A unique twisted rod-like pattern due to π-π stacking induced host-guest self-assembly

Here, we reported a unique twisted rod-like nano-architecture of as-synthesized 4-fluorocinnmaoyl chloride derived polynorbornene (PNORCNF) on the addition of 1-pyrenemethanol (PM) as a sensing probe. A significant change in the PNORCNF/PM microenvironment's polarity was observed with increasing PM concentration keeping the solvent (THF) unaltered. The change in polarity could be well documented with the morphological changes of the PNORCNF/PM system. We proposed π-π interaction between PM and cinnamoyl moiety of PNORCNF for this type of well-controlled hierarchical self-aggregation.     

Spectrofluorimetric study on in vitro interaction between calcium phosphate nanoparticle and salmon testis DNA

Cocrystalline TiO₂ nanoblossoms having enhanced photocatalytic activities have been facilely grown via a one-step solvothermal process on titanium foil in mixed solvents of water and ethylene glycol. By varying the volume ratio of two solvents, we have controlled the morphological, the structural, and the optical properties of TiO₂ nanoblossoms. Our prepared TiO₂ nanoblossoms have been found to have both the anatase and the rutile crystal structures acting as nanoscale p–n junctions, which help to enhance catalytic performances via forming inner electric fields. In particular, TiO₂ nanoblossoms grown in the 1:1 volume mixture of water and ethylene glycol have been found to have the best-defined nanoscale p–n junctions, showing the best photocatalytic activity consequentially.     

Structure elucidation of two new bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids and NMR assignments of the alkaloids from the fruits of Tiliacora racemosa

Besides three known biphenyldibenzodioxinbisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids, two novel alkaloids of the same group have been isolated from the fruits of Tiliacora racemosa. The structures of these new compounds designated tiliaimine and nordinklacorine were established on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy, including COSY, TOCSY, ROESY, HMBC and HSQC experiments. Preliminary antibacterial activity studies on the known compounds (tiliarine, 2′‐nortiliacorinine, 2′‐nortiliacorine) from the fruits of the plant showed strong activity against three bacterial strains viz. Escherichia coli strain VT3 (Verotoxigenic E.coli), Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6623 but were inactive against the strains Vibrio cholerae O1 (NB2) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 15442. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Enhanced dielectric and electrical performance of phosphonic acid-modified tantalum (Ta)-doped potassium sodium niobate (KNaNbO3)-P(VDF-HFP) composites

The European Physical Journal E - We discuss the lateral dynamics of two active force dipoles, which interact with each other via hydrodynamic interactions in a thin fluid layer that is active and...     

Improvement of the scintillation properties of Gd3Ga3Al2O12:Ce,B single crystals having tailored defect structure

A novel approach is reported to minimize various defect centers in Ce doped Gd₃Ga₃Al₂O₁₂ single crystals to improve the scintillation properties. The crystals of Gd₃Ga₃Al₂O₁₂ codoped with 0.2 at% Ce and B (GGAG:Ce,B) have been grown in air and argon ambient using the Czochralski technique. The scintillation light output of crystals grown in Ar ambient was significantly increased after annealing the crystals in air. The measured light output of 60000 ph/MeV for annealed crystals is the highest value reported among this class of materials. As a consequence, the energy resolution at 662 keV gamma‐rays from a ¹³⁷Cs source was improved from 8% for the crystals grown in air to 6% for crystals grown in Ar and subsequently annealed in air. Further, the thermal quenching energy of photoluminescence (PL) emission was increased to be 470 meV for the annealed crystals. The thermoluminescence (TL) measurements suggest that the crystals grown in Ar ambient and post‐growth annealed in air may have a lesser concentration of trap centers which subsequently lead to the improvement in optical and scintillation properties leading to a superior detector performance. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Discrimination between 2AP producing and non‐producing rice rhizobacterial isolates using volatile profiling: a chemometric approach

2‐Acetyl‐1‐pyrroline (2AP) is known as a principal basmati aroma compound. The present study aims at discriminating rhizobacteria isolated from soils cultivated with basmati and non‐basmati rice for long duration. Volatile profiling was used as marker to discriminate the rhizobacterial isolates. Quantification of 2AP and other volatile compounds (VCs) produced by rhizobacteria was undertaken using HS‐SPME coupled with GC‐MS. Chemometrics tools such as hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), principle component analysis (PCA) and multi dimensional scaling (MDS) were applied for volatile profiling of different isolates. Results showed significant discrimination of all 2AP producing (AP‐P) and non‐producing rhizobacterial isolates (AP‐NP) on the basis of their VC profile. This was validated by bacterial identification data as well. The frequency distribution for 2AP levels indicates that basmati isolates had higher frequency for 2AP production as compared to non‐basmati control. AP‐P and AP‐NP isolates have different VC profiling pattern irrespective of their origin. These isolates were found belonging to different groups when identified using 16S rDNA sequencing data. Chemometric analysis (PCA, HCA and MDS) helped to identify volatiles, which could be used as biomarker in discriminating the AP‐P and AP‐NP isolates. VC pattern of rhizobacteria could be used as volatile markers to distinguish between AP‐P and AP‐NP rhizobacterial isolates. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mapping the Transformation [{RuII(CO)3Cl2}2]→[RuI2(CO)4]2+: Implications in Binuclear Water–Gas Shift Chemistry

The complete sequence of reactions in the base‐promoted reduction of [{Ru^II(CO)₃Cl₂}₂] to [Ru^I₂(CO)₄]²⁺ has been unraveled. Several μ‐OH, μ:κ²‐CO₂H‐bridged diruthenium(II) complexes have been synthesized; they are the direct results of the nucleophilic activation of metal‐coordinated carbonyls by hydroxides. The isolated compounds are [Ru₂(CO)₄(μ:κ²‐C,O‐CO₂H)₂(μ‐OH)(NP^F‐Am)₂][PF₆] ( 1 ; NP^F‐Am=2‐amino‐5,7‐trifluoromethyl‐1,8‐naphthyridine) and [Ru₂(CO)₄(μ:κ²‐C,O‐CO₂H)(μ‐OH)(NP‐Me₂)₂][BF₄]₂ ( 2 ), secured by the applications of naphthyridine derivatives. In the absence of any capping ligand, a tetranuclear complex [Ru₄(CO)₈(H₂O)₂(μ³‐OH)₂(μ:κ²‐C,O‐CO₂H)₄][CF₃SO₃]₂ ( 3 ) is isolated. The bridging hydroxido ligand in 1 is readily replaced by a π‐donor chlorido ligand, which results in [Ru₂(CO)₄(μ:κ²‐C,O‐CO₂H)₂(μ‐Cl)(NP‐PhOMe)₂][BF₄] ( 4 ). The production of [Ru₂(CO)₄]²⁺ has been attributed to the thermally induced decarboxylation of a bis(hydroxycarbonyl)–diruthenium(II) complex to a dihydrido–diruthenium(II) species, followed by dinuclear reductive elimination of molecular hydrogen with the concomitant formation of the Ru^I? Ru^I single bond. This work was originally instituted to find a reliable synthetic protocol for the [Ru₂(CO)₄(CH₃CN)₆]²⁺ precursor. It is herein prescribed that at least four equivalents of base, complete removal of chlorido ligands by Tl^I salts, and heating at reflux in acetonitrile for a period of four hours are the conditions for the optimal conversion. Premature quenching of the reaction resulted in the isolation of a trinuclear Ru^I₂Ru^II complex [{Ru(NP‐Am)₂(CO)}{Ru₂(NP‐Am)₂(CO)₂(μ‐CO)₂}(μ₃:κ³‐C,O,O′‐CO₂)][BF₄]₂ ( 6 ). These unprecedented diruthenium compounds are the dinuclear congeners of the water–gas shift (WGS) intermediates. The possibility of a dinuclear pathway eliminates the inherent contradiction of pH demands in the WGS catalytic cycle in an alkaline medium. A cooperative binuclear elimination could be a viable route for hydrogen production in WGS chemistry.     

Multimodal electrophoresis of gold nanoparticles: A real time approach

A real time multimodal data acquisition imaging setup is developed for the electrophoretic movement of plasmonic nanoparticles. Movement of the nanoparticles is recorded by time-lapse digital imaging at 8-megapixel resolutions. The analysis of the moving nanoparticle band is performed using threshold image and color extraction at respective time frames. The migration dynamics is sensitive to size, nature and the extent of the surface conjugation to the nanoparticle. The dynamics of color intensity of the nanoparticles is shown to be dependent on the extent of stabilization of nanoparticle (by a given agent). The stability of nanoparticle is determined by stationary nature and also the relative proportions of pixel intensities in respective color planes (R, G and B). Detergents stabilize nanoparticles in a concentration dependent fashion. In case of neutral polymers the extent of stabilization depends on the relative proportion of the polymer and also on the nature of the same, e.g., PEG (polyethylene glycol) at low concentration imparts higher stability as compared to PVP (polyvinylpyrilidone). The ascending or declining temporal dynamics of color profiles observed in case of citrate stabilized or amino acid conjugated nanoparticles, represent enrichment of plasmonic particles, or their diffusion resulting from loss of charge during migration. The higher dimensional imaging technique thus can be exploited for discriminating the nanoparticles on the basis of their migration behavior and their stability as reflected from color dynamics. The technique is applicable to other nano-sized colored objects, e.g. proteins like hemoglobin where the protein color has important clinical value.