Strain-induced interference effects on the resonance Raman cross section of carbon nanotubes

In this Letter, we report the effects of strain on the electronic properties of single-wall carbon nanotubes. When we normalize the electronic transition energies to the corresponding values obtained for unstrained tubes, we obtain that, regardless of the tube diameter, all the data collapse onto universal curves following an n - m = constant family pattern. In the case of metallic tubes, quantum interference effects on the Raman cross section are predicted for strained tubes when the energies of the lower and the upper components have nearly the same values. Experimental evidence for the strain-induced Raman cross section changes is observed in single nanotube spectroscopy.     

Use of an ionic liquid in a two-phase system to improve an alcohol dehydrogenase catalysed reduction

Due to favourable partition coefficients the highly enantioselective reduction of 2-octanone, catalysed by an alcohol dehydrogenase from Lactobacillus brevis, is faster in a biphasic system containing buffer and the ionic liquid [BMIM][(CF(3)SO(2))(2)N] compared to the reduction in a biphasic system containing buffer and methyl tert-butyl ether.     

Conditional large Fock state preparation and field state reconstruction in cavity QED

We propose a scheme for producing large Fock states in cavity QED via the implementation of a highly selective atom-field interaction. It is based on Raman excitation of a three-level atom by a classical field and a quantized field mode. Selectivity appears when one tunes to resonance a specific transition inside a chosen atom-field subspace, while other transitions remain dispersive, as a consequence of the field dependent electronic energy shifts. We show that this scheme can be also employed for reconstructing, in a new and efficient way, the Wigner function of the cavity field state.     

Use of diffusion‐ordered NMR spectroscopy and HPLC–UV–SPE–NMR to identify undeclared synthetic drugs in medicines illegally sold as phytotherapies

The informal (and/or illegal) e‐commerce of pharmaceutical formulations causes problems that governmental health agencies find hard to control, one of which concerns formulas sold as natural products. The purpose of this work was to explore the advantages and limitations of DOSY and HPLC–UV–SPE–NMR. These techniques were used to identify the components of a formula illegally marketed in Brazil as an herbal medicine possessing anti‐inflammatory and analgesic properties. DOSY was able to detect the major components present at higher concentrations. Complete characterization was achieved using HPLC–UV–SPE–NMR, and 1D and 2D NMR analyses enabled the identification of known synthetic drugs. These were ranitidine and a mixture of orphenadrine citrate, piroxicam, and dexamethasone, which are co‐formulated in a remedy called Rheumazim that is used to relieve severe pain, but it is prohibited in Brazil because of a lack of sufficient pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic information. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of chemical modifications on the electronic structure of poly(3‐hexylthiophene)

The widespread use of poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) in the active layers of organic solar cells indicates that it possesses chemical stability and solubility suitable for such an application. However, it would be desirable to have a material that can maintain these properties but with a smaller bandgap, which would lead to more efficient energy harvesting of the solar spectrum. Fifteen P3HT derivatives were studied using the Density Functional Theory. The conclusion is that it is possible to obtain compounds with significantly smaller bandgaps and with solubility and stability similar to that of P3HT, mostly through the binding of oxygen atoms or conjugated organic groups to the thiophenic ring. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys., 2013     

Dihydroquinoline derivative as a potential anticancer agent: synthesis,crystal structure,and molecular modeling studies

Molecular Diversity - Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and requires intense and growing research investments from the public and private sectors. This is expected to lead to...     

Simultaneous Differential Pulse Voltammetric Determination of Ascorbic Acid and Caffeine in Pharmaceutical Formulations Using a Boron‐Doped Diamond Electrode

A cathodically pretreated boron‐doped diamond electrode was used for the simultaneous anodic determination of ascorbic acid (AA) and caffeine (CAF) by differential pulse voltammetry. Linear calibration curves (r=0.999) were obtained from 1.9×10^?5 to 2.1×10^?4 mol L^?1 for AA and from 9.7×10^?6 to 1.1×10^?4 mol L^?1 for CAF, with detection limits of 19 μmol L^?1 and 7.0 μmol L^?1, respectively. This method was successfully applied for the determination of AA and CAF in pharmaceutical formulations, with results equal to those obtained using a HPLC reference method.     

Chlorogenic Acid UVA–UVB Photostability

Chlorogenic acid is a natural potent antioxidant. It can be used in cosmetics formulations, but for this purpose its photochemical stability should be determined to ensure that the compound will not be degraded after UV radiation exposure. To evaluate this possibility, the concentration of a chlorogenic acid solution was determined by HPLC before and after UVA and UVB irradiation. The results indicate that chlorogenic acid is not degraded under UVA or UVB irradiation.