Investigation of the reactions of fluorinated isatins and N-acetylisatins with thiocarbohydrazide: Synthesis of a novel spiro system: 2-oxo-1′,2′,4′,5′-tetrahydrospiro[3H-indole-3,3′-1,2,4,5-tetrazine]-6′-thione

A novel system 2-oxo-1′,2′,4′,5′-tetrahydrospiro[3H-indole-3,3′-1,2,4,5-tetrazine]-6′-thione has been synthesized by the treatment of fluorinated isatins with thiocarbohydrazide in aqueous ethanolic medium. Under exactly similar conditions, N-acetylisatin gave exclusively thiocarbohydrazone. The spiro product, on treatment with acetic acid, gave fluorinated isoindigo. Characterization of these products have been done by elemental analyses, ir, pmr and mass spectral studies.     

A study of 1O2 production by immobilized sensitizer outside the solution. Measurement of 1O2 generation

Abstract— Recently, a new technique of ¹O₂ generation has been described by Midden and Wang. The sensitizer is immobilized on silica gel particles which are attached on one surface of a glass plate which is placed, sensitizer-side down, above a solution leaving a small air space between the sensitizer and the solution. Applying the principle of the technique, i.e. generation of ¹O₂ in the gas phase above the solution, we first improved the long-term stability of the dye (rose bengal) by using double stock transparent tape instead of rubber cement. Under these conditions, although the initial rate of production was higher in rubber cement, the rate of production reached a plateau after 30 min, whereas with double stick transparent tape, the rate of generation was linear up to 100 min. This result was explained by the fact that silica glass beads are embedded in the cement which could lead to the bleaching reaction of the dye. Different reactions have been investigated, the bleaching of N,N-dimethyl-4-nitrosoaniline (RNO) in the presence of imidazole, destruction of anthracenedipropionic acid, formation of a stable nitroxide from a sterically hindered secondary amine and the influence of pH on the nitroxide yield. The yield was measured to be 5 × 10¹² molecules of singlet oxygen produced per second per cm² from the surface of the plate using the RNO bleaching reaction. This method of generating ¹O₂ also seems promising for studying the killing of mammalian cells by ¹O₂ as the sole damaging species.     

Synthesis and DNA binding properties of pyrrole amino acid-containing peptides

Dimers of the pyrrole amino acid (Paa), 5-(aminomethyl)pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid, and its derivatives having Lys anchored on N- and C-termini bind in the minor groove of DNA with considerable apparent binding affinities. When the Lys unit is attached to the C-terminus, the resulting ligand binds to ds-DNA with twice the affinity, of the order of 10⁵, than the one carrying two positive charges at the same end.     

Phosphoramidite approach for the synthesis of cardiolipin

A phosphoramidite approach was utilized for the first time to synthesize cardiolipin. Optically active 1,2-di-O-acyl-sn-glycerol was coupled with 2-O-protected glycerols utilizing mono- and bifunctional phosphitylating agents to yield, after final removal of protecting groups, the title compound.     

Cellulose synthesis in maize: isolation and expression analysis of the cellulose synthase (CesA) gene family

Stalk lodging in maize results in significant yield losses. We have determined that cellulose per unit length of the stalk is the primary determinant of internodal strength. An increase in cellulose concentration in the wall might allow simultaneous improvements in stalk strength and harvest index. Cellulose formation in plants can be perturbed by mutations in the genes involved in cellulose synthesis, post-synthetic cellulose alteration or deposition, N-glycosylation, and some other genes with as yet unknown functions. We have isolated 12 members of the cellulose synthase (CesA) gene family from maize. The genes involved in primary wall formation appear to have duplicated relatively independently in dicots and monocots. The deduced amino acid sequences of three of the maize genes, ZmCesA10–12, cluster with the Arabidopsis CesA sequences that have been shown to be involved in secondary wall formation. Based on their expression patterns across multiple tissues, these three genes appear to be coordinately expressed. The remaining genes show overlapping expression to varying degrees with ZmCesA1, 7, and 8 forming one group, ZmCesA3 and 5 a second group, and ZmCesA2 and 6 exhibiting independent expression of any other gene. This suggests that the varying levels of coexpression may just be incidental except in the case of ZmCesA10–12, which may interact with each other to form a functional enzyme complex. Isolation of the expressed CesA genes from maize and their association with primary or secondary wall formation has made it possible to test their respective roles in cellulose synthesis through mutational genetics or transgenic approaches. This information would be useful in improving stalk strength.     

Extraction of actinides and fission products by octyl(phenyl)-N,N-diisobutylcarbamoylmethyl-phosphine oxide from nitric acid media

Extraction of promethium(III), uranium(VI), plutonium(IV), americium(III), zirconium(IV), ruthenium(III), iron(III) and palladium(II) has been carried out with a mixture of octyl(phenyl)-N,N-diisobutylcarbamoylmethylphosphine oxide (CMPO) and tributyl phosphate (TBP) in dodecane. The effects of nitric acid, TBP and CMPO concentrations on the extraction of these metal ions have been studied. The nature of the species of the above metal ions extracted into the organic phase has been suggested.     

New sphingolipids and a sterol from a lobophytum species of the Indian ocean

Chemical investigation of a soft coral species of the genus Lobophytum has resulted in the isolation of three new sphingolipids--(2S,3S,4R)-2-nonadecanoylamino-octadecane-1,3,4-triol (1), (2S,3R,4E,8E)-[(2'R)-2'-hydroxyheptadecanoylamino]-4,8-octadecadiene-1,3-diol (2), 1-O-(beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-(2S,3R,4E,8E)-2-[(2'R)-2'-hydroxynonadecanoylamino]-9-methyl-4,8-octadecadiene-1,3-diol (3) and a sterol--(24S)-ergost-5-en-3beta,7beta-diol (4) along with the known sphingolipid--(2S,3R,4E,8E)-2-hexadecanoylamino-4,8-octadecadien-1,3-diol (5) which showed cytotoxicity against human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC).     

Gold nanoparticle networks with photoresponsive interparticle spacings

Photoresponsive gold nanoparticle networks were prepared by functionalizing them with azobenzene derivatives. A network can be formed when a linker molecule constituting the azobenzene moiety suitably derivatized on either side with gold surface sensitive groups such as thiols and amines is added to the nanoparticle solution. It is shown that the interparticle spacing in the networks could be controlled by the reversible trans-cis isomerization of the azobenzene moiety induced by UV and visible light, respectively. The photoinduced variation in the interparticle spacings is inferred by the changes in the optical spectra of the gold nanoparticles which display a red or blue shift in the surface plasmon resonance peak depending on a decrease or increase in the interparticle spacing, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy images are in consonance with the evidence from the optical spectra.     

Study of structural,electromagnetic and dielectric properties of cadmium substituted Ni–Zn nanosized ferrites

Sol-gel auto-combustion method was adopted to prepare Cd²⁺ ions substituted Ni–Zn nanosized ferrites having a chemical formula Ni_0.5Zn_0.5-xCd_xFe₂O₄ (0.0 $\le x\le 0.4)$. Their structural, electromagnetic, and dielectric properties were investigated by using XRD, FE-SEM, EDS, FTIR, VSM, and IS. The XRD analysis revealed a single-phase cubic structure of all samples. The addition of cadmium increased the lattice constant and cell volume of Ni–Zn ferrite due to the difference in the ionic radii between Cadmium (0.97 ?Å) and Zinc (0.74 ?Å). FESEM images showed irregularly shaped grain sizes in the range of 40 to 73 ?nm with random orientations and some agglomeration. The FTIR analysis also confirmed the presence of spinal ferrite phase functional groups in all samples. The saturation magnetization decreased (from 89.51 to 71.32 emu/g) with increasing cadmium content. However, the remanent magnetization and coercivity parameters increased with an increase in cadmium content. The dc resistivity as a function of the temperature of all samples was investigated, and the activation energies were found to be in the range of 0.48 to 0.51 ?eV. The dielectric loss decreased with increasing cadmium content. However, the dielectric constant and dielectric loss tangent (tan) varied non-monotonically with increased cadmium content.