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.

Le cholestérol est l'une des molécules biologiques indispensable au bon fonctionnement de la plupart des organismes vivants, y compris chez l’homme. Cette molécule se trouve en abondance dans des tissus cérébraux et joue trois rôles principaux dans l'organisme. C’est un constituant (composant) essentiel de la membrane cellulaire qui sert à maintenir l’intégrité et la fluidité des cellules. Le cholestérol est aussi un élément déclencheur pour la production d’hormones stéroïdiennes comme les hormones sexuelles et la vitamine D. Finalement, il contribue à la production des acides biliaires par le foie. Dans cette étude, une méthode analytique de quantification absolu du cholestérol dans sections tissulaires de cerveau de souris par IMS a été développée. Pour ce faire, dans un premier temps des courbes d’étalonnage faites à partir de concentrations croissantes de cholesterol-d7 ont été réalisé en dopant directement des sections minces d’homogénat de cerveau. Par la suite, un étalon interne de stigmastérol (un stérol naturel d’origine exclusivement végétale) a été utilisé pour normaliser les signaux en provenance du cholestérol et du cholestérol-d7. Finalement, les analyses ont été effectué en utilisant une méthode IMS préalablement développée au laboratoire pour la détection spécifique et l’imagerie du cholestérol par désorption ionisation laser assistée par l’argent. L’étalon interne a été utilisé ici pour réduire les erreurs instrumentales, et les résultats avant et après normalisation montrent le rôle fonctionnel de cette méthode dans l’amélioration de la linéarité de la courbe d’étalonnage et, en conséquence, la mesure précise du cholestérol dans des échantillons analysés. / Cholesterol is one of the biological molecules essential for the proper functioning of most living organisms, including humans, and accurate quantification of cholesterol has many potential implications. This molecule is found abundantly in the brain and plays three main roles in the body. It is an essential component of the cell membrane which serves to maintain the integrity and fluidity of cells. Cholesterol is also a chemical trigger for the production of various steroid hormones such as sex hormones and vitamin D. Ultimately, it helps the liver to produce bile acids. A greater understanding of cholesterol and of its role in the body may directly impact our understanding of these processes. In this study, an analytical method for the absolute quantification of cholesterol in the mouse brain slices by IMS was developed. To achieve this calibration curves made from increasing concentrations of cholesterol-d7 were first performed by doping them on thin sections of brain homogenate. Subsequently, stigmasterol (a natural sterol of exclusively plant origin) was used as an internal standard to normalize the signals from cholesterol and cholesterol-d7 was evenly deposited over all analyzed sections. Finally, the analyzes were performed using an IMS method previously developed in the laboratory for the specific detection and imaging of cholesterol by silver-assisted laser ionization desorption. The internal standard was used here to reduce instrument errors, and the before and after normalization results show the functional role of this method in improving the linearity of the calibration curve and, therefore, the accurate measurement of cholesterol in the analyzed samples.

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