Total synthesis of (−)-seimatopolide A

The total synthesis of (?)-seimatopolide A is described in a linear fashion with high yielding steps. The key reactions include Lu’s isomerization, Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation and Kita’s macrolactonization.     

Propagation of kink–antikink pair along microtubules as a control mechanism for polymerization and depolymerization processes

Among many types of proteinaceous filaments, microtubules(MTs) constitute the most rigid components of the cellular cytoskeleton. Microtubule dynamics is essential for many vital cellular processes such as intracellular transport,metabolism, and cell division. We investigate the nonlinear dynamics of inhomogeneous microtubulin systems and the MT dynamics is found to be governed by a perturbed sine-Gordon equation. In the presence of various competing nonlinear inhomogeneities, it is shown that this nonlinear model can lead to the existence of kink and antikink solitons moving along MTs. We demonstrate kink–antikink pair collision in the framework of Hirota’s bilinearization method. We conjecture that the collisions of the quanta of energy propagating in the form of kinks and antikinks may offer a new view of the mechanism of the retrograde and anterograde transport direction regulation of motor proteins in microtubulin systems.     

Birefringence Study in Hydrogen Bonded Complexes

A novel series of linear complementary hydrogen bonded complexes fashioned between p-n-alkylbenzoic acids (nBA) and m-fluorobenzoic acid (FBA) are isolated. The obtained homologous series comprising of seven mesogens are analyzed by polarizing optical microscope (POM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) spectroscopy. It is interesting to note the correlation between the alkyl chain length and the mesogenic phases. The order of the transitions is examined through Cox parameter, experimentally derived by thermal analysis (DSC). Optical tilt angle studies in smectic C and thermal stability factors for various phases are discussed. Birefringence study by various techniques enabled to measure the refractive index at various phase transitions. These results are compared and conferred with those obtained from conventional refractometer. Further orientational order parameter for various phases has been discussed.     

Preferable solar cell absorber – Near stoichiometric or stoichiometric CBD CIAS thin films?

Near stoichiometric and stoichiometric [CuIn_(1 − x)Al_(x)Se₂] (CIAS) thin films are prepared by chemical bath deposition (CBD) technique. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis have been employed to estimate the structural properties of CBD CIAS thin films and also to identify the near stoichiometric in particular defect free Cu-poor CBD CIAS thin films as preferable solar cell absorber material.     

Design,synthesis and characterization of a linear hydrogen bonded homologous series exhibiting reentrant smectic C ordering

Design, synthesis and characterization of seven linear hydrogen bonded liquid crystal complexes derived from mesogenic p–n-decyloxy benzoic acid and p–n-alkyl benzoic acids designated as 10OØn (where n varied from ethyl to octyl) are reported. FTIR studies confirm the hydrogen bond formation in all these complexes. The phase transition temperatures and their corresponding enthalpy values are experimentally deduced from Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) studies. POM and DSC data are further utilized for the construction of 10OØn phase diagram. Two Odd–even effects have been evinced, one in enthalpy values and the other in corresponding transition temperatures across the isotropic to nematic phase transition. An interesting result is the observation of re-entrant smectic ordering, designated as smectic C_R in three higher ordered mesogens. A new smectic ordering, smectic X, has been observed which is sandwiched between traditional smectic C and re-entrant smectic C_R. Magnitudes of optical tilt angle in smectic C, smectic X and smectic C_R are experimentally found to attain saturation with decrement of temperature in the corresponding phase. The occurrence of smectic X and smectic C_R are discussed with relation to the molecular chemical structure. The optical filtering action in smectic C and re-entrant smectic C_R phases have been analyzed.     

Photoinduced signal amplification through controlled externally sensitized fragmentation in masked sensitizers

Addition of lithiated dithianes to diaryl ketones, potential electron-transfer sensitizers, disrupts conjugation between the two aromatic moieties, effectively masking the sensitizer. A novel photoamplification strategy is developed based on photosensitized cleavage in such adducts, where each fragmentation event releases more diaryl ketone, capable of sensitization. As a result, mass release of dithianes, triggered with a very small amount of the initiator, is observed. Such amplified release can be made contingent on a molecular recognition event, offering a promising methodology for high throughput bioanalytical applications. The concept is proved with the use of micro- and nanosized polymeric supports, including dendrimers.     

Padé approximants and their application to scattering from fluid media

In this work, a numerical method for modeling the scattered acoustic pressure from fluid occlusions is described. The method is based on the asymptotic series expansion of the pressure expressed in terms of sound speed contrast between the host medium and entrained fluid occlusions. Pade? approximants are used to extend the applicability of the result for larger values of sound speed contrast. For scattering from a circular cylinder, an improvement in convergence between the exact and numerical solutions is demonstrated. In the case of scattering from an inhomogeneous medium, a numerical solution with reduced order of Pade? approximants is presented.     

A tailor‐made polymethacrylate bearing a reactive diene in reversible diels–alder reaction

A tailor‐made polymethacrylate bearing a pendant furfuryl group was prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), an important method of recent advances in controlled radical polymerization. It was otherwise difficult to prepare via conventional radical polymerization, because of several side reactions involving the reactive diene functionality of the furfuryl group. Successful Diels–Alder (DA) chemistry was carried out using this reactive furfuryl group of the tailor‐made polymer as diene and a bismaleimide as a dienophile. Interestingly, the resultant material was observed to be thermoreversible as evidenced by FT‐IR and DSC studies. This example of application of a tailor‐made polymer having controlled molecular architecture and with reactive diene functionality in DA chemistry will open new possibilities to prepare newer tailor‐made reversible materials. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 4441–4449, 2007     

Biocompatible inorganic nanoparticles for [18F]-fluoride binding with applications in PET imaging

A wide selection of insoluble nanoparticulate metal salts was screened for avid binding of [(18)F]-fluoride. Hydroxyapatite and aluminium hydroxide nanoparticles showed particularly avid and stable binding of [(18)F]-fluoride in various biological media. The in vivo behaviour of the [(18)F]-labelled hydroxyapatite and aluminium hydroxide particles was determined by PET-CT imaging in mice. [(18)F]-labelled hydroxyapatite was stable in circulation and when trapped in various tissues (lung embolisation, Subcutaneous and intramuscular), but accumulation in liver via reticuloendothelial clearance was followed by gradual degradation and release of [(18)F]-fluoride (over a period of 4 h) which accumulated in bone. [(18)F]-labelled aluminium hydroxide was also cleared to liver and spleen but degraded slightly even without liver uptake (Subcutaneous and intramuscular). Both materials have properties that are an attractive basis for the design of molecular targeted PET imaging agents labelled with (18)F.