Local magnetism of isolated Mo atoms at substitutional and interstitial sites in Yb metal: experiment and theory

We demonstrate a method of calculating the spectral function of a composite from measured reflectivity data. To solve this inverse problem it is necessary for the reflectivity data to be taken through a strong, high Q, resonance. By analyzing the reststrahlen region of different fill fraction KCl-diamond composites at three different temperatures, we find accurate spectral functions that are independent of temperature with the low temperature data giving the best resolution. These spectral functions are then used to successfully predict the optical response of RbCl-diamond composites.     

Pd-catalyzed one-pot chemoselective hydrogenation protocol for the preparation of carboxamides directly from azides

Carboxamides were obtained efficiently in high yields from azides on reaction with the corresponding pre-formed activated carboxylic acids in a single-step reductive transformation using hydrogen atmosphere (balloon) under Pd/BaSO₄ or Pd/CaCO₃ catalysis. The method is highly chemoselective and compatible with extremely labile functional groups such as benzyl carbamates, benzyl ethers, benzyl esters, and olefins.     

Studies on Silver Accumulation and Nanoparticle Synthesis By <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cochliobolus lunatus</Emphasis>

Development of reliable and eco-friendly processes for synthesis of metallic nanoparticles is an important step in the field of application of nanotechnology. Biological systems provide a useful option to achieve this objective. In this study, potent fungal strain was selectively isolated from soil samples on silver supplemented medium, followed by silver tolerance (100–1,000 ppm) test. The isolated fungus was subjected to morphological, 18S rRNA gene sequencing and phylogenic studies and confirmed as Cochliobolus lunatus. The silver accumulation and nanoparticle formation potential of wet cell mass of C. lunatus was investigated. The accumulation and nanoparticle formation by wet fungal cell mass with respect to pH change was also studied. The desorbing assay was used to recover accumulated silver from cell mass. C. lunatus was found to produce optimum biomass (0.94 g%) at 635 ppm of silver. Atomic absorption spectroscopy study showed that at optimum pH (6.5 ± 0.2), cell mass accumulates 55.6% of 100 ppm silver. SEM and FTIR studies revealed that the cell wall of C. lunatus is the site of silver sorption, and certain organic groups such as carbonyl, carboxyl, and secondary amines in the fungal cell wall have an important role in biosorption of silver in nanoform. XRD determined the FCC crystalline nature of silver nanoparticles. TEM analysis established the shape of the silver nanoparticles to be spherical with the presence of very small-sized nanoparticles. Average size of silver nanoparticles (14 nm) was confirmed by particle sizing system. This study reports the synthesis and accumulation of silver nanoparticles through reduction of Ag⁺ ions by the wet cell mass of fungus C. lunatus.     

Synthesis,physico-chemical and antimicrobial screening studies of some transition metal complexes with O:O donor ligands

The solid complexes of Mn^II, Fe^III, Co^II, Ni^II and Cu^II with 3-(3-furan-2yl-acryloyl)-6-methyl-pyran-2,4-dione(L¹) and 3-(3-thiophene-2yl-acryloyl)-6-methyl-pyran-2,4-dione (L²) have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, conductometry, thermal analysis, magnetic, i.r., P-n.m.r., u.v.–vis, X-ray diffraction and antimicrobial study. From the analytical and spectral data, the stoichiometry of the complexes has been found to be 1:2 (metal:ligand). I.r. spectral data suggest that the ligand behaves as a dibasic bidentate ligand with O:O donor sequence towards metal ions. The physico-chemical data suggests distorted octahedral geometry for Cu^II complexes and octahedral geometry for all other complexes. The X-ray diffraction suggests an Orthorhombic crystal system for the Cu^II complex and Monoclinic crystal system for Co^II and Ni^II complexes of ligand L¹. The ligands and their metal complexes were screened for antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, and the fungicidal activity against Aspergillus flavus, Curvularia lunata and Penicillium notatum.     

Preparation and characterization of ultrafine co and ni particles in a polymer matrix

A facile route for in situ synthesis of Co and Ni nanoparticles in a preorganized polyacrylamide gel is reported. Metal-polymer composites were prepared by gamma-irradiation at room temperature. The Co nanoparticles were roughly 3-5 nm in size and were stable in the polymer matrix in the presence of air. The presence of Co and Ni nanoparticles was established by their ability to transfer an electron to methyl viologen {paraquat: 1,1'-dimethyl 4,4'-dipyridinium dichloride; MV(2+) (Cl(-))(2)}. The Co and Ni nanoparticles were probed for their magnetic characteristics by a superconducting quantum interferometer device (SQUID) magnetometer and display a low superparamagnetic blocking temperature T(B) of about 13 and 10 K, respectively. The field-dependent magnetic behavior below T(B) displays the standard features corresponding to superparamagnetism, as expected for very small Co and Ni crystallites. This also suggests that particles are polycrystalline in nature.     

Biosynthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Latex from Few Euphorbian Plants and Their Antimicrobial Potential

The synthesis of well-dispersed and ultrafine metal nanoparticles has great interest due to their distinctive physicochemical properties and biomedical applications. This study is the first report of one-step solvent-free synthesis of AgNPs using Euphorbiaceae plant latex. Among evaluated eight latex-producing plants, four (Jatropha curcas, Jatropha gossypifolia, Pedilanthus tithymaloides, and Euphorbia milii) showed high potential to produce physicochemically distinct, small-sized and bactericidal AgNPs. Phytochemical screening showed presence of rich amount of biochemicals in these plants. J. gossypifolia showed uniformly dispersed comparatively small-sized AgNPs. Dose-dependent growth inhibition of bacterial pathogens Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermis, and Micrococcus luteus was observed for J. gossypifolia latex-synthesized AgNPs with minimum inhibitory concentration values 30, 40, 70, 60, and 60?ppm, respectively, after 24?h. Possible mode of action of AgNPs against pathogens was confirmed by analyzing enzymes and cell leakage.     

Carba-LNA-5MeC/A/G/T modified oligos show nucleobase-specific modulation of 3'-exonuclease activity, thermodynamic stability, RNA selectivity, and RNase H elicitation: synthesis and biochemistry

Using the intramolecular 5-exo-5-hexenyl radical as a key cyclization step, we previously reported an unambiguous synthesis of carba-LNA thymine (cLNA-T), which we subsequently incorporated in antisense oligonucleotides (AON) and investigated their biochemical properties [J. Am. Chem. Soc.2007, 129 (26), 8362-8379]. These cLNA-T incorporated oligos showed specific RNA affinity of +3.5-5 °C/modification for AON:RNA heteroduplexes, which is comparable to what is found for those of LNAs (Locked Nucleic Acids). These modified oligos however showed significantly enhanced nuclease stability (ca. 100 times more) in the blood serum compared to those of the LNA modified counterparts without compromising any RNase H recruitment capability. We herein report the synthesis of 5-methylcytosine-1-yl ((Me)C), 9-adeninyl (A), and 9-guaninyl (G) derivatives of cLNA and their oligonucleotides and report their biochemical properties as potential RNA-directed inhibitors. In a series of isosequential carba-LNA modified AONs, we herein show that all the cLNA modified AONs are found to be RNA-selective, but the magnitude of RNA-selectivity of 7'-R-Me-cLNA-G (cLNA-G) (ΔT(m) = 2.9 °C/modification) and intractable isomeric mixtures of 7'-(S/R)-Me-cLNA-T (cLNA-T, ΔT(m) = 2.2 °C/modification) was found to be better than diastereomeric mixtures of 7'-(S/R)-Me-cLNA-(Me)C with trace of cENA-(Me)C (cLNA-(Me)C, ΔT(m) = 1.8 °C/modification) and 7'-R-Me-cLNA-A (cLNA-A, ΔT(m) = 0.9 °C/modification). cLNA-(Me)C modified AONs however exhibited the best nuclease stability, which is 4-, 7-, and 20-fold better, respectively, than cLNA-T, cLNA-A, and cLNA-G modified counterparts, which in turn was more than 100 times stable than that of the native. When the modification sites are appropriately chosen in the AONs, the cLNA-A, -G, and -(Me)C modified sites in the AON:RNA hybrids can be easily recognized by RNase H, and the RNA strand of the hybrid is degraded in a specific manner, which is important for the design of oligos for therapeutic purposes. The cLNA-(Me)C modified AON/RNA, however, has been found to be degraded 4 times faster than cLNA-A and G modified counterparts. By appropriately choosing the carba-LNA modification sites in AON strands, the digestion of AON:RNA can be either totally repressed or be limited to cleavage at specific sites or at a single site only (similar to that of catalytic RNAzyme or DNAzyme). Considering all physico- and biochemical aspects of cLNA modified oligos, the work suggests that the cLNA modified antisense oligos have the potential of being a promising therapeutic candidate due to their (i) higher nucleobase-specific RNA affinity and RNA selectivity, (ii) greatly improved nuclease stability, and (iii) efficient RNase H recruitment capability, which can induce target RNA cleavage in a very specific manner at multiple or at a single site, in a designed manner.     

Periodate Influencing Diperiodatocuprate(III) Oxidation of Sulfur Containing Amino Acid in Aqueous Alkaline Medium

The diperiodatocuprate(III) (DPC) oxidation of DL-methionine, a sulfur containing amino acid, was studied spectrophotometrically in alkaline solution. The reaction rate was first order in the concentration of DPC and fractional order in the concentration of DL-methionine. Increasing the OH⁻ concentration decreased the rate of reaction, whereas adding IO₄⁻ enhanced the rate. The reaction was preceded by a small initiation period of about 0.8 minutes. This initiation time decreased when the concentration of IO₄⁻ or DPC increased. Adding the reaction products did not alter the rate of reaction. A mechanism including the intervention of a DL-methionine free radical is proposed and the corresponding rate law is derived. The reaction rate constants are evaluated as well as the activation parameters.