Synthesis, structural and magnetic properties of spin ladder compound Ca1−xCoxCu2O3

MCu₂O₃ (M=Ca and Co) system has two-leg spin ladder structure similar to that of the prototype SrCu₂O₃ system except that the rungs are buckled with an angle of 123° and 105° for CaCu₂O₃ and CoCu₂O₃ compounds, respectively. We have synthesized powder samples of (Ca_1−xCo_x)Cu₂O₃ (x=0.00-1.00) by the solid state reaction method and their structural and magnetic properties have been investigated. All the synthesized compounds crystallize in orthorhombic structure with space group Pmmn. Lattice parameters of (Ca_1−xCo_x)Cu₂O₃ decrease with the increase in Co content. DC magnetic susceptibility χ(T) results of the end products CaCu₂O₃ and CoCu₂O₃ show antiferromagnetic transition (T_N) at 27 and 215 K, respectively. Co doping into (Ca_1−xCo_x)Cu₂O₃ enhances its T_N systematically with increasing Co concentration. The χ(T) of CoCu₂O₃ shows a broad transition with the peak temperature around 215 K and it was found to be field independent up to 90 kOe. The ambiguity concerning the transition was ruled out by recording the temperature dependent X-ray diffraction pattern on CoCu₂O₃ system, which indicated that there is no structural transition in the investigated temperature range of 115-300 K. Further, specific heat measurement on CoCu₂O₃ confirms the magnetic phase transition by the appearance of a sharp peak at 215 K.     

Crystal and Molecular Structure of Desmodin

The crystal structure of the title compound has been determined from X‐ray diffraction. The compound crystallizes from benzene in the orthorhombic system, space group P2₁2₁2₁, with unit cell parameters: a = 8.485(2), b = 9.816(2), c = 22.597(4) Å, Z = 4, V = 1881.9(7) ų. The structure was determined by direct methods and refined to a final R‐factor of 0.04. Six membered rings B and E are planar. Ring A and ring C are in slightly distorted sofa conformation. Ring D is in envelope conformation. The structure is stabilised by weak intermolecular C‐H...O hydrogen bonds.     

ProSTRIP: A method to find similar structural repeats in three-dimensional protein structures

The occurrence of similar structural repeats in a protein structure has evolved through gene duplication. These repeats act as a structural building block and form more than one compact structural and functional unit called a repeat domain. The protein families comprising similar structural repeats are mainly involved in protein–protein interactions as well as binding to other ligand molecules. The identification of internal sequence repeats in the primary structure is not sufficient for the analysis of structural repeats. Thus, a new method called ProSTRIP has been developed using dynamic programming to find the similar structural repeats in a three-dimensional protein structure. The detection of these repeats is made by calculating the protein backbone Cα angles. An internet computing server is also created by implementing this method and enables graphical visualization of the results. It can be freely accessed at http://cluster.physics.iisc.ernet.in/prostrip/.     

Halogenative kinetic resolution of β-aryloxy cyclic alcohols: chiral BINAP-mediated SN2 displacement of hydroxy groups by chlorides with inversion of stereochemistry

A series of optically active cyclic trans-β-aryloxy alcohols have been obtained by non-enzymatic kinetic resolution of the corresponding racemic aryloxy cyclic alcohols using commercially available (S)-BINAP and NCS by S_N2 halogenation of a hydroxy group. The product, cis-β-aryloxy chlorides, was also obtained in optically active form with inversion of the stereochemistry.     

Synthesis,Characterization, and Antibacterial Activity of Novel (1H‐Benzo[d]imidazole‐2‐yl)‐6‐(diethylamino)‐3H‐one‐xanthene,Phenoxazine, and Oxazine

A series of novel (1H‐benzo[d]imidazole‐2‐yl)‐6‐(diethylamino)‐3H‐one‐xanthene, phenoxazine, and oxazine derivatives have been synthesized from 2‐(2′,4′‐dihydroxyphenyl) benzimidazole intermediate. Synthesized compounds 8a , 8b , 8c , 8d are fluorescent in solution, photophysical properties of compounds were studied and results revealed that compounds absorb and emit in UV–visible region with good fluorescence quantum yield. Synthesized compounds are thermally stable up to 300°C. The antibacterial activities of the synthesized compounds were studied by the well‐diffusion method. Escherichia coli (ATTC‐25922), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC‐25923), Micrococcus (ATCC‐4698), and Bacillus subtilis (ATCC‐55422) were used to investigate the antibacterial activities.     

Cu-catalyzed one-pot synthesis of unsymmetrical diaryl thioethers by coupling of aryl halides using a thiol precursor

An efficient Cu-catalyzed one-pot approach for the synthesis of unsymmetrical diaryl thioethers using potassium ethyl xanthogenate as a thiol surrogate is developed. This new protocol avoids usage of intricate thiols and makes use of its easily available xanthate as a precursor, and thiol will be generated in situ to prepare the diaryl thioethers through a Cu-catalyzed double arylation. This strategy was further successfully utilized for the synthesis of symmetrical diaryl thioethers, aryl alkyl thioethers, and benzothiazoles.     

Growth of single crystals of copper and their thermal profile estimation

Copper crystals have been grown by Czochralski technique in a 6-bar argon gas environment. X-ray analysis shows that these are single crystals and are strain-free. A slight pressure environment that is truly hydrostatic seems to improve the quality of the crystals. Thermal profile estimation results show that the values of temperature which decrease upto the neck region are same in magnitude as those measured during the experiments and that necking improves the thermal profile and, consequently, the crystal quality. No facet formation has been observed in these crystals.     

Fake double layers in double plasma devices

The double layer like potential jumps have been observed in a double plasma device. They do not correspond to a switching of plasma potential from one metastable state to another but are caused by the ionisation of a very minute amount of the gas that inevitably leaks into the system during the probe movement.