Galvanic replacement of semiconductor phase I CuTCNQ microrods with KAuBr4 to fabricate CuTCNQ/Au nanocomposites with photocatalytic properties

In this study, the reaction of semiconductor microrods of phase I copper 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (CuTCNQ) with KAuBr(4) in acetonitrile is reported. It was found that the reaction is redox in nature and proceeds via a galvanic replacement mechanism in which the surface of CuTCNQ is replaced with metallic gold nanoparticles. Given the slight solubility of CuTCNQ in acetonitrile, two competing reactions, namely CuTCNQ dissolution and the redox reaction with KAuBr(4), were found to operate in parallel. An increase in the surface coverage of CuTCNQ microrods with gold nanoparticles occurred with an increased KAuBr(4) concentration in acetonitrile, which also inhibited CuTCNQ dissolution. The reaction progress with time was monitored using UV-visible, FT-IR, and Raman spectroscopy as well as XRD and EDX analysis, and SEM imaging. The CuTCNQ/Au nanocomposites were investigated for their photocatalytic properties, wherein the destruction of Congo red, an organic dye, by simulated solar light was found dependent on the surface coverage of gold nanoparticles on the CuTCNQ microrods. This method of decorating CuTCNQ may open the possibility of modifying this and other metal-TCNQ charge transfer complexes with a host of other metals which may have significant applications.     

Enantiomeric LC Separation of Epinephrine on Amylose based sorbent

A simple, rapid, and robust chiral HPLC method has been developed and validated for separation of the enantiomers of epinephrine, l-1-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-(methylamino)ethanol, an antihypertensive drug, in the bulk drug. The enantiomers were resolved on an amylose-based stationary phase with n-hexane–2-propanol–methanol–trifluoroacetic acid–diethylamine 90:05:05:0.2:0.2 (v/v) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min^?1. In the optimized method resolution between the enantiomers was not less than 3.0. The trifluoroacetic acid and diethylamine in the mobile phase were important for enhancing chromatographic efficiency and hence the resolution of the enantiomers. The method was extensively validated and proved to be robust. The calibration plot for the d enantiomer was highly linear over the concentration range 100–2,000 μg mL^?1. The limits of detection and quantification for the d enantiomer were 0.15 and 0.45 μg mL^?1, respectively. Recovery of the d enantiomer from bulk drug samples of epinephrine ranged between 99.5 and 101.5%. Epinephrine sample solution was stable for up to 48 h. The method was suitable for accurate quantitative determination of the d enantiomer in the bulk drug substance     

Self-assembled histidine acid phosphatase nanocapsules in ionic liquid [BMIM][BF4] as functional templates for hollow metal nanoparticles

We report the biomacromolecular self-assembly of histidine acid phosphatase (HAP), an enzyme of significant biomedical and industrial importance, in the ionic liquid (IL) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([BMIM][BF(4)]). The spontaneous self-assembly of HAP enzyme in [BMIM][BF(4)] results in the formation of HAP nanocapsules. The HAP enzyme molecules were found to retain their enzymatic activity after the self-assembly process, which enabled us to utilize self-assembled HAP capsules as self-catalyzing templates for the synthesis of a range of hollow metal nanoparticles (Au, Ag, Pd, and Ni) without employing any additional reducing agent. The hollow metal nanospheres with HAP encapsulated within their cavity were found to retain enzymatic activity for at least up to four cycles, as demonstrated in the case of Au-coated HAP capsules as the model system.     

Room-temperature biosynthesis of ferroelectric barium titanate nanoparticles

The syntheses of inorganic materials by biological systems is characterized by processes that occur close to ambient temperatures, pressures, and neutral pH, as is exemplified by biosilicification and biomineralization processes in nature. Conversely, laboratory-based syntheses of oxide materials often require extremes of temperature and pressure. We have shown here the extracellular, room-temperature biosynthesis of 4-5 nm ternary oxide nanoparticles such as barium titanate (BT) using a fungus-mediated approach. The tetragonality as well as a lowered Curie transition temperature in sub-10 nm particles was established, and the ferroelectricity in these particles was shown using Kelvin probe microscopy.     

Structural,mechanical and thermal properties of some Holmium Pnictides under pressure: A theoretical approach

The high pressure structural, elastic and thermal properties of holmium pnictides HoX (X=N, P, As and Bi) were investigated theoretically by using an inter-ionic potential theory with modified ionic charge parameter. We have predicted a structural phase transition from NaCl (B₁) to CsCl (B₂)-type structure at pressure of 139 GPa for HoN, 52 GPa for HoP, 44 GPa for HoAs and 26 GPa for HoBi. Other properties, such as lattice constant, bulk modulus, cohesive energy, second and third-order elastic constants were calculated and compared with the available experimental and theoretical data. In order to gain further information the brittle behaviour of these compounds was observed. Some other properties like Shear modulus (G), Young's modulus (E), Poisson's ratio (ν), anisotropy factor (A), sound velocities, Debye temperature (θ_D) were calculated. The variation of elastic constants (C₁₁ and C₄₄) and Debye temperature (θ_D) with pressure was also presented.     

Dual-core leaky optical waveguide as an integrated-optic polarizer

We present a design of a dual-core leaky waveguide that can be used as an integrated-optic polarizer. The proposed polarizer works on the principle of mode filtering. The structure is characterized by two cores, namely core-1 and core-2 and a high index layer in the upper-most region, such a structure supports leaky modes. The leakage losses of the modes have been calculated by using the transfer matrix method (TMM). Single polarization operation is ensured by high differential leakage loss between fundamental TE and TM modes. We show TE-pass operation with 0.5 dB/mm loss in TE₀ mode and 13 dB/mm loss in TM₀ mode, and TM-pass operation with 0.36 dB/mm loss in TM₀ mode and 7.45 dB/mm loss in TE₀ mode. Besides single-polarization operation, single-mode operation of the structure is ensured by high leakage loss of all the other higher-order modes.