Highly enantioselective organocatalytic direct aldol reaction in an aqueous medium

We have demonstrated that small organic molecules 1 and 2 catalyzed the direct aldol reaction of both acyclic and cyclic ketones with different aldehydes in an excess of water/brine. Excellent enantioselectivities up to >99% and diastereoselectivities up to 99% with very good yields were obtained by using much lower catalyst loadings (0.5 mol %).     

An efficient de novo synthesis of partially reduced phenanthrenes through C-C insertion

An efficient and novel approach to the synthesis of highly congested 3-alkyl-, 4-alkyl-, 3-aryl-, 3,4-dialkyl-, 4-alkyl-3-aryl-, and 3,4-diaryl-9,10-dihydro-1-sec-aminophenanthrene-2-carbonitriles has been delineated through the base-catalyzed ring transformation of 5,6-dihydro-2-oxo-4-sec-amino-2H-benzo[h]chromene-3-carbonitrile by carbanion derived in situ from various ketones in moderate to good yields. 9,10-Dihydrophenanthrenes with and without substituent in the bay region are efficiently and regioselectively synthesized by using propanal and acetyltrimethylsilane as a source of carbanion. Even the synthesis of bisphenanthrenes has been achieved by the ring transformation of 5,6-dihydro-2-oxo-4-sec-amino-2H-benzo[h]chromene-3-carbonitrile by 2-acetylphenanthrene in moderate yield. Highly substituted 3-amino-1-sec-amino-5,6-dihydrophenanthrene-2,4-dicarbonitriles have also been prepared from the reaction of 2-oxobenzo[h]chromene and malononitrile.     

Nanocrystalline NaNbO3 and NaTaO3: Rietveld studies,Raman spectroscopy and dielectric properties

Nanocrystalline NaNbO₃ and NaTaO₃ have been synthesized by the reverse micellar technique for the first time. The particle size of NaNbO₃ was found to be 18 nm while that of NaTaO₃ was found to be 40 nm (much smaller size than most of the earlier reports on NaTaO₃). Rietveld refinement of X-ray diffraction data and Raman spectroscopy confirm that the nanoparticles of NaNbO₃ and NaTaO₃ have orthorhombically distorted structures with Pmc2₁ and Pbnm space groups, respectively. The dielectric constant at 25 °C of NaNbO₃ and NaTaO₃ was found to be 209 and 147 at 1 kHz, respectively. The antiferroelectric transition in NaNbO₃ shifts to lower temperature (325 °C) in the nanocrystalline solid.     

Mechanism of UV-induced formation of Dewar lesions in DNA

The importance of a backbone: The mechanism of formation of Dewar lesions has been investigated by using femtosecond IR spectroscopy and ab?initio calculations of the exited state. The 4π?electrocyclization is rather slow, occurs with an unusual high quantum yield, and--surprisingly--is controlled by the phosphate backbone.     

SCQGP in quark stars

From an analogy with non-relativistic degenerate QED plasma we make an estimate of the coupling strength of QGP hypothesized to be present in compact star interiors. At densities ranging from 3ρ ₀–10ρ ₀ (normal nuclear density ρ ₀=0.16 fm⁻³), quark matter is found to be strongly to intermediately coupled. The equation of state for QED plasma obtained via Pade approximation, modified to QGP, yields stable stellar sequences with maximum mass ≳2M _⊙ for B ^1/4≲215 MeV.     

Graphene from electrochemical exfoliation and its direct applications in enhanced energy storage devices

Graphite was electrochemically exfoliated in mixtures of room temperature ionic liquids and deionized water containing lithium salts to produce functionalized graphenes and such an electrochemical exfoliation technique can be directly used in making primary battery electrodes with significantly enhanced specific energy capacity.     

Synthesis of thiophenes and pyranone fused thiophenes by base induced inter and intramolecular C-S and C-C bond formation: a non-catalytic approach

An efficient and concise one pot synthesis of highly functionalized thiophenes and pyranone fused thiophenes has been delineated through base induced ring transformation of suitably functionalized 2H-pyran-2-ones by ethyl thioglycolate by inter and intramolecular C-S and C-C bond formation.     

InBr3‐ and AgOTf‐catalyzed beckmann rearrangement of (E)‐benzoheterocyclic oximes

Beckmann rearrangement of (E)‐4‐chromanone oxime, (E)‐5‐oximino‐3,4‐dihydro‐1(2H)‐benzoxepines, and (E)‐5‐oximino‐3,4‐dihydro‐1(2H)‐benzothiepine are catalyzed by InBr₃ and AgOTf in refluxing acetonitrile resulting in the formation of pharmaceutically active heterocycles benzoxazepin‐4‐one, 5‐oxo‐benzoxazocines, and 5‐oxo‐benzothiazocine derivative, respectively, in excellent yield. J. Heterocyclic Chem., (2012).     

Structural Synthon Approach to the Study of Stacking Faults in the Layered Double Hydroxides of Lithium and Aluminum

A single layer of the Li‐Al layered double hydroxide (LDH) can be considered to be a structural synthon that can be stacked in a number of ways to give rise to the polytypes of the Li‐Al LDH family. The topotactic imbibition of lithium into gibbsite and bayerite precursors gives rise to crystalline 2H and 1M₁ polytypes respectively. In contrast the sample formed through a gel to crystallite route is found to be a 1M₁ polytype with stacking disorders whose local symmetry corresponds to the 1M₂ polytype. On heating, a solid‐solid 1M₁→1H polytype transformation is observed.     

Neutrino beam plasma instability

We derive relativistic fluid set of equations for neutrinos and electrons from relativistic Vlasov equations with Fermi weak interaction force. Using these fluid equations, we obtain a dispersion relation describing neutrino beam plasma instability, which is little different from normal dispersion relation of streaming instability. It contains new, nonelectromagnetic, neutrino-plasma (or electroweak) stable and unstable modes also. The growth of the instability is weak for the highly relativistic neutrino flux, but becomes stronger for weakly relativistic neutrino flux in the case of parameters appropriate to the early universe and supernova explosions. However, this mode is dominant only for the beam velocity greater than 0.25c and in the other limit electroweak unstable mode takes over.