Asymmetric Synthesis of Furo[3,4‐b]indoles by Catalytic [3+2] Cycloaddition of Indoles with Epoxides

A highly efficient N,N′‐dioxide–Ni^II catalyst system for the catalytic [3+2] cycloaddition of indoles with epoxides through C?C cleavage of oxiranes was accomplished under mild conditions. It provided a promising approach for chiral furo[3,4‐b]indoles in up to 98 % yield with up to 91 % enantiomeric excess (ee) and >95:5 diastereomeric ratio (d.r.).     

Photolithographic Encoding of Metal Complexes

A platform technology for the creation of spatially resolved surfaces encoded with a monolayer consisting of different metal complexes was developed. The concept entails the light‐triggered activation of a self‐ assembled monolayer (SAM) of UV‐labile anchors, that is, phenacylsulfides, and the subsequent cycloaddition of selected diene‐functionalized metal complexes at defined areas on the surface. The synthesis and characterization of the metal complexes for the UV‐light assisted anchoring on the surface and a detailed study of a short‐chain oligomer model system in solution confirm the high efficiency of the photoreaction. The hybrid materials obtained by this concept can potentially be utilized for the design of highly valuable catalytic or (opto‐)electronic devices.     

Synthesis of Nitrogen Doped Multilayered Graphene Flakes: Selective Non‐enzymatic Electrochemical Determination of Dopamine and Uric Acid in presence of Ascorbic Acid.

Nitrogen doped multilayered graphene (NDMLG) is synthesized by annealing the black fluffy mass obtained by decomposing the complex prepared from Zn(OAc)₂, diethanolamine and triethanolamine. The NDMLG has been characterized by HRTEM, FESEM, XRD, XPS, Raman spectroscopy, BET which indicate formation of nitrogen doped multilayer graphene flakes with high surface area. NDMLG shows better electrochemical oxidation property towards Dopamine, Uric acid and Ascorbic acid. The linear response ranges for determination of DA, UA and AA are 0.5–150 µM, 3–60 µM and 80–2000 µM respectively and the detection limits (S/N=3) are 15 nM, 15 nM, 580 nM, respectively in the mixture.     

Isotope‐Filtered 4D NMR Spectroscopy for Structure Determination of Humic Substances

Humic substances, the main component of soil organic matter, could form an integral part of green and sustainable solutions to the soil fertility problem. However, their global‐scale application is hindered from both scientific and regulatory perspectives by the lack of understanding of the molecular make‐up of these chromatographically inseparable mixtures containing thousands of molecules. Here we show how multidimensional NMR spectroscopy of isotopically tagged molecules enables structure characterization of humic compounds. We illustrate this approach by identifying major substitution patterns of phenolic aromatic moieties of a peat soil fulvic acid, an operational fraction of humic substances. Our methodology represents a paradigm shift in the use of NMR active tags in structure determination of small molecules in complex mixtures. Unlike previous tagging methodologies that focused on the signals of the tags, we utilize tags to directly probe the identity of the molecules they are attached to.     

Double-ion imprinted polymer @magnetic nanoparticles modified screen printed carbon electrode for simultaneous analysis of cerium and gadolinium ions

A typical, reproducible, and rugged screen printed carbon electrode, modified with dual-ion imprinted beads, was fabricated employing the “surface grafting from” approach. For this, the acyl chloride functionalized magnetic nanoparticles were first immobilized and chemically attached with a typical functional monomer (but-2-enedioic acid bis-[(2-amino-ethyl)-amide]) on the electrode surface. This was subsequently subjected to the thermal polymerization in the presence of template ions (Ce(IV) and Gd(III)), cross-linker (ethylene glycol dimethacrylate), initiator (AIBN), and multiwalled carbon nanotubes. The modified sensor was used for the simultaneous analysis of both template ions in aqueous, blood serum, and waste-water samples, using differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry which revealed two oxidation peaks for respective templates with resolution as much as 950 mV, without any cross reactivity, interferences and false-positives. The detection limits realized by the proposed sensor, under optimized conditions, were found to be as low as 0.07 ng mL⁻¹ for Ce(IV) and 0.19 ng mL⁻¹ for Gd(III) (S/N = 3) that could eventually be helpful for lanthanide estimation at stringent levels.     

Synthesis,Electrochemical and Luminescence Studies of Nickel and Vanadium Complexes Containing Tetradentate Schiff Base Ligand with N2O2 Donor Atoms

A symmetrical tetradentate Schiff base ligand was derived by the condensation of ortho‐vanillin and thiourea in 2:1 molar ratio and adjusted pH. Nickel and vanadyl complexes were obtained using the template method by the reaction of ortho‐vanillin and thiourea with Ni(OAc)₂. 4H₂O and VO(acac)₂ (2:1:1 molar ratio) in absolute ethanol and adjusted pH. The Schiff base ligand and its complexes have been characterized by FT‐IR, ¹H NMR, UV/Vis, elemental analysis and conductometry measurements. In nickel and also vanadyl complexes the ligands were coordinated to the metals via the imine N and enolic O atoms. The complexes have been found to possess 1:1 metal to ligand stoichiometry and the molar conductance data revealed that the metal complexes were non‐electrolytes. The nickel and vanadyl complexes exhibited tetrahedral and square pyramidal coordination geometry, respectively. The emission spectra of the ligand and its complexes were studied in DMSO. Electrochemical properties of the ligand and its complexes were also investigated in the DMF solvent at the 150 mVs^‐1 scan rate. The ligand and its complexes showed irreversible processes at this scan rate.     

The Syntheses,Structures, and Magnetic Properties of Four 2D Lanthanide(III)‐naphthalenedicarboxylic Complexes

Four Ln‐NDC coordination polymers [Ln(NDC)(HNDC)(H₂O)] (Ln = La ( 1 ), Pr ( 2 ), Nd ( 3 ), Sm ( 4 ), H₂NDC = 1,4‐naphthalenedicarboxylic acid) were hydrothermally synthesized and structurally characterized by elemental analyses, IR spectroscopy, and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Compounds 1 – 4 are isomorphous, and their structures display a layer constructed from a Ln‐organic chain and NDC^2– ligand, in which the H₂NDC ligands adopt two different acidity‐dependent types and coordination modes: HNDC^1– with μ‐η¹:η¹ and NDC^2– with μ‐η¹:η²:η¹:η². The 3D supramolecular networks of 1 – 4 are mainly controlled by hydrogen bonds interactions. The magnetic susceptibilities of complexes 2 – 4 reveal overall antiferromagnetic interactions between the Ln^III ions. In addition, thermogravimetric analysis of compound 2 is described.     

Two Uranyl Complexes with Pyromellitic Acid. A Heterometallic Complex with U=O–CuII Interaction

Two uranyl complexes based on pyromellitic acid were hydrothermally synthesized, and their X‐ray single‐crystal diffraction structures were determined. Complex [UO₂(Hbtec)]^–(Himd)⁺ · H₂O ( 1 ) (H₄btec = pyromellitic acid, imd = imidazole), is an ionic complex, which shows a typical (4, 4) topological structure in the space. A heterometallic complex, UO₂Cu(btec)(phen) ( 2 ) (phen = 1,10‐phenanthroline) results from the reaction of uranyl nitrate and copper(II) bromide with pyromellitic acid. The structure of complex 2 revealed that the chains of UO₇ and CuO₃N₂ units were connected to each other through the carboxyl groups and U=O–Cu interactions to create a two‐dimensional framework.     

Computational study on the interactions of mustard gas with cucurbituril macrocycles

The study on the absorption of toxic gases such as mustard gas by organic host is essential to the development of inexpensive detection and decontamination equipments. Using quantum chemical methods, we propose cucurbituril as an effective host to capture mustard gas. It was found that stable complexes are formed with the inclusion of the toxic gas molecules inside the cucurbituril cavity, compared with the lateral and exterior interactions. Oxygen mustard has a comparable binding energy with sulfur mustard and hence can be used during experimental investigation. Additionally, during the inclusion complex formation, the presence of heteroatoms helps the guest molecules to undergo a larger structural reorganization to get accommodated inside the cucurbituril macromolecule. Atoms‐in‐molecules analysis shows the existence of strong intermolecular CH…O bonding between the guest molecules and cucurbituril macromolecule. The presence of an intramolecular CH…Cl type of bonding accounts for the higher stabilization of sulfur mustard inside the cucurbituril macromolecule. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Two‐dimensional reactive scattering with transmitted quantum trajectories

A simple and easy‐to‐implement method is presented for the study of time‐dependent reaction dynamics by propagating an ensemble of transmitted quantum trajectories. During the trajectory evolution, reflected trajectories are gradually removed and all the remaining trajectories represent the transmitted subensemble. The removal process of reflected trajectories avoids numerical instabilities arising from node formation in the reactant region, and allows stable long‐time propagation of transmitted trajectories. This method is applied to a two‐dimensional model chemical reaction. Excellent computational results are obtained for the time‐dependent reaction probabilities evaluated by the time integration of the probability flux. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.