Zeolite-Hy : A Selective And Efficient Catalyst For The Alcoholyses Of Various Alcohols

An efficient and selective method for the conversion of various alcohols into their corresponding ethers in the presence of zeolite under sorvolytic condition is described. The reaction proceeds efficiently at ambient pressure in high yields.     

Bakers' Yeast–Catalyzed Ring Opening of Benzofuroxans: An Efficient Green Synthesis of Aryl-1,2-diamines

A simple and inexpensive method for the reductive cleavage of N–O bond of benzofuroxans with bakers' yeast under nonfermenting condition in aqueous media was achieved. The procedure gives excellent yields of aryl-1,2-diamines.     

Differentiation of Lippia gracilis Schauer Genotypes by LC Fingerprint and Chemometrics Analyses

A liquid chromatographic method with photodiode-array detection has been developed for differentiation of seven genotypes of Lippia gracilis Schauer, originated from Sergipe state (named 106 to 110) and from Bahia state (201 and 202), cultivated and collected in the rural campus of the Federal University of Sergipe. For a comparative analysis of the fingerprint chromatograms, chemometric tools were applied with exploratory methods. The genotypes were differentiated and their relationship with original place was established (Sergipe and Bahia states) by principal component analysis of the fingerprint chromatograms of both leaves and stem samples.     

KF/Al2O3 mediated 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylides: a novel and convenient procedure for the synthesis of highly substituted pyrrolidines

The regio- and diastereoselective synthesis of pyrrolidine derivatives through 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of an azomethine ylide and dipolarophile mediated by KF/Al₂O₃, a versatile solid supported reagent, is reported. KF/Al₂O₃ is sufficiently basic such that it can deprotonate α-imino esters to generate azomethine ylides and it also functions as a solid supported catalyst leading to the cycloadduct rather than the Michael adduct.     

A comparative study of thermal decomposition behaviour of Zn-Cr,Zn-Cr-Al and Zn-Al type layered double hydroxides

Hydrolysis of ZnO in acidic pH provides a facile route for synthesis of layered double hydroxides (LDH) bearing Zn²⁺ with Cr³⁺ and Al³⁺ without having carbonate ion in the inter-layer position. The thermal decomposition of the prepared LDH show that with the increase of Cr³⁺ content in the system there is an increase in the thermal stability of the compounds. In case of Zn-Cr LDH there is a non-mass loss transition around 420°C. Segregation of parent LDH structure to a bivalent oxide and a spinel takes place in both Zn-Cr and Zn-Al LDH only at temperatures above 550°C.Authors are grateful to Director R. R. L. Jorhat for his kind permission to publish the work, as well as acknowledgement is due to Prof. Herbert Poellmann of University of Halle, Germany for some powder XRD runs. Also, acknowledgement is due to Ministry of Environment and Forests, Govt. of India for some financial assistance.     

Performance of Range Separated Density Functional in Solvent Continuum: Tuning Long-range Hartree–Fock Exchange for Improved Orbital Energies

Performance of the density functionals mainly depends on the proper approximation of exchange-correlation functionals. Modification of various parameters of such functionals, according to the demand of the system, has brought their accuracy level to a new height. Recent reports highlight that Long-range Corrected (LC) functionals are not encouraging in reproducing orbital energies in solvent. Therefore, in this article, we have proposed a tuning scheme for the LC functional for improved orbital energies. In this scheme, the optimized long-range HF exchange and the dielectric constant of the medium are included to modify the form of functionals. The proposed tuning is tested over a set of 103 molecules from IP131 database and fifteen solvent dielectrics. The tuned range separated functionals reproduce orbital eigenvalues in solvent continuum with good accuracy. More importantly, there is a consistency in the error for the tuned functional across the solvent media. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Vertically aligned tree-like carbon nanostructure as an electrode of the electrochemical capacitor

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - The thin film of a vertically aligned tree-like carbon nanostructure is synthesised to study its performance as a novel electrode material of the...     

A toxicity assessment of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles on development and behaviour of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Drosophila melanogaster</Emphasis>

The effects of oral intake of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (HApNPs) were investigated on growth, development and behaviour of Drosophila. The Drosophila responses to various concentrations of HApNPs were compared. At lower concentrations, i.e. 5 mg L^?1 more amount of oxidative stress was produced than that of highest concentration, i.e. 80 mg L^?1. The increased amounts of oxidative stress reflect a higher amount of ROS production and increased cell damage within the larval gut. HApNPs was further shown to interfere with the calcium and phosphorus absorption pathway. Besides all these damage, HApNPs causes developmental delay in the late third instar larvae. The most significant anomaly was observed in pupae count, fly hatching after the feeding of HApNPs. Flies hatched from treated vials have decreased body weight with defective walking behaviour. Hatched flies have a phenotypic defect in the wing, eye and thorax of the bristles. Along with these changes, the adult fly becomes more prone towards stress. The findings hint that HApNPs persuade noxious effects and alter the development, structure, function and behaviour of the fly in a concentration-dependent manner.

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Graphical abstract Effect of Hydroxyapatite on the complete life cycle of Drosophila. Flies lay eggs in Hydroxyapatite containing food. As soon as the eggs hatch to larvae they start eating the NP contained food. The effect of Hydroxyapatite on various developmental stage is summerised by biochemical, immunohistochemical, behavioral, developmental and phenotypic defects.

     

Eyes of male and female Orgyia antiqua (Lepidoptera; Lymantriidae) react differently to an exposure with UV-A

The structural organization of the eyes belonging to 12 winged male and 12 wingless female Orgyia antiqua moths, exposed for 1 h to UV-radiation (lambda(max)=351 nm) of 1.4 kW/m2, was compared with that of 12 male and 12 female non-irradiated control specimens. Following the UV-exposure, the screening pigments were found in a position indicative of extreme light-adaptation. Extensive formations of vesicles along the perimeter of the cones as well as disintegrating ER in the cone cytoplasm were noticeable, especially in the eye of the female. On the retinal side of the clearzone, the microvilli of the rhabdoms had become affected by the UV in characteristic ways: in the male eye, retinal cell damage in the form of microvillar swellings and disintegrations were largely confined to just two cells per ommatidium, placed opposite to each other. The female eye, once again, exhibited greater vulnerability and more widespread microvillar disruptions that affected all of the ommatidial retinula cells. The greater resistance of the eye of the male to an exposure with UV makes sense, if we consider the consequences of the retinal damage, which would clearly be a more severe handicap for an actively flying individual than for an almost sedentary one like the wingless female.