Synthesis,spectroscopy, electrochemistry,and methylation reaction of the dithiolate-based cobalt(II) complex derived from tert-butyl N-(2-mercaptoethyl)carbamate

A dithiolate-containing a carbamate mononuclear cobalt(II) complex namely, [Co(Boc-S)₂] (1), was obtained by the reaction of a methanolic solution of cobalt(II) nitrate hexahydrate with two equimolar amounts of the deprotonated form of tert-butyl N-(2-mercaptoethyl)carbamate (Boc-SH). The cobalt(II) complex (1) was characterized in the solid state and in solution by using FT–IR, Raman, UV–visible, and EI–mass spectroscopies, as well as thermal and X-ray diffraction studies. Spectral data showed that the carbamate (Boc-SH) acts as a mono-anionic bidentate ligand coordinating the cobalt(II) ion through two imine nitrogen and two deprotonated thiolate sulfur donor atoms in a distorted tetrahedral geometry. The thermoanalytical data evidence that the complex is stable up to 165 °C and undergoes complete decomposition, resulting in CoO. TEM imaging of the oxide residue shows its nano size clusters, suggesting that the complex (1) may be used as a precursor for nano-oxides. X-ray powder diffraction patterns evidence an isomorphism among the complex. The redox behavior of the cobalt(II) complex was also investigated by cyclic voltammetry. The reaction of the dithiolate cobalt(II) complex (1) with methyl iodide appears to occur intramolecularly with the cobalt-bound dithiolate, forming the cobalt(II)-bound dithioether complex [Co(Boc–SCH₃)₂]I₂ (2), as a dication complex with a clean second-order reaction of 13.24 × 10⁻² M⁻¹·s⁻¹.     

Fiber-optic beam shaper based on multimode interference

A new method of fiber-optic based beam shaping is investigated both numerically and experimentally. A cylindrically symmetric method of lines (MoLs) is developed to simulate the device. The device is fabricated by fusion splicing a predetermined length of multimode fiber (MMF) to a single-mode fiber. The multimode interference (MMI) effects create ring-shaped field profiles at certain positions inside the MMF. The shaped beam can be used in medical applications requiring particular irradiation patterns.     

Pyrolysis of aminonitriles,cyanohydrazones, and cyanoacetamides. Part I. Elimination reaction of 1-arylmethyleneamino-1,2-dihydro-4,6-dimethyl-2-oxopyridine-3-carbonitriles and substituted benzaldehyde cyanoacetylhydrazones

Pyrolysis of the Schiff bases of 1-arylmethyleneamino-1,2-dihydro-4,6-dimethyl-2-oxopyridine-3-carbonitriles (1–5) has been studied. These compounds eliminate via a six-membered transition state to produce substituted benzonitriles and 2-hydroxy-4,6-dimethylpyridine-3-carbonitrile. These eliminations are unimolecular first-order reactions. The kinetic data gave a good correlation with σ⁰ values of the substituents on the aryl group with ρ = 0.83 at 520 K. Utilization of the pyrolytic reaction in synthesis of various benzonitriles is considered, and mechanistic information has been obtained by comparing the kinetic data and product analysis of the Schiff bases with their open-chain substituted benzaldehyde cyanoacetylhydrazones (6–9) analogues. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Effect of Cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) and Acacia (Acacia seyal) Gums on the Pasting,Thermal, Textural,and Rheological Properties of Corn,Sweet Potato,and Turkish Bean Starches

This study was planned to explore the locally available natural sources of gum hydrocolloids as a natural modifier of different starch properties. Corn (CS), sweet potato (SPS), and Turkish bean (TBS) starches were mixed with locally extracted native or acetylated cactus (CG) and acacia (AG) gums at 2 and 5% replacement levels. The binary mixtures (starch–gums) were prepared in water, freeze dried, ground to powder, and stored airtight. A rapid viscoanalyzer (RVA), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), texture analyzer, and dynamic rheometer were used to explore their pasting, thermal, textural, and rheological properties. The presence of acetylated AG or CG increased the final viscosity (FV) in all three starches when compared to starch pastes containing native gums. Plain SPS dispersion had a higher pasting temperature (PT) than CS and TBS. The addition of AG or CG increased the PT of CS, SPS, and TBS. The thermograms revealed the overall enthalpy change of the starch and gum blends: TBS > SPS > CS. The peak temperature (T_p) of starches increased with increasing gum concentration from 2 to 5% for both AG and CG native and modified gums. When compared to the control gels, the addition of 2% CG, either native or modified, reduced the syneresis of starch gels. However, further addition (5% CG) increased the gels’ syneresis. Furthermore, the syneresis for the first cycle on the fourth day was higher than the second cycle on the eighth day for all starches. The addition of native and acetylated CG reduced the hardness of starch gels at all concentrations tested. All of the starch dispersions had higher G′ than G″ values, indicating that they were more elastic and less viscous with or without the gums. The apparent viscosity of all starch gels decreased as shear was increased, with profiles indicating time-dependent thixotropic behavior. All of the starch gels, with or without gums, showed a non-Newtonian shear thinning trend in the shear stress vs. shear rate graphs. The addition of acetylated CG gum to CS resulted in a higher activation energy (Ea) than the native counterparts and the control. More specifically, starch gels with a higher gum concentration (5%) provided greater Ea than their native counterparts.     

Antioxidant,Antimicrobial, and Insecticidal Properties of a Chemically Characterized Essential Oil from the Leaves of Dittrichia viscosa L.

Since some synthetic insecticides cause damage to human health, compounds in plants can be viable alternatives to conventional synthetic pesticides. Dittrichia viscosa L. is a perennial Mediterranean plant known to possess biological activities, including insecticidal properties. The chemical composition of an essential oil (EOD) from D. viscosa, as well as its antioxidant, antimicrobial, and insecticidal effects on the cowpea weevil (Callosobruchus maculatus) were determined. Forty-one volatile compounds were identified in EOD, which accounted for 97.5% of its constituents. Bornyl acetate (41%) was a major compound, followed by borneol (9.3%), α-amorphene (6.6%), and caryophyllene oxide (5.7%). EOD exhibited significant antioxidant activity in all tests performed, with an IC₅₀ of 1.30 ± 0.05 mg/mL in the DPPH test and an EC₅₀ equal to 36.0 ± 2.5 mg/mL in the FRAP assay. In the phosphor-molybdenum test, EOD results ranged from 39.81 ± 0.7 to 192.1 ± 0.8 mg AAE/g E. EOD was active on E. coli (9.5 ± 0.5 mm), S. aureus (31.0 ± 1.5 mm), C. albicans (20.4 ± 0.5 mm), and S. cerevisiae (28.0 ± 1.0 mm), with MICs ranging from 0.1 mg/mL to 3.3 mg/mL. We found that 1 µL of EOD caused 97.5 ± 5.0% insect mortality after 96 h in the inhalation test and 60.0 ± 8.3% in the ingestion assay. The median lethal concentration (LC₅₀) was 7.8 ± 0.3 μL EO/L, while the effective concentration in the ingestion test (LC₅₀) was 15.0 ± 2.1 μL EO/L. We found that 20 µL of EOD caused a reduction of more than 91% of C. maculatus laid eggs.     

Nanostructured Lipid Carriers (NLC) for Biologically Active Green Tea and Fennel Natural Oils Delivery: Larvicidal and Adulticidal Activities against Culex pipiens

(1) Background: The control of mosquitoes with essential oils is a growing demand. (2) Methods: This study evaluated the novel larvicidal and adulticidal activity of fennel and green tea oils and their nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) against Culex pipiens (C. pipiens) in the laboratory, field conditions and evaluated their effect against non-target organisms. SLN type II nanoformulations were synthesized and characterized using dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential and transmission electron microscope. (3) Results: The synthesized NLCs showed spherical shaped, homogenous, narrow, and monomodal particle size distribution. The mortality percent (MO%) post-treatment (PT) with 2000 ppm for 24 h with fennel oil and NLC fennel (NLC-F) reached 85% (LC₅₀ = 643.81 ppm) and 100% (LC₅₀ = 251.71), whereas MO% for green tea oil and NLC green tea (NLC-GT) were 80% (LC₅₀ = 746.52 ppm) and 100% (LC₅₀ = 278.63 ppm), respectively. Field trial data showed that the larval reduction percent of fennel oil and NLC-F reached 89.8% and 97.4%, 24 h PT and the reduction percent of green tea oil and NLC-GT reached 89% and 93%, 24 h PT with persistence reached 8 and 7 days, for NLC-F and NLC-GT, respectively. The adulticidal effects showed that NLC-F and NLC-GT (100% mortality) were more effective than fennel and green tea oils (90.0% and 83.33%), with 24 h PT, respectively. Moreover, their reduction of adult density after spraying with LC₉₅ X2 for 15 min, with fennel oil, NLC-F, and green tea oil, NLC-GT were 83.6%, 100%, 79.1%, and 100%, respectively, with persistence (>50%) lasting for three days. The predation rate of the mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis, and the bug, Sphaerodema urinator, was not affected in both oil and its NLC, while the predation rate of the beetle, Cybister tripunctatus increased (66% and 68.3%) by green tea oil and NLC-GT, respectively. (4) Conclusions: NLCs nanoformulation encapsulated essential oils was prepared successfully with unique properties of size, morphology, and stability. In vitro larvicidal and adulticidal effects against C. pipiens supported with field evaluations have been performed using essential oils and their nanoformulations. The biological evaluation of nanoformulations manifested potential results toward both larvicidal and adulticidal compared to the essential oils themselves, especially NLC encapsulated fennel oil which had promising larvicidal and adulticidal activity.     

Modeling a neutron-rich nuclei source

The deuteron break-up process in a suitable converter gives rise to intense neutron beams. A source of neutron-rich nuclei based on the neutron-induced fission can be realised using these beams. A theoretical optimization of such a facility as a function of the incident deuteron energy is reported. The model used to determine the fission products takes into account the excitation energy of the target nucleus and the evaporation of prompt neutrons. Results are presented in connection with a converter-target specific geometry. Received: 1 December 2000 / Accepted: 12 May 2001     

The Spearman footrule and a Markov chain property

An equivalent representation of the Spearman footrule is considered and a characterization in terms of a Markov chain is established. A martingale approach is thereby incorporated in the study of the asymptotic normality of the statistics.