Studies on the use of power ultrasound in leather dyeing

Uses of power ultrasound for acceleration/performing the chemical as well as physical processes are gaining importance. In conventional leather processing, the diffusion of chemicals through the pores of the skin/hide is achieved by the mechanical agitation caused by the paddle or drumming action. In this work, the use of power ultrasound in the dyeing of leather has been studied with the aim to improve the exhaustion of dye for a given processing time, to reduce the dyeing time and to improve the quality of dyed leather. The effect of power ultrasound in the dyeing of full chrome cow crust leather in a stationary condition is compared with dyeing in the absence of ultrasound as a control experiment both in a stationary as well as conventional drumming condition. An ultrasonic cleaner (150 W and 33 kHz) was used for the experiments. Actual power dissipated into the system was calculated from the calorimetric measurement. Experiments were carried out with variation in type of dye, amount of dye offer, temperature and time. The results show that there is a significant improvement in the percentage exhaustion of dye due to the presence of ultrasound, when compared to dyeing in absence of ultrasound. Experiments on equilibrium dye uptake carried out with or without ultrasound suggest that ultrasound help to improve the kinetics of leather dyeing. The results indicate that leathers dyed in presence of ultrasound have higher colour values, better dye penetration and fastness properties compared to control leathers. The physical testing results show that strength properties of the dyed leathers are not affected due to the application of ultrasound under the given process conditions. Apparent diffusion coefficient during the initial stage of dyeing process, both in presence and in absence of ultrasound was calculated. The values show that ultrasound helps in improving the apparent diffusion coefficient more for the difficult dyeing conditions such as in the case of metal-complex dyes having bigger aggregate size compared to less difficult dyeing conditions.     

An efficient and convenient route for the synthesis of thiophene-2-carboxamidines as potential inhibitors of nitric oxide synthase (NOS)

A mild and efficient synthesis of substituted thiophene-2-carboxamidines which are potent inhibitors of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) is reported herein. The key step involves reaction of a BOC-protected imidazolyl thiophene-2-carboxamidine reactive intermediate with various primary amines to form BOC-thiophene-2-carboxamidines which could be readily deprotected using TFA to furnish free carboxamidines. The method is very mild and tolerates diverse substituents including sensitive peptide and amino acid fragments. This new methodology represents a substantial improvement to the literature method owing to its simplicity and hassle-free purification procedures.     

Use of ultrasound in leather processing Industry: Effect of sonication on substrate and substances – New insights

Influence of ultrasound (US) on various unit operations in leather processing has been studied with the aim to improve the process efficiency, quality, reduce process time and achieve near-zero discharge levels in effluent streams as a cleaner option. Effect of US on substrate (skin/leather) matrix as well as substances used in different unit operations have been studied and found to be useful in the processing. Absorption of US energy by leather in process vessel at different distances from US source has been measured and found to be significant. Effect of particle-size of different substances due to sonication indicates positive influence on the diffusion through the matrix. Our experimental results suggest that US effect is better realized for the cases with pronounced diffusion hindrance. Influence of US on bioprocessing of leather has been studied and found beneficial. Attempts have also been made to improve the US aided processing using external aids. Operating US in pulse mode operation could be useful in order to reduce the electrical energy consumption. Use of US has also been studied in the preparation of leather auxiliaries involving mass-transfer resistance. Preliminary cost analysis carried out for ultrasound-assisted leather-dyeing process indicates scale-up possibility. Therefore, US application provide improvement in process efficiency as well as making cleaner production methods feasible. Hence, overall results suggest that use of US in leather industry is imminent and potential viable option in near future.     

Expanding the structural repertoire of β/α Ant-Pro (anthranilic acid-proline) oligomers into γ/α 2-Amb-Pro (2-aminomethyl benzoic acid-proline) oligomers

In this article, we report a novel class of heterogeneous synthetic oligomers featuring the conformationally constrained amino acid residues – 2-aminomethyl benzoic acid (2-Amb) and proline (Pro) in repeating sequences. Oligomers as large as hexadecamers featuring the conformationally restricted γ/α 2-Amb-Pro motif have been assembled using solution-phase Boc strategy, following multi-step synthetic sequences starting from the commercially available O-toluic acid. EDC-mediated peptide coupling has been found to be optimum for the assembly of the relatively non-polar oligomers, which could be readily purified by the standard column chromatographic purification procedures. This study offers considerable prospects of expanding the structural repertoire of β/α Ant-Pro motif, which has been described earlier to assume right-handed helical architecture displaying robust nine-membered-ring closed network of hydrogen-bonding interactions, into γ/α 2-Amb-Pro motif.     

A Facile Synthesis of 1(3)-Acylglycerols

A facile route is described for the synthesis of 1(3)-acylgiycerols for the first time through hydroxylation of allyl esters of fatty acids with the novel reagent cety1trimethy1ammonium permanganate in a non-aqueous medium.     

Cystoseira algae (Fucaceae): update on their chemical entities and biological activities

Cystoseira (Sargassaceae) is a genus of marine brown algae composed of about 40 species, which is distributed along the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts. The biological potential of the Cystoseira genus has been investigated and several activities have been reported. Chemically, this genus contains a wide variety of secondary metabolites, such as terpenoids, steroids, phlorotannins and phenolic compounds. Additionally, other chemical components as, for instance, carbohydrates, triacylglycerols/fatty acids, pigments as well as vitamins have been identified in the studied species. Some of the isolated compounds were associated with the reported pharmacological properties, as for example antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxicity, anticancer, cholinesterase inhibition, anti-diabetic, activities but also antibacterial, antifungal and anti-parasitic activities. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the compounds isolated and identified after 1995 from the different species of Cystoseira, compiling more than 200 compounds isolated, together with their therapeutic potential.     

Simple and Efficient Method for the Synthesis of Benzimidazole Derivatives using Monoammonium Salt of 12‐Tungstophosphoric Acid

Benzimidazoles have been synthesized in very good yield from o‐phenylenediamine and aromatic aldehydes in the presence of monoammonium salt of 12‐tungstophosphoric acid [(NH₄)H₂PW₁₂O₄₀], an efficient heterogeneous catalyst. This catalyst has the advantages of simple workup procedure, water insolubility, and good activity with high yield for the synthesis of benzimidazole derivatives.     

Simple and Efficient Method for Acetylation of Alcohols,Phenols, Amines,and Thiols Using Anhydrous NiCl2 Under Solvent-Free Conditions

Solvent-free acetylation of alcohols, phenols, amines, and thiols with acetic anhydride (Ac₂O) in the presence of 0.1 mol% (13 mg) anhydrous NiCl₂, an inexpensive and easily available catalyst, is described. Excellent yields, short reaction time, and mild reaction conditions are important features of this method.     

Concurrent display of both α- and β-turns in a model peptide

This article describes a model peptide that concurrently displays both α- and β-turns, as demonstrated by structural investigations using single crystal X-ray crystallography and solution-state NMR studies. The motif reported herein has the potential for the design of novel conformationally ordered synthetic oligomers with structural architectures distinct from those classically observed.