This thesis studies the interaction between the bare Cu{311} surface with NO and NH3,individually and co-adsorbed using reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS). In addition to the bare Cu{311} surface, the interaction of NO and NH3 with the various oxygen phases of the Cu{311} surface phases was also studied. Several other techniques were used in tandem to support the study, such as low energy electron diffraction (LEED) and temperature programmed desorption (TPD) experiments using mass spectrometry. The study was carried out in pursuit an understanding of the underlying mechanism of the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO using NH3 in current diesel engines. The dosing of NO onto the Cu{311} surface at 100 K leads to the initial adsorption of intact NO. After an exposure threshold is reached, individual NO molecules react with another NO molecule to form (NO)2 dimers. These dimer species subsequently form N2O, leaving O(a) on the surface. Oxygen was found to be an inhibitor for the reaction, either due to the reaction in a self-poisoning process or from oxygen pre-dosing onto the Cu{311} surface. Temperature plays a minor role with regards to NO/Cu{311}, as it only affects the amount of NO on the surface along with adsorbate surface mobility. Similarly, NH3 was found to adsorb intact onto the Cu{311} surface and not to react or dissociate at 100 K. Oxygen acts as a site blocker for the adsorption, but can also stabilise NH3 to remain on the surface at higher temperatures due to electronic effects. At 300 K, it was found that both the bare and oxygen pre-covered Cu{311} surface was able to dissociate NH3 into NH2. The co-adsorption of NO and that of NH3 onto the Cu{311} surface were found to be largely independent of each other and the interaction is dominated by the displacement of NO by NH3. However, as NO adsorption on the Cu{311} surface forms O(a), it indirectly affects the adsorption of NH3 by creating an oxygen covered Cu{311} surface, which changes how NH3 adsorbs onto the surface.

Les enzymes lipolytiques sont solubles en phase aqueuse mais hydrolysent des substrats insolubles. Leurs activités lipolytiques dépendent donc fortement de l’organisation des substrats lipidiques présents sous forme de structures interfaciales telles que des émulsions, des micelles, des liposomes, ou des bicouches lipidiques. Les propriétés cinétiques et la spécificité de substrat de ces enzymes résultent de l’étape initiale d’adsorption à l’interface lipide-eau et des interactions entre le substrat et le site actif. Dans le cadre de ce travail de thèse, la technique des films monomoléculaires a été utilisée pour étudier en détail les étapes séquentielles d’adsorption, de catalyse et d’inhibition de l’enzyme à l’interface lipide-eau. Dans une première partie, nous avons réalisé la caractérisation physico-chimique de la lipase gastrique de chien (DGL), avec l’étude :  de son adsorption sur un film non substrat de dilauroylphosphatidylcholine ; ‚ de l’hydrolyse interfaciale de la 1,2-dicaprine dans des films mixtes en présence d’Orlistat. Concernant l’étape de catalyse, nous avons étudié l’effet du propeptide sur la spécificité de substrat et l’activité interfaciale de la phospholipase A2 sécrétée de groupe X de souris. Enfin, dans une troisième partie, nous avons comparé les propriétés interfaciales de la lipase YLLIP2 de la levure Yarrowia lipolytica qui serait un bon candidat pour l’enzymothérapie de substitution chez les patients atteints d’insuffisance pancréatique exocrine (IPE), la lipase pancréatique humaine et la DGL. Nos résultats ont confirmé le rôle d’YLLIP2 en tant qu’excellent « substitut » non seulement de la HPL en cas d’IPE, mais aussi de la DGL. / Lipolytic enzymes are water-soluble whereas their substrates are insoluble in water. Their lipolytic activities depend strongly on the organization of the lipid substrates present in interfacial structures such as oil-in-water emulsions, micelles, liposomes, and membrane bilayers. The kinetic properties and substrate specificity of these enzymes result from both their adsorption at the lipid-water interface, and the interactions occurring between the substrate and the active site. In this thesis work, the monomolecular film technique was used to study in details the sequential steps of adsorption, catalysis and inhibition of model enzymes at the lipid-water interface. In a first part, we performed the physico-chemical characterization of the dog gastric lipase (DGL), by studying:  its adsorption onto a dilauroylphosphatidylcholine non-substrate film; ‚ its interfacial hydrolysis of 1,2-dicaprin in mixed films with various amounts of Orlistat. Regarding the catalysis step, we studied the effect of the propeptide on the substrate specificity and interfacial activity of the murine group X secreted phospholipase A2. A model of this enzyme with its propeptide was built from the available 3D structure of the corresponding mature human enzyme. Finally, in the third part, we compared the interfacial kinetic properties of YLLIP2 lipase of the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica which has been identified as a good candidate for enzyme replacement therapy for patients with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), human pancreatic lipase and DGL. Our results confirmed the role of YLLIP2 as an excellent "substitute" not only for HPL in case of PEI, but also for the DGL at acidic pH values.

The mechanochemical polycondensation between a diamine and a dialdehyde constitutes a sustainable alternative to classical solvent-based polymerization reactions. This process not only allows for a higher conversion and a shorter reaction time as compared to standard solvent-based syntheses of this conjugated polymer, but the reaction can also be adjusted by the energy introduced via the ball mill.

In this work, a new method for mass determination of single low-charged particles in the sub-picogram regime is developed. It opens applications to chemical physics and surface science via determination of growth rates. The method combines the well-known electrodynamic quadrupole ion trap in a UHV-chamber and fourier transformation of scattered light. The achieved mass resolution of down to $10^{-4}$ at 100 fg mass on a time scale of ten seconds allows a resolution of a few percent of the mass of an adsorbed monolayer and to determine growth rates down to one molecule per second on a time scale of one day. The observation of temperature dependent sticking coefficients results in the measures of the energy of an adsorption barrier. Observation of discrete steps in the rate gives information about the density of molecules in an ordered layer. Temperature dependent desorption data gives the binding energy. The dependence of these observables on the controllable curvature and charge of the substrate's surface is measurable. The first part of this dissertation consists of a description of the common theory of the quadrupole ion trap with the completion of not widely known, newly introduced, contributions to the trapping potential. These contributions lead to systematic shifts in the mass determination. In particular the influence of the inhomogenity of the electrical field, that is used for compensating the gravitational force, is investigated analytically and corroborated experimentally. It is assumed, that the particle's finite size effects in a further shift. In the experimental part initial demonstrative measurements are presented: the time-resolved adsorption of fullerene, anthracene and NO on silica spheres with 500nm diameter has been measured at room temperature. In addition the secondary electron yield of in-situ prepared particles during irradiation with monoenergetic electrons has been determined by analyzing the distribution of change of the number of elementary charges by single events of charging.

Bright and stable near-infrared (NIR) and infrared (IR) emitting chromophores are in high demand for applications in telecommunication, solar cells, security barcodes, and as fluorescent reporters in bioimaging studies. The best choice for wavelengths >750 nm are semiconductor nanocrystals, especially ternary or alloy nanocrystals like CdHgTe, which enable size and composition control of their optical properties. Here, we report on the influence of growth time and surface chemistry on the composition and optical properties of colloidal CdHgTe. Up to now, these are the only NIR and IR emissive quantum dots, which can be synthesized in high quality in water, using a simple one-pot reaction. For this study we utilized and compared three different thiol ligands, thioglycolic acid (TGA), 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA), and glutathione (GSH). Aiming at the rational design of bright NIR- and IR-emissive alloy materials, special emphasis was dedicated to a better understanding of the role of the surface ligand and adsorption–desorption equilibria on the photoluminescence quantum yield and stability. In this respect, dilution and protonation studies were performed. Our results show that with this simple synthetic procedure, strongly fluorescent CdHgTe colloids can be obtained with MPA as stabilizing ligand revealing quantum yields as high as 45% independent of particle concentration.

<p>My research has focused on the development and translation of ambient ionization mass spectrometry (MS)-based platforms in clinical and surgical settings, specifically in the area of brain cancer diagnostics and surgical decision making. Ambient ionization MS methods, such as those described herein, generate and analyze gas phase ions with high sensitivity and specificity from minimally prepared samples in near-real-time, on the order of seconds to minutes, rendering them well suited to point-of-care applications. We used ambient ionization MS methods, specifically desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (DESI-MS) and extraction nanoelectrospray ionization mass spectrometry (nESI-MS) to molecularly characterize brain cancer biopsies. The characterization was made using diagnostic compounds identified as markers of disease state, tissue composition, tumor type, and genotype in human brain tissue. Methods were developed and validated offline in the laboratory and translated to clinical and surgical settings, thereby generating chemical information on prognostic features intraoperatively and providing valuable information that would be otherwise unavailable. We believe that, with approval, the methodologies described can assist physicians and improve patient outcomes by providing analytical tools and molecular information that can inform surgical decision making and adjuvant treatment strategies, complementing and not interfering with standard of care protocols.</p> <p><br></p> <p>We have successfully demonstrated the use of desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (DESI-MS) for the expedient molecular assessment of human glioma tissue biopsies based on lipid profiles and prognostic metabolites, both at the tumor core and near surgical margins, in two small-scale, clinical studies. Maximal surgical resection of gliomas that avoids non-infiltrated tissue is associated with survival benefit in patients with glioma. The infiltrative nature of gliomas, as well as their morphological and genetic diversity, renders treatment difficult and demands an integrated imaging and diagnostic approach during surgery to guide clinicians in achieving maximal tumor resection. Further, the estimation of tumor cell percentage (TCP), a measure of tumor infiltration at surgical margins, is not routinely assessed intraoperatively. </p> <p>We have previously shown that rapid, offline molecular assessment of tumor infiltration in tissue biopsies is possible and believe that the same assessment performed intraoperatively in biopsied tissue near surgical margins could improve resection and better inform patient management strategies, including postoperative radiotherapy. Using a DESI-MS spectral library of normal brain tissue and glioma biopsies to generate a statistical model to classify brain tissue biopsies intraoperatively, multivariate statistical approaches were used to predict the disease state and tumor cell percentage (TCP) of each biopsy, thereby providing an measure of tumor infiltration at surgical margins via molecular indicators. In addition to assessment of tumor infiltration, we have developed DESI-MS assays for detecting the oncometabolite 2-Hydroxyglutarate (2HG) to detect isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutations in gliomas intraoperatively. Knowledge of IDH genotypes at the time of surgical resection could improve patient outcomes, as more aggressive tumor resection of IDH-mutated gliomas is associated with increased survival. While assessments of IDH genotype are typically not available until days after surgery, we have demonstrated the ability to provide this information is less than five minutes. An intraoperative DESI-MS system has successfully been used in a proof-of-concept clinical study and intraoperative performance validation of this platform is ongoing. The findings of these two studies as well as strengths, weaknesses, and areas of improvement for upcoming future iterations of the research are discussed.</p> <p><br></p> <p>Point-of-care applications necessitate the adaptation of MS methodologies to smaller devices. Miniature mass spectrometers (Mini MS) boast small footprints, simple operation, and low power consumption, noise levels, and cost, making them attractive candidates for point-of-care use. In a small-scale clinical study, we demonstrated the first application of a Mini MS for determination of IDH mutation status in gliomas intraoperatively. This study paves a path forward for the application of Mini MS in the OR. With its small footprint and low power consumption and noise level, this application of miniature mass spectrometers represents a simple and cost-effective platform for an important intraoperative measurement. </p> <p><br></p> <p>While MS-based methods of tissue analysis can detect molecular features of interest and rapidly produce large quantities of data, their inherent speed is rarely utilized because they are traditionally coupled with time-consuming separation techniques (e.g., chromatography). Ambient ionization MS, specifically DESI-MS, is well suited for high-throughput applications due to its lack of sample preparation and purification techniques. In an attempt to rapidly characterize microarrays of tissue biopsies, we developed a high-throughput DESI-MS (HT-DESI-MS) method for the rapid characterization of disease state, human brain tumor type, glioma classification, and detection of IDH mutations in tissue microarrays (TMA) of banked and fresh human brain tissue biopsies. We anticipate that HT-DESI-MS analysis of TMAs could become a standard tool for the generation of spectral libraries for sample classification, the identification of biomarkers through large-scale studies, the correlation of molecular features with anatomical features when coupled to digital pathology, and the assessment of drug efficacy. </p>

Due to the hydrophobic nature of integral membrane proteins (IMP) they give rise to several difficulties concerning handling and analysis, which is not the case for the most water soluble proteins. New analysis methods are needed, where the insolubility problems of the hydrophobic proteins due to aggregation and adhesion are tackled. Those problems also affect digestion performance and equipment compatibility for the analysis. Protocols for analysis and separation specified for IMP are presented in Paper I and III. The instrumentation used in this work was capillary electrophoresis (CE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS). Both instruments are suitable for peptide/proteins analysis. In Paper I, protocols for a CE separation of bacteriorhodopsin (BR) peptides as model IMP peptides are established. Also, a partially automated manufacturing procedure of a concentration MALDI-target is presented, suitable for fractions from CE. The MS analysis detected 9 out of 10 cyanogen bromide (CNBr) digested BR peptides. A novel technique for the off-line integration of CE to MALDI-MS using a closed-open-closed system is presented in Paper II, where the open part is a microcanal functioning as a MALDI target window. Investigation of the microcanal electro-osmotic flow (EOF) properties and band broadening characteristics was performed. A protein separation was obtained and detected with MALDI-MS analysis in the microcanal. Different protein digestion methods were evaluated using BR in Paper III through MALDI-MS. Several digestion methods as well as MS media were investigated alongside different MALDI matrices. For example, matrices as the hydrophobic 2,6-dihydroxyacetophenone (DHAP) and 2-Hydroxy-3-methoxybenzoic acid (2H3MBA) or 2-Hydroxy-5-methoxybenzoic acid (2H5MBA) mixed with DHB, appeared to be promising matrices for analysis of BR. / Med anledning av integrala membranproteiners (IMP) hydrofoba egenskaper uppstår flera svårigheter vid hantering och analys av IMP, vilket inte är fallet för vattenlösliga proteiner. Nya analysmetoder krävs, som löser löslighetsproblemen för de hydrofoba proteinerna som tex flockning och adsorbtion. Dessa problem påverkar även klyvningsgrad och kompatibilitet med analysutrustningen. I Artikel I och Artikel III presenteras protokoll för analys och separation specifikt för IMP. Instrumenteringen som har använts i detta arbete är kapillärelektrofores (CE) och matris-assisterad laserdesorptions-joniserings-masspektrometri (MALDI-MS). Båda instrumenten är lämpade för peptid/protein analyser. I Artikel I, presenteras protokoll för en CE separation av peptider från bacteriorhodopsin (BR), som användes som modellpeptider för IMP. En delvis automatiserat tillverkningsprocedur för en koncentrerande MALDI-platta, som är anpassad för CE fraktionerna beskrivs också. MS-analysen detekterade 9 av 10 BR-peptider från cyanobromid-klyvning (CNBr). En ny teknik för off line-integrering av CE till MALDI-MS genom ett slutet-öppet-slutet system presenteras i Artikel II, där den öppna delen är en mikrokanal som fungerar som detektionsfönster i MALDI. Undersökning av mikrokanalens egenskaper som tex det elektroosmotiska flödet (EOF) och bandbreddningen utvärderades. En proteinseparation genomfördes och detekterades med MALDI–MS i mikrokanalen. Olika proteinklyvningsmetoder för BR undersöktes i Artikel III med MALDI-MS. Flera proteinklyvningsmetoder samt MS-medier utvärderades tillsammans med olika MALDI-matriser. Den hydrofoba matrisen 2,6-dihydroxyacetophenone (DHAP) och 2-Hydroxy-3-methoxybenzoic acid (2H3MBA) eller 2-Hydroxy-5-methoxybenzoic acid (2H5MBA) blandade med DHB, visade sig exempelvis vara lovande matriser för BR-analyser. / QC 20101109

No description available.

This study presents an analysis of the organic matter in meteorites, particularly carbonaceous chondrites (CCs), using advanced experimental techniques such as Two-step laser desorption laser ionization mass spectrometry (L2MS-oTOF) and Atmospheric Pressure Photoionization-Orbitrap (APPI-Orbitrap). The analysis focuses on the molecular complexity of both soluble (SOM) and insoluble (IOM) organic matter as well as the bulk rock and identifying and classifying different molecular families to understand the chemical composition of the meteorites. A new software tool, SpectraC, was developed to aid in analysing and comparing mass spectra from multiple meteorite samples simultaneously. The findings of the study reveal the complex chemical composition of meteorites, with condensed aromatics dominating most samples, and highlight the importance of using multiple techniques for a more complete understanding of the sample’s contents. This research lays the foundation for future work in astrochemistry, including the development of a state-of-the-art analytical tool and further exploration of the organic matter in meteorites. / Cette étude présente une analyse de la matière organique dans les météorites, en particulier les chondrites carbonées (CC), en utilisant des techniques expérimentales avancées telles que la spectrométrie de masse à ionisation laser par désorption en deux étapes (L2MS-oTOF) et l’ionisation photochimique à pression atmosphérique-Orbitrap  (APPI-Orbitrap). L’analyse se concentre sur la complexité moléculaire de la matière organique soluble (SOM) et insoluble (IOM) ainsi que sur la roche globale, et identifie et classe différentes familles moléculaires pour comprendre la composition chimique des météorites. Un nouvel outil logiciel, SpectraC, a été développé pour aider à analyser et comparer les spectres de masse de plusieurs échantillons de météorites simultanément. Les résultats de l’étude révèlent la composition chimique complexe des météorites, avec une domination des aromatiques condensés dans la plupart des échantillons, et mettent en évidence l’importance d’utiliser plusieurs techniques pour une compréhension plus complète du contenu des échantillons. Cette recherche pose les bases des travaux futurs en astrochimie, y compris le développement d’outils analytiques de pointe et l’exploration plus poussée de la matière organique dans les météorites.