Nucleation of solids in solids: ferrites and martensites

When a solid such as iron is cooled across a structural transition, its final microstructure depends sensitively on the cooling rate and the depth of quench. For instance, an infinitesimally slow cooling or a shallow quench results in an equilibrium "ferrite," while a rapid cooling or a deep quench gives rise to a metastable twinned "martensite." In this paper, we arrive at a single formalism which qualitatively describes the transformation to both a ferrite and a martensite. Fundamental to this understanding is our identification of the crucial dynamical role played by nonelastic degrees of freedom in determining the final microstructure of the product solid.     

New protocols for the synthesis of 3,4-annulated and 4-substituted quinolines from β-bromo-α,β-unsaturated aldehydes and 1-bromo-2-nitrobenzene or 2-bromoacetanilide

The palladium[0]-mediated Ullmann cross-coupling of readily available β-bromo-α,β-unsaturated aldehydes of the general form 2 with 1-bromo-2-nitrobenzene (3, X = Br) delivers products, 4, that undergo reductive cyclization to novel quinolines (5) upon exposure to indium in aqueous ammonium chloride or to Raney-nickel in the presence of dihydrogen. Analogous cross-coupling of 2-bromoacetanilide (6) with 2 affords products of type 7 that undergo in situ and K₂CO₃-mediated cyclization to give the same types of quinolines (5).     

A Sandwich Azobenzene–Diamide Dimer for Photoregulated Chloride Transport

There has been a tremendous evolution for artificial ion transport systems, especially gated synthetic systems, which closely mimic their natural congeners. Herein, we demonstrate a trans-azobenzene-based photoregulatory anionophoric system that transports chloride by forming a sandwich dimeric complex. Further studies confirmed a carrier-mediated chloride-anion antiport mechanism, and the supramolecular interactions involved in chloride recognition within the sandwich complex were revealed from theoretical studies. Reversible trans–cis photoisomerization of the azobenzene was achieved without any significant contribution from the thermal cis→trans isomerization at room temperature. Photoregulatory transport activity across the lipid bilayer membrane inferred an outstanding off-on response of the azobenzene photoswitch.     

Possibility of controlled ejection of ferrofluid grains from a magnetically ordered ferrofluid using high frequency non-linear acoustic pulses – a particle dynamical study

We consider a model dilute ferrofluid that is subjected to a strong, homogeneous magnetic field directed perpendicular to the surface of the ferrofluid, such that there is a chain formation in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the liquid. We study the propagation of impulses generated at high-frequency across finite times through the ferrofluid chains. Our numerical analysis shows that a very high-frequency sequence of non-linear acoustic pulses of appropriate magnitudes, initiated at the base of the container, can lead to the ejection of desired number of ferrofluid grains through the liquid–air interface. The proposed mechanism, if successfully realized in the laboratory, could help design a nozzle-free, ultrafast, ink-jet printer of unparalleled resolution.     

Oxovanadium(V) complexes incorporating tridentate aroylhydrazoneoximes: Synthesis, characterizations and antibacterial activity

Some new oxovanadium(V) complexes, [VOL^1-3(OEt)(EtOH)] (1-3), have been reported, which were obtained from the reaction of the Schiff bases H₂L^1-3 (where H₂L¹ = the salicylhydrazone of diacetyl monoxime; H₂L² = the 4-methoxy salicylhydrazone of diacetyl monoxime and H₂L³ = the 4-hydroxy salicylhydrazone of diacetyl monoxime) with VO(acac)₂ in a 1:1 molar ratio. Three 4-R-aroylhydrazoneoximes (V) have been used as ligands in the present study, differing in the inductive effect of the substituent R (R = H, OCH₃ and OH), in order to observe their influence, if any, on the redox potentials and biological activity of the complexes. All the synthesized ligands and metal complexes were successfully characterized by elemental analysis, IR, UV-Vis and NMR spectroscopy. An X-ray diffraction study of [VOL¹(OEt)(EtOH)] (1) reveals that the metal center has a distorted octahedral O₅N coordination sphere, where the O,N,O donor ligand and the ethoxo group constitute a satisfactory O₃N basal plane. Cyclic voltammetry of the complexes show a quasi-reversible cyclic voltammetric response in the potential range 0.29-0.36 V involving a single electron V(V)-V(IV) reduction. The complexes have also been screened for their antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Bacillus, Proteus and Klebsiella. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of these complexes and the antibacterial activities indicate compound 1 as the potential lead molecule for drug design.