Applications of Carbon Dots (CDs) in Latent Fingerprints Imaging

Carbon dots (CDs), a new member of the carbon-based material family, possess unique properties, such as high fluorescence, non-toxicity, eco-friendliness, stability and cost-effectiveness. These properties helped CDs to receive tremendous attention in various fields, namely, biological, opto-electronic, bio-imaging and energy-related applications. Although CDs are widely explored in bio-imaging and bio-sensing applications, their effectiveness in forensic science and technology is comparatively new. In this review, applications of CDs pertaining to latent FPs recovery since 2015 to 2020 is summarized comprehensively.     

Dielectric relaxation and conductivity studies on (PEO:LiClO4) polymer electrolyte with added ionic liquid [BMIM][PF6]: Evidence of ion–ion interaction

Polymer electrolytes, (PEO:LiClO₄)+x IL (1‐Buty‐3‐methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate) with varying concentration of IL; x = 0,5,10,15,20 wt % have been prepared by solution cast technique and characterized by X‐Ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetery, FTIR, conductivity and dielectric relaxation measurements in the frequency range of 100 Hz–5 MHz. Temperature dependence of relaxation frequency and conductivity were found to be typical of thermally activated process both at T > T_m and T < T_m. Composition dependence of conductivity, dielectric relaxation, and degree of crystallinity has also been studied. On addition of IL, the degree of crystallinity after a decrease at 5 wt % IL increases slightly at 10 wt % and then finally decreasing. Variation of conductivity and relaxation frequency with composition could only be partly explained on the basis of variation of degree of crystallinity. An additional feature of ion–ion interaction (contact ion pair formation between IL or salt cations and their associated anions) has been invoked which was supported by FTIR studies. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2011     

In silico fight against novel coronavirus by finding chromone derivatives as inhibitor of coronavirus main proteases enzyme

Structural Chemistry - Novel coronavirus, 2019-nCoV is a danger to the world and is spreading rapidly. Very little structural information about 2019-nCoV make this situation more difficult for drug...     

Phenylacetylene: A Hydrogen Bonding Chameleon

Molecules with multiple hydrogen bonding sites offer the opportunity to investigate competitive hydrogen bonding. Such an investigation can become quite interesting, particularly when the molecule of interest has neither lone‐pair electrons nor strongly acidic/basic groups. Phenylacetylene is one such molecule with three hydrogen bonding sites that cannot be ranked into any known hierarchical pattern. Herein we review the structures of several binary complexes of phenylacetylene investigated using infrared optical double‐resonance spectroscopy in combination with high‐level ab initio methods. The diversity of intermolecular structures formed by phenylacetylene with various reagents is remarkable. The nature of intermolecular interaction with various reagents is the result of a subtle balance between various configurations and competition between the electrostatic and dispersion energy terms, while trying to maximize the total interaction strength.     

Facile Synthesis of Metal–Organic Framework (ZIF-11) and Ag NPs Encapsulated-ZIF-11 Composite as an Effective Heterogeneous Catalyst for Photodegradation of Methylene Blue

Facile synthesis of metal–organic framework based on zeolitic imidazolate (ZIF-11) has been optimized to get a material with rho topology. For the first time AgNPs in various dosing amounts (using 150, 300 and 500 μL of its suspension in methanol) have been successfully encapsulated within ZIF-11 matrix at room temperature using binary solvent (methanol and toluene) yielding novel multi-core-shell AgNPs@ZIF-11 (AZ1, AZ2 and AZ3) composites. Encapsulation of AgNPs (particle size: 11.76 ± 2.3 nm) has been confirmed by TEM and ultraviolet diffuse reflectance spectroscopic (UV-DRS) analysis. The lowering of band gap of ZIF-11 from 4.36 to 4.21 eV indicates the micro-environment of AgNPs within ZIF-11 framework, which has also been ensured by XPS analysis. ZIF-11 and AgNPs@ZIF-11 composites are highly stable up to 500 °C under air and N₂ atmosphere. It has been found that AZ1 composite exhibits excellent photocatalytic activity (almost 100% degradation) toward MB (1.6 mg/L) at pH ≥ 8. Further, various factors such as loading amount of AgNPs (150, 300 and 500 μL suspension in methanol), amount of catalysts (5 mg, 10 mg and 15 mg) and concentration (1.6 mg L⁻¹, 3.19 mg L⁻¹ and 6.38 mg L⁻¹) of methylene blue (MB) dye during photodegradation experiments have been investigated. The capacious achievement of AZ1 composite is its reusability and recyclability; it can be reutilized up to three cycles with the same efficiency (100%) while under fourth and fifth cycle, it can degrade off 92.12% and 72.75% MB, respectively. AgNPs may act as a mediator to promote the quick transfer of photo-induced electrons and electron–hole pairs separation in ZIF-11. This work opens a new type of easily fabricated core-shell composites utilizing ZIF-11 for wastewater remediation process.     

Base catalysed diastereoselective Tamura cycloaddition of vinylidene indanediones

The base catalysed Tamura cycloaddition reaction of vinylidene indanediones afforded the corresponding spiro[indane-1,3-dione-1-tetralone] structures as single diastereomers in excellent yields. Chiral bifunctional hydrogen bonding thiourea catalysts rendered the reaction enantioselective. However, the selectivity observed was moderate with Soós catalyst providing an enantiomeric ratio of 82.5:17.5.     

The incorporation of fixed cost and multilevel capacities into the discrete and continuous single source capacitated facility location problem

In this study we investigate the single source location problem with the presence of several possible capacities and the opening (fixed) cost of a facility that is depended on the capacity used and the area where the facility is located. Mathematical models of the problem for both the discrete and the continuous cases using the Rectilinear and Euclidean distances are produced. Our aim is to find the optimal number of open facilities, their corresponding locations, and their respective capacities alongside the assignment of the customers to the open facilities in order to minimise the total fixed and transportation costs. For relatively large problems, two solution methods are proposed namely an iterative matheuristic approach and VNS-based matheuristic technique. Dataset from the literature is adapted to assess our proposed methods. To assess the performance of the proposed solution methods, the exact method is first applied to small size instances where optimal solutions can be identified or lower and upper bounds can be recorded. Results obtained by the proposed solution methods are also reported for the larger instances.

     

Effect of synthesis temperature and doping level on conductivity and structure of poly(3-methyl thiophene)

Poly(3-methyl thiophene) was synthesized by oxidative chemical polymerization technique using ferric chloride as the dopant in an inert atmosphere. Samples of different doping levels were prepared and analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and direct current (DC) conductivity measurement at room temperature (300 K). Synthesis of the polymer was confirmed by FTIR studies. FTIR spectra showed a shift in the heterocyclic bands in the region of 700-1200 cm(-1) with a decrease in synthesis temperature. It was evident from the scanning electron micrographs that the surface structure of the polymer became denser with an increase in doping level. The measured DC conductivity increased initially up to the doping level of 0.8 M and then this increase tended to slow down. Samples having a doping level of 0.4 M were synthesized at 300, 280, and 270 K while maintaining the other synthesis parameters. The conductivity and yield were found to increase as the temperature of the polymerization decreased.     

Retailer’s optimal replenishment decisions with credit-linked demand under permissible delay in payments

Usually it is assumed that the supplier would offer a fixed credit period to the retailer but the retailer in turn would not offer any credit period to its customers, which is unrealistic, because in real practice retailer might offer a credit period to its customers in order to stimulate his own demand. Moreover, it is observed that credit period offered by the retailer to its customers has a positive impact on demand of an item but the impact of credit period on demand has received a very little attention by the researchers. To incorporate this phenomenon, we assume that demand is linked to credit period offered by the retailer to the customers.