Polymorphism in [Co(SCN)4(ppz-H)2] (ppz,piperazine)

A one-pot reaction of [Co(NO₃)₂ · 6H₂O and piperazine] with NH₄SCN/NaSCN in water–methanol (1:1) solvent leads to two polymorphs of [Co(SCN)₄(ppz-H)₂] (ppz, piperazine) (I and II). X-ray crystal structure reveals both have same space group but the differences in the alignment of pendant SCN⁻ leads to two polymorphs. In I, trifurcated N–H?S hydrogen bonding plays a prominent role in crystal packing leading to S?S interactions between SCN fragments but in II, no such trifurcation arises and thereby the crystal packing occurs through hydrogen bonding interactions only leading to a distinctly different network topology. TG/DSC and FT-IR study reveal they are enantiotropically related.     

Instabilities and pattern miniaturization in confined and free elastic-viscous bilayers

We present an analysis of the instabilities engendered by van der Waals forces in bilayer systems composed of a soft elastic film (<10 microm) and a thin (<100 nm) viscous liquid film. We consider two configurations of such systems: (a) Confined bilayers, where the bilayer is sandwiched between two rigid substrates, and (b) free bilayers, where the viscous film is sandwiched between a rigid substrate and the elastic film. Linear stability analysis shows that the time and length scales of the instabilities can be tuned over a very wide range by changing the film thickness and the material properties such as shear modulus, surface tension, and viscosity. In particular, very short wavelengths comparable to the film thickness can be obtained in bilayers, which is in contrast to the instability wavelengths in single viscous and elastic films. It is also shown that the instabilities at the interfaces of the free bilayers are initiated via an in-phase "bending" mode rather than out-of-phase "squeezing" mode. The amplitudes of deformations at both the elastic-air and elastic-viscous interfaces become more similar as the elastic film thickness decreases and its modulus increases. These findings may have potential applications in the self-organized patterning of soft materials.     

Immobilized DNA switches as electronic sensors for picomolar detection of plasma proteins

The sensing principle of a new class of DNA conformational switches (deoxyribosensors) is based on the incorporation of an aptamer as the receptor, whose altered conformation upon analyte binding switches on the conductivity of an adjacent helical conduction path, leading to an increase in the measured electrical signal through the sensor. We report herein the rational design and biochemical testing of candidate deoxyribosensors for the detection and quantitation of a plasma protein, thrombin, followed by surface immobilization of the optimized sensor and its electrochemical testing in both a near-physiological buffer solution and in diluted blood serum. The very high detection sensitivity (in the picomolar range) and specificity, as well as the adaptability of deoxyribosensors for the detection of diverse molecular analytes both small and macromolecular, make this novel sensing methodology an extremely promising one. Such synthetic and robust DNA-based electronic sensors should find broad application in the rapid, miniaturized, and automated on-chip detection of many biomedically relevant substances (such as metabolites, toxins, and disease and tumor markers) as well as of environmental contaminants.     

Degradation of Methyl Parathion,a common pesticide and fluorescence quenching of Rhodamine B,a carcinogen using β-d glucan stabilized gold nanoparticles

Natural carbohydrate polymer β-d-glucan extracted from Tricholoma crassum (Berk.) Sacc. predominantly linked by β-glycosidic bonds have been used to synthesize gold nanoparticles (Au NPs). As glucan is water soluble, the Au NPs are prepared in water medium, a green solvent. The morphology and characterization of the synthesized Au NPs have been confirmed by various techniques, like TEM, EDX, XRD, UV–Vis and FT-IR spectroscopic studies. The obtained Au NPs exhibits chemosensing property against Methyl Parathion, a group of highly toxic organophosphorous pesticide, extensively used as an agricultural chemical. Degradation of parathion using Au NPs lead to water-soluble products thereby reducing the toxicity of Methyl Parathion by disrupting the thiophosphate-ester linkage. The synthesized Au NPs also act as a good fluorescence quencher of Rhodamine B, a common fluorophore and carcinogenic compound, obeying Stern-Volmer equations. The β-d-glucan capped Au NPs are safe having possible medicinal usage.     

Rapid quenchofluorimetric determination of nickel(II) in some real and environmental samples

A fluorimetric method for rapid determination of Ni at trace and ultratrace levels [1 ng/ml- 1 g/ml] has been developed. It is based on the efficient quenching action of Ni (II) on the native fluoresence [_ex(max) = 288 nm, _em(max) = 444.8 nm] of 4,7-diphenyl 1,10-phenanthrolinedisulfonate (bathophenanthrolinedisulfonate) solution at low acidities. The method is very simple, rapid and accurate with high precision (R.S.D. = 0.66% at 50 ng/ml). The method has been applied directly to mineralised solutions of several real and environmental samples and the results of nickel determinations are in excellent agreement with the certified values. It is a quick single-step method that requires no clean-up.     

Six-coordinate cadmium(II) complex containing a bridging dithiolate ligand: synthesis,crystal structure and antifungal activity study

A mixed-ligand polymeric metal complex of Cd(II) has been prepared by reactions of Cd(NO₃)₂·4H₂O with 1,3-diaminopropane (tn) and potassium salt of 1,1-dicyanoethylene-2,2-dithiolate and characterized on the basis of spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that the Cd(II) complex crystallizes in monoclinic space group P2₁/n with distorted octahedral coordination geometry. The Cd(II) complex was screened in vitro against fungal pathogens such as Synchytrium endobioticum, Pyricularia oryzae, Helminthosporium oryzae, Candida albicans (ATCC10231), and Trichophyton mentagrophytes by the disk diffusion method. The biological testing data of the primary ligand K₂i-MNT·H₂O and [Cd(tn)(i-MNT)]_n indicate that the complex exhibits fungistatic antifungal activity, whereas K₂i-MNT·H₂O has no activity. The fungicidal properties of [Cd(tn)(i-MNT)]_n showed that the cadmium complex was more bioactive than the parent ligand.     

Facets of tripartite entanglement

Tripartite entangled states of systems 1, 2 and 3 involving nonorthogonal states are used to reveal two hitherto unexplored quantum effects. The first shows that kinematic entanglement between the states of 1 and 2 can affect the result of dynamical interaction between 2 and 3, though 1 and 2 may be spatially separated so that they no longer interact. The second shows that if a residual interaction persists between 1 and 2 while 2 interacts with 3 to form an entangled state, the measurement of observables of 1 can be used to determine whether 2 has interacted with 3. This effect occurs even when the measurement on 1 is made long after the residual interaction between 1 and 2 has ceased to act. Such effects resulting from interplay between unitary dynamics and kinematic entanglement have interesting implications. In particular, we discuss the significance as regards what we call the dynamic version of Einstem locality.     

Conductivity modification of ZnO film by low energy Fe ion implantation

In this paper we report the structural, optical and electrical behaviours of ZnO films implanted with 300 keV Fe¹⁰⁺ ions. From UV-vis spectroscopy it is observed that the band gap of the films decreases after implantation. Photoluminescence yield seems to increase in the implanted samples. From Hall measurements it is observed that the unimplanted sample shows n-type conductivity for the entire temperature range (100-300 K), whereas after implantation the samples show p-type conductivity for ≤200 K. The DC resistivity of the implanted samples is found to be lower than that of the unimplanted sample. We have found that the magnetoresistance of our samples is positive in the temperature range 200-300 K, but it becomes negative below 200 K.