Performance of a 80 W copper vapor laser with “alignment free” unstable CAT-EYE resonator and other configurations using intra-cavity apertures

Performance of a kinetically enhanced copper vapor laser (KE-CVL) with various stable/unstable “alignment free” CAT-EYE resonator configurations are presented here in this paper. The laser used in the experiment was a 45 mm bore (∼2 l discharge volume) kinetically enhanced copper vapor laser developed in our laboratory and capable of generating maximum power of ∼80 W (at ∼9.8 kHz). The efficiency of the laser was ∼1.4% and beam divergence of ∼3.5 mrad in a plane-plane standard multimode cavity. For the first time performance of unstable CAT-EYE resonator is demonstrated with a CVL/KE-CVL. On using unstable CAT-EYE resonator the divergence of the laser beam reduced to ∼0.22 mrad (∼20-fold reduction as compared to conventional plane-plane cavity), ∼40 W output power and with excellent misalignment tolerance. The laser output power was found to be within ∼5% drift/decline with misalignment angle of about 4 mrad between the mirrors. This is a significant improvement in comparison to standard conventional unstable resonator (M ∼ 50) CVL where ∼0.5 mrad divergence is achieved with power drift/decline of about 45% at ∼4 mrad misalignment angle.Off-axis unstable CAT-EYE unstable resonator was also demonstrated for the first time with further reduction in beam divergence to ∼0.13 mrad and with output power of ∼28 W. The misalignment tolerance was found to be highest in case of off-axis unstable CAT-EYE resonator with decline/drift in laser power of only ∼10% for misalignment angle as high as ∼8 mrad. Performance with intra-cavity apertures in plane-plane type CAT-EYE resonator for transverse mode control is also presented for the first time in CVLs. It is observed that the laser beam divergence reduces significantly to 1.25 mrad (a factor of 2) on using an aperture of ∼3.5 mm at the CAT-EYE reflector as compared to its normal (R = F = d) configuration without aperture. In case of stable CAT-EYE resonator the average beam divergence reduces from 8 mrad to 4 mrad (factor of 2) on using intra-cavity aperture of about 3 mm. It was also observed that high misalignment tolerance was retained on using intra-cavity apertures in almost all the CAT-EYE resonators. Use of intra-cavity mesh was also demonstrated for the first time with stable CAT-EYE resonator for improving the beam focus-ability. Average beam divergence was reduced by a factor of 2.5 (from 8 mrad to 3 mrad) on using intra-cavity mesh. These new configurations in CAT-EYE resonators in KE-CVLs are found to be effective in improving and controlling the laser beam divergence significantly with additional characteristic of high misalignment tolerance.     

An Yb(OTf)3‐catalyzed,convergent synthesis of new pyranyl‐ and chromenyl‐substituted quinolines through an eco‐friendly approach

A one‐pot, multicomponent, convergent microwave synthesis of some new pyranyl‐ and chromenyl‐substituted quinolines has been reported. Twenty compounds were prepared by the reaction of 2‐methoxy‐3‐formyl quinoline ( 1a‐d ), malononitrile ( 2 ), and kojic acid ( 4a‐d )/1,3‐cyclohexadione or dimedone ( 6a ‐ h )/α‐ or β‐naphthol ( 8a ‐ d , 8e ‐ h ). The structures were confirmed by infrared (IR), ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), ¹³C NMR, mass, and single‐crystal X‐ray analyses. On comparison with the use of conventional Lewis acid catalysts and various metal triflates under microwave conditions, the latter contributed to good yields, in specific use of the recyclable Yb(OTf)₃ catalyst attributed to high yields of the desired product. The protocol reported herein is solvent free, cost effective, and eco‐friendly.     

Anchoring of histidine-tagged proteins to molecular printboards: self-assembly, thermodynamic modeling, and patterning

In this paper the multivalent binding of hexahistidine (His6)-tagged proteins to beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) by using the nickel(II) complex of a hetero-divalent orthogonal adamantyl nitrilotriacetate linker (4) is described. Nonspecific interactions were suppressed by using monovalent adamantyl-hexa(ethylene glycol) derivative 3. With the mono-His6-tagged maltose binding protein (His6-MBP), thermodynamic modeling based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) titration data showed that the MBP molecules in solution were linked, on average, to Ni.4 in 1:1 stoichiometry. On the surface, however, the majority of His(6)-MBP was complexed to surface-immobilized beta-CDs through three Ni.4 complexes. This difference is explained by the high effective beta-CD concentration at the surface and is a new example of supramolecular interfacial expression. In a similar adsorption scheme, SPR proved that the alpha-proteasome could be attached to beta-CD SAMs in a specific manner. Patterning through microcontact printing of (His6)4-DsRed-fluorescent timer (DsRed-FT), which is a tetrameric, visible autofluorescent protein, was carried out in the presence of Ni.4 Fluorescence measurements showed that the (His6)4-DsRed-FT is bound strongly through Ni.4 to the molecular printboard.     

Insecticidal activity of a novel fatty acid amide derivative from Streptomyces species against Helicoverpa armigera

Helicoverpa armigera, an important pest causes serious damage to grain legumes. The main objective of this study was to isolate and identify the metabolite against H. armigera from a previously characterised Streptomyces sp. CAI-155. The culture filtrate of CAI-155 was extracted using Diaion HP-20 and the active fractions were fractionated on Silica and C18 column chromatography. The C18 active fraction was further fractionated on Silica gel 60 F₂₅₄ thin layer chromatography (TLC). The most active fraction (Rf 0.64) purified from TLC led to the identification of a novel metabolite N-(1-(2,2-dimethyl-5-undecyl-1,3-dioxolan-4-yl)-2-hydroxyethyl)stearamide by spectral studies. The purified metabolite showed 70–78% mortality in 2nd instar H. armigera by diet impregnation assay, detached leaf assay and greenhouse assay. The LD₅₀ and LD₉₀ values of the purified metabolite were 627 and 2276 ppm, respectively. Hence, this novel metabolite can be exploited for pest management in future.     

Directed formation of micro- and nanoscale patterns of functional light-harvesting LH2 complexes

The precision placement of the desired protein components on a suitable substrate is an essential prelude to any hybrid "biochip" device, but a second and equally important condition must also be met: the retention of full biological activity. Here we demonstrate the selective binding of an optically active membrane protein, the light-harvesting LH2 complex from Rhodobacter sphaeroides, to patterned self-assembled monolayers at the micron scale and the fabrication of nanometer-scale patterns of these molecules using near-field photolithographic methods. In contrast to plasma proteins, which are reversibly adsorbed on many surfaces, the LH2 complex is readily patterned simply by spatial control of surface polarity. Near-field photolithography has yielded rows of light-harvesting complexes only 98 nm wide. Retention of the native optical properties of patterned LH2 molecules was demonstrated using in situ fluorescence emission spectroscopy.     

Application of combined Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics method to simulation of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine lipid bilayer

We describe a new equilibration procedure for the atomic level simulation of a hydrated lipid bilayer. The procedure consists of alternating molecular dynamics trajectory calculations in a constant surface tension and temperature ensemble with configurational bias Monte Carlo moves to different regions of the configuration space of the bilayer, in a constant volume and temperature ensemble. The procedure is described in detail and is applied to a bilayer of 100 molecules of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and 3205 water molecules. We find that the hybrid simulation procedure enhances the equilibration of the bilayer as measured by the convergence of the area per molecule and the segmental order parameters, as compared with a simulation using only molecular dynamics (MD). Progress toward equilibration is almost three times as fast in CPU time, compared with a purely MD simulation. Equilibration is complete, as judged by the lack of energy drift in three separate 200-ps runs of continuous MD started from different initial states. Results of the simulation are presented and compared with experimental data and with other recent simulations of DPPC. ©1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Comput Chem 20: 1153–1164, 1999     

Synthesis, characterization and radiolytic properties of bis(oxalato)borate containing ionic liquids

Previously unreported bis(oxalato)borate (BOB) ionic liquids (ILs) containing imidazolium, pyridinium, and pyrrolidinium cations were prepared from the corresponding halide salts by reaction with sodium bis(oxalato)borate (NaBOB), and their properties are reported. Pulse radiolysis experiments revealed that the BOB anion scavenges solvated electrons with rate constants of 3×10⁸ M⁻¹ s⁻¹ in the ionic liquid C₄mpyrr NTf₂ and 2.8×10⁷ M⁻¹ s⁻¹ in water. This reactivity indicates that BOB ILs may be too sensitive to be used as neat solvents for nuclear separations processes in high radiation fields but may still be useful for preventing criticality while processing relatively “cold” fissile actinides.     

Single-molecule spectroscopy of fluorescent proteins

The discovery and use of fluorescent proteins has revolutionized cellular biology. Despite the widespread use of visible fluorescent proteins as reporters and sensors in cellular environments the versatile photophysics of fluorescent proteins is still subject to intense research. Understanding the details of the photophysics of these reporters is essential for accurate interpretation of the biological and biochemical processes illuminated by fluorescent proteins. Some aspects of the complex photophysics of fluorescent proteins can only be observed and understood at the single-molecule level, which removes averaging inherent to ensemble studies. In this paper we review how single-molecule emission detection has helped understanding of the complex photophysics of fluorescent proteins.