Amide linkage in novel three-ring bent-core molecular assemblies: polar mesophases and importance of H-bonding

Here, we report the first examples of achiral unsymmetrical three-ring bent-shaped liquid crystals comprising amide and imine linkages with transverse substituents of methyl and chloro moieties on the central phenyl ring in the core, exhibiting polar banana phases. The extensive intra and inter molecular H-bonding induced novel banana mesomorphic phases. One-dimensional stacking in the mesomorphic phase as well as ferroelectric polar order promoted by intermolecular H-bonding of amide linkage is demonstrated. The compounds exhibit multifunctional properties viz., the enantiotropic liquid crystalline (LC) phase at ambient temperatures, electro-optical response, spontaneous polarisation, emission characteristics with large Stokes shift, and even charge distribution with large voltage holding ratio (VHR) values. The smectic type phase was confirmed by XRD studies and polar order was established by switching current and dielectric investigations. DFT studies revealed the importance of their suitability for display applications.     

α-Helix-Mimetic Foldamers for Targeting HIV-1 TAR RNA

An oligopyridylamide-based foldamer approach has been employed to target HIV TAR RNA-TAT assembly as a model system to study RNA-protein interactions. The oligopyridylamide scaffold adopts a constrained conformation which presents surface functionalities at distinct spatial locations and mimic the chemical features of the secondary structure of proteins. We have designed a library of oligopyridylamides containing diverse surface functionalities which mimic the side chain residues of the TAT protein domain. The interaction of TAR RNA and TAT plays a pivotal role in facilitating HIV replication. The library was screened using various fluorescent based assays to identify antagonists of the TAR RNA-TAT complex. A tricationic oligopyridylamide ADH-19, possessed the highest affinity towards TAR and efficiently inhibited the TAR RNA-TAT interaction with apparent K_d of 4.1±1.0 μm . Spectroscopic studies demonstrated that ADH-19 interacts with the bulge and the lower bulge regions of TAR RNA, the domains important for TAT interaction. ADH-19 demonstrated appreciable in vivo efficacy (IC₅₀=25±1 μm ) by rescuing TZM-bl cells infected with the pseudovirus HIV-1HXB-2.     

An asymptotic treatment of the transient development of axisymmetric surface waves

A linearized theory is developed for the derivation of an asymptotic solution of the initial value problem of axisymmetric surface waves in an infinitely deep fluid produced by an arbitrary oscillating pressure distribution. An asymptotic treatment of the problem is presented in detail to obtain the solution for the surface elevation for sufficiently large time. Finally, the main prediction of this analysis for some particular pressure distributions of physical interest is exhibited.Nomenclature R, , Y cylindrical polar coordinates - frequency - g acceleration due to gravity - density of fluid - T time - (R, Y; T) velocity potential - E(R, T) vertical surface elevation - P(R, T) applied surface pressure - r, y nondimensional cylindrical polar coordinates, - p(r, t) nondimensional surface pressure - t nondimensional time, T - (r, y; t) nondimensional velocity potential, - (r, t) nondimensional vertical surface elevation, - (k) Hankel transform of a function p(r) with respect to r - I ₁ transient wave integral - I ₂ steady state wave integral     

Fullerene‐β‐Cyclodextrin Conjugate Based Electrochemical Sensing Device for Ultrasensitive Detection of p‐Nitrophenol

The article describes the use of a fullerene (C₆₀)‐β‐cyclodextrin conjugate, synthesized via 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition, for the ultrasensitive electrochemical detection of p‐nitrophenol. This conjugate was successfully immobilized on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode and the developed device showed high activity towards p‐nitrophenol due to the synergetic effect of C₆₀, the latter becoming highly conductive upon reduction. The determination of p‐nitrophenol was performed by using square wave voltammetry over a concentration range from 2.8×10^?9 mol L^?1 to 4.2×10^?7 mol L^?1 and the detection limit was calculated to be 1.2×10^?9 mol L^?1.     

Silica sulfuric acid: an efficient reusable heterogeneous solid support for the synthesis of 3H,3′H-spiro[benzofuran-2,1′isobenzofuran]-3,3′-diones under solvent-free condition

A highly efficient protocol for the library synthesis of biologically important 3H,3′H-spiro[benzofuran-2,1′isobenzofuran]-3,3′-diones has been developed by employing silica sulfuric acid (SSA) as solid acid support under solvent-free condition. The dual characteristics of SSA, as an activating agent as well as oxidizing agent, have been well exposed in these syntheses. The intrinsic advantages of the methodology are the use of solvent-free reaction condition without using any toxic reagents or metal catalyst, operational simplicity, recyclability of the solid support, good availability of the starting materials, and excellent yields which make the method attractive, economic, and ‘benign by design’.     

Real-time quantitative phase imaging with a spatial phase-shifting algorithm

This Letter reports on the use of a spatial phase-shifting algorithm in a fast, straightforward method of real-time quantitative phase imaging. The computation time for phase extraction is five times faster than a Fourier transform and twice as fast as a Hilbert transform. The fact that the phase extraction from an interferogram of 512 × 512 pixels takes less than 8.93 ms with a typical desktop computer suggests the proposed method can be readily applied to high-speed dynamic quantitative phase imaging. The proposed method of quantitative phase imaging is effective and sufficiently general for application to the dynamic phenomena of biological samples.     

Super Sensitization: Grand Charge (Hole/Electron) Separation in ATC Dye Sensitized CdSe,CdSe/ZnS Type‐I,and CdSe/CdTe Type‐II Core–Shell Quantum Dots

Ultrafast charge‐transfer dynamics has been demonstrated in CdSe quantum dots (QD), CdSe/ZnS type‐I core–shell, and CdSe/CdTe type‐II core–shell nanocrystals after sensitizing the QD materials by aurin tricarboxylic acid (ATC), in which CdSe QD and ATC form a charge‐transfer complex. Energy level diagrams suggest that the conduction and valence band of CdSe lies below the LUMO and the HOMO level of ATC, respectively, thus signifying that the photoexcited hole in CdSe can be transferred to ATC and that photoexcited ATC can inject electrons into CdSe QD, which has been confirmed by steady state and time‐resolved luminescence studies and also by femtosecond time‐resolved absorption measurements. The effect of shell materials (for both type‐I and type‐II) on charge‐transfer processes has been demonstrated. Electron injection in all the systems were measured to be <150 fs. However, the hole transfer time varied from 900 fs to 6 ps depending on the type of materials. The hole‐transfer process was found to be most efficient in CdSe QD. On the other hand, it has been found to be facilitated in CdSe/CdTe type‐II and retarded in CdSe/ZnS type‐I core–shell materials. Interestingly, electron injection from photoexcited ATC to both CdSe/CdTe type‐II and CdSe/ZnS type‐I core–shell has been found to be more efficient as compared to pure CdSe QD. Our observation suggests the potential of quantum dot core–shell super sensitizers for developing more efficient quantum dot solar cells.     

Phi-pseudo-monotonicity and approximation-solvability of nonlinear equations

We generalize the results on the approximation-solvability of nonlinear functional equations to the case of Φ-pseudo-monotone mappings—a new and rather general class of mappings. An application is considered.     

Hemin Modified Carbon Fat Electrode for Analyzing Antimalarial Endoperoxide Artemisinin in Artemisia annua

A hemin bulk modified carbon electrode with Adeps neutralis (solid fat) as binder was developed for the determination of antimalarial endoperoxide artemisinin in plant matrix. The hemin modified electrode showed significant catalytic activity for the electrochemical reduction of artemisinin at about ?380 mV vs. Ag/AgCl in phosphate buffer solution of pH 7 by using cyclic and differential pulse voltammetry. Under optimized conditions strict linearity between artemisinin concentration and height of the cathodic catalytic current peak was observed in 4.8×10^?6–7.8×10^?5 M concentration range (R=0.9991) when using differential pulse voltammetry. The detection limit was calculated as 1.4×10^?6 M of artemisinin. The developed electroanalytical device is suitable for the determination of artemisinin in Artemisia annua extracts.