On-demand generation of an efficient catalyst for pyridine formation from unactivated nitriles and alpha,omega-diynes using CoCl2-6H2O, dppe, and Zn

[reaction: see text] A highly practical, general method for catalytic formation of substituted pyridines from a variety of unactivated nitriles and alpha,omega-diynes is given. The reactions which were catalyzed by 5 mol % of dppe/CoCl2-6H2O in the presence of Zn powder (10 mol %) could proceed at rt to approximately 50 degrees C with high functional compatibility and regioselectivity.     

Preparation of Doped Ceria Electrolyte Films for SOFCs by Spray Coating Method

Spray coating method is a cost-effective technique suitable for the preparation of uniform and large-area thin films. This article presents findings on the preparation of dense electrolyte thin films by spray coating method. Dense, crack-free Gd-doped CeO₂ (GDC) thin films with a thickness of approximately 2 µm were successfully prepared on porous NiO-GDC substrates. The influence of the dispersion of GDC nanopowders in susupension on the microstructure of the thin films was investigated. Results show that agglomeration of GDC nanopowders in suspension resulted in a porous microstructure and a densely packed microstructure was obtained for the film prepared from a well-dispersed suspension.     

On chip chiral and plasmonic hybrid dimer or tetramer: Generic way to reverse longitudinal and lateral optical binding forces

For both the longitudinal binding force and the lateral binding force, a generic way of controlling the mutual attraction and repulsion (usually referred to as reversal of optical binding force) between chiral and plasmonic hybrid dimers or tetramers has not been reported so far. In this paper, by using a simple plane wave and an onchip configuration, we propose a possible generic way to control the binding force for such hybrid objects in both the near-field region and the far-field region. We also investigate different inter-particle distances while varying the wavelengths of light for each inter-particle distance throughout the investigations. First of all, for the case of longitudinal binding force, we find that chiral-plasmonic hybrid dimer pairs do not exhibit any reversal of optical binding force in the near-field region nor in the far-field region when the wavelength of light is varied in an air medium. However, when the same hybrid system of nanoparticles is placed over a plasmonic substrate, a possible chip, it is possible to achieve a reversal of the longitudinal optical binding force. Later, for the case of lateral optical binding force, we investigate a setup where we place the chiral and plasmonic tetramers on a plasmonic substrate by using two chiral nanoparticles and two plasmonic nanoparticles, with the setup illuminated by a circularly polarized plane wave. By applying the left-handed and the right-handed circular polarization state of light, we also observe the near-field and the far-field reversal of lateral optical binding force for both cases. As far as we know, so far, no work has been reported in the literature on the generic way of reversing the longitudinal optical binding force and the lateral optical binding force of such hybrid objects. Such a generic way of controlling optical binding forces can have important applications in different fields of science and technology in the near future.     

Submonolayer films on a Si(111) surface under low-energy ion bombardment

The kinetics of deposition for monomolecular submonolayer films on a Si(111) surface is studied via low-energy electron diffraction with measurements of the intensities of diffraction reflection and the elastic background. The degree of structural perfection in growing films is estimated for alkali-metal silicides and silicon from low-energy beams. The optimum energy and dose intervals of silicide film formation are determined.     

Solanaceae Family Phytochemicals as Inhibitors of 3C-Like Protease of SARS-CoV-2: An In Silico Analysis

COVID-19, caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, emerged in late December 2019 in Wuhan, China. As of 8 April 2022, the virus has caused a global pandemic, resulting in 494,587,638 infections leading to 6,170,283 deaths around the world. Although several vaccines have received emergency authorization from USA and UK drug authorities and two more in Russia and China, it is too early to comment on the prolonged effectiveness of the vaccines, their availability, and affordability for the developing countries of the world, and the daunting task to vaccinate 7 billion people of the world with two doses of the vaccine with additional booster doses. As a result, it is still worthwhile to search for drugs and several promising leads have been found, mainly through in silico studies. In this study, we have examined the binding energies of several alkaloids and anthocyanin derivatives from the Solanaceae family, a family which contains common consumable vegetables and fruit items such as eggplant, pepper, and tomatoes. Our study demonstrates that Solanaceae family alkaloids such as incanumine and solaradixine, as well as anthocyanins and anthocyanidins, have very high predicted binding energies for the 3C-like protease of SARS-CoV-2 (also known as Mpro). Since Mpro is vital for SARS-CoV-2 replication, the compounds merit potential for further antiviral research towards the objective of obtaining affordable drugs.