New Cu(II) complexes with polydentate chelating Schiff base ligands: Synthesis, structures, characterisations and biochemical activity studies

We have reported herein the synthesis of three new Cu(II) complexes of tri- and tetradentate Schiff base ligands containing N₃ or N₄ donor set along with terminal NNN⁻ or SCN⁻ ligands: [L¹Cu(NCS)]ClO₄ (1), [L²Cu(NCS)₂] (2) and [L³Cu(NNN)]ClO₄ (3) [L¹ = NC₅H₄C(CH₃)=N(CH₂)₃N=C(CH₃)C₅H₄N, L²= Me₂N–(CH₂)₃–N=C(CH₃)C₅H₄N and L³ = NC₅H₄CH=N–(CH₂)₄–N=CHC₅H₄N]. The complexes have been systematically characterised by elemental, spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques. Antimicrobial activities of the Schiff base ligands and their metal complexes have been studied using the disc diffusion method on the strains of Candida tropicalis and Bacillus megaterium. Structures of all the complexes have been unequivocally established from single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses that show the monomeric units containing a five-coordinated copper center in highly distorted square pyramidal geometry with thiocyanate or azide anion coordinated as terminal ligand. The complexes 1 and 3 crystallise in monoclinic (P2₁/c) and 2 in triclinic (P-1) space group, respectively.     

Reaction of [RuIII(edta)(H2O)]- with H2O2 in aqueous solution. Kinetic and mechanistic investigation

The reaction of [Ru(III)(edta)(H(2)O)](-) (1) (edta = ethylenediaminetetraacetate) with hydrogen peroxide was studied kinetically as a function of [H(2)O(2)], temperature (5-35 degrees C) and pressure (1-1300 atm) at a fixed pH of 5.1 using stopped-flow techniques. The reaction was found to consist of two steps involving the rapid formation of a [Ru(III)(edta)(OOH)](2-) intermediate which subsequently undergoes parallel heterolytic and homolytic cleavage to produce [(edta)Ru(V)=O](-) (45%) and [(edta)Ru(IV)(OH)](-) (55%), respectively. The water soluble trap, 2,2'-azobis(3-ethylbenzithiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS), was employed to substantiate the mechanistic proposal. Reactions were carried out under pseudo-first conditions for [ABTS] > [HOBr] > [1], and were monitored as a function of time for the formation of the one-electron oxidation product ABTS* (+). A detailed mechanism in agreement with the rate and activation parameters is presented, and the results are discussed with reference to data reported for the corresponding [Fe(III)(edta)(H(2)O)](-)/H(2)O(2) system.     

End-to-end single cyanato and thiocyanato bridged Cu(II) polymers with a new tridentate Schiff base ligand: crystal structure and magnetic properties

A new tridentate Schiff base ligand HL (L = C14H19N2O), derived from the condensation of benzoylacetone and 2-dimethylaminoethylamine in a 1:1 ratio, reacts with copper(ii) acetate and cyanate, thiocyanate or azide, to give rise to several end-to-end polymeric complexes of formulae [CuL(mu(1,3)-NCO)]n 1, [CuL(mu(1,3)-NCS)]n 2 and the complex 3 has two crystallographically independent units of formula [CuL(N3)] in the asymmetric unit cell. Complex 3 exists in dimeric form rather than as a polymeric chain. Compound 1 is the first report of a singly end-to-end cyanate bridged polymeric chain of Cu(II) with a Schiff base as a co-ligand. There are many examples of double NCS bridged polymeric chains, but fewer singly bridged ones such as compound 2. We have characterized these complexes by analytical, spectroscopic, structural and variable temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements. The coordination geometry around the Cu(II) centers is distorted square pyramidal for 1 and 2 and square planar for complex 3. The magnetic susceptibility data show slight antiferromagnetic coupling for the polymers having J values -0.19 and -0.57 cm(-1) for complexes 1 and 2 respectively. The low values of J are consistent with the equatorial-axial disposition of the bridges in the polymers.     

Effect of normal variations on disease classification of Raman spectra from cervical tissue

In this paper, we examine how variations in normal tissue can influence disease classification of Raman spectra. Raman spectra from normal areas may be affected by previous disease or proximity to areas of dysplasia. Spectra were acquired in vivo from 172 patients and classified into five tissue categories: true normal (no history of disease), previous disease normal (history of disease, current normal diagnosis), adjacent normal (disease on cervix, spectra acquired from visually normal area), low grade, and high grade. Taking into account the various "normal" states of the tissue before statistical analysis led to a disease classification accuracy of 97%. These results indicate that abnormal changes significantly affect Raman spectra, even when areas are histopathologically normal. The sensitivity of Raman spectroscopy to subtle biochemical differences must be considered in order to successfully implement it in a clinical setting for diagnosing cervical dysplasia and cancer.     

Effect of hydrophobic and hydrophilic additives on sol–gel transition and release behavior of timolol maleate from polycaprolactone-based hydrogel

The objective of this work was to delineate the effect of hydrophilic and hydrophobic polymeric additives on sol–gel transition and release profile of timolol maleate (TM) from poly (ethylene glycol)–poly (ε-caprolactone)–poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG–PCL–PEG)-based thermosensitive hydrogel. Polycaprolactone (hydrophobic additive) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) (hydrophilic additive) reduced critical gel concentration of PEG–PCL–PEG triblock polymer. The effect of PCL on sol–gel transition was more pronounced than PVA. However, with PCL no statistically significant difference in release profile was observed. The effect of PVA on release profile was more pronounced, which reduced the cumulative percentage release of TM from 86.4 ± 0.8% to 73.7 ± 1.8% over 316 h. Moreover, cytotoxicity of the hydrogel was also investigated utilizing rabbit primary corneal epithelial culture cells. No significant cytotoxicity of hydrogel alone or in presence of additives was observed. So, polymeric additive strategy serves as a valuable tool for optimizing TM release kinetics from PEG–PCL–PEG hydrogel matrix.     

Photopolymerization of methyl methacrylate with the use of bromine as photoinitiator

Low concentrations of bromine (0.008–0.06M) were used to initiate photopolymerization of MMA in bulk and in diluted (near bulk) systems, the diluents or solvents used being benzene, toluene, dioxane, tetrahydrofuran, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, methylene chloride, and methanol. Polymerization in bulk follows usual free-radical kinetics. Inert solvents (benzene, toluene) as well as the other solvents used enhance the rate of polymerization MMA even when used in the range of catalytic concentrations (0.04–0.4M). An initiation mechanism involving solvent molecules appears to be predominant in diluted systems.     

Isointricatinol, a new antioxidant homoisoflavonoid from the roots of Caesalpinia digyna Rottler

A new homoisoflavonoid, isointricatinol (1), together with eight known homoisoflavonoids, three flavonoids, bergenin and 11-O-galloylbergenin were isolated from the EtOAc fraction of MeOH extract of Caesalpinia digyna roots and evaluated for the antioxidant activity against DPPH and ABTS free radicals. The structure of 1 was elucidated by various spectroscopic techniques and found to be a Z-isomer of 7,8-dihydroxy-3-(4'-methoxybenzyl)chroman-4-one. Compound 1 was found to exhibit mild to moderate free radical scavenging effect against DPPH (IC(50), 85.50?μM) and ABTS (IC(50), 44.13?μM) radicals.     

Isochronicity and limit cycle oscillation in chemical systems

Chemical oscillation is an interesting nonlinear dynamical phenomenon which arises due to complex stability condition of the steady state of a reaction far away from equilibrium which is usually characterised by a periodic attractor or a limit cycle around an interior stationary point. In this context Lienard equation is specifically used in the study of nonlinear dynamical properties of an open system which can be utilized to obtain the condition of limit cycle. In conjunction with the property of limit cycle oscillation, here we have shown the condition for isochronicity for different chemical oscillators with the help of renormalisation group method with multiple time scale analysis from a Lienard system. When two variable open system of equations are transformed into a Lienard system of equation the condition for limit cycle and isochronicity can be stated in a unified way. For any such nonlinear oscillator we have shown the route of a dynamical transformation of a limit cycle oscillation to a periodic orbit of centre type depending on the parameters of the system.     

High throughput drug screening by direct RNA profiling on DNA sensors

The feasibility of DNA microarray sensor technology as a routine technique of molecular pharmacology to perform high throughput drug screening and the advantages of directly labeled RNA for a high throughput experiment are presented in this paper. A novel, single-step direct chemical labeling method for DNA microarray target samples has been developed to reduce the sample amount, cost, time and error of the experiment by eliminating the need for enzyme mediated labeling. Reproducibility of the data for high throughput drug screening is demonstrated by monitoring differential gene expression of a set of 45 gene targets involved in the genotoxic stress response pathways.     

Acetone Dimethyl Hydrazone: Useful Synthon+ for the Synthesis of Pheromones with Keto and Spiro Ketal Functions

The use of α-lithiated dimethyl hydrazones as an efficient enolate equivalent for the alkylation of ketones has been reported^1,2,3. Due to the ragioselectivity exhibited by acetone dimethyl hydrazone (1) towards the formation of bis alkylated products, we have used the easily avaiLable (1) as a convenient synthon for achieving a short and simple synthesis of pheromones, 1,7-dioxaspiro (5,5) undecane4 (2) and Z-6-Heneicosen-11-one (2). The key step in both the syntheses is the regioselective bis alkylation of (1) using butyl lithium as a base, as shown in Scheme I.