Method of lines with boundary elements for 1‐D transient diffusion‐reaction problems

Time‐dependent differential equations can be solved using the concept of method of lines (MOL) together with the boundary element (BE) representation for the spatial linear part of the equation. The BE method alleviates the need for spatial discretization and casts the problem in an integral format. Hence errors associated with the numerical approximation of the spatial derivatives are totally eliminated. An element level local cubic approximation is used for the variable at each time step to facilitate the time marching and the nonlinear terms are represented in a semi‐implicit manner by a local linearization at each time step. The accuracy of the method has been illustrated on a number of test problems of engineering significance. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 2006     

Unified approach to photo-and electro-production of mesons with arbitrary spins

A new approach to identify the independent amplitudes along with their partial wave multipole expansions, for photo-and electro-production is suggested, which is generally applicable to mesons with arbitrary spin-parity. These amplitudes facilitate direct identification of different resonance contributions.      

Potent New Heterogeneous Asymmetric Catalysts

A set of new, air‐stable, Rh^I‐based heterogeneous asymmetric hydrogenation catalysts have been synthesised, characterised, and tested. Individual members of this new family all exhibit good enantioselectivity.     

Nickel peroxide: A more probable intermediate in the Ni(II)‐catalyzed decomposition of peroxomonosulfate

The Ni(II) ion catalyzed thermal decomposition of peroxomonosulfate (PMS) was studied in the pH range 3.42–5.89. The rate is first order in [PMS] and Ni(II) ion concentrations. At pH greater than or equal to 5.23, the reaction becomes zero order in [PMS] and this changeover in the order of the reaction occurs at a higher concentration of nickel ions. The first‐order kinetics in PMS can be explained as a rate‐limiting step and is the transformation of nickel peroxomonosulfate into nickel peroxide. This peroxide intermediate reacts rapidly with another PMS to give oxygen and Ni(II). The formation of nickel peroxide is associated with a small negative or nearly zero entropy of activation. The zero‐order kinetics in [PMS] can be explained by the fact that the hydrolysis of aquated nickel(II) ions into hydroxocompounds is the rate‐limiting step. The turnover number is 2 at pH 3.42 and increases with pH. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 39: 320–237, 2007     

Micro-mechanical behaviors of SMA composite materials under hygro-thermo-elastic strain fields

An analytical procedure to evaluate the behavior of shape memory alloy (SMA) composite under hygrothermal environment is presented. The SMA wires are considered as inclusions embedded in a homogeneous matrix medium of the composite. The inhomogeneity associated with the phase transformation and thermal strains in the SMA wire as well as the hygrothermal strain in the matrix is homogenized using Eshelby’s equivalent inclusion method. In the present work, a similar approach adopted for SMA composites by Marfia and Sacco [Marfia, S., Sacco, E., 2005. Micromechanics and homogenisation of SMA-wire-reinforced materials. J. Appl. Mech. 72 (2), 259–268.] is considered in order to validate the response of SMA composite subjected to thermo-elastic strain field. However, in the present approach, certain modifications and new derivations for the inelastic strain tensors is carried out. First, the constitutive laws for the SMA wire and matrix are expressed in terms of the average strain in the composite. The evolutionary equations used to characterize the pseudoelastic (PE) behavior of the SMA wire are redefined in terms of the eigen strains (phase transformation and thermal strains) occurring in the SMA wire, which are then expressed in terms of the average strain in the composite. Further, the SMA composite constitutive law under coupled hygro-thermo-elastic strain fields is proposed. The generic homogenized hygric and thermal inelastic composite tensors required for the proposed hygro-thermo-elastic constitutive law are derived. Finally, the SMA composite lamina is characterized using Eshelby’s equivalent inclusion method. Using the proposed modifications and derivations, the analytical results are validated for the case of thermo-elastic strain fields and the procedure is then extended to evaluate the SMA composite behavior under hygro-thermo-elastic strain fields. The results include the effect of thermo-elastic and hygro-thermo-elastic strains on the transformation stresses and the nature of hysteresis due to hygric and thermo-elastic strains.     

Subtilisin catalysis of substrate anchored in cyclodextrin

The N-benzoyl-l-tyrosine ethyl ester (BTEE) anchored in cyclodextrin (β and β-methyl CD) serves as an excellent substrate for subtilisin Carlsberg catalysis. The rate of hydrolysis was found to be approximately twofold higher than that of the methanolic substrate. The K_mapp and V_max values for the CD anchored substrates were significantly higher than the methanol-solubilized BTEE.     

A one-pot synthesis of novel sugar derived 5,6-dihydro-quinazolino[4,3-b]quinazolin-8-ones: an entry towards highly functionalized sugar-heterocyclic hybrids

An efficient and practical one-pot method for the synthesis of novel diversified sugar derived dihydro-quinazolino[4,3-b]quinazolin-8-ones has been reported. Various protected sugar hemiacetals were used to synthesize the hybrid tetracyclic ring system. The one-step reductive transformation of 2-(2-nitrophenyl)-3H-quinazolin-4-one with different sugar hemiacetals furnished the desired tetracyclic product in good yields and with high purity.