Structural study and electrical properties of Zr-doped Nd<Subscript>2</Subscript>Sn<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>7</Subscript> pyrochlore compounds

Nd₂Sn₂O₇ pyrochlores with the substitution of Zr⁴⁺ were prepared by conventional ceramic double sintering technique. The single-phase formation was confirmed by X-ray diffraction and neutron diffraction techniques. Relative intensity calculations for X-ray diffraction analysis were performed for oxygen positional parametersx = 0.331 and 0.375, while Rietveld refinements were employed for neutron diffraction data. The neutron diffraction study revealed that there are only two anion sites with 48f and 8b positions. This indicates that the 8a site, i.e. O(3) sublattice, is completely vacant and the structure is a perfect cubic pyrochlore with space group Fd3m (O _h ⁷ ). From the conductivity measurements, it is observed that the electronic conductivity dominates from room temperature up to about 525 K and forT > 525 K, the oxygen ion conduction dominates the charge transport in these compositions. Complex impedance spectroscopy indicates the existence of grain and grain boundary as two separate elements.     

Ecofriendly synthesis and biological evaluation of 4-(4-nitro-phenyl)-2-phenyl-1,4-dihydro-benzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidine-3-carboxylic acid ethyl ester derivatives as an antitubercular agents

An ecofriendly route has been investigated for the synthesis of 4-(4-nitro-phenyl)-2-phenyl-1,4-dihydro-benzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidine-3-carboxylic acid ethyl ester derivatives by one-pot, three-component condensation of ethyl benzoylacetate, aromatic aldehydes, and 2-amino benzimidazole using 260?mol% of citric acid as reaction mediator. Citric acid is an inexpensive, nontoxic, and green medium with smoothly activates the rate of reaction. The synthesized compounds were assessed for in vitro antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H₃₇RV strain using the microplate alamar blue assay (MABA). The results indicate that among all the synthesized compound series, P-4 and P-9 compounds illustrate effective activity with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 25?µg/ml.     

Total Stereospecific Synthesis of (3E,7Z)-Tetradecadienyl Acetate,the Major Sex Pheromone Component of the Potato Pest Symmetrischema tangolias

Chemistry of Natural Compounds - (3E,7Z)-Tetradecadienyl acetate, the major sex pheromone component of the potato pest Symmetrischema tangolias (Gyen), was stereoselectively synthesized from the...     

Use of chemical etching of CR-39 foils at elevated temperature for fast neutron personnel monitoring in India

CR-39 Solid State Nuclear Track Detecting foils (SSNTD), along with 1 mm thick polyethylene radiator, sealed in triple laminated pouches, are used for country wide Fast Neutron Personnel Monitoring in India. With the present system of processing by elevated temperature electrochemical etching (ETECE) and evaluation using automatic image analysis, only 16 foils are processed at a time and it is useful over the dose equivalent range 0.2 mSv to 10 mSv. It has been reported that, by processing CR-39 of good detection efficiency by chemical etching at elevated temperature, more numbers of foils can be processed simultaneously. In the present study, CR-39 foils from Pershore Moulding (UK) have been chemically etched using 7 N KOH under various conditions of temperature and etching durations and evaluated using high magnification microscope. The duration of chemical etching, has been optimized at a constant temperature of 60°C for chemical etching process. The characteristics of the chemically etched CR-39 foils are compared with the characteristics of the CR-39 foils processed by the existing system of ETECE and the detailed results are presented in the full text of the paper. It has been observed that by chemical etching process, the dose equivalent range of CR-39 foils can be extended above 60 mSv.      

Fluorescence Quenching Studies of the Interaction Between Riboflavin and Norfloxacin and Analytical Application in the Determination of Vitamin B<Subscript>2</Subscript>

The binding of riboflavin (RBF) to norfloxacin (NF) was investigated by spectroscopic techniques. The results revealed that RBF caused the fluorescence quenching of NF by complex formation. The binding parameters and corresponding thermodynamic parameters ΔH, ΔG and ΔS at different temperatures were calculated. The negative enthalpy (ΔH) and positive entropy (ΔS) values indicated that both hydrogen bond and hydrophobic forces played major roles in the binding of RBF to NF. The distance r between donor (NF) and acceptor (RBF) was obtained according to the Forster’s theory of non-radiative energy transfer. The method of quenching was successfully applied for the determination of riboflavin from pharmaceutical samples.     

Interaction of Fluorescein with Felodipine: A Spectrofluorometric and Thermodynamic Study

The interaction between fluorescein and felodipine (FLD) was investigated by the spectrofluorometric method. The fluorescence of FLD was quenched by fluorescein and quenching is in accordance with the Stern-Volmer relation. The binding constants of fluorescein with FLD were obtained at different temperatures. The binding constant and number of binding sites at different temperatures were calculated yielding the corresponding thermodynamic parameters ΔS, ΔH and ΔG. The distance r between the donor (FLD) and acceptor (fluorescein) molecules was obtained according to the fluorescence resonance energy transfer. The optimum conditions for the fluorometric determination of fluorescein were studied and the quenching method was successfully applied to estimate the fluorescein concentration of the pharmaceutical sample directly.     

Synthesis and characterization of 2D transition metal dichalcogenides: Recent progress from a vacuum surface science perspective

Layered transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are a diverse group of materials whose properties vary from semiconducting to metallic with a variety of many body phenomena, ranging from charge density wave (CDW), superconductivity, to Mott-insulators. Recent interest in topologically protected states revealed also that some TMDs host bulk Dirac- or Wyle-semimetallic states and their corresponding surface states. In this review, we focus on the synthesis of TMDs by vacuum processes, such as molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). After an introduction of these preparation methods and categorize the basic electronic properties of TMDs, we address the characterization of vacuum synthesized materials in their ultrathin limit-mainly as a single monolayer material. Scanning tunneling microscopy and angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy has revealed detailed information on how monolayers differ in their properties from multi-layer and bulk materials. The status of monolayer properties is given for the TMDs, where data are available. Distinct modifications of monolayer properties compared to their bulk counterparts are highlighted. This includes the well-known transition from indirect to direct band gap in semiconducting group VI-B TMDs as the material-thickness is reduced to a single molecular layer. In addition, we discuss the new or modified CDW states in monolayer VSe₂ and TiTe₂, a Mott-insulating state in monolayer 1T-TaSe₂, and the monolayer specific 2D topological insulator 1T′-WTe₂, which gives rise to a quantum spin Hall insulator. New structural phases, that do not exist in the bulk, may be synthesized in the monolayer by MBE. These phases have special properties, including the Mott insulator 1T-NbSe₂, the 2D topological insulators of 1T′-MoTe₂, and the CDW material 1T-VTe₂. After discussing the pure TMDs, we report the properties of nanostructured or modified TMDs. Edges and mirror twin grain boundaries (MTBs) in 2D materials are 1D structures. In group VI-B semiconductors, these 1D structures may be metallic and their properties obey Tomonaga Luttinger quantum liquid behavior. Formation of Mo-rich MTBs in Mo-dichalcogenides and self-intercalation in between TMD-layers are discussed as potential compositional variants that may occur during MBE synthesis of TMDs or may be induced intentionally during post-growth modifications. In addition to compositional modifications, phase switching and control, in particular between the 1H and 1T (or 1T′) phases, is a recurring theme in TMDs. Methods of phase control by tuning growth conditions or by post-growth modifications, e.g. by electron doping, are discussed. The properties of heterostructures of TMD monolayers are also introduced, with a focus on lateral electronic modifications in the moiré-structures of group VI-B TMDs. The lateral potential induced in the moiré structures forms the basis of the currently debated moiré-excitons. Finally, we review a few cases of molecular adsorption on nanostructured monolayer TMDs. This review is intended to present a comprehensive overview of vacuum studies of fundamental materials' properties of TMDs and should complement the investigations on TMDs prepared by exfoliation or chemical vapor deposition and their applications.     

Uncatalyzed synthesis of new substituted dihydro-2H-dipyrimido[1,2-a,4,5-d]pyrimidine-2,4(3H)-dione

Research on Chemical Intermediates - A convenient and new method has been developed for the synthesis of highly substituted dihydro-2H-dipyrimido[1,2-a,4,5-d]pyrimidine-2,4(3H)-dione derivatives by...     

Spectrofluorimetric Studies of the Interaction Between Quinine Sulfate and Riboflavin

The molecular interaction between quinine sulfate [QS] and riboflavin [RF] was investigated by fluorescence and UV-VIS absorption spectroscopy in aqueous solutions. The fluorescence of QS was quenched by RF. The Stern-Volmer quenching equation was successfully applied and the corresponding thermodynamic parameters enthalpy change (??H), Gibbs energy change (??G) and entropy change (??S) were calculated at different temperatures (294, 301, 307 and 314 K) according to the van??t Hoff equation. This information showed that hydrogen bonds play a major role in stabilizing the complex. The value of the critical energy transfer distance (R ₀) was found to be 46.47 Å, less than 50 Å, which proves that an efficient resonance energy transfer takes place between QS (donor) and RF (acceptor). The oxidation and reduction potentials determined from cyclic voltammetry indicated that association of QS and RF occurs in the excited state by electron transfer. The fluorescence quenching method was successfully applied for the direct determination of riboflavin (vitamin B₂) from pharmaceutical samples.