The formation of α at triple junctions of parent β phase in titanium alloys

We have examined the formation of α phase at grain boundary triple junctions of parent β in a metastable β titanium alloy with orientation imaging microscopy based on electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD). As in the case of α formed at grain boundaries of parent β grains, α at a triple junction also forms with the Burgers orientation relationship with one of the three neighbouring β grains. The experimental results are analyzed in terms of the deviation of the 36 possible α variants that can form at a triple junction from the Burgers orientation relationship with neighbouring grains.     

On the interpretation of thermal activation energies for conduction in organic semiconductors

Different thermal activation energies of dark conduction in the ohmic and square-law regions have been measured for anthracene. The ohmic activation energy has been interpreted in terms of localised dominant exponentially distributed hole and dominant electron levels within the band-gap. The square-law activation energy is attributed to shallow trapping.     

Discovery of 2′,6-Bis(4-hydroxybenzyl)-2-acetylcyclohexanone,a Novel FtsZ Inhibitor

Multi-drug resistance is increasing in the pathogenic bacterium S. pneumoniae, which is mainly responsible for meningitis and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), highlighting the need for new anti-pneumococcal agents. We have identified a potential anti-pneumococcal agent, enol 3, which acts by hindering the cell division process by perturbing Z-ring dynamics inside the cell. Enol 3 was also shown to inhibit FtsZ polymerization and induce its aggregation in vitro but does not affect the activity of tubulin and alkaline phosphatase. Docking studies show that 3 binds near the T7 loop, which is the catalytic site of FtsZ. Similar effects on Z-ring and FtsZ assembly were observed in B. subtilis, indicating that 3 could be a broad-spectrum anti-bacterial agent useful in targeting Gram-positive bacteria. In conclusion, compound 3 shows strong anti-pneumococcal activity, prompting further pre-clinical studies to explore its potential.     

Applications of nano-catalyst in new era

In the era of nanoscience where all the devices and technologies are going to smaller and smaller in size with improved properties; catalysis is an important field of application. In this review article we are trying to summarize data reported in literature for application of nano sized catalyst in our daily life which are useful for human beings. Improvement in catalytic properties due size of catalyst reduced to nano scale is discussed here. Introductive points regarding nanoscience; their functional approaches; current research are also here.Main applications of nanocatalysts in water purification; fuel cell; energy storage; in composite solid rocket propellants; bio diesel production; in medicine; in dye; application of carbon nano tubes and several other point of application are discussed here in detail.     

Recent Applications of Diazirines in Chemical Proteomics

The elucidation of substrate–protein interactions is an important component of the drug development process. Due to the complexity of native cellular environments, elucidating these fundamental biochemical interactions remains challenging. Photoaffinity labeling (PAL) is a versatile technique that can provide insight into ligand-target interactions. By judicious modification of substrates with a photoreactive group, PAL creates a covalent crosslink between a substrate and its biological target following UV-irradiation. Among the commonly employed photoreactive groups, diazirines have emerged as the gold standard. In this Minireview, recent developments in the field of diazirine-based photoaffinity labeling will be discussed, with emphasis being placed on their applications in chemical proteomic studies.     

Effect of cationic micellar aggregates on the kinetics of oxidation of aminoalcohols by N-bromosuccinimide in alkaline medium

The kinetics of oxidation of some aminoalcohols (AA), viz. ethanolamine, diethanolamine, and triethanolamine, by N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) in alkaline medium has been investigated in the absence as well as in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), a cationic surfactant. The reaction always followed a first-order dependence of rate on NBS, while the order in each AA and alkali was found to decrease from unity to zero at higher [AA] and [OH-], respectively. The reaction is strongly catalyzed by CTAB even before the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of CTAB. However, the observed rate constants attained constancy at higher [CTAB] (>CMC of CTAB). The premicellar kinetics has been rationalized in the light of the Piszkiewicz positive cooperativity model [J. Am. Chem. Soc. 99 (1977) 1550]. The binding constants between the reactants and the surfactant have also been evaluated using the Raghvan and Srinivasan model [Proc. Ind. Acad. Sci. 98 (1987) 199], which is applicable to bimolecular micellar catalyzed reaction and predicts constancy in the observed rate constant at higher [surfactant]. The binding constants obtained by both the models are in good agreement.     

Hydrotropic Enhancement of Rate of the Browning Reaction; A Kinetic Study

The rate of a nonenzymatic browning reaction, that is, the reaction between reducing sugar and amino acid(commonly known as Millard reaction) is strongly enhanced in the presence of a common hydrotrope viz. sodium benzoate or sodium salicylate even below its minimal hydrotropic concentration (MHC). The effect of hydrotrope on the rate has been studied in four systems taking combination of different reducing sugars (glucose and fructose) and amino acids (glycine and alanine) in alkaline conditions. The kinetic data support the formation of the mixed aggregation between the hydrotrope and the reactants. The kinetic rate law consistent with experimental results has been derived on the basis of the proposed mechanism.     

Investigation of dynamics of radiolytic formation of CdSe nanoparticles in aqueous solutions

The formation of cadmium selenide, CdSe, nanoparticles in aqueous solutions containing equimolar ammoniated cadmium sulfate, [Cd(NH(3))](4)SO(4) and sodium selenosulfate, Na(2)SeSO(3) as the starting materials, has been investigated by electron pulse radiolysis coupled with kinetic spectrometry. The formation of CdSe nanoparticles was found to proceed through the generation of short-lived transient intermediate species having an absorption peak at 520 nm, which is formed only upon the reaction of hydrated electrons, e(aq) with the precursor ions under deaerated conditions. The transient intermediate species decays with a weighted average rate constant, 1.2 × 10(7) s(-1). The transient intermediate species formed in the case of individual precursors did not match with the transients formed when both the precursors are taken together in the solutions under the present experimental conditions. The reaction rate constants between the precursor ions, [Cd(NH(3))(4)](2+) and the transient intermediate species formed from [SeSO(3)](2-) was 1.9 × 10(10) M(-1) s(-1). Similarly, the reaction rate constants between the precursor ions, [SeSO(3)](2-) and the transient intermediate species formed from [Cd(NH(3))(4)](2+) was 5.5 × 10(10) M(-1) s(-1). This clearly indicates that the formation of CdSe nanoparticles occurs through both reaction channels. However, the major reaction channel is through the reaction of e(aq) with the [Cd(NH(3))(4)](2+) ions (k = 3.1 × 10 (10) M(-1) s(-1)), as its rate constant is one order higher than that of the reaction of e(aq) with the [SeSO(3)](2-) ions (k = 2.3 × 10(9) M(-1) s(-1)).     

Dispersionless saturable absorber mirrors with large modulation depths and low saturation fluences

We show that it is possible to eliminate group delay dispersion over wide bandwidths in low-finesse, resonant saturable absorber mirrors, whilst maintaining a low saturation fluence and a high modulation depth. By modelling the mirror structure we demonstrate that these properties can be produced by capping a resonant device with a single dielectric layer of carefully selected refractive index. We show that a specially capped dispersionless structure minimises the temporal broadening of femtosecond pulses reflected from the mirror. We compare this device against uncapped-resonant and anti-resonant structures. The superior performance of the capped, dispersionless device was verified experimentally by comparing resonant, anti-resonant and dispersionless quantum-dot (QD) saturable absorber mirrors incorporated into a Cr⁴⁺:forsterite laser system. We found that a minimum pulse duration of 86 fs could be achieved for the dispersionless structure at 1290 nm with an output power of 55 mW compared to 122 fs in an anti-resonant structure and several-picosecond pulses for a resonant structure.