Gold and silver nanoparticles in sensing and imaging: sensitivity of plasmon response to size, shape, and metal composition

Plasmonic metal nanoparticles have great potential for chemical and biological sensor applications, due to their sensitive spectral response to the local environment of the nanoparticle surface and ease of monitoring the light signal due to their strong scattering or absorption. In this work, we investigated the dependence of the sensitivity of the surface plasmon resonance (frequency and bandwidth) response to changes in their surrounding environment and the relative contribution of optical scattering to the total extinction, on the size and shape of nanorods and the type of metal, that is, Au vs Ag. Theoretical consideration on the surface plasmon resonance condition revealed that the spectral sensitivity, defined as the relative shift in resonance wavelength with respect to the refractive index change of surrounding materials, has two controlling factors: first the bulk plasma wavelength, a property dependent on the metal type, and second on the aspect ratio of the nanorods which is a geometrical parameter. It is found that the sensitivity is linearly proportional to both these factors. To quantitatively examine the dependence of the spectral sensitivity on the nanorod metal composition and the aspect ratio, the discrete dipole approximation method was used for the calculation of optical spectra of Ag-Au alloy metal nanorods as a function of Ag concentration. It is observed that the sensitivity does not depend on the type of the metal but depends largely on the aspect ratio of nanorods. The direct dependence of the sensitivity on the aspect ratio becomes more prominent as the size of nanorods becomes larger. However, the use of larger nanoparticles may induce an excessive broadening of the resonance spectrum due to an increase in the contribution of multipolar excitations. This restricts the sensing resolution. The insensitivity of the plasmon response to the metal composition is attributable to the fact that the bulk plasma frequency of the metal, which determines the spectral dispersion of the real dielectric function of metals and the surface plasmon resonance condition, has a similar value for the noble metals. On the other hand, nanorods with higher Ag concentration show a great enhancement in magnitude and sharpness of the plasmon resonance band, which gives better sensing resolution despite similar plasmon response. Furthermore, Ag nanorods have an additional advantage as better scatterers compared with Au nanorods of the same size.     

Singular spectrum analysis and Fisher–Shannon analysis of spring flow time series: An application to Anjar Spring,Lebanon

In this study, the time dynamics of water flow from Anjar Spring was investigated, which is one of the major issuing springs in the central part of Lebanon. Likewise, many water sources in Lebanon, this spring has no continuous records for the discharge, and this would prevent the application of standard time series analysis tools. Furthermore, the highly nonstationary character of the series implies that suited methodologies can be employed to get insight into its dynamical features. Therefore, the Singular Spectrum Analysis (SSA) and Fisher–Shannon (FS) method, which are useful methods to disclose dynamical features in noisy nonstationary time series with gaps, are jointly applied to analyze the Anjar Spring water flow series. The SSA revealed that the series can be considered as the superposition of meteo-climatic periodic components, low-frequency trend and noise-like high-frequency fluctuations. The FS method allowed to extract and to identify among all the SSA reconstructed components the long-term trend of the series. The long-term trend is characterized by higher Fisher Information Measure (FIM) and lower Shannon entropy, and thus, represents the main informative component of the whole series. Generally water discharge time series presents very complex time structure, therefore the joint application of the SSA and the FS method would be very useful in disclosing the main informative part of such kind of data series in the view of existing climatic variability and/or anthropogenic challenges.     

Schiff base/ester liquid crystals with different lateral substituents: mesophase behaviour and DFT calculations

Four new groups of 4-((2?-substitutedphenylimino)methyl)phenyl-4”-alkoxy benzoates, In_a-d, of Schiff base ester liquid crystals, were prepared and investigated for their mesophase formation and stability. Each group constitutes four homologous series that differ from each other by the lateral attached polar group X in the ortho position for the imine mesogen at terminal benzene ring that alternatively changed from F, Br, NO2 and lateral benzene ring. Within each homologous series, the number (n) of carbons in the alkoxy chain varies between 6, 8, 10 and 12. Molecular structures of the prepared compounds were confirmed via elemental analysis, FT-IR, and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. Mesomorphic properties were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and the phase identified by polarised light microscopy (PLM). A comparative study was made between the investigated compounds and their previously prepared laterally neat, 4-((4?-phenylimino)methyl)phenyl-4”-alkoxy benzoates (IIn); the result revealed that all lateral substituents not only decrease the melting temperature but also the mesophase stability and shown only nematic phase. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations for new lateral derivatives were discussed.     

Pyrazoles and Isoxazoles Based Sulfanilamide and Phenazone as Antimicrobial Agents: Synthesis and Biological Activity

New pyrazole and pyridine derivatives have been synthesized from sulfanilamide and phenazone via diazotization and coupling with a wide range of α-CH acids followed by heterocyclization with hydrazine derivative, hydroxylamine and cyanoacetamide. The antimicrobial tests of the products demonstrate high to moderate activity against Gram (?ve) bacteria and the tested fungi. No positive action of the products is observed against Gram (+ve) bacteria.

     

Syntheses, spectroscopic characterization and thermal behavior on novel binuclear transition metal complexes of hydrazones derived from 4,6-diacetylresorcinol and oxalyldihydrazine

4,6-Diacetylresorcinol (DAR) serves as precursor for the formation of different hydrazone ligands, which are di-, tetra- or hexa-basic with two symmetrical sets of O(2)N tridentate, O(2)N(2) tetradentate or O(4)N(2) hexadentate chelating sites. The condensation of 4,6-diacetylresorcinol (DAR) with oxalyldihydrazine (ODH), in the molar ratio 1:1 and 1:2, yields the corresponding hydrazone, H(6)L(a) and H(4)L(b), ligands, respectively. The structures of these ligands were elucidated by elemental analyses and IR, mass, (1)H NMR and UV-vis spectra. Reactions of the hydrazone ligands with cobalt(II), nickel(II), copper(II), zinc(II), cadmium(II), iron(III) and chromium(III) ions in 1:2 molar ratio afforded the corresponding transition metal complexes. A variety of binuclear transition metal complexes were obtained in its di-, tetra- or hexa-deprotonated forms. The structures of the newly prepared complexes were identified by elemental analyses and IR, UV-vis, mass, (1)H NMR and ESR spectra, as well as, magnetic susceptibility measurements and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The bonding sites are the azomethine and CO oxygen atoms in either keto or enol forms and amino nitrogen atoms, and phenolic oxygen atoms. The metal complexes exhibit different geometrical structures such as tetrahedral and octahedral arrangements.     

C-Furyl glycosides, I: Synthesis and antimicrobial evaluation of C-furyl glycosides and chalcones derived therefrom

New C-furyl glycosides were synthesized in order to increase the number of compounds screened for antimicrobial activity. The antimicrobial activity showed that the bromo as well as the nitro derivatives were the most active compounds. Correspondence: Adel A.-H. Abdel-Rahman, Faculty of Science, Department of Chemistry, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Koam, Egypt.     

Synthesis of Morphlinotetrahydrothieno[2,3‐c]Isoquinolines

1‐Morpholin‐4‐yl‐5,6,7,8‐tetrahydroisoquinoline‐4‐carbonitrile ( 2 ) was synthesized from 3‐amino‐1‐thioxo‐5,6,7,8‐tetrahydro‐1H‐isothiochromene‐4‐carbonitrile ( 1 ) and used as starting material to synthesize many thienotetrahydroisoquinolines ( 4 ), which in turn were used in the synthesis of many pyrimidothienotetrahydroisoquinolines.     

Effects of 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole on the inhibition of copper corrosion in acidic chloride solutions

Effects of 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (ATA) on the inhibition of copper corrosion in 0.5 M HCl solutions have been studied using gravimetric, electrochemical, and Raman spectroscopy investigations. Weight-loss measurements after varied immersion periods revealed that the dissolution rate of copper decreased to a minimum, while the inhibition efficiency (zeta%) and consequently the degree of surface coverage (theta) increased with the presence of ATA and the increase of its concentration. Potentiodynamic polarization, chronoamperometric, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements after 0, 24, and 48 h immersion of the copper electrode in the test solutions showed that the presence of ATA molecules significantly decreased cathodic, anodic, and corrosion (jcorr) currents and corrosion rates (Rcorr) and greatly increased polarization resistance (Rp), zeta%, and theta; this effect was increased on increasing the ATA content in the solution. Raman spectroscopy confirmed that ATA molecules strongly adsorbed onto the copper surface, blocking its active sites and preventing it from being corroded easily.     

EHD kelvin-helmholtz instability in viscous porous medium permeated with suspended particles

The electrohydrodynamic Kelvin-Helmholtz instability of the plane interface between two uniform, superposed viscous and streaming dielectric fluids permeated with suspended particles through porous medium is considered under the influence of a tangential electric field. In the absence of surface tension, it is found that perturbations transverse to the direction of streaming are unaffected by the presence of both streaming and the tangential electric field, if perturbations in the direction of streaming are ignored. For perturbations in all other directions there exists instability for a certain wavenumber range. In the presence of surface tension, it is found that the instability of this system is suppressed by the presence of the tangential electric field. Both the tangential electric field and the surface tension have stabilizing effects and they are able to suppress Kelvin-Helmholtz instability for small wavelength perturbations. The medium porosity reduces the stability range given in terms of a difference in streaming velocities and the electric field effect, while the suspended particles do not affect the above results.     

Water-stable hydrazone-linked porous organic cages

Although porous organic cages (POCs), particularly imine-linked (C N) ones, have advanced significantly over the last few decades, the reversible nature of imine linkages makes them prone to hydrolysis and structural collapse, severely limiting their applications under moist or water conditions. Herein, seven water-stable hydrazone-linked (C N–N) POCs are prepared through a simple coupling of the same supramolecular tetraformylresorcin[4]arene cavitand with different dihydrazide linkers. Their structures are all determined by single-crystal X-ray crystallography, demonstrating rich structural diversity from the [2 + 4] lantern, [3 + 6] triangular prism, and unprecedented [4 + 8] square prism to the extra-large [6 + 12] octahedron. In addition, they respectively exhibit tunable window diameters and cavity volumes ranging from about 5.4 to 11.1 nm and 580 to 6800 ų. Moreover, their application in the water environment for pollutant removal was explored, indicating that they can effectively eliminate various types of contaminants from water, including radionuclide waste, toxic heavy metal ions, and organic micropollutants. This work demonstrates a convenient method for rationally constructing versatile robust POCs and presents their great application potentialities in water medium.

A convenient method for constructing water-stable hydrazone-linked porous organic cages (POCs) with tunable structures has been reported, and such POCs can be used as robust adsorbents for effective removal of various pollutants from water.