Improved electrochemical properties of chromium substituted in LiCr1 ? x Ni x O2 cathode materials for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries

Pristine- and chromium-substituted LiNiO₂ nanoparticles were synthesized by sol-gel method using nitrate precursor at 800?°C for 12?h. Physical properties of the synthesized product were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and energy dispersive analysis X-ray. XRD studies revealed a well-defined layer structure and a linear variation of lattice parameters with the addition of chromium and no impurities. Surface morphology and particle size of synthesized materials were changed with chromium addition using SEM and TEM analyses. Assembled lithium-ion cells were evaluated for charge/discharge studies at different rates, cyclic voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectra. The initial discharge capacity of LiNiO₂ cathode material was found to be 168?mA hg^?1; however, discharge capacity increased in chromium substitution. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy revealed that LiCr_0.10Ni_0.90O₂ could enhance charge transfer resistance upon cycling. The substitution of Ni with chromium, LiCr_0.10Ni_0.90O₂, had better cycle life, low irreversible capacity, and excellent electrochemical performance.     

Spectroscopic properties of RBiBO4 (R = Ca,Sr) glasses doped with TiO2

Transparent glasses, melt quenching derived, containing 10RO·20Bi₂O₃·(70 ? x)B₂O₃·xTiO₂ [R = Ca, Sr] with x = 0, 0.5, 1.0 wt% were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction. Physical and spectroscopic properties viz., density, absorption, emission, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and FTIR were investigated. The absorption band around 823 nm in pure glass samples is attributed to the electronic transition of ³P₀ to ³P₂ of Bi⁺ radicals. A small absorption hump centered around 609 nm is found in all doped glasses due to ²T_2g to ²E_g transition of octahedral Ti³⁺ ions. The emission results revealed that all the samples exhibit a broad emission band covering entire visible-light range, with λ_ex = 360 nm, centered 470–520 nm corresponds to electronic transition of ³P₁ to ¹S₀ of Bi³⁺ ions, therefore the present materials can be potentially used as tunable or full-color display systems. And a strong emission around 706 nm with λ_ex = 514 nm due to transition of ²P_3/2 to ²P_1/2 of Bi²⁺ ions. In SrO mixed glasses Ti⁴⁺ ions effect the environment of Bi³⁺ ion symmetry units from C₂ to C_3i. A small EPR signal (at room temperature) is observed in titanium doped glasses due to Ti³⁺ ions. In both the series with increase of TiO₂ concentration BO₄ units are gradually converted into BO₃ units and new cross linkages are formed, like B–O–Ti, Bi–O–Ti at the expense of B–O–B bonds.     

Highly efficient metal-free one-pot synthesis of α-aminophosphonates through reduction followed by Kabachnik–fields reaction using three-component system

One-pot synthesis of α-aminophosphonates directly from aryl nitro compounds, aldehydes/ketones, and diethyl phosphite using sodium dithionite through reduction and followed by Kabachnik–Fields reaction under metal-free conditions is reported. The major advantages are excellent yield, high chemoselectivity, neutral reaction medium, and simple experimental procedure. This methodology consists of the following steps: 1) amine formation from nitro compound, 2) imine formation from amine and aldehyde/ketone, 3) phosphate addition to imine.     

Simple,Copper(I)-Catalyzed Oxidation of Benzylic/Allylic Alcohols to Carbonyl Compounds: Synthesis of Functionalized Cinnamates in One Pot

An environmentally benign [Cu(I)]-catalyzed oxidation of activated (benzylic/allylic) alcohols to the corresponding carbonyl compounds is presented. Interestingly, the reaction was also compatible with benzylic alcohols containing ortho-bromo substituents on the aromatic ring without competing with the expected intermolecular Buchwald coupling. Significantly, the catalytic system enables the synthesis of cinnamate-esters in a sequential domino one-pot fashion via oxidation followed by Wittig–Horner protocol.     

Ultrasound assisted regioselective sulfonation of aromatic compounds with sulfuric acid

A simple and convenient methodology for selective sulfonation of aromatic compounds using sulfuric acid under sonication is described. The present methodology shows a considerable enhancement in the reaction rate along with improved selectivity compared with the reactions performed under silent conditions. The effect of various parameters such as agitation speed, sulfuric acid concentration, and temperature on reaction system have been investigated and are explained on the basis of ultrasonically generated cavitational effects.     

Base dependent pyrrolidine ring pucker in aep-PNA monomers: NMR and PSEUROT analysis

The aep-PNA is a chiral and cyclic PNA analogue, which has a stronger and base dependent binding affinity with complementary DNA. To understand the base dependent properties at monomer level, the structural studies of aep-PNA-(T/C/A) monomers have been carried out focussing on the conformational analysis of pyrrolidine ring pucker in aep-PNA by ¹H NMR and the coupling constant data fitted into PSEUROT software. The results indicate that the type of pyrrolidine pucker depends on the electronic nature of substituent, implying the effect of pyrimidine or purine substituents in determining the ring pucker in monomers. This may consequently influence the aep-PNA oligomer conformation. Since pyrrolidine nucleic acids have emerged as an important class of PNA analogues, present results may have importance for their future development.     

Michael reaction of ketones and β-nitrostyrenes catalyzed by camphor-10-sulfonamide-based prolinamide

Novel camphor sulfonamide based organocatalysts were evaluated for their catalytic activity in the Michael reaction of ketones with nitroolefins. Reaction of ketones with β-nitrostyrenes in the presence of 20 mol % organocatalyst 1a and benzoic acid under solvent-free conditions at 0 °C provided the desired Michael adducts with high chemical yields (up to 97%) and excellent stereoselectivities (>99:1).     

Birefringence of native cellulosic fibers. I. Untreated cotton and ramie

The Rayleigh-Gans theory of light scattering by a homogeneous cylinder has been applied to the case of scattering by a pad of fibers immersed in a liquid. The theory enables one to locate precisely the matching wavelength at which the mean refractive index of a sample of optically heterogeneous fibers coincides with that of an immersion medium. Thereby it offers a method of determining the mean refractive index. Besides, it facilitates a quantitative estimation of the variability of refractive index. The new technique has been used to study the birefringence of untreated cotton and ramie. The results are presented and discussed.     

Immobilization of a primary amine-containing drug,adriamycin

Literature reports have described the covalent coupling of the primary amine-containing anticancer drug, adriamycin, to polymeric supports through the amine group on the drug. These reports also have described drug mechanism studies with the immobilized adriamycin, where the release of the drug would undermine the validity of the conclusions. In the present paper, detailed experimental conditions are given for preparation of nonwater-soluble particles of polyvinyl alcohol by crosslinking water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol with 1,4-benzenedicarboxaldehyde, and for activation with cyanuric chloride and covalent attachment of adriamycin. The expected stability of this drug-support linkage against hydrolytic cleavage is compared mechanistically to that expected for less stable coupling through a carbamate linkage or for less stable coupling via an azomethine link.     

Polarographic study of the acid hydrolysis of ketoximes

Kinetics of the acid hydrolysis of acetophenone exime and its substituted compounds have been investigated polarographically. A detailed study of the hydrolysis of acetophenone oxime in 0·05–1·0 M HCl indicated that the rate determining step varied with acid concentration. The reaction in acid concentrations below 0·3M is catalysed by hydrogen ions while general base catalysis by water is predominant in high acid concentrations. Addition of methanol is found to decrease the rate of hydrolysis predominantly.