Sol–gel synthesis and optical behavior of Mg–Ce–O nano-crystallites

The Mg–Ce–O powder are shown to contain periclase-type MgO and/or fluoride-type cerium oxide (CeO₂) depending upon the composition (x) defined by Ce/(Ce + Mg) atomic ratio. Lattice contraction of pariclase phase of MgO (average crystallite size ~8.8 nm) at Ce content of ‘x’ = 0.20 in comparison to pure MgO (crystallite size ~9.5 nm) has been realized due to oxygen vacancy formation. The optical band gap values of CeO₂ varies (3.0–3.2 eV) due to oxygen vacancy formation in CeO₂ phase, crystallite size and/or Ce³⁺/Ce⁴⁺ ratio. Further, the addition of Ce has shown to reduce the physisorption and chemisorption of water significantly as reflected by (1) suppression of related absorption peaks and (2) absence of magnesium hydroxide, Mg(OH)₂, bands in Fourier transform infrared spectra.     

Vasicine as tridentate ligand for enantioselective addition of diethylzinc to aldehydes

The first report of natural l-vasicine as tridentate chiral ligand for the enantioselective addition of diethylzinc to a variety of aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes is described. The ligand generates R-isomer of the secondary alcohols upto 98% ee. The quinazoline structure possibly imparts rigidity to the ligand and hence, consistently high enantioselectivity. The importance of the quinazoline ring was also supported by the reaction with other related ligands, partially lacking the structural features, thus resulting in poor enantioselectivity.     

ZnO nanoparticles: a green efficient catalyst for the room temperature synthesis of biologically active 2-aryl-1,3-benzothiazole and 1,3-benzoxazole derivatives

A facile synthetic protocol for the synthesis of 2-aryl-1,3-benzothiazoles and 1,3-benzoxazoles has been demonstrated using ZnO nanoparticles as a mild and efficient heterogeneous catalyst. The reactions using ZnO nanoparticles were very fast (<8 min) and provided excellent yields (>90%) of the products. The catalyst was recycled and reused up to eight times without significant loss of catalytic activity. The potential application of 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1,3-benzothiazole as new acid–base indicator has also been demonstrated in this Letter.     

A facile deprotection of oximes using glyoxylic acid in an aqueous medium

Oximes of ketones and aldehydes are efficiently deprotected with glyoxylic acid in an aqueous medium at room temperature. Oximes can be cleaved selectively in the presence of a TBDMS group. This method is high yielding, fast, clean, safe, cost effective, and therefore very suitable for practical organic synthesis.     

QSAR modeling of flotation collectors using principal components extracted from topological indices

Several topological indices were calculated for substituted-cupferrons that were tested as collectors for the froth flotation of uranium. The principal component analysis (PCA) was used for data reduction. Seven principal components (PC) were found to account for 98.6% of the variance among the computed indices. The principal components thus extracted were used in stepwise regression analyses to construct regression models for the prediction of separation efficiencies (Es) of the collectors. A two-parameter model with a correlation coefficient of 0.889 and a three-parameter model with a correlation coefficient of 0.913 were formed. PCs were found to be better than partition coefficient to form regression equations, and inclusion of an electronic parameter such as Hammett sigma or quantum mechanically derived electronic charges on the chelating atoms did not improve the correlation coefficient significantly. The method was extended to model the separation efficiencies of mercaptobenzothiazoles (MBT) and aminothiophenols (ATP) used in the flotation of lead and zinc ores, respectively. Five principal components were found to explain 99% of the data variability in each series. A three-parameter equation with correlation coefficient of 0.985 and a two-parameter equation with correlation coefficient of 0.926 were obtained for MBT and ATP, respectively. The amenability of separation efficiencies of chelating collectors to QSAR modeling using PCs based on topological indices might lead to the selection of collectors for synthesis and testing from a virtual database.     

Parallel organization of contralateral and ipsilateral prefrontal cortical projections in the rhesus monkey

Background  

The neocortical commissures have a fundamental role in functional integration across the cerebral hemispheres. We investigated whether commissural projections in prefrontal cortices are organized according to the same or different rules as those within the same hemisphere, by quantitatively comparing density, topography, and laminar origin of contralateral and ipsilateral projections, labeled after unilateral injection of retrograde tracers in prefrontal areas.     

Kinetic studies on stilbazulenyl-bis-nitrone (STAZN), a nonphenolic chain-breaking antioxidant in solution, micelles, and lipid membranes

The rate constants, k(inh), for reaction of stilbazulenyl-bis-nitrone (STAZN, 1) with peroxyl radicals and the number of radicals trapped, n, are compared with those of phenolic antioxidants 2,2,5,7,8-pentamethyl-6-hydroxychroman (PMHC, 4a), 2,5,7,8-tetramethyl-6-hydroxychroman-2-carboxylic acid (Trolox, 4b), and 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methoxyphenol (DBHA, 5). The behavior of STAZN depended markedly on the media and type of initiator used, water-soluble or lipid-soluble. In styrene/chlorobenzene and initiation by azo-bis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN), k(inh) (STAZN) = 0.64 k(inh) (5) = 0.02k(inh) (4a). On addition of methanol, the k(inh) of STAZN increased 6-fold to be four times that of 5 while that of 4a decreased 6-fold. In aqueous SDS-micelles containing methyl linoleate and initiation with water-soluble azo-bis(amidinopropane)2HCl, ABAP, the relative k(inh) values were 1 >or= 4b > 5. In dilinoleoylphosphatidyl choline (DLPC) bilayers and initiation with lipid-soluble azo-bis-2,4(dimethylvaleronitrile) (DMVN), the k(inh) order was 5 > 4b > 1. During initiation with ABAP in micelles and bilayers, the calculated values of k(inh) for STAZN changed during the induction period. The experimental results are interpreted in terms of the conformation of STAZN, which is transoid in homogeneous solution but cisoid in aqueous dispersions of lipids. In such dispersions, the STAZN lies at the lipid-water interface where it traps water-soluble peroxyl radicals by a single electron-transfer mechanism. The cisoid conformation at lipid-water interfaces is supported by theoretical calculations.     

Enantioselective Synthesis of L-CCG-I

Introduction of natural menthol as the chiral auxiliary in a gamma-Br-alpha,beta-unsaturated ester leads to enantioselective generation of three chiral centers in a single step on reaction with a glycine anion equivalent to provide L-CCG-I in 94% ee.