Synthesis,structural characterization and biological studies of neodymium(III) and samarium(III) complexes with mercaptotriazole Schiff bases

A series of neodymium(III) and samarium(III) complexes of type [Ln(L)Cl(H₂O)₃] have been synthesized with Schiff bases (LH₂) derived from 3‐(phenyl/substituted phenyl)‐4‐amino‐5‐mercapto‐1,2,4‐triazoles and isatin. The structures of the complexes were established using elemental analysis, molar conductivities, magnetic moments, infrared, NMR (¹H, ¹³C) and UV–visible spectra, X‐ray diffraction and mass spectrometry. The thermal behaviour of these compounds under non‐isothermal conditions was investigated using thermogravimetry and differential thermogravimetry. The intermediates obtained at the end of various thermal decomposition steps were identified from elemental analysis and infrared spectral studies. All the ligands and their complexes were also screened for their antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis and antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus and Colletotrichum capsici. The screening results were correlated with the structural features of the compounds. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fractional distribution of graphene oxide and its potential as an efficient and reusable solid catalyst for esterification reactions

Graphene oxide (GrO) prepared by the Hummers method was separated into three different fractions (GrO₅₀₀₀, GrO₂₀₀₀, and GrO_res) on the basis of their dispersion stability in the water. Infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and elemental analyses revealed that GrO₅₀₀₀ possesses a high degree of oxygen functionalities including phenolic, carboxylic, and ?OSO₂H groups, compared with the other fractions. The GrO₅₀₀₀ was found to be a highly efficient and reusable solid catalyst for the esterification of various carboxylic acids with a variety of alcohols to furnish corresponding esters in high to excellent yields. The catalytic activity of the GrO₅₀₀₀ was attributed to the ability of highly polar GrO₅₀₀₀ scaffold to adsorb/attract reactants, where the acid functionalities of GrO₅₀₀₀ facilitated the esterification process efficiently. The chemical and structural features of GrO₅₀₀₀ were discussed to understand the improved catalytic activity compared with GrO₂₀₀₀ and conventional solid acid catalysts. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis,Structures, and Fungitoxicity of Novel Organophosphorus Compounds

Abstract

A series of biologically active organophosphorus compounds have been synthesized by the reactions of O,O-diethylchlorophosphate with Schiff bases derived from 5-(phenyl/substituted phenyl)-2-hydrazino-1,3,4-oxadiazole and salicylaldehyde/2-hydroxyacetophenone. The compounds have been characterized on the basis of analyses and spectral (IR, ¹H, ¹³C NMR) data. Fungicidal activities of these derivatives against Colletotrichum falcatum, Fusarium oxysporum, and Curvularia pallescence have been evaluated. All compounds showed moderate to significant antifungal activity.     

Oxidation of Chromanones and 2-Spirochromanones with [Hydroxy(tosyloxy)iodo]benzene in Acetonitrile Under Reflux as well as Ultrasound: A Convenient Route for the Synthesis of Chromones,Tetrahydroxanthones, and Their Higher Homologues

Oxidation of chromanones (1a-i) and 2-spiro-chromanones (j-m) using [hydroxy(tosyloxy)iodo] benzene in refluxing acetonitrile as well as using ultrasound via dehydrogenation and 2,3-alkyl migration provides a convenient route for the synthesis of chromones (2a-i), tetrahydroxanthones (2j,k) and their higher homologues (21,m). The ultrasound also enhances substantially the rate of above transformations.     

Synthesis of 2,2′‐Bi‐2H‐3,3′‐diaryl‐1,4‐benzothiazines from α,α‐Dibromoacetophenones and o‐Aminothiophenol

Some 2,2′‐bi‐2H‐3,3′‐diaryl‐1,4‐benzothiazines (5a–f) were synthesized from α,α‐dibromoacetophenones and o‐aminothiophenol.     

A Conventient Synthesis of 3-Hydroxy-4-chromanone Using Iodobenzene Diacetate

A useful synthesis of 3-hydroxy-4-chromanone (6) is not currently available. Lead tetraacetate oxidation of 4-chromanone (4) yields the C(3) acetoxy derivative but this compound could not be deacetylated to 6.¹ Recently Donnelly and Maloney reported² that the Algar-Flynn-Oyamada reaction (H₂O₂/CH₃OH/NaOH), which is commonly used for the conversion of o-hydroxychalcones (1) into 3-hydroxyflavanone (2) and 3-hydroxyflavones (3), does not yield 6 when applied to o-hydroxya-crylophenone 1 (R = H). The authors found that under less basic conditions using K₂CO₃ some 6 is formed but the major product is catechol. These observations clearly indicate the necessity of developing a method for making 6. The present note describes a staightforward way of preparing 3-hydroxy-4-chromanone (6) in good yield.     

Cooperative Effect of Noncovalent Interactions on Tetrel Bonding in Halogenated Silanes

Tetrel bond, a weak noncovalent interaction between the σ-hole of a Group IV element (silicon in our case) and the cloud of an electronegative element (oxygen in our case) is the focus of this work. The percentage strengthening of tetrel bond has been investigated by optimizing 16 binary complexes of halogenated silane and water of general formula SiX_nH_4−n−H₂O and 16 ternary complexes, of general formula NaX−SiX_nH_4−n−H₂O, where X=F, Cl, Br and I and n=1, 2, 3 and 4 at various levels of theory defined within the formalism of density functional theory (DFT). With the addition of NaX, tetrel bond between Si and O in SiX_nH_4−n−H₂O gets strengthened up to 49 %, owing to cooperativity effect exerted by hydrogen bonding between X and H in the ternary complex NaX−SiX_nH_4−n−H₂O. In the series of complexes studied here, overall stabilization due to cooperativity lies between 10 kJ/mol to 170 kJ/mol. This large extent of reinforcement due to cooperativity has never been showcased before. The exceptional stabilization and reinforcement owe its genesis to the transformation of the ternary complex into a cluster orchestrated by the H-bonding in most of the cases and covalent bonding in few of the cases.     

Resilient and agile engineering solutions to address societal challenges such as coronavirus pandemic

The world is witnessing tumultuous times as major economic powers including the US, UK, Russia, India, and most of Europe continue to be in a state of lockdown. The worst-hit sectors due to this lockdown are sales, production (manufacturing), transport (aerospace and automotive) and tourism. Lockdowns became necessary as a preventive measure to avoid the spread of the contagious and infectious “Coronavirus Disease 2019” (COVID-19). This newly identified disease is caused by a new strain of the virus being referred to as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus 2 (SARS CoV-2; formerly called 2019-nCoV). We review the current medical and manufacturing response to COVID-19, including advances in instrumentation, sensing, use of lasers, fumigation chambers and development of novel tools such as lab-on-the-chip using combinatorial additive and subtractive manufacturing techniques and use of molecular modelling and molecular docking in drug and vaccine discovery. We also offer perspectives on future considerations on climate change, outsourced versus indigenous manufacturing, automation, and antimicrobial resistance. Overall, this paper attempts to identify key areas where manufacturing can be employed to address societal challenges such as COVID-19.     

Hot Branching Dynamics in a Light‐Harvesting Iron Carbene Complex Revealed by Ultrafast X‐ray Emission Spectroscopy

Iron N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes have received a great deal of attention recently because of their growing potential as light sensitizers or photocatalysts. We present a sub‐ps X‐ray spectroscopy study of an Fe^IINHC complex that identifies and quantifies the states involved in the deactivation cascade after light absorption. Excited molecules relax back to the ground state along two pathways: After population of a hot ³MLCT state, from the initially excited ¹MLCT state, 30 % of the molecules undergo ultrafast (150 fs) relaxation to the ³MC state, in competition with vibrational relaxation and cooling to the relaxed ³MLCT state. The relaxed ³MLCT state then decays much more slowly (7.6 ps) to the ³MC state. The ³MC state is rapidly (2.2 ps) deactivated to the ground state. The ⁵MC state is not involved in the deactivation pathway. The ultrafast partial deactivation of the ³MLCT state constitutes a loss channel from the point of view of photochemical efficiency and highlights the necessity to screen transition‐metal complexes for similar ultrafast decays to optimize photochemical performance.