Optically switchable liquid crystal photonic structures

Photo-optic materials offer the possibility of light controlled photonic devices, intelligent and environmentally adaptive optical materials. One strategy for creating these materials is the combination of structure formation through holographic photopolymerization and the variable optical properties of liquid crystals. Holographically patterned, polymer stabilized liquid crystals (HPSLCs) have proven to be useful optical materials. By incorporating photo-optic, azobenzene-derived liquid crystal blends into such material systems, we have generated practical photoresponsive optical materials.     

Synthesis and Structure of a Molecular Zinc Phosphate [(C12H8N2Zn)2(HPO4)(H2PO4)2]

A hydrothermal reaction of a mixture of ZnCO₃, phosphoric acid, 1, 10‐phenanthroline in H₂O gave rise to large plates of a new zinc phosphate, [(C₁₂H₈N₂Zn)₂(HPO₄)(H₂PO₄)₂], I . The structure consists of ZnO₃N₂ distorted trigonal‐bipyramidal and PO₄ tetrahedral units linked through their vertices to give rise to a zero‐dimensional molecular solid (monomer). The structure of the monomer appears to be similar to the secondary building unit (SBU) 4 = 1, commonly found in many fibrous zeolites. To our knowledge, this is the first time this building unit has been isolated. The structure, with a unique composition, is stabilized by hydrogen bond interactions between the terminal —OH groups forms a one‐dimensional molecular wire and also by strong π…π interactions between the 1, 10‐phenanthroline units. Photoluminescence studies show that there is a ligand‐to‐metal charge transfer (LMCT). Crystal data: orthorhombic, space group = Fdd2 (no. 43), a = 40.4669(1), b = 7.4733(2), c = 17.4425(5)Å, V = 5274.9(2)ų, Z = 8.     

Hydrothermal synthesis and structures of two zero-dimensional zinc phosphate polymorphs

Two polymorphs of zero-dimensional zinc phosphate with the formula, ⁰_∞[Zn(2,2′-bipy)(H₂PO₄)₂], have been synthesized employing hydrothermal technique and their structure determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Both the structures consists of ZnO₃N₂ distorted trigonal-bipyramidal and PO₂(OH)₂ tetrahedral units linked through their vertices giving rise to a zero-dimensional molecular zinc phosphate. The structures are stabilized by extensive hydrogen bond interactions between zero-dimensional monomers. The structures display subtle differences in their packing created by hydrogen bond interactions. Crystal data: polymorph I, triclinic, space group (No. 2), , , , α=67.32(3)°, β=81.67(3)°, γ=69.29(3)°, , Z=2; polymorph II, triclinic, space group (No. 2), , , , α=97.37(2)°, β=100.54(2)°, γ=100.98(2)°, , Z=2.     

Linear dichroism and fluorescence polarization of diphenyl polyenes in stretched polyethylene films

A study of the linear diehroism and fluorescence polarization of diphenylpolyenes (C₆H₅—(CH=CH)_n—C₆H₅) with n = 1,2,3,4,6,8 in stretched polyethylene films shows that the polyenes orient in the anisotropic matrix with their transition dipole (emission and absorption, π → π^*) aligned with the direction of stretch. The maximum dichroic ratio is observed for 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH), with n = 3, whereas the values are substantially lower for n < 3 or n > 3. The high orientation of DPH and poor alignment of the higher polyenes may be accounted for in terms of the growing flexibility of the polyene chains with increasing chain length. The results justify the use of DPH as a convenient fluorescence probe for biological and synthetic membranes.     

Ruthenium(II) carbonyl complexes containing tridentate Schiff bases

New ruthenium(II) complexes, [Ru(CO)(B)(LL)(PPh₃)] (where, LL = tridentate Schiff bases; B = PPh₃, pyridine, piperidine or morpholine) have been prepared by reacting [RuHCl(CO)(PPh₃)₃] or [RuHCl(CO)(PPh₃)₂(B)] with Schiff bases containing donor groups (O, N, X) viz., salicylaldehyde thiosemicarbazone (X = S), salicylaldehyde semicarbazone (X = O), o-hydroxyacetophenone thiosemicarbazone (X = S) and o-hydroxyacetophenone semicarbazone (X = O). The new complexes were characterised by elemental analysis, spectral (i.r., ¹H- and ³¹P-n.m.r.), data.     

Preconcentration of trace metals on Amberlite XAD-4 resin coated with dithiocarbamates and determination by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry in saline matrices

Preconcentration of Cd(II), Cu(II), Mn(II), Ni(II), Pb(II) and Zn(II) in saline matrices on Amberlite XAD-4 resins coated with ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (APDC) and piperidine dithiocarbamate (pipDTC) and subsequent determination by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry were studied. Parameters such as effect of pH, effect of HNO(3) concentration on elution of metals from resin were studied. The results show that Amberlite XAD-4 coated with APDC was more efficient in the recovery of metal ions compared with Amberlite XAD-4 coated with pipDTC, in the concentration range of 0.1-200 mug l(-1), for 1 g of Amberlite XAD-4 coated resin. The detection limits for Cd(II), Cu(II), Mn(II), Ni(II), Pb(II), Zn(II) are 0.1, 0.4, 0.3, 0.4, 0.6, 0.5 mug l(-1), respectively, for resin coated with APDC and 0.7, 1.0, 0.8, 0.9, 1.7 and 1.2 mug l(-1) for resin coated with pipDTC. The effect of diverse ions on the determination of aforesaid metals was studied. The method was applied for the determination of trace metal ions in artificial sea water and natural water samples. The results were compared with extraction AAS method.     

A Highly stereospecific and efficient synthesis of homopentafluoro- phenylalanine

A short and efficient synthesis of homopentafluorophenylalanine (6) from oxazolidine aldehyde 1 in 57% overall yield and in > 98% ee is described. The enantiomeric excess of the product was determined by 19F NMR analysis of the coupling product derived from 5 and L-Ser(O-t-Bu)-OCH3, by comparison to a dipeptide obtained from racemic 5.     

Efficient oxidizing methods for the synthesis of oxandrolone intermediates

Mild, efficient and eco-friendly oxidation of 17alpha-methylandrostan-3beta-17beta-diol (1) has been studied with three different reagents viz. pentavalent iodine reagent 2-iodoxy benzoic acid (IBX) in DMSO at 65 degrees C, sodium hypochlorite and H2O2/Na2WO4 under phase transfer conditions to give 17beta-hydroxy-17alpha-methylandrostan-3-one (mestanolone 2), a drug intermediate as oxidized product. The H2O2/Na2WO4/PTC gave mestanolone in high yield and purity whereas sodium hypochlorite/PTC system yielded some chlorinated material along with the mestanolone. However, 1 with 2.5 equivalent of IBX gave 17beta-hydroxy-17alpha-methyl-Delta1-androsten-3-one (3) under the similar reaction conditions in good yield and single step reaction.     

Redox and antimicrobial studies of transition metal(II) tetradentate Schiff base complexes

Neutral tetradentate chelate complexes of Cu^II, Ni^II, Co^II, Mn^II, Zn^II and VO^II have been prepared in EtOH using Schiff bases derived from acetoacetanilido-4-aminoantipyrine and 2-aminophenol/2-aminothiophenol. Microanalytical data, magnetic susceptibility, i.r., u.v.–vis., ¹H-n.m.r. and e.s.r. spectral techniques were used to confirm the structures of the chelates. Electronic absorption and i.r. spectra of the complexes suggest a square-planar geometry around the central metal ion, except for VO^II and Mn^II complexes which have square-pyramidal and octahedral geometry respectively. The cyclic voltammetric data for the Cu^II complexes in MeCN show two waves for copper(II) copper(III) and copper(II) copper(I) couples, whereas the VO^II complexes in MeCN show two waves for vanadium(IV) vanadium(V) and vanadium(IV) vanadium(III) couples. The e.s.r. spectra of the Cu^II, VO^II and Mn^II complexes were recorded in DMSO solution and their salient features reported. The in vitro antimicrobial activity of the investigated compounds was tested against the microorganisms such as Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Bacillus subtilis, Shigella flexneri, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Aspergillus niger and Rhizoctonia bataicola. Most of the metal chelates have higher antimicrobial activity than the free ligands.     

Production of ethanol from cellulosic biomass by Clostridium thermocellum SS19 in submerged fermentation

Carotenogenesis of the lactose-negative yeast Rhodotorula rubra GED5 was studied by cocultivation with Kluyveromyces lactis MP11 in whey ultrafiltrate (WU) (35, 50, and 70 g of lactose/L). Maximum yields of cell mass (24.3 g/L) and carotenoids (10.2 mg/L of culture fluid or 0.421 μ g/g of dry cells) were obtained by growing the microbial association in WU (50 g of lactose/L) in a fermentor with an airflow rate of 0.8 L/(L·min), agitation of 220 rpm, and temperature of 30°C. The identified carotenoid pigments—β-carotene, torulene, and torularhodin—reached maximum concentrations (133, 26.9, and 222.3 μg/g of dry cells, respectively) on d 5 for torulene and d 6 for β-carotene and torularhodin.