Latent heat measurements of the smectic A-cholesteric transition on binary mixtures

New differential scanning calorimetry measurements of the smectic A-cholesteric latent heat of transition for binary mixtures of cholesteryl nonanoate (C₉) and cholesteryl heptanoate (C₇), cholesteryl nonanoate and cholesteryl caproate (C₆) are reported for cooling cycles. These measurements give evidence of a tricritical point at approximately the reduced temperature T_SACh/T_Chl ≅ 0·92 for 63·1 mol per cent C₉ in the mixture of C₆ and C₉. This tricritical point occurs at reduced temperatures and concentrations different from those already obtained for heating cycles for the same mixture.     

Binding interaction of bioactive imidazole with bovine serum albumin--a mechanistic investigation

A novel Y-shaped imidazole derivative 4-((E)-2-(4,5-diphenyl-1-p-tolyl-1H-imidazol-2-yl)vinyl)phenol has been synthesized and characterised by IR, UV-vis, mass and NMR spectral techniques. The mutual interaction of this imidazole derivative (DPTIV) with bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated using photoluminescent studies. The fluorescence quenching mechanism of BSA by DPTIV was analyzed and the binding constant has been calculated. The binding distance between DPTIV and BSA was obtained based on the theory of Forester's non-radiation energy transfer. The effect of some common ions on the binding constant between DPTIV and BSA was also examined.     

Physicochemical studies of some novel Y-shaped imidazole derivatives--a sensitive chemisensor

Some novel Y-shaped imidazole derivatives were developed for highly sensitive chemisensors for transition metal ions. A prominent fluorescence enhancement was found in the presence of transition metal ions such as Hg²⁺, Pb²⁺ and Cu²⁺ and it is due to the suppression of radiationless transitions from the n–π* state in the chemisensors. The HOMO–LUMO energies, electric dipole moment (μ) and the first-hyperpolarizability (β) values of the investigated molecule have been studied theoretically which reveal that the synthesized molecules have microscopic non-linear optical (NLO) behaviour with non-zero values.     

A physiochemical study of azo dyes: DFT based ESIPT process

Azo linked dye derivatives were synthesized and characterized by NMR, mass and elemental analysis. An excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) in hydroxy Schiff base has been analyzed, and found that two distinct ground state isomers of I and II are responsible for the observed dual emission. DFT calculation on energy, dipole moment, charge distribution of the rotamers in the ground and excited states support the ESIPT process. PES calculation indicates that the energy barrier for the interconversion of two rotamers is too high in the excited state than the ground state. By varying the addition of base concentration to hydroxy Schiff base, two isobestic points were found which confirm the equilibrium among the trans enol form, anion and the cis enol form. Fluorescence quenching with metal ions reveal that hydroxy Schiff base can be used as a new fluorescence sensor to detect the Cu(2+) ion.     

Near room temperature magnetocaloric properties of melt-spun Gd100−xBx (x=0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 at%) alloys

The magnetocaloric properties of melt-spun Gd-B alloys were examined with the aim to explore their potential application as magnetic refrigerants near room temperature. A series of Gd_100−xB_x (x=0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 at%) alloys were prepared by melt spinning. With the decrease in Gd/B ratio, Curie temperature (T_C) remains constant at ∼293 K, and saturation magnetization, at 275 K, decreases from ∼100 to ∼78 emu/g. Negligible magnetic hysteresis was observed in these alloys. The peak value of magnetic entropy change, (−ΔS_M)_max, decreased from ∼9.9 J/kg K (0-5 T) and ∼5.5 J/kg K (0-2 T) for melt-spun Gd to ∼7.7 J/kg K (0-5 T) and ∼4.0 J/kg K (0-2 T), respectively for melt-spun Gd₈₅B₁₅ and Gd₈₀B₂₀ alloys. Similarly, the refrigeration capacity (q) decreased monotonously from ∼430 J/kg (0-5 T) for melt-spun Gd to ∼330 J/kg (0-5 T) for melt-spun Gd₈₀B₂₀ alloy. The near room temperature magnetocaloric properties of melt-spun Gd_100−xB_x (0≤x≤20) alloys were found to be comparable to few first-order transition based magnetic refrigerants.     

Experimental data and model predictions of aluminium agglomeration in ammonium perchlorate-based composite propellants including plateau-burning formulations

Sixteen propellant formulations based on ammonium perchlorate (AP), hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene, and aluminium particles have been tested for size distribution of aluminium agglomerates emerging from their burning surface. The formulations are based on a bimodal size distribution of AP particles. Ten of the formulations exhibit one or two plateaus/mesa in their burning rate variation with pressure (zero/negative pressure exponent of burning rate). The relevant formulation variables, namely, coarse and fine AP sizes and coarse-to-fine ratio, aluminium size and content, and two different curing agents, have been varied. Tests are performed in the 1–10 MPa pressure range. A direct correlation between burning rate and agglomerate size exists for propellants with normal burning rate trends but a neutral or inverse correlation is observed for those exhibiting plateau burning behaviour. Larger the parent aluminium size, lesser the agglomeration, as expected; but the effect of aluminium content is non-monotonic. The coarse AP size influences the aluminium agglomerate size as expected from the pocket model regardless of plateau burning effects. The agglomerate size decreases with increase in fine AP size, however. A computer model developed earlier at this laboratory for prediction of aluminium agglomerates based on three-dimensional packing of particles and deduction of AP particles with attached leading edge diffusion flames is applied to the present formulations. The model under-predicts the agglomerate size, only marginally for propellants that do not exhibit plateau burning rate trends, but substantially, otherwise. This is because it does not take into account effects of binder melt flow and is independent of the curing agent of the binder.     

Electronic properties of phenanthrimidazoles as hole transport materials in organic light emitting devices and in photoelectron transfer to ZnO nanoparticles

Phenanthrimidazoles as hole transport materials have been synthesized, characterized, and applied as nondoping emitters in organic light emitting devices. The synthesized molecules possess high fluorescent quantum yield and thermal properties and display film forming abilities. The highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energies of these materials are shallower than the reported tris(8‐hydroxyquinoline)aluminum (Alq₃), which enables the hole transport ability of these phenanthrimidazoles. Taking advantage of the thermal stability and hole transporting ability, these compounds can be used as a functional layer between NPB [4,4‐bis(N‐(1‐naphthyl)‐N‐phenylamino)biphenyl] and Alq₃ layers and show that these phenanthrimidazoles can be alternatively used as novel hole transport materials and to improve the device performances. Geometrical, optical, electrical, and electroluminescent properties of these molecules have been probed. Further, natural bond orbital, nonlinear optical materials (NLO), molecular electrostatic potential, and HOMO–lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LMO) energy analysis have been made by density functional theory (DFT) method to support the experimental results. Hyperpolarizability analysis reveals that the synthesized phenanthrimidazoles possess NLO behavior. The chemical potential, hardness, and electrophilicity index of phenanthrimidazoles have also been computed by DFT method. Photoinduced electron transfer explains the enhancement of fluorescence by nanoparticulate ZnO, and the apparent binding constant has been obtained. Adsorption of the fluorophore on ZnO nanoparticle lowers the HOMO and LUMO energy levels of the fluorophore. The strong adsorption of the phenanthrimidazoles on the surface of ZnO nanocrystals is likely due to the chemical affinity of the nitrogen atom of the organic molecule to Zn(II) on the surface of nanocrystal. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and Photophysics of Some Novel Imidazole Derivatives Used as Sensitive Fluorescent Chemisensors

Some novel imidazole derivatives were developed for highly sensitive chemisensors for transition metal ions. Since these compounds are sensitive to different external stimulations such as UV irradiation, heat, increasing pressure and changing the environmental pH causing colour change and so they can be used as a ??multi-way?? optically switchable material. A prominent fluorescence enhancement was found in the presence of transition metal ions such as Hg²⁺, Pb²⁺ and Cu²⁺ and this was suggested to result from the suppression of radiationless transitions from the n-??* state in the chemisensors. The existence of C-H??.O intramolecular hydrogen bonding in dmphnpi is confirmed by the Natural Bond Orbital analysis (NBO). The Mulliken, NBO charge analysis and the HOMO-LUMO energies were also calculated. The electric dipole moment (??) and the first-hyperpolarisability (??) value of the investigated molecules have been studied both experimentally and theoretically which reveal that the synthesized molecules have microscopic non-linear optical (NLO) behaviour with non-zero values. Ground and excited state DFT calculation were carried out in order to find out dipole moment and energy.