Confinement Effects on the Benzene Orientational Structure

Liquids under confinement exhibit different properties compared with their corresponding bulk phases, for example, miscibility, phase transitions, and diffusion. The underlying cause is the local ordering of molecules, which is usually only studied using pure simulation methods. Herein, we derive experimentally the structure of benzene confined in MCM‐41 using total neutron scattering measurements. The study reveals a layering of molecules across a pore, and four concentric cylindrical shells can be distinguished for a pore with the radius of 18 Å. The nanoscale confinement of the liquid has a major effect on the spatial and orientational correlations observed between the molecules, when compared with the structure of the bulk liquid. These differences are most marked for molecules in parallel configurations, and this suggests differences in chemical reactivity between the confined and bulk liquids.     

A Nexus between Theory and Experiment: Non‐Empirical Quantum Mechanical Computational Methodology Applied to Cucurbit[n]uril⋅Guest Binding Interactions

A training set of eleven X‐ray structures determined for biomimetic complexes between cucurbit[n]uril (CB[7 or 8]) hosts and adamantane‐/diamantane ammonium/aminium guests were studied with DFT‐D3 quantum mechanical computational methods to afford ΔG_calcd binding energies. A novel feature of this work is that the fidelity of the BLYP‐D3/def2‐TZVPP choice of DFT functional was proven by comparison with more accurate methods. For the first time, the CB[n] ? guest complex binding energy subcomponents [for example, ΔE_dispersion, ΔE_{electrostatic}, ΔG_solvation, binding entropy (?TΔS), and induced fit E_{deformation(host)}, E_{deformation(guest)}] were calculated. Only a few weeks of computation time per complex were required by using this protocol. The deformation (stiffness) and solvation properties (with emphasis on cavity desolvation) of cucurbit[n]uril (n=5, 6, 7, 8) isolated host molecules were also explored by means of the DFT‐D3 method. A high ρ²=0.84 correlation coefficient between ΔG_exptl and ΔG_calcd was achieved without any scaling of the calculated terms (at 298 K). This linear dependence was utilized for ΔG_calcd predictions of new complexes. The nature of binding, including the role of high energy water molecules, was also studied. The utility of introduction of tethered [‐(CH₂)_nNH₃]⁺ amino loops attached to N,N‐dimethyl‐adamantane‐1‐amine and N,N,N′,N′‐tetramethyl diamantane‐4,9‐diamine skeletons (both from an experimental and a theoretical perspective) is presented here as a promising tool for the achievement of new ultra‐high binding guests to CB[7] hosts. Predictions of not yet measured equilibrium constants are presented herein.     

Mn(III) mixed‐ligand complexes with bis‐pyrazolones and ciprofloxacin drug: synthesis,characterization and antibacterial activities

The fluoroquinolone family member ciprofloxacin is well known for its drug design and coordinating ability towards metal ions. The coordination chemistry of this drug with metal ions of biological and pharmaceutical importance is of considerable interest. Novel Mn(III) mixed‐ligand complexes of ciprofloxacin with various bis‐pyrazolone‐based dinegative bidentate ligands were synthesized and characterized on the basis of their physical properties, magnetic susceptibility measurements, (FT‐IR and electronic) spectral studies. The FAB‐mass spectrum of [Mn(A⁹)(L)(H₂O)₂]·H₂O [where H₂A⁹ = 4,4′‐(p‐tolylmethylene)bis(3‐methyl‐1‐phenyl‐4,5‐dihydro‐1H‐pyrazol‐5‐ol) and HL = 1‐cyclopropyl‐6‐fluoro‐4‐oxo‐7‐(piperazin‐1‐yl)‐1,4‐dihydroquinoline‐3‐carboxylic acid] was determined. All the synthesized compounds were screened for their bioactivity. The mixed‐ligand complexes exhibited comparable activities against two Gram‐negative (Escherichia coli and Serratia marcescens) and two Gram‐positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis) microorganisms. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Towards a total synthesis of the new anticancer agent mensacarcin: synthesis of the carbocyclic core

A synthesis of the carbocyclic core associated with the new anticancer agent mensacarcin (1) is reported. The strategy involves the synthesis of several novel highly substituted aromatic compounds, such as 12 and 23. The lithium derivative of 12 readily engages in a nucleophilic addition to benzaldehyde 4 to provide the diphenylcarbinol rac-15. The analogous benzyl ether rac-16 undergoes an intramolecular Heck reaction to provide the required tetrahydroanthracene rac-17, which can be transformed into the key tricyclic methyl ether rac-20. In a second approach, the lithium derivative of 21 is added to the hexasubstituted benzaldehyde 23 to give the diphenylcarbinol rac-35. Subsequent methylation to rac-36 followed by an intramolecular Heck reaction provides tricycle rac-37. Similarly, the oxidised compound 40 provides an electronically more suitable intramolecular Heck partner to afford compound 41. Further transformations of these substrates leads to rac-43, which incorporates the core structure of mensacarcin (1).     

Transformation of textile dyes by white-rot fungus Trametes versicolor

We have investigated transformation of eight industrial dyes by a whiterot fungus, Trametes versicolor. The fungus was found to decolorize Reactive Golden Yellow R, Procion Red, Reactive Violet 5, Reactive Blue 28, and Ponceau Red 4R at an initial dye concentration of 80 ppm within 72 h of incubation, whereas it took 5 d to completely decolorize Reactive Black 5 (40 ppm). However, it did not significantly decolorize Reactive Red 152 and Novatic Blue BC S/D. During decolorization in liquid medium, laccase and manganese-independent peroxidase (MiP) activities were detected in culture filtrate of T. versicolor. Dye-decolorizing activity of the culture was found to be associated with H₂O₂-dependent activity of the culture filtrate. Furthermore, dye-decolorizing activity of the culture filtrate was not influenced by Mn²⁺ or veratryl alcohol, thus suggesting a role of extracellular MiP in decolorization of synthetic dyes by T. versicolor.     

Characterization of Fatty Acids,Polysaccharides, Amino Acids,and Minerals in Marine Macroalga Chaetomorpha crassa and Evaluation of Their Potentials in Skin Cosmetics

Cosmetic industries are highly committed to finding natural sources of functional active constituents preferable to safer materials to meet consumers’ demands. Marine macroalgae have diversified bioactive constituents and possess potential benefits in beauty care products. Hence, the present study was carried out to characterize the biochemical profile of marine macroalga Chaetomorpha crassa by using different techniques for revealing its cosmetic potentials. In results, the FTIR study characterized the presence of different bioactive functional groups that are responsible for many skin-beneficial compounds whereas six and fifteen different important phycocompounds were found in GCMS analysis of ethanolic and methanolic extracts, respectively. In the saccharide profile of C. crassa, a total of eight different carbohydrate derivatives were determined by the HRLCMS Q-TOF technique, which showed wide varieties of cosmetic interest. In ICP AES analysis, Si was found to be highest whereas Cu was found to be lowest among other elements. A total of twenty-one amino acids were measured by the HRLCMS-QTOF technique, which revealed the highest amount of the amino acid, Aspartic acid (1207.45 nmol/mL) and tyrosine (106.77 nmol/mL) was found to be the lowest in amount among other amino acids. Their cosmetic potentials have been studied based on previous research studies. The incorporation of seaweed-based bioactive components in cosmetics has been extensively growing due to its skin health-promoting effects.     

Parallel finite element computation of unsteady incompressible flows

A parallel semi-explicit iterative finite element computational procedure for modelling unsteady incompressible fluid flows is presented. During the procedure, element flux vectors are calculated in parallel and then assembled into global flux vectors. Equilibrium iterations which introduce some ‘local implicitness’ are performed at each time step. The number of equilibrium iterations is governed by an implicitness parameter. The present technique retains the advantages of purely explicit schemes, namely (i) the parallel speed-up is equal to the number of parallel processors if the small communication overhead associated with purely explicit schemes is ignored and (ii) the computation time as well as the core memory required is linearly proportional to the number of elements. The incompressibility condition is imposed by using the artificial compressibility technique. A pressure-averaging technique which allows the use of equal-order interpolations for both velocity and pressure, this simplifying the formulation, is employed. Using a standard Galerkin approximation, three benchmark steady and unsteady problems are solved to demonstrate the accuracy of the procedure. In all calculations the Reynolds number is less than 500. At these Reynolds numbers it was found that the physical dissipation is sufficient to stabilize the convective term with no need for additional upwind-type dissipation. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determination of gatifloxacin and ornidazole in tablet dosage forms by high-performance thin-layer chromatography.

A simple and sensitive high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) method has been developed for the quantitative estimation of gatifloxacin and ornidazole in its combined dosage forms. Gatifloxacin and ornidazole were chromatographed on silica Gel 60 F(254) TLC plate using n-butanol:methanol:ammonia (6 M) (8:1:1.5 v/v) as the mobile phase and scanned at 302 nm using a Camag TLC Scanner 3. The R(f) value of gatifloxacin and ornidazole was found to be 0.21 +/- 0.02 and 0.76 +/- 0.04, respectively. The linearity of gatifloxacin and ornidazole were in the range of 100 - 500 ng/spot and 250 - 1250 ng/spot, respectively. The limit of detection was found to be 40 ng/spot for gatifloxacin and 100 ng/spot for ornidazole. The proposed method was applied for the determination of gatifloxacin and ornidazole in combined dosage forms.