It was found that laser modified wood surfaces can be bonded together to create a wood composite without the need of any additive. This bonding method removes the need of applying adhesive, potentially lowers cost, and eliminates off gassing of petroleum resins, creating a wood product with many eco-friendly attributes. This body of work outlines a) initial chemical analysis of the laser modified surface b) its bond strength and c) the optimization of factors that control the strength of the bond. Surface chemical analysis on laser modified wood was conducted using photo acoustic Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (PA-FTIR) and X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were utilized for surface topology analysis.Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) quantified the thermal properties of the modified wood surface. Screening of multiple factors that would contribute to surface modification and adhesion was performed utilizing mechanical testing. Optimization of significant factors that affect bond strength was determined statistically utilizing a design of experiment approach. Chemical analysis of the laser modified surface revealed changes in the carbonyl and aromatic regions indicating modification of the hemicellulose and lignin components, intensifying with increasing laser modification.The C1/C2 ratios found via XPS revealed that one or more of the following is occurring: more extractives have moved to the surface, condensation reactions among lignin units, and the loss of methoxy and breakage of aryl ether linkages occurred.Microscopy images showed color changes to a darker caramel color with a smoothing of surface topology, suggesting the occurrence of the softening and/or melting of wood polymers. DSC verified chemical and/or physical changes in the wood with the modified material now having a glass transition temperature between 130-150°C.DOE found that laser parameters (power and focus) as well as hot press parameters (temperature and pressure) were significant in optimizing the bond. The impact of the study is the first documentation of the ability to laser modifies wood surfaces and subsequently bond them together. The ability of the wood polymers at the surface to undergo flow at elevated temperature is implicated in the adhesion mechanism of the laser modified wood. / Master of Science

Supported noble metal catalysts make the best utilization of noble metal atoms. Recent advances in nanotechnology have brought many attentions into the rational design of catalysts in the nanometer and subnanometer region. Recent studies showed that catalysts in the subnanometer regime could have extraordinary activity and selectivity. However, the structural performance relationships behind their unique catalytic performances are still unclear. To understand the effect of particle size and shape of noble metals, it is essential to understand the fundamental reaction mechanism. Single atoms catalysts and subnanometer clusters provide a unique opportunity for designing heterogeneous catalysts because of their unique geometric and electronic properties. CO oxidation is one of the important probe reactions. However, the reaction mechanism of noble single atoms is still unclear. Additionally, there is no agreement on whether the activity of supported single atoms is higher or lower than supported nanoparticles. In this study, we applied different operando techniques including x-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS), diffuse reflectance infrared spectroscopy (DRIFTS), with other characterization techniques including calorimetry and high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) to investigate the active and stable structure of Ir/MgAl2O4 and Pt/CeO2 single-atom catalysts during CO oxidation. With all these characterization techniques, we also performed a kinetic study and first principle calculations to understand the reaction mechanism of single atoms for CO oxidation. For Ir single atoms catalysts, our results indicate that instead of poisoning by CO on Ir nanoparticles, Ir single atoms could adsorb more than one ligand, and the Ir(CO)(O) structure was identified as the most stable structure under reaction condition. Though one CO was strongly adsorbed during the entire reaction cycle, another CO could react with the surface adsorbed O* through an Eley-Rideal reaction mechanism. Ir single atoms also provide an interfacial site for the facile O2 activation between Ir and Al with a low barrier, and therefore O2 activation step is feasible even at room temperature. For Pt single-atom catalysts, our results showed that Pt(O)3(CO) structure is stable in O2 and N2 at 150 °C. However, when dosing CO at 150 °C, one surface O* in Pt(O)3(CO) could react with CO to form CO2, and the reacted O* can be refilled when flowing O2 again at 150 °C. This suggests that an adsorbed CO is present in the entire reaction cycle as a ligand, and another gas phase CO could react with surface O* to form CO2 during low-temperature CO oxidation. Supported single atoms synthesized with conventional methods usually consist of a mixture of single atoms and nanoparticles. It is important to quantify the surface site fraction of single atoms and nanoparticles when studying catalytic performances. Because of the unique reaction mechanism of Ir single atoms and Ir nanoparticles, we showed that kinetic measurements could be applied as a simple and direct method of quantifying surface site fractions. Our kinetic methods could also potentially be applied to quantifying other surface species when their kinetic behaviors are significantly different. We also benchmarked other in-situ and ex-situ methods of quantifying surface site fraction of single atoms and nanoparticles. To bridge the gap between single atoms and nanoparticles and have a better understanding of the effect of nuclearity on CO oxidation, we also studied supported Ir subnanometer clusters with the average size less than 0.7 nm (< 13 atoms) prepared by both inorganic precursor and organometallic complex Ir4(CO)12. Low-temperature CO adsorption indicates that CO and O2/O could co-adsorb on Ir subnanometer clusters, however on larger nanoparticle the particle surface is covered by CO only. Additional co-adsorption of CO and O2 was studied by CO and O2 calorimetry at room temperature. CO oxidation results showed that Ir subnanometer clusters are more active than Ir single atoms and Ir nanoparticles at all conditions, and this could be explained by the competitive adsorption of CO and O2 on subnanometer clusters. / Doctor of Philosophy / CO oxidation is one of the important reactions in catalytic converters. Three-way catalysts, typically supported noble metals, are very efficient at high temperature but could be poisoned by CO at cold start. Better designed catalysts are required to improve the performance of the catalytic converter to lower the emissions of gasoline engines. To reach this goal, more efficient use of the noble metal is required. Single-atom catalysts consist of isolated noble metal atoms supported on different supports, which provide the best utilization of noble metal atoms and provides a new opportunity for a better design of heterogeneous catalysts. The unique electronic and geometric properties of metal single atoms catalysts could lead to a better activity and selectivity. Subnanometer clusters have also been shown to have unique electronic properties. With a better understanding of the structure of supported single atoms and subnanometer clusters, their catalytic performance can be optimized for better catalysts in the catalytic converter and other applications. In this work, we applied in-situ and operando characterization, kinetic studies and first principle calculations aiming to understand the active and stable structure of noble metal single atoms and vi subnanometer clusters under reaction condition, and their reaction mechanisms during CO oxidations. For MgAl₂O₄ supported Ir single atoms, our results suggest that CO could be co-adsorbed with O₂/O under reaction conditions. These multiple ligands adsorption leads to a unique reaction mechanism during CO oxidation. Though one CO was adsorbed during the whole reaction cycle, another gas phase CO could react with the O* species co-adsorbed with CO through an Eley-Rideal mechanism. This suggests that Ir single atoms are no longer poisoned by CO, and on the other hand the O₂ can be activated on an interfacial site with a low reaction barrier. Ir subnanometer clusters showed higher activities than Ir single atoms and nanoparticles. In-situ IR and high energy resolution fluorescence detected – X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (HERFD-XANES) showed that CO could co-adsorb with O₂ at room temperature, and this competitive adsorption could explain the high activity during CO oxidation. Supported Ir single atoms and subnanometer clusters are not poisoned by CO and O₂ could be co-adsorbed, this could be potentially applied to solve the poisoning of catalyst in the catalytic converter at cold start temperature. We also performed kinetic study on CeO₂ supported Pt single atoms. Similar behavior was observed, and we showed that the CO and O co-adsorbed complex is stable in O₂ and N₂, but could react in CO. With the understanding of the active structure of noble metal single atoms and the origin of activities, better-designed catalysts can be synthesized to improve the activity and selectivity of low-temperature oxidation reactions.

This work investigates the influence of microstructure and cooling and heating rates on the physical and chemical properties of fast crystallizing polymers. The primary objectives were to 1) utilize advanced methodologies to accurately determine the fundamental thermodynamic value of equilibrium melting temperature (Tmo) for the semi-crystalline polymer poly(ether ketone ketone) (PEKK), 2) increase understanding of the influence of microstructure (random versus blocky) of functionalized semi-crystalline polymers on physical and chemical properties, and 3) understand the influence of additive manufacturing process parameters on semi-crystalline polymer crystallization and final properties. All objectives utilized the advanced characterization technique of fast scanning calorimetry (FSC) using the Mettler Toledo Flash DSC 1. The first half of this work focuses on the high-performance semi-crystalline aromatic polymer poly(ether ketone ketone) (PEKK) with a copolymerization ratio of terephthalate to isophthalate moieties (i.e., T/I ratio) of 80/20. Due to the fast heating and cooling rates of the Flash DSC, PEKK underwent melt-reorganization upon heating at slow heating rates. This discovery resulted in utilizing a Hoffman-Weeks linear extrapolation of the zero-entropy production temperature to establish a new equilibrium melting temperature of 382 oC. Additionally, a new NMR solvent, dichloroacetic acid, was discovered for PEKK, allowing for comprehensive NMR analysis of PEKK for the first time. Diphenyl acetone (DPA) was discovered as a novel, benign gelation solvent for PEKK, enabling heterogeneous gel-state bromination and sulfonation to afford blocky microstructures. The gel state functionalization process resulted in a blocky microstructure with runs of pristine crystallizable PEKK retained within the crystalline domains, and amorphous domains containing the functionalized PEKK monomers. The preservation of the pristine crystalline domains resulted in enhanced physical and chemical properties compared to the randomly functionalized analogs. Additionally, heterogeneous gel state functionalization of PEKK gels prepared from different solvents and gelation temperatures resulted in differences in crystallization behavior between blocky microstructures of the same degree of functionalization. This result demonstrates that the blocky microstructure can be tuned through controlling the starting gel morphology. The second half of this work focuses on understanding the influence of cooling and heating rates on the melting, crystal morphology, and crystallization kinetics on isotactic polypropylene (iPP), iPP-polyethylene copolymers (iPP-PE), and iPP/iPP-PE blends and using this information to gain understanding of how these polymers crystallize during the additive manufacturing processes of powder bed fusion (PBF) and material extrusion (MatEx). The crystallization kinetics of iPP, iPP-PE copolymers, and iPP/iPP-PE blends exhibited bimodal parabolic-like behavior attributed to crystallization of the mesomorphic crystal polymorph at low temperatures and the α-form crystal at high temperatures. Incorporation of non-crystallizable polyethylene fractions both covalently and blended as a secondary component, resulted in decreasing crystallization rates, inhibition of crystallization, and decreased crystallizability. Additionally, the non-isothermal crystallization behavior of these systems shows that the non-crystallizable fractions influence the crystal nucleation density and temperature at which polymorphic crystallization occurs. Utilizing in-situ IR thermography in the PBF system, the heating and cooling rates observed for a single-layer PBF print were used to mimic the PBF process by FSC. Partial melting in the printing process leads to self-seeding and increased crystallization onset temperatures upon cooling, which influences the final part melting morphology. Nucleation from surrounding powder and partially melted crystals greatly influences the crystallization kinetics and crystal morphology of the final part. Utilizing rheological experiments and process-relevant cooling rates observed in the MatEx process, the miscibility of iPP/iPP-PE blends influenced the nucleation behavior and crystallization rates, subsequently leading to differences in printed part properties. / Doctor of Philosophy / The crystalline morphology of semi-crystalline polymers depends on their microstructure and thermal history. The resultant crystalline morphology greatly affects the physical and chemical properties. In the first part of this work, the effect of microstructure on material properties is explored. Block copolymer microstructures consist of two or more blocks of distinct polymer segments covalently bonded to one another. This leads to self-organization of the components into unique structural order that would not be attainable if the polymer segments were randomly bonded together. This structural order enhances material properties; thus, block copolymers are advantageous for many applications. However, synthesis of block copolymers can be tedious and expensive. Thus, additional methodologies for block copolymer synthesis are desired. In this work blocky (i.e., statistically non-random) copolymers are synthesized through a facile post-polymerization functionalization method. These blocky copolymers result in enhanced physical and chemical properties compared to the randomly synthesized analogs. This work shows blocky functionalization of a new polymer under new post-polymerization conditions and expands upon the synthesis methodology for block copolymers. In the second part of this work, the effect of heating and cooling rates on the formation of crystals during additive manufacturing is explored. Additive manufacturing modalities of powder bed fusion and material extrusion consist of rapid heating and cooling processes, which can affect how crystals form and ultimately affect the final printed part properties. Using a technique called fast scanning calorimetry, the different heating and cooling rates that the polymer witnesses during printing can be mimicked, and the formation of crystals under these different conditions can be replicated. This mimicking analysis can be related to the printing process and be used to help guide printing processes to enhance printed part properties.

Concrete, one of the world’s most important building materials is formed when cement is mixed with aggregates and reacts with water. The reaction is called hydration. Production of cement involves conversion of limestone and clay minerals into cement clinker in a kiln at high temperatures. The process requires high amounts of energy and causes substantial carbon emissions due to calcination of limestone and combustion of fuels, and the need for carbon neutral clinker products have never been greater. Heidelberg Materials Cement Sverige AB has multiple ongoing projects to reduce the carbon footprint of their clinker products. In essence, this is made possible by diluting the clinker with supplementary cementitious materials (SCM), electrification of the kiln, and carbon capture and storage (CCS). During tests of such applications in pilot and industrial scales it is necessary to evaluate the cement clinker manufactured for its ability to act as a binder in concrete. Such properties are collectively termed hydraulic reactivity and depend on the rate and extent to which the anhydrous components (alite, belite, aluminate, ferrite) in the cement react with water to form structural strength. The primary hydration products are Calcium-silicate-hydrate (C-S-H) and portlandite (CH). Due to lack of routines for clinker reactivity testing, especially for small batches, new methods and guidelines for reactivity tests has become highly sought after. Therefore, this work has aimed to develop a method for laboratory grinding of clinkers and then to study their hydration reactions by isothermal conductive calorimetry (ICC), Rietveld refinement quantitative x-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The goal of the work has been to provide a grinding method for laboratory cement preparation and a protocol for clinker reactivity evaluation. A fundamental requirement has been that the results of the methods must be comparable with Heidelberg Materials’ conventional standard methods. The work was initiated with a literature review on cement clinker manufacture, its hydration kinetics and reactivity tests. Industrial reference clinkers were used to develop the grinding method, and finally, reactivity tests with ICC, XRD and TGA were conducted on multiple clinkers of different origins. The grinding method developed in this work gave a fineness resembling the conventional grinding method but slightly coarser. Consequently, the heats measured in ICC for the clinkers studied were also comparable to previous analyses by conventional methods. This was a direct result of the reactivity being dependent on the specific surface area of the cement particles. Thanks to this, the newly developed grinding method and reactivity test by ICC may be incorporated into Heidelberg Materials standard methods. Hydrates formation and clinker mineral consumption were studied in XRD and TGA. The two techniques were used as cross-validation of one another. In summary, these yielded more in-depth information about the hydration of cements than provided by ICC and gave insights into what minerals and reactions were responsible for each clinker’s reactivity. However, the XRD and TGA results contained significant errors at some times, and further development is necessary before using them as part of a standard routine. This was mainly due to errors tied to sample preparation. Some necessary improvements are better Rietveld refinement, prevention of XRD sample carbonation, and addition of a separate ettringite analysis in TGA. Despite this, the methods show great promise, as highly correlating results were reached between methods when the sources of error were managed. For future work, it is suggested that the protocol is expanded and applied to also evaluate SCM’s. / Betong är ett av världens viktigaste byggmaterial och bildas när cement blandat med aggregat reagerar med vatten. Reaktionen kallas hydratation. Cement i sin tur tillverkas genom omvandling av kalksten och lermineraler till cementklinker vid hög temperatur i en roterugn. Denna process är mycket energikrävande och genererar stora koldioxidutsläpp från råmaterialen och bränslet. Till följd av detta har ett starkt och omedelbart behov av klimatvänliga klinkerprodukter uppstått. Heidelberg Materials Cement Sverige AB arbetar ständigt med att hitta nya lösningar till produktionen för att minska dess klimatavtryck. En viktig del i denna minskning är att späda ut klinkern med alternativa bindemedel (SCM), elektrifiering av bränningsprocessen och uppfångning samt lagring av koldioxid (CCS). Förändringar i den industriella processen förändrar dock klinkern vilket kan påverka cementets förmåga att agera som bindemedel i betong. Dessa egenskaper kallas kollektivt för hydraulisk reaktivitet, och beror på både hastigheten och i vilken utsträckning klinkermineralerna alit, belit, aluminat och ferrit hydratatiseras för att bilda calcium-silikat-hydrat (C-S-H) och portlandit (CH) och på så vis skapa tryckhållfasthet. I och med försök på industriell- och pilotnivå har det blivit önskvärt att kunna utvärdera reaktiviteten hos klinker. Eftersom det idag delvis fattas rutiner för detta, så har detta arbete syftat till att utveckla en metod för laboratoriemalning av klinker i små batcher, samt att studera hydratationen av den malda klinkern med isotermisk konduktions kalorimetri (ICC), kvantitativ röntgendiffraktion med Rietveld metoden (XRD) och termogravimetrisk analys (TGA). Projektets mål har varit att färdigställa en sådan malningsmetod och att förse företaget med ett protokoll för utvärdering av reaktiviteten. Ett grundläggande krav för de utvecklade metoderna är att deras resultat ska vara jämförbara med Heidelberg Materials konventionella standardmetoder. Arbetet sjösattes med en litteraturstudie på ämnet klinkerproduktion, cementhydratation och reaktivitetstester av cement och alternativa bindemedel. Därefter utvecklades malningsmetoden med hjälp av industriell referensklinker. Slutligen testades dessa och ett antal andra klinkers, både framställda i laboratorieugn och industriellt, för reaktivitet med ICC, XRD och TGA. Malningsmetodens resultat blev något grövre, men ändå i hög grad jämförbart med dagens konventionella metod. Denna skillnad är dock liten och förutsägbar. Därför blev också uppmätt värme i ICC jämförbart med tidigare värden från den konventionella metoden. På grund av den något grövre malningen, vilket leder till mindre reaktionsyta för cementet-vatten-fasen, så blev värmeutvecklingen i ICC alltid något lägre jämfört med den konventionella metoden, dock aldrig utanför gränserna för vad standardmetodens reproducerbarhet är. Tack vare detta dras slutsatsen att protokollet kommer vara relevant och lämpligt för introduktion i industrin. Cementens reaktivitet studerades också i högre detalj med hjälp av TGA och XRD, vilka användes för extern validering av varandra. Medan dessa metoder ger viktig information om varje enskild fas i den åldrande pastan, så är slutsatsen att de är i fortsatt behov av utveckling. Detta har mest att göra med provberedningen. Nödvändiga förbättringar är bättre Rietveld kvantifiering med fler prover och försiktigare provberedning för att förhindra karbonatisering av cementpastorna. TGA metoden kan enkelt förbättras och uppnå avsevärt bättre resultat endast genom införandet av en separat analys av ettringit. Trots detta så visar de två metoderna hög korrelation mellan varandra då provberedningen fungerat som avsett, vilket är lovande och innebär att man med dessa enkla förslag kan skapa en metod som ger information om ett cements reaktivitet i mycket högre detalj än vad som är möjligt med dagens standardmetoder. Som förslag till framtida arbeten ges att protokollet bör utökas till att även bedöma prestandan av alternativa bindemedel vid spädning av klinker. / Cemzero

We have developed a new modulation calorimetry technique using RF-Field heating. This technique eliminates temperature gradients across the sample leading to a higher precision in evaluating the heat capacity compared to the previous techniques. A frequency scan was carried out on a 8CB+aerosil sample showing a wide plateau indicating the region of frequency independent heat capacity. A temperature scan was then performed through the first-order nematic to isotropic and second order smectic-A to nematic transitions and was shown to be consistent with the previous work. The amplitude of the RF heating power applied to the sample depends on the permittivity and the loss factor of the sample. Since the permittivity of a dielectric material has a strong temperature dependence in liquid crystals, new information is obtained. The heat capacity measurements have a relative resolution of better than 0.06%, and the phase shift a resolution of 0.03%, were shown to be significant improvements over traditional heating methods. We then applied this new RF calorimetry on bulk and aerosil 8CB dispersions. For the bulk 8CB, the step-like character of smectic-A to nematic transition, and first order nematic to isotropic transitions indicated the strong dominance of the permittivity and the loss factor of the material. For the 8CB+aerosil samples at different silica density, our data were consistent with the previous work and provides clear evidence for the coupling between the smectic-A and nematic phases. We have undertaken a combined T-dependent optical and calorimetric investigation of CCN47+aerosil samples through the I-N transition over a range of silica densities displaying the double I-N transition peak. This work offers compelling evidence that the I-N transition with weak quenched random disorder proceeds via a two-step process in which random-dilution is followed by random-field interactions on cooling from the isotropic phase, a previously unrecognized phenomena.

[pt] No presente trabalho foram realizadas medidas de capacidade térmica à pressão constante do espinélio Al2MnO4 na faixa entre 2 e 873 K. No intervalo entre 2 e 300 K empregou-se um calorímetro de relaxação térmica. Os dados evidenciaram a presença de uma anomalia em torno de 33 K, cuja componente magnética pôde ser constatada mediante medidas de capacidade calorífica com campo magnético constante, bem como também medidas de magnetização específica como função da temperatura. A contribuição entrópica associada à mencionada anomalia foi considerada no cálculo da entropia molar a 298.15 K do óxido em questão (116.05 mais ou menos 5.2 J/mol.K), valor este consistente com valores da literatura para outros espinélios. Na faixa entre 323 e 873 K empregou-se um calorímetro diferencial de varredura. Os dados foram ajustados quantitativamente com o modelo de Berman e Brown, incluindo-se no ajuste o valor de capacidade térmica a 298.15 K, obtido via calorimetria de relaxação térmica. Empregando-se o valor de entropia molar determinado no presente trabalho, os parâmetros do modelo de Berman e Brown estimados com os dados em temperaturas elevadas, e uma estimativa disponível na literatura para a entalpia de formação do óxido Al2MnO4, construiu-se um modelo para a dependência térmica da energia de Gibbs do referido composto válido na faixa entre 298.15 e 2114 K. O modelo foi testado com sucesso no acesso termodinâmico das propriedades do sistema Al2O3-MnO. / [en] In the present work the constant pressure molar heat capacity of the spinel Al2MnO4 was measured between 2 K and 873 K. In the interval between 2 K and 300 K a relaxation calorimeter was employed. The data indicated the presence of a thermal anomaly around 33 K, whose magnetic component could be evidenced through measurements of the heat capacity with a constant applied magnetic field, and also through specific magnetization data as a function of temperature. The entropic contribution of the thermal anomaly was considered in the calculation of the molar entropy of the oxide at 298.15 K (116.05 more or less 5.2 J/mol.K), and the calculated value has proven to be consistent with values published earlier for other spinel compounds. In the interval between 323 and 873 K a differential scanning calorimeter was employed. The data were quantitatively modeled with the function proposed by Berman and Brown, including the heat capacity value obtained at 298.15 K accessed through the relaxation calorimeter route. By using the molar entropy at 298.15 K, the values of the parameter estimated for the Berman and Brown model with the heat capacity data at elevated temperatures, and an estimative for the heat of formation of the spinel Al2MnO4 extracted from the literature, it was possible to construct a model for the thermal dependence of the Gibbs energy of this compound valid between 298.15 K and 2114 K. The model was successfully tested in the thermodynamic assessment of the properties of the system Al2O3-MnO.

No description available.

La réparation de l’ADN par excision des nucléotides (NER) est un mécanisme capable de retirer une large variété de lésions causant une distorsion de la double hélice, comme celles causées par les rayons ultraviolets (UV). Comme toutes les voies de réparation de l’ADN, la NER contribue à la prévention de la carcinogénèse en prévenant la mutation de l’ADN. Lors de ce processus, il y a d’abord reconnaissance de la lésion par la protéine XPC/Rad4 (humain/levure) qui recrute ensuite TFIIH. Ce complexe déroule l’ADN par son activité hélicase et recrute l’endonucléase XPG/Rad2 ainsi que d’autres protéines nécessaires à l’excision de l’ADN. Lors de son arrivée au site de lésion, XPG/Rad2 déplace XPC/Rad4. TFIIH agit également lors de la transcription de l’ADN, entre autres par son activité hélicase. Outre cette similarité de la présence de TFIIH lors de la transcription et la réparation, il est possible de se demander en quoi les deux voies sont similaires. Nous nous sommes donc intéressés aux interactions impliquant TFIIH et la machinerie de réparation de l’ADN. Nous avons donc entrepris une caractérisation structurale et fonctionnelle de ces interactions. Nous avons découvert que Rad2 et Rad4 possèdent un motif d’interaction en nous basant sur d’autres interactions de la sous-unité Tfb1 de TFIIH. Par calorimétrie à titrage isotherme, nous avons observé que les segments de ces deux protéines contenant ce motif interagissent avec une grande affinité au domaine PH de Tfb1. Le site de liaison de ces segments sur Tfb1PH est très semblable au site de liaison du domaine de transactivation de p53 et au domaine carboxy-terminal de TFIIEα avec Tfb1PH, tel que démontré par résonance magnétique nucléaire (RMN). De plus, tous ces segments peuvent faire compétition les uns aux autres pour la liaison à Tfb1PH. Nous avons aussi démontré in vivo chez la levure qu’une délétion de Tfb1PH crée une sensibilité aux radiations UV. De plus, la délétion de multiples segments de Rad2 et Rad4, dont les segments d’interaction à Tfb1PH, est nécessaire pour voir une sensibilité aux rayons UV. Ainsi, de multiples interactions sont impliquées dans la liaison de Rad2 et Rad4 à TFIIH. Finalement, les structures des complexes Rad2-Tfb1PH et Rad4-Tfb1PH ont été résolues par RMN. Ces structures sont identiques entre elles et impliquent des résidus hydrophobes interagissant avec des cavités peu profondes de Tfb1PH. Ces structures sont très semblables à la structure de TFIIEα-p62PH. Ces découvertes fournissent ainsi un lien important entre la transcription et la réparation de l’ADN. De plus, elles permettent d’émettre un modèle du mécanisme de déplacement de XPC/Rad4 par XPG/Rad2 au site de dommage à l’ADN. Ces connaissances aident à mieux comprendre les mécanismes de maintient de la stabilité génomique et peuvent ainsi mener à développer de nouvelles thérapies contre le cancer. / The nucleotide excision repair pathway (NER) is a mechanism capable of removing a wide variety of helix-distorting lesions, such as those caused by ultraviolet irradiation (UV). As all DNA repair pathways, NER contributes to the prevention of carcinogenesis by preventing DNA mutation. During this process, the lesion is first recognized by the protein XPC/Rad4 (human/yeast), which then recruits TFIIH. This complex unwinds the DNA with its helicase activity and then recruits the endonuclease XPG/Rad2 and other proteins necessary for DNA excision. Upon arrival at the lesion site, XPG/Rad2 displaces XPC/Rad4. TFIIH also acts in DNA transcription, using its helicase activity. In addition to the similarity of the presence of TFIIH in transcription and DNA repair, it is possible to ask ourselves how the two pathways are similar. We were interested in the interactions involving TFIIH and the DNA repair machinery. We have therefore undertaken a structural and functional characterization of these interactions. We have found that Rad2 and Rad4 have a motif of interaction based on other interactions of the Tfb1 subunit of TFIIH. Using isothermal titration calorimetry, we found that segments of these two proteins containing this motif interact with high affinity to the PH domain of Tfb1. The binding site of these segments is very similar to Tfb1PH binding site of transactivation domain of p53 and the carboxyl-terminal domain of TFIIEα with Tfb1PH, as demonstrated by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). In addition, these segments can compete with each other for binding to Tfb1PH. We also demonstrated in vivo that deletion of Tfb1PH in yeast creates a sensitivity to UV irradiation. In addition, the deletion of multiple segments of Rad2 and Rad4, including segments of interaction Tfb1PH, is required to observe a sensitivity to UV. Thus, multiple interactions are involved in the binding of TFIIH to Rad2 and Rad4. Finally, the structures of the Rad2-Tfb1PH and Rad4-Tfb1PH complexes were solved by NMR. These structures are identical to each other and involve hydrophobic residues interacting with shallow grooves on Tfb1PH. These structures are very similar to the structure of TFIIEα-p62PH. These findings provide an important mechanistic link between transcription and DNA repair. In addition, they provide a model of the mechanism of the displacement of XPC/Rad4 by XPG/Rad2 at the damaged site. This knowledge helps to better understand the mechanisms of genomic stability and can lead to novel cancer therapies.

The acid and base catalyzed simultaneous twin polymerization (STP) of various 2,2′-disubstituted 4H-1,3,2-benzodioxasiline derivatives 2a–d with 2,2′-spirobi[4H-1,3,2-benzodioxasiline] (1) are presented in this paper. The products are nanostructured ternary organic–inorganic hybrid materials consisting of a cross-linked organic polymer, silica and a disubstituted polysiloxane. It can be demonstrated whether and in which extent the copolymerization of the two inorganic fragments of 1 and 2 takes place among the STP and how the molar ratio of the two components determines the structure formation of the resulting hybrid material. Steric and electronic effects of the substituents at the silicon center of 2 on the molecular structure formation and the morphology of the resulting hybrid material were investigated by means of solid state CP MAS 29Si and 13C NMR spectroscopy as well as high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM). The mechanical properties (hardness and Young's modulus) of the hybrid materials were analyzed by means of nanoindentation measurements. / Dieser Beitrag ist aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.

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