Diabatization of the reactive F + H<Subscript>2</Subscript> system employing rigorous Berry phases

In this article are presented the first ever derived single-valued diabatic potentials for the reactive H₂ +  F system based on a rigorous study of the conical intersection (ci) and Born-Oppenheimer non-adiabatic coupling terms (BO NACTs). This study revealed the existence of a Jahn-Teller (1, 2) ci located at a point on the collinear axis and a Renner-Teller (2, 3) ci along this axis. The diabatic potentials were calculated employing the rigorous adiabatic-to-diabatic transformation (ADT) angles (also known as mixing angles) which possess integer Berry phases along any closed contour at the region of interest in configuration space. The ADT angles were calculated employing BO NACTs and line integrals.     

Axial instability of double-nanobeam-systems

This Letter considers the axial instability of double-nanobeam-systems. Eringen's nonlocal elasticity is utilized for modelling the double-nanobeam-systems. The nonlocal theory accounts for the small-scale effects arising at the nanoscale. The small-scale effects substantially influence the instability (or buckling) of double-nanobeam-systems. Results reveal that the small-scale effects are higher with increasing values of nonlocal parameter for the case of in-phase (synchronous) buckling modes than the out-of-phase (asynchronous) buckling modes. The increase of the stiffness of the coupling elastic medium in double-nanobeam-system reduces the small-scale effects during the out-of-phase (asynchronous) buckling modes. Analysis of the scale effects in higher buckling loads of double-nanobeam-system with synchronous and asynchronous modes is also discussed in this Letter. The theoretical development presented herein may serve as a reference for nonlocal theories as applied to the instability analysis of complex-nanobeam-system such as complex carbon nanotube system.     

A Recyclable and Highly Effective ZnO-beta Zeolite as a Catalyst for One-pot Three-Component Synthesis of Tetrahydrobenzo[b]pyrans

4H‐Benzo[b]pyrans was synthesized under reflux condition in ethanol via condensation of benzaldehyde, malononitrile and dimedone with ZnO‐beta zeolite as an inexpensive and effective catalyst. The key features of the reported protocols are good to excellent yields, short reaction time and recovery and reusability of catalytic material.     

Purification and Characterization of Enterocin LR/6, a Bacteriocin from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Enterococcus faecium</Emphasis> LR/6

Enterocin LR/6, a bacteriocin obtained from the culture filtrate of Enterococcus faecium strain LR/6, has been purified to homogeneity using ammonium sulfate precipitation, cation-exchange chromatography, gel-filtration, and checked on reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. It is active at high temperatures (boiling as well as autoclaving) and over a wide range of pH (2.0–8.0). Also, it is sensitive to a number of proteolytic enzymes but is stable in the presence of surfactants and organic solvents. The protein could be stored at least up to 1 year at low temperatures (4 °C and −20 °C) without any loss of activity. The N-terminal sequence of enterocin LR/6 showed no homology with known enterocins or other bacteriocins present in the database, suggesting it to be a novel enterocin. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry and tricine sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis revealed its mass to be ∼6.1 kDa. It showed a bactericidal mode of action against indicator strain, Micrococcus luteus.     

Effects of head group of cationic surfactants on the hydrolysis of p‐nitrophenyl acetate catalyzed by α‐chymotrypsin

The kinetics of hydrolysis of p‐nitrophenyl acetate catalyzed by α‐chymotrypsin (α‐CT) has been studied in the presence of several cationic surfactants having different head groups maintaining the dodecyl hydrophobic residue and bromide counterion. The enzyme activity was tested in the presence of dodecyl trimethylammonium bromide (DTAB), dodecylpyridinium bromide (DPB), dodecyldimethylethanolammonium bromide (DDMEAB), dodecyldiethylethanolammonium bromide (DDEEAB), benzyldimethyldodecylammonium bromide (BDDAB), and dodecyltriphenylphosphonium bromide (DTPB) surfactants. The extent of superactivity depends upon head groups of surfactants. The activity of α‐CT depends on the surfactant concentration and it varies with the surfactant head group dimensions (DTPB > DDEEAB > DTAB > BDDAB > DDMEAB > DPB). For all surfactants, DTPB exhibits highest superactivity. The effects of surfactants on the apparent kinetic parameters like Michaelis constant K_m and the catalytic constant k_cat have been determined. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 41: 377–381, 2009     

Metal and solvent‐free cyanosilylation of carbonyl compounds with tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane

A highly effective method of the cynaosilylation of aldehydes and ketones with TMSCN in the presence of catalytic amount of B(C₆F₅)₃ [tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane] has been developed. Cyano transfer from TMSCN to carbonyl group proceeds at room temperature under solvent‐free conditions. Various alehydes and ketones have been converted into the corresponding trimethylsilylether within short reaction times with excellent yield under mild conditions. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Implantation of the 111In/Cd Probe as InO− Ion for Radioisotope Tracer Studies

A radioisotope ion implanter has been developed using a cesium-sputtering, negative ion source, which offers versatility and sustained operation. Employing the molecular ¹¹¹In¹⁶O⁻ ion, μCi activities of the radioisotope probe ¹¹¹In/Cd have been implanted into different material hosts. The implanted tracer activity has been shown to be sufficient for LTNO, NMRON and PAC. A new NMRON resonance for ¹¹¹InAg was observed at 75.08 MHz. In₂O₃ powder performed well as the radioisotope carrier in the ion source, with the ratio of radioisotope and parasitic ion current being typically 4 × 10⁻⁴.