Threshold electrical switching in As45Te55-xInx and As50Te50-xInx glasses

The electrical switching behaviour of As₄₅Te_55-xIn_x (5≤x≤15) and As₅₀Te_50-xIn_x (2.5≤x≤11.5) has been studied over a wide range of compositions. These glasses are found to exhibit threshold switching. The composition dependence of switching voltage (V_t) has been found to exhibit a change in slope and a local minimum at compositions x=10 and 12.5 for As₄₅Te_55-xIn_x and x=7.5 and 10.8 for As₅₀Te_50-xIn_x, respectively. The slope change in V_t verses x and the local minimum have been identified using two network topological effects, namely the rigidity percolation threshold and the chemical threshold. Received: 23 August 2001 / Accepted: 27 August 2001 / Published online: 11 February 2002     

Ring resonators with N × M couplers

Multiple-zero multiple-pole optical filter transfer functions may be implemented more efficiently in an integrated optics architecture if higher order N × M optical couplers are utilized. For example, a coherent ring resonator made from two 3×3 couplers offers some advantages over the three mirror Fabry-Perot etalon, which is its analog. To this end we develop the formalism for obtaining the transfer functions and scattering matrices of ring resonators made from two N × M couplers. We then present a methodology for analyzing serial and parallel systems of N × M optical coupler ring resonators.     

Nickel nitrosyl complexes with the diphenylphosphinoethane ligand

Summary Four-coordinate nickel nitrosyl complexes of the general formula Ni(NO)X(Dppe) (Dppe=Ph₂PCH₂CH₂PPh₂) have been prepared byin situ formation of Ni(NO₂)X(Dppe), (X= Cl, Br, I or SCN) followed by reduction with triphenylphosphine, or carbon monoxide, and/or DMF. Oxygenation of the nitrosyl complexes gives the corresponding nitro products and as indicated by u.v.-vis spectroscopy involves formation of an intermediate. The oxygenation rate increases markedly in the presence of light or of a catalytic amount of benzoyl peroxide and a tentative explanation is offered for these observations. Ionic adducts are formed in reactions between the nitrosyl complexes and donor molecules.Paper presented in part at the XXth ICCC Conference.     

A diastereoselective synthesis 1-trimethylsilyl-(E)-1,3-alkenynes and a simple synthesis of alkyl trimethylsilylethynyl ketones via organoboranes

A convenient, novel diastereoselective synthesis of 1-trimethylsilyl-(E)-1,3-alkenynes and a convenient synthesis of alkyl trimethylsilylethynyl ketones based on Z-1-bromo-1-alkenylboronate esters are developed. α-Bromo-(Z)-1-alkenylboronate esters readily available using literature procedures smoothly undergo a reaction with trimethylsilylethynyllithium (derived from the deprotonation of trimethylsilylethyne with n-butyllithium) in tetrahydrofuran to provide the corresponding ‘ate’ complexes. These ‘ate’ complexes undergo intramolecular nucleophilic substitution reactions to afford the corresponding (E)-1-alkenylboronate esters containing trimethylsilylethynyl moiety which upon protonolysis with acetic acid provide the corresponding 1-trimethylsilyl-(E)-1,3-alkenynes in good yields (70-82%) and in high stereochemical purities (>98%). These intermediates upon oxidation with hydrogen peroxide and sodium acetate afford the corresponding alkyl trimethylsilylethynyl ketones in good yields (66-78%).     

Tween-80–n-Butanol–Diesel–Water Microemulsion System—A Class of Alternative Diesel Fuel

Tween-80–n–butanol–diesel–water microemulsion systems with various surfactant:cosurfactant (S:C) ratio have been reported as a class of alternative diesel fuel from their phase behavior, clouding phenomena, conductivity, turbidity, and inflammation studies. Temperature induced clouding of microemulsion containing 2% brine at an S:C ratio of 1:1 from a suitable turbid zone has been examined to see the stability of the diesel–water microemulsion systems. Regression models have been proposed to understand the impact of various components of the microemulsion on their cloud point (CP) values. Conductivity of the microemulsions at various S:C ratio increases with the volume of brine having two cut points depicting the presence of three microheterogenous phases within the system, whereas turbidity shows a linear increase. Dye-probed investigation of water-rich and oil-rich zones of the microemulsions indicates the involvement of a dynamic mass transfer process within the various zones. The intensities of flames produced during burning of the microemulsions with various O:E:W weight percentages selected from the isotropic regions of the phase diagrams have been estimated using MATLAB image processing method and the impacts of various components on the fuel use of the microemulsions have been analyzed.     

Determination of fluorine concentrations in soil samples using proton induced gamma-ray emission

A non-destructive, in situ current normalized particle induced gamma-ray emission methodology has been standardized for quantification of fluorine (F) in soil samples from Punjab state, India. The samples were irradiated using 4 MeV proton beam from the Folded Tandem Ion Accelerator at BARC, Mumbai. The gamma rays of energies 197 and 478 keV arising from ¹⁹F(p, p′γ)¹⁹F and ⁷Li(p, p′γ)⁷Li nuclear reactions were measured using high resolution gamma-ray spectrometry. The concentration of fluorine in soil samples was found to vary between 414 and 5,746 mg kg^?1.     

Probing the Binding of Syzygium-Derived α-Glucosidase Inhibitors with N- and C-Terminal Human Maltase Glucoamylase by Docking and Molecular Dynamics Simulation

Human maltase glucoamylase (MGAM) is a potent molecular target for controlling post prandial glucose surplus in type 2 diabetes. Binding of small molecules from Syzygium sp. with α-glucosidase inhibitory potential in MGAM has been investigated in silico. Our results suggest that myricetin was the most potent inhibitor with high binding affinity for both N- and C-terminals of MGAM. Molecular dynamics revealed that myricetin interacts in its stretched conformation through water-mediated interactions with C-terminal of MGAM and by normal hydrogen bonding with the N-terminal. W1369 of the extended 21 amino acid residue helical loop of C-terminal plays a major role in myricetin binding. Owing to its additional sugar sites, overall binding of small molecules favours C-terminal MGAM.