Fabrication of integrated waveguide grating in azo polymers

In this Letter, we have introduced a technique, new to our knowledge, to fabricate gratings on a waveguide of azo-functionalized polymeric films using a slit mask and a fast, direct-writing method. To prevent the destruction of the waveguide by the grating formation on the waveguide, we placed a slit mask on the waveguide. By properly adjusting the resonance, this grating can be used as an integrated wavelength filter. We have produced an attenuation of 13.4?dB at 1562?nm with a FWHM of 3.45?nm. The grating has been fabricated as narrow as the width of the waveguide to couple filtered light into the waveguide by using a slit mask. Any light shifted from the resonance will pass through the waveguide undisturbed.     

Sustainable and green microextraction of organophosphorus flame retardants by a novel phosphonium‐based deep eutectic solvent

Based on the solidification of a hydrophobic deep eutectic solvent in air‐assisted liquid phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, a green and sustainable microextraction technique was developed for extracting, separating, and detecting organophosphorus flame retardants in aqueous samples. In this study, some strategies were considered for overcoming or improving the challenges of conventional solvent microextraction procedures. In addition, a hydrophobic deep eutectic solvent with a freezing point near the ambient temperature was employed as an extraction phase, the dispersive solvent was substituted by the syringe pump process, and the centrifugation step was omitted by using salting‐out phenomenon. Further, the effect of the main independent variables was evaluated by using the chemometric methods in order to maximize the extraction efficiency of the procedure. Under optimal conditions, the calibration model was linear in the range of 0.01–25.0 µg/L. Limits of detection and quantitation were assessed at the concentration levels of 2–23 and 9–65 ng/L, respectively. The precision involving repeatability and reproducibility was evaluated by estimating the relative standard deviation, the levels of which were <6.6 and <8.7%, respectively. The applicability of the method was successfully evaluated by analyzing the target analytes in real aqueous samples, which illustrated satisfactory recoveries (95–104.61%).     

Cyclometalated platinum(II) complexes containing monodentate phosphines: antiproliferative study

Reaction of cyclometalated platinum(II) precursor [Pt(C^N)Cl(dmso)], 1, C^N = N(1), C(2′)-chelated deprotonated 2-phenylpyridine and dmso = dimethylsulfoxide, with 1 equivalent of triphenyl phosphine, PPh₃, or 1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphaadamantane, PTA, gave the complex [Pt(C^N)Cl(PPh₃)], 2, or [Pt(C^N)Cl(PTA)], 3, respectively. On the basis of careful multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, supported by a number of 2D NMR experiments, structures of the complexes 2 and 3 in solution were determined to be neutral four coordinate. The X-ray crystallography indicated that the solid-state structure of complex 3 comprised a common square-planar geometry around platinum(II). Cytotoxicity of the complexes 2 and 3 was studied in three human cancer cell lines derived from ovarian carcinoma (CH1), lung carcinoma (A549), and colon carcinoma (SW480).     

Finite difference time domain analysis of a photonic crystal substrate patch antenna

Planar microstrip patch antennas can achieve a wide range of radiation patterns. However, due to surface-wave losses, they have low bandwidth, low gain, and a potential decrease in radiation efficiency. In order to minimize the surface-wave effects, a photonic-band gap (PBG) substrate is proposed. The PBG structure significantly diminishes the surface-wave modes and thus improves the gain and far-field radiation pattern and efficiency. In this paper, using FDTD, an accurate full-wave analysis of surface-wave propagation in a rectangular microstrip patch antenna with and without PBG is presented. Finally, the antenna fabricated and result of measurement was compared with numerical simulation.     

Synthesis and characterization of three Cd(II) Schiff-base macrocyclic N3O2 complexes

Three polyamine ligands of N1-(2-nitrobenzyl)-N1-(2-aminoethyl)ethane-1,2-diamine (L₁), N1-(2-nitrobenzyl)-N1-(2-aminoethyl)propane-1,3-diamine (L₂) and N1-(2-nitrobenzyl)-N1-(3-aminopropyl)propane-1,3-diamine (L₃) were synthesized and their cyclocondensation with 2-[2-(2-formyl phenoxy)ethoxy]benzaldehyde (L₄) in the presence of various metal(II) ions was examined. These reactions only in the presence of a stoichiometric amount of cadmium(II) nitrate gave the related cadmium(II) macrocyclic Schiff-base complexes. In all the other cases no cyclic complexes have been obtained and metal(II) polyamines were the only products. The complexes have been studied with IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, DEPT, COSY, HMQC and microanalysis. The crystal structures of [Cd(NO₃)(L₅)(μ-NO₃)Cd(NO₃)(L₅)]0.5Cd(NO₃)₄ (1) and [CdL₅(NO₃)(CH₃OH)]ClO₄ (2) have been also determined.     

Synthesis of two new tripodal ligands and their cyclocondensation with 2-[2-(2-formylphenoxy)ethoxy]benzaldehyde in the presence of manganese(II) and cadmium(II) metal ions

Two new asymmetric tripodal tetraamine ligands, 2-((bis(2-aminoethyl)amino)methyl)benzenamine (L²) and 2-(((2-aminoethyl)(3-aminopropyl)amino)methyl)benzenamine (L³) were synthesized and characterized. [1+1] Macrocyclic Schiff-base complexes containing 1,2-diphenoxyethane head units and a 2-aminobenzyl pendant arm, were synthesized as [MnL⁴(MeOH)](ClO₄)₂ (1), [MnL⁵(MeOH)](ClO₄)₂ (2), [CdL⁴(H₂O)](NO₃)₂ (3) and [CdL⁵(H₂O)](NO₃)₂ (4) from the metal ion templated cyclocondensation reactions of 2-[2-(2-formylphenoxy)ethoxy]benzaldehyde with the (L²) or (L³) tripodal tetraamine ligands. The crystal structure determination of (1) and (4) showed that the complex cations that had formed consisted of pentagonal bipyramidally coordinated Mn(II) and Cd(II) ions, centrally located in a N₃O₂ macrocycle, with one 2-aminobenzyl pendant arm. Supporting ab initio HF-MO calculations have been undertaken using the standard 3-21G^∗ and 6-31G^∗ basis sets.     

HPMA copolymer-doxorubicin-gadolinium conjugates: synthesis, characterization, and in vitro evaluation

This study describes the synthesis, characterization, and in vitro evaluation of N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide (HPMA) copolymer-gadolinium (Gd)-doxorubicin (Dox) conjugates. Copolymers of HPMA were derivatized to incorporate side chains for Gd chelation and Dox conjugation. The conjugates were characterized by their side chain contents, T(1) relaxivity (r(1)), stability, and in vitro cytotoxicity. High stability and relaxivity of these conjugates coupled with low toxicity show their potential for monitoring the in vivo fate of HPMA-based drug delivery systems by magnetic resonance imaging techniques.     

Coupling Microplate-Based Antibacterial Assay with Liquid Chromatography for High-Resolution Growth Inhibition Profiling of Crude Extracts: Validation and Proof-of-Concept Study with Staphylococcus aureus

With the identification of novel antibiotics from nature being pivotal in the fight against human pathogenic bacteria, there is an urgent need for effective methodologies for expedited screening of crude extracts. Here we report the development and validation of a simple and dye-free antimicrobial assay in 96-well microplate format, for both determination of IC₅₀ values and high-resolution inhibition profiling to allow pin-pointing of bioactive constituents directly from crude extracts. While commonly used antimicrobial assays visualize cell viability using dyes, the developed and validated assay conveniently uses OD₆₀₀ measurements directly on the fermentation broth. The assay was validated with an investigation of the inhibitory activity of DMSO against Staphylococcus aureus, temperature robustness, interference by coloured crude extracts as well as inter-day reproducibility. The potential for high-resolution S. aureus growth inhibition profiling was evaluated on a crude extract of an inactive Alternaria sp., spiked with ciprofloxacin.     

Exceedingly Facile PhX Activation (X=Cl,Br, I) with Ruthenium(II): Arresting Kinetics,Autocatalysis, and Mechanisms

[(Ph₃P)₃Ru(L)(H)₂] (where L=H₂ ( 1 ) in the presence of styrene, Ph₃P ( 3 ), and N₂ ( 4 )) cleave the Ph? X bond (X=Cl, Br, I) at RT to give [(Ph₃P)₃RuH(X)] ( 2 ) and PhH. A combined experimental and DFT study points to [(Ph₃P)₃Ru(H)₂] as the reactive species generated upon spontaneous loss of L from 3 and 4 . The reaction of 3 with excess PhI displays striking kinetics which initially appears zeroth order in Ru. However mechanistic studies reveal that this is due to autocatalysis comprising two factors: 1) complex 2 , originating from the initial PhI activation with 3 , is roughly as reactive toward PhI as 3 itself; and 2) the Ph? I bond cleavage with the just‐produced 2 gives rise to [(Ph₃P)₂RuI₂], which quickly comproportionates with the still‐present 3 to recover 2 . Both the initial and onward activation reactions involve PPh₃ dissociation, PhI coordination to Ru through I, rearrangement to a η²‐PhI intermediate, and Ph? I oxidative addition.