (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2001, 123, 5112). Modulation of the catalyst system has enabled the first intramolecular metal-catalyzed alkene (2+2)cycloaddition (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2001, 123, 6716). Finally, the concept of catalytic nucleophilic enone activation embodied by the Morita-Baylis- Hillman and Rauhut Currier reactions has been utilized to develop an organic catalyst system for the cycloisomerization of bis-enones, i.e. an intramolecular Rauhut Currier reaction (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2002, 124, 2402). Notably, this protocol allowed for the selective "crossed" cyclization of unsymmetrical bis-enone substrates. / text

Inaug.-Diss.--Literaturwissenschaft--München, 1968. / Bibliogr. p. 154-164. Index.

This study develops a reliable intelligent non-destructive evaluation (NDE) expert system for carbon-carbon (C/C) composites based on thermography, ultrasonic, computed tomography and post processing by means of fuzzy expert system technique. Data features and NDE expert knowledge are seamlessly combined in the intelligent system to provide the best possible diagnosis of the potential defects and problems. As a result, this research help ensure C/C composites' integrity and reliability. Four types of orthotropic aerospace composite material groups, which include 2-D pitched based commercial aircraft disc brakes and asmolds, 3-D PAN based C/C composites, and carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) panels, were tested. Based on the performance testing results of thermography, air-coupled ultrasonic, and x-ray computed tomography, the testing data pattern corresponding to feature and quantification of defects were found. This NDE knowledge databases were transformed to fuzzy logic expert system models. The models succeefully classified and indicated the defect's size and distribution and the intelligent systems perform NDE better than human operators. These fuzzy expert systems not only eliminate human errors in defect detection but also function as NDE experts. In addition, fuzzy expert systems improve the defect detection by incorporating fuzzy expert rules to remove noises and to measure defect size more accurately. In the future, the expert system model could be continuously updated and modified to quantify the size and distribution of defects. The systems developed here can be adapted and applied to build an intelligent NDE expert system for better quality control as well as automatic defect and porosity detection in C/C composite production process.