Nature of the emission band of Dergaon meteorite in the region 5700x2013;6700 Å

An emission band system in the region 5700–6700 Å from Dergaon stoney iron meteorite which fell at Dergaon, India on March 2, 16.40 local time (2001) was excited with the help of a continuous 500 mW Ar⁺ laser. The band system is attributed to silicate (olivine), a major component of the meteorite.     

Rhodium(I) carbonyl complexes of triphenylphosphine chalcogenides and their catalytic activity

Rhodium(I) carbonyl complexes [Rh(CO)₂ClL] where L = Ph₃PO, Ph₃PS and Ph₃PSe, were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, i.r. and by ¹H-, ¹³C- and ³¹P-n.m.r. spectroscopy. The vBD;(CO) band frequencies in the complexes follow the order: Ph₃PO > Ph₃PS > Ph₃PSe, in keeping with the hard/soft nature of the interactions. The complexes undergo oxidative additions with electrophiles such as MeI, PhCH₂Cl and I₂ to give, e.g. [Rh(CO)(COMe)ClIL] which react with PPh₃ to give trans-[Rh(CO)Cl(PPh₃)₂]. The catalytic activity of the [Rh(CO)₂ClL] complexes in carbonylation of MeOH is higher than that of the well-known [Rh(CO)₂I₂]⁻ species. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Diversity oriented synthesis of pyran based polyfunctional stereogenic macrocyles and their conformational studies

A new approach to synthesize a homologous series of 14-, 15-, and 16-membered drug-like, macrocyclic glycoconjugates involving TBAHS promoted azide-propenone intramolecular cycloaddition in designed C-glycopyranosyl butenones from a simple sugar d-glucose and d-mannose is reported.     

Effect of substituents at the heteroatom on the structure and ligating properties of carbodicarbenes and its silicon analogs: a theoretical study

Density functional calculations have been carried out to investigate the effect of substituents attached to the heteroatoms of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) on the structure and ligating properties of carbon(0) [C(NHC)₂] and silicon(0) [Si(NHC)₂] compounds. The substituents were found to have a profound role on the structure and ligating properties of these classes of compounds. Fluoro- and chloro-substituted carbon(0) compounds were found to have quasi-linear geometries in which their C(0) characteristics are “masked.” However, their C(0) characteristics become prominent in their protonated species. Large negative charges and shallow bending potential of the central C_c–C₀–C_c angle provide evidence for the “hidden C(0) characteristics” of these two compounds. Electron withdrawing substituents at N-atoms of the two NHCs dramatically decreases the basicity of these compounds. Both natural bonding and atoms in molecules analysis suggest that the most favorable Lewis structure of C(NHC)₂ and Si(NHC)₂ in their equilibrium geometries should be described (portrayed) as L=C=L and L → Si ← L, respectively, where L = NHCs.     

Mesua ferrea L. seed oil based highly thermostable and biodegradable polyester/clay nanocomposites

Nanotechnology holds the prospective for pervasive and avant-garde changes to improve performance of materials. Mesua ferrea L. seed oil based highly thermostable and biodegradable polyester/clay nanocomposites have been prepared at different dose levels of nanoclay. The highly branched polyester resin was synthesized by condensation of 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl) propionic acid with M. ferrea L. seed oil based carboxyl terminated pre-polymer. FTIR, rheometric, XRD, SEM and TEM studies unmasked well-dispersed partially exfoliated nanocomposites with good interfacial interaction. The results showed 2.6 and 6 times increase of tensile strength and elongation at break respectively, and about 150 °C increase of thermostability by the influence of nanoclay loading (1-5 weight %) compared to the pristine polymer. Two strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PN8A1 and vs1) and one Bacillus subtilis strain (MTCC73) were used to study microbial degradation of pristine polymer and nanocomposite systems, with the revelation of enhanced degradation with increasing nanoclay loading.     

Rhodium(I) carbonyl complexes of mono selenium functionalized bis(diphenylphosphino)methane and bis(diphenylphosphino)amine chelating ligands and their catalytic carbonylation activity

The chelate complexes of the types (1) and (2) have been synthesized and characterized by IR and NMR spectroscopy. The lower shift of the ν(P-Se) bands and downfield shift of the ³¹P-{¹H}NMR signals for both P(III) and P(V) atoms in 1 and 2 compared to the corresponding free ligands indicate chelate formation through selenium donor. 1 and 2 show terminal ν(CO) bands at 1977 and 1981 cm⁻¹, respectively, suggesting high electron density at the metal center. The molecular structure of 2 has been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The rhodium atom is at the center of a square planar geometry having the phosphorus and selenium atoms of the chelating ligand at cis-position, one carbonyl group trans- to selenium and one chlorine atom trans- to phosphorus atom. 1 and 2 undergo oxidative addition (OA) reaction with CH₃I to produce acyl complexes (3) and (4), respectively. The kinetics of the OA reactions reveal that 1 undergoes faster reaction by about 4.5 times than 2. The catalytic activity of 1 and 2 in carbonylation of methanol was higher than that of the well known species [Rh(CO)₂I₂]⁻ and 2 shows higher catalytic activity compared to 1.