Synthesis,crystal structures and fluorescence properties of two new di- and polynuclear Cd(II) complexes with N2O donor set of a tridentate Schiff base ligand

Two new Cd(II) complexes, having one binuclear structure [Cd₂(L)₂(Cl)₂] (1) and another azido bridged one-dimensional zig-zag polynuclear network [Cd₃(μ_1,1-N₃)₄(L)₂{H₂N(CH₂)₂N(C₂H₅)₂} · H₂O]_n (2) have been synthesized from a tridentate N₂O donor Schiff base ligand LH, [LH = (OCH₃)(OH)C₆H₃CHN(CH₂)₂N(C₂H₅)₂], which is the condensation product of 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde and 2-diethylaminoethylamine. Both the complexes 1 and 2 have been characterized by elemental analyses, IR & ¹H NMR spectroscopy, TGA and fluorescence studies. Finally their structures have been established by single crystal X-ray diffraction method. Structural study reveals that in the complex 1, two Cd(II) centers are held together by two μ₂-phenolato oxygen atoms and the terminal chlorine atom occupies the apical site of the square pyramidal environment of each metal center. In case of complex 2, the trinuclear asymmetric unit contains octahedral Cd(II) centers which are further held together by doubly end-on azido bridging to form a zig-zag polynuclear structure. It also displays intraligand ¹(π–π^∗) fluorescence and can potentially serve as photoactive material.     

Surface area measurement of functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes

Single-walled carbon nanotubes have been functionalized and the specific surface areas of the functionalized nanotubes measured. Contrary to expectations, functionalization leads to a decrease in specific surface area compared to that of the unfunctionalized nanotubes. Treatment with a concentrated 1:1 nitric/sulfuric acid mixture followed by high-temperature baking at 1000 degrees C was found to increase the specific surface area of the nanotubes. For the unfunctionalized SWNTs, this treatment increases the specific surface area (SSA) by 20%. In the case of SWNTs functionalized by n-butyl groups the increase in the SSA was nearly 2-fold with the value increasing from 410 (drying at 110 degrees C) to 770 m2/gm (acid and bake treatment followed by drying at 110 degrees C). For the ozonized SWNTs, the SSA increases more than 3-fold from 381 (drying at 110 degrees C) to 1068 m2/gm (acid and bake treatment followed by drying at 110 degrees C). SEM images indicate that the nanotubes rebundle in the solid state with an average bundle size of 10-30 nm. AFM studies show that the ozonized tubes have been cut to short bundles after ozonolysis. Hydrogen uptake studies carried out on the baked ozonized tubes led to a 3 wt % hydrogen uptake at 77 K and 30 bar.     

Conformational effects in acid-mediated ring opening of epoxides: a prominent role of the oxirane Walsh orbital

A kinetic study has been made of the BF(3)-mediated ring opening of two rigid conformers (alpha and beta) of m- and p-dimethyl-substituted homobenzoquinone epoxides spiro-linked with a twist-boat dibenzocycloheptene ring as compared with the conformationally mobile epoxides bearing diphenyl groups. The rates of the regioselective ring opening were dependent on the topological alignment of the dibenzocycloheptene ring as well as the substitution pattern of the quinone dimethyl groups, indicating pi-aryl participated orbital interaction with the vacant Walsh orbital of the oxirane ring.     

A design for pseudo-Anosov braids using hypotrochoid curves

We make use of hypotrochoid curves to propose mixing devices with simple mechanism, which gives pseudo-Anosov mixings. We exhibit some experiments to see the efficiency of the device.     

Thermoelectric power of potassium doped lanthanum manganites at low temperatures

The temperature-dependent resistivity and thermoelectric power of monovalent (K) doped La_1−xK_xMnO₃ polycrystalline pellets (x=0.05, 0.10 and 0.15) between 50 and 300 K are reported. K substitution enhances the conductivity of this system. Curie temperature (T_C) also increases from 260 to 309 K with increasing K content. In the paramagnetic region (T>T_C), the electrical resistivity is well represented by adiabatic polaron hopping, while in the ferromagnetic region (T<T_C), the resistivity data show a nearly perfect fit for all the samples to an expression containing, the residual resistivity, spin-wave and two-magnon scattering and the term associated with small-polaron metallic conduction, which involves a relaxation time due to a soft optical phonon mode. Small polaron hopping mechanism is found to fit well to the thermoelectric power (S) data for T>T_C whereas at low temperatures (T<T_C) in ferromagnetic region (S_FM), S_FM is well explained with the spin-wave fluctuation and electron–magnon scattering. Both, resistivity and thermopower data over the entire temperature range (50–300 K) are also examined in light of a two-phase model based on an effective medium approximation.     

The Effects of Side-Chain Configurations of a Retro–Inverso-Type Inhibitor on the Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus (HTLV)-1 Protease

In this study, the effects of side-chain configurations of D-Ile residues of a retro–inverso (RI)-type inhibitor on the human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) protease containing a hydroxyethylamine dipeptide isostere were clarified. Prior to evaluation using the RI-type inhibitor, the effects of side-chain configurations of Ile residues of the substrate peptide on the HTLV-1 protease were examined to estimate the influence of side-chain configurations on enzyme activity. Based on the estimation of the influence of side-chain configurations on protease affinity, the RI-type inhibitors containing a D-allo-Ile residue in the corresponding substrate sequence, instead of a D-Ile residue, were synthesized via 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl-based solid-phase peptide synthesis. Refolded recombinant HTLV-1 protease (1-116, L40I) was used for the simple and short evaluation of the inhibitory activities of the synthesized RI-type inhibitors. The results clearly indicated that mimicking the whole topology, comprising both the main- and side-chain structures of the parent inhibitor, is effective for the design of potent RI-modified protease inhibitors.     

A practical strategy to create near-infrared luminescent probes: conversion from fluorescein-based sensors

Luminescent lanthanide complexes incorporating Yb(3+) and Nd(3+) are attracting much attention as imaging agents, but there have been few practical methods to make responsive sensors with these complexes. Here, we introduce a general strategy to synthesize near-infrared luminescent probes by conjugating a Yb(3+) chelate to established fluorescein-based probes. As the first demonstration, we present a complex, based on the green-emitting probe DAF-4, that responds to nitric oxide (NO) in aqueous solution with a significant increase in luminescence intensity at 980 nm.     

Pressure effect on the melting point of alkali metals

The mean-square displacement of alkali metals is studied theoretically using our local Heine-Abarenkov-type model potential in the perturbational scheme. The temperature-dependent mean-square displacement of alkali metals decreases as function of the compressed volume. Lindemann's criterion for melting x_m, which is defined as the ratio of two times the root-mean-square displacement to the nearest-neighbour distance, is found to be nearly constant for five alkali metals. The volume effect on the melting temperature of alkali metals is studied by keeping x_m constant. The obtained melting curve increases as function of the compressed volume and are qualitatively in good agreement with the observed tendency for alkali metals.     

Naphthobipyrrole‐Derived Sapphyrins: Rational Synthesis,Characterization, Nonlinear Optical Properties,and Excited‐State Dynamics

Two new free‐base β‐octa and hexaalkyl naphthobipyrrole‐derived sapphyrins are reported along with various salts thereof. One of them has substituents at all of its β positions, whereas the pyrrole unit opposite to the bipyrrolic moiety is unsubstituted in the other. The effect of bipyrrole fusion on the structure of sapphyrins was explored. Interestingly, an unprecedented sandwiched supramolecular aqua‐bridged free‐base sapphyrin dimer was also characterized in the solid state. Further, the effect of anions on the third‐order nonlinear optical properties of these sapphyrins were explored in the salt form, along with their detailed excited‐state dynamics by both degenerate and nondegenerate pump–probe studies.