Carbohydrate-based nanostructured catalysts: applications in organic transformations

The requirement of green and sustainable materials to prepare heterogeneous catalysts has intensified for practical reasons over the past few decades. Carbohydrates are possibly the most plentiful and renewable organic materials in nature with inimitable physiochemical properties, plausible low-cost and large-scale production, and sustainability features could be exploited in the generation of nanostructured heterogeneous catalysts. This review article outlines the organic transformations catalyzed by diverse carbohydrate-based nanostructured catalysts in greener and environmentally friendly processes. Selected examples are highlighted for a variety of organic reactions exploiting the proposed catalysts’ reactivity and reusability, and interactions with the intrinsic nature of the applied carbohydrate supports; advantages and speculated challenges of the introduced catalysts are deliberated as well.     

Synthesis of Small‐Sized,Porous, and Low‐Toxic Magnetite Nanoparticles by Thin POSS Silica Coating

In this communication, we report the synthesis of small‐sized (<10 nm), water‐soluble, magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) coated with polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS), which contain either polyethylene glycol (PEG) or octa(tetramethylammonium) (OctaTMA) as functional groups. The POSS‐coated MNPs exhibit superparamagnetic behavior with saturation magnetic moments (51–53 emu g^?1) comparable to silica‐coated MNPs. They also provide good colloidal stability at different pH and salt concentrations, and low cytotoxicity to MCF‐7 human breast epithelial cells. The relaxivity data and magnetic resonance (MR) phantom images demonstrate the potential application of these MNPs in bioimaging.     

Mechanism of DNA-drug interactions

Over the last two decades many strategies have been planned to design specific drugs for rare diseases to target their action at the DNA level. Advancements in our understanding of the interactions of small nonpeptide molecules with DNA have opened the doors for “rational” drug design. Special methods have now been developed to give accurate account of the precise location of ligand-DNA adducts on target DNA. We are now in a position to think of designing ligands that recognize particular sequences of base pairs. This work will allow us to enter into a new era of gene therapy for diseases like Cystic fibrosis, Alzheimer’s disease and many related disorders at genetic level. These ligands can also be employed in the treatment of various types of cancers. They may also be useful as highly specific probes to locate particular sequences in the genomic DNA.     

Temperature studies of Fe−Mn nodules

Sea nodules were extensively studied over a wide range of temperature ranging from 77K to 1175K using Mossbauer effect and ESR. The Mossbauer studies of the nodules at 77K and room temperature show a quadrupole doublet whereas at higher temperatures magnetic spectra were obtained starting at around 875K which ultimately gives a hyperfine field of around 390 KOe at 1175 K. The Mossbauer spectra recorded at 30K did not show any significant change in the room temperature spectra. The analysis of the spectra upto 775K showed two positions of Fe^R+, vie., octahedral and tetrahedral which were varified by ESR of the diluted samples.     

Influencing parameters in time resolved picosecond spectroscopy and a new light gate method

We show that the open period of a CS₂ light gate, triggered by a picosecond optical pulse, depends on the optical pathlength through the CS₂. An alternative to the light gate is suggested for time resolved spectroscopy. The working principle is based on scattering induced in CS₂. We have found that the broadband emission from H₂O or D₂O excited by a 5300 Å picosecond pulse is also of picosecond duration, but the blue part is delayed with respect to the red. From this delay time the lifetime of the ground state vibrational levels may be measured directly.     

Thermal behaviour of ethynyl and ethenyl terminated imide resins

A series of ethynyl and ethenyl end-capped imide resins were synthesised by the reaction of 9,9-bis(4-aminophenyl) fluorene (BAF) with pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA)3/3′, 4,4′-benzophenone tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride (BTDA)/2,2-bis(3,4-dicarboxy phenyl) hexafluoropropane dianhydride (6F) and 3-ethynyl aniline/maleic anhydride. Structural characterisation was done by infra red and elemental analysis. Thermal characterisation was done by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. The decomposition temperatures of cured resins were above 200°C in nitrogen atmosphere. Char yield at 800°C ranged from 59–65.5%.     

The anionic alkylation of easily reducible arenes. A photochemical route to nucleophilic aromatic substitution of anthracene by organolithiums

High yield nucleophilic addition ensues upon mixing tetrahydrofuran solutions of benzyllithium or cyclooctadienyllithium and anthracene at low temperatures At least part of this addition proceeds by a single electron transfer pathway. Photolysis of the resulting adducts leads to the elimination of lithium hydride, giving net nucleophilic substitution in approximately 50% yield. The analogous reaction fails with naphthalene, where photolysis of the organolithium/ arene mixture leads to dimeric products derived from the organolithium.     

Synthesis and thermal characteristics of bisimides. I

Ten structurally different bisimide resins were prepared by reacting maleic anhydride/citraconic anhydride and benzophenone tetracarboxylic dianhydride with aromatic diamines and fused aromatic structures or heterocyclic groups. The amines included were 1,5-diaminonaphthalene, 2,5-bis(p-aminophenyl)1,3,4-oxadiazole, 3,3-bis(p-aminophenyl)phthalide, 9,9-bis(p-aminophenyl)fluorene. and 10,10-bis(p-aminophenyl)anthrone. These monomers were characterized by infrared (IR). ¹H-NMR, mass spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. Thermal polymerization of these monomers was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry. Broad exothermic peaks were observed for a temperature range of 225–380°C. Temperature of exothermic peak position was influenced by the presence of substituents at the olefinic bond, and in biscitraconimides it was 40–50°C lower than in the corresponding bismaleimides. Anaerobic char yields of cured bisimide resins ranged from 44 to 64%. Oxadiazole-containing bisimides had low thermal stability. Increase in formula weight between the imide groups did not influence the char yields in a systematic manner. Graphite cloth laminates with two of these bisimide resins were fabricated and tested for a number of physical properties. Their limiting oxygen index was 70–72%.