Organophotoredox‐Catalyzed Cascade Radical Annulation of 2‐(Allyloxy)arylaldehydes with N‐(acyloxy)phthalimides: Towards Alkylated Chroman‐4‐one Derivatives

An organophotoredox catalyzed efficient and robust approach for the synthesis of highly important 3‐alkyl substituted chroman‐4‐one scaffold is developed using visible light induced radical cascade cyclization strategy. The reaction is initiated through the generation of alkyl radicals from N‐(acyloxy)phthalimides under photoredox conditions, which subsequently undergo intermolecular cascade radical cyclization on 2‐(allyloxy)arylaldehydes to afford chroman‐4‐one scaffolds. The presented strategy is attractive with regard to mild reaction conditions, operational simplicity, high functional group tolerance and broad substrate scope.     

Dielectric,impedance and excitation performance of Aurivillius oxides: Bi4Pb2Zr2TiFeNbO18

The Aurivillius phase-based composition bearing chemical formula Bi₄Pb₂Zr₂TiFeNbO₁₈ (termed as BPZTFNO) was synthesized by a solid-state method. The structural analysis as obtained from the X-ray pattern has depicted an orthorhombic phase. The various size and morphology of grains are distributed throughout the natural surface as revealed from microstructure analysis. The dielectric and electrical study of the BPZTFNO is taken at a various sweep of frequency (1 kHz–1 MHz) and temperatures (25–400 °C). The ferroelectric-paraelectric phase transition is well illustrated from the temperature-dependent dielectric constant. The complex impedance analysis suggests the association of grain effect. The relaxation of non-Debye nature is shown in the impedance study. The formed sample is subjected to an electric field and further its excitation performance is examined suggesting its possible usage in devices.     

Threshold effects in SUSY and non-SUSY GUTs

We discuss recent contributions on threshold effects in grand unfiied theories including minimal SUSY SU (5), non-SUSY modifications of the grand desert in SU(5) and SO(10), and SO(10) with single intermediate symmetires. Consequences of theorems on vanishing GUT-scale corrections to sin² θ_w in SO(10) with SU(2) _L XSU(2) _R XSU(4) _c (g_2l =g_2R ) intermediate symmetry are discussed and vanishing corrections on the inter-mediate scale are explicitly demonstrated where predictions are more precise. Threshold and higher dimensional operator effects in SUSY SU(5) recently derived by a number of authors are presented.     

Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow of a second grade fluid in a channel with porous wall

An analysis has been carried out to study the effect of magnetic field on an electrically conducting fluid of second grade in a parallel channel. The coolant fluid is injected into the porous channel through one side of the channel wall into the other heated impermeable wall. The combined effect of inertia, viscous, viscoelastic and magnetic forces are studied. The basic equations governing the flow and heat transfer are reduced to a set of ordinary differential equations by using appropriate transformations for velocity and temperature. Numerical solutions of these equations are obtained with the help of Runge-Kutta fourth order method in association with quasi-linear shooting technique. Numerical results for velocity field, temperature field, skin friction and Nusselt number are presented in terms of elastic parameter, Hartmann number, Prandtl number and Reynolds number. Special case of our results is in good agreement with earlier published work.     

Twist does a twist to the reactivity: stoichiometric and catalytic oxidations with twisted tetramethyl-IBX

The methyl groups in TetMe-IBX lower the activation energy corresponding to the rate-determining hypervalent twisting (theoretical calculations), and the steric relay between successive methyl groups twists the structure, which manifests in significant solubility in common organic solvents. Consequently, oxidations of alcohols and sulfides occur at room temperature in common organic solvents. In situ generation of the reactive TetMe-IBX from its precursor iodo-acid, i.e., 3,4,5,6-tetramethyl-2-iodobenzoic acid, in the presence of oxone as a co-oxidant facilitates the oxidation of diverse alcohols at room temperature.     

Effect of hydrogen defects on nanocrystallite layers of Si solar cells by hydrogen implantation

The Si solar cells were irradiated with high energy hydrogen ions of 10, 30, 60 and 120?keV at the dose rate of 10¹⁷ H⁺ ions (proton)/cm². The structural, optical and electrical properties of the implanted samples and fabricated cells were studied. The implantation induced defects bringing structural changes before and after annealing was evidenced by the transmission electron microscopy. The Raman spectrum showed a change of crystalline to amorphous state at 480?cm^?1 when the sample was implanted by hydrogen ion of 30?keV energy. Formation of nanocrystallite layers were observed after annealing. The electroluminescence images showed that hydrogen-related defect centers were involved in the emission mechanism. The photoluminescence emission from the implanted cells was attributed to nanocrystallite layers. From current–voltage measurements, the conversion efficiencies of implanted Si solar cells were found lower than the un-implanted reference cell. The ion implantation did not passivate the defects rather acted as recombination centers.     

Phase transition in tungsten–bronze Li2Pb2Nd2W2Ti4Nb4O30 ferroelectric

The polycrystalline sample of Li₂Pb₂Nd₂W₂Ti₄Nb₄O₃₀ was prepared by a solid-state reaction technique. Room temperature X-ray structural analysis confirms the formation of a single-phase compound. The morphology of the sintered sample recorded by scanning electron microscope exhibits a uniform grain distribution. Detailed studies of the nature of variation of dielectric constant, tangent loss, and polarization with temperature and frequency confirmed the existence of ferroelectricity in the material at room temperature. The temperature and frequency dependence of impedance parameters (impedance, modulus, etc.) of the material exhibits a strong correlation of its microstructure (i.e., bulk, grain boundary, etc.). Furthermore, the temperature dependence of DC conductivity shows a typical Arrhenius behavior of the material. The nature of variation of pyroelectric coefficient and current with temperature suggests that material has good pyroelectric properties useful for pyroelectric detector.     

Impedance spectroscopy of Gd-doped BiFeO3 multiferroics

The polycrystalline Bi_1?x Gd _x FeO₃ (BGFO) (x=0.0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20) materials were synthesized by a solid-state reaction (mixed oxide) technique. Preliminary X-ray structural analysis of the compounds confirmed the formation of single-phase polycrystalline samples. Room temperature scanning electron micrographs of the materials revealed the size, type and distribution of grains on the surface of samples. Studies of impedance, electrical modulus and electric conductivity of the materials in a wide frequency (10–1000 kHz) and temperature (30–500 ^°C) range using a complex impedance spectroscopy technique have provided considerable vital information on contribution of grains, grain boundary and interface in these parameters. A strong correlation between these electrical parameters and microstructures (bulk, grain boundary, nature of charge carrier, etc.) of the materials was established. The frequency dependence of electric modulus and impedance of the material shows the presence of non-Debye type of relaxation.     

Functionalization of Cotton by In-Situ Reaction of Styrene in Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Zone

Cotton fabric was treated using styrene/helium glow plasma at the atmospheric pressure. After the treatment, the substrate was found to turn into a highly hydrophobic material showing water drop disappearance time of 60?min and water contact angle of 133°. The treatment was found to be durable even after vigorous washing. The effect of various parameters, such as discharge voltage and frequency, on fragmentation of styrene inside plasma zone was investigated using optical emission spectroscopy and GC?CMS. The types of fragments formed in the plasma zone were correlated with the hydrophobicity of the substrate. The chemical nature of surface of the substrate was analyzed using SEM and Raman spectroscopy to elucidate the possible mechanism of plasma modification.     

Specific heats of ternary oxides in the Li–U(VI)–O System

Seven ternary oxides; Li₄UO₅, Li₂UO₄, Li₂₂U₁₈O₆₅, Li₂U_1.75O_6.25, Li₂U₂O₇, Li₂U₃O₁₀ and Li₂U₆O₁₉ in the system Li–U(VI)–O were prepared by solid-state reaction route and characterized by X-ray diffraction method. Specific heats of these compounds were measured by differential scanning calorimetry in the temperature range from 300 to 860 K. The specific heats show a decreasing trend with increase in UO₃(s) content in these lithium uranates. However, the specific heat per gram atom shows an increasing trend with decrease in number of oxygen atoms in the formula unit.