Binary image reconstruction based on prescribed numerical information

The problem of reconstruction of a binary image in the field of discrete tomography is a classic instance of seeking solution applying mathematical techniques. Here two such binary image reconstruction problems are considered given some numerical information on the image. Algorithms are developed for solving these problems and correctness of the algorithms are discussed.     

Synthesis of new binol based [1+1] macrocyclic chiral manganese(III) Schiff bases as catalysts for asymmetric epoxidation

A series of new chiral binol based [1+1] macrocyclic Schiff bases have been synthesized in high yields in short reaction times via cyclo-condensation of dialdehydes with long tethers and chiral diamines. Macrocyclic Mn(salen) complexes containing N₂O₂ salen units incorporated with spacers of increased tether lengths were synthesized and characterized. The newly synthesized catalyst system was successfully employed for the enantioselective epoxidation of unfunctionalized olefins with high yields and good enantioselectivity.     

Design of bicontinuous donor/acceptor morphologies for use as organic solar cell active layers

In recent works, we demonstrated the achievement of bicontinuous donor/acceptor morphologies by the addition of conjugated block copolymers to a blend of conjugated homopolymer donors and fullerene acceptors. However, the domain sizes resulting in experiments were much larger than those of interest for high‐performance organic solar cells. Moreover, a significant concentration of fullerene acceptors was present in the donor domains. Here, we utilize simulations to study the bicontinuous donor/acceptor morphologies that result for different parametric conditions. Using such results, we provide guidelines for how to blend polymer materials to give rise to bicontinuous phases with the smaller and more compositionally pure domains that are desirable for organic photovoltaic applications. Our results can be generalized to treat a large range of donor and acceptor monomers. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016 , 54, 884–895     

Synthesis,Characterization, DNA Binding,Light Switch “On and Off”, Docking Studies and Cytotoxicity,of Ruthenium(II) and Cobalt(III) Polypyridyl Complexes

The novel ligand (dmbip) 2-(4-N, N-dimethylbenzenamine)1H-imidazo[4, 5-f][1, 10]phenanthroline and its complexes [Ru(phen)₂dmbip]²⁺ (1), [Ru(bpy)₂dmbip]²⁺ (2), [Co(phen)₂dmbip]³⁺ (3) and [Co(bpy)₂dmbip]³⁺ (4) [where phen?=?1, 10-phenanthroline, bpy?=?2, 2^′-bipyridine], have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, UV-Vis, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR and Mass spectra. The DNA binding properties of the complexes were investigated by absorption, emission, quenching studies, light switch “on and off”, salt dependent, sensor (cation and anion) studies, viscosity measurements, cyclic voltammetry, molecular modeling and docking studies. The four complexes were screened for Photo cleavage of pBR322 DNA, antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity. The experimental results indicate that the four complexes can intercalate into DNA base pairs. The DNA-binding affinities of these complexes follow the order [Ru(phen)₂dmbip]²⁺ > [Co(phen)₂dmbip]³⁺ > [Ru(bpy)₂dmbip]²⁺ > [Co(bpy)₂dmbip]³⁺.     

Novel Asymmetric Synthesis of (S)-Esmolol Using Hydrolytic Kinetic Resolution

An efficient asymmetric synthesis of (S)-methyl 3-[4-[2-hydroxy-3-(isopropyl amino) propoxy] phenyl] propanoate is described. The key intermediate (S)-methyl 3-[4-(oxiran-2-ylmethoxy) phenyl] propanoate was obtained by hydrolytic kinetic resolution method using Jacobsen catalyst.

Stationary tail probabilities in exponential server tandems with renewal arrivals

The problem considered is that of estimating the tail stationary probability for two exponential server queues in series fed by renewal arrivals. We compute the tail of the marginal queue length distribution at the second queue. The marginal at the first queue is known by the classical result for the GI/M/1 queue. The approach involves deriving necessary and sufficient conditions on the paths of the arrival and virtual service processes in order to get a large queue size at the second queue. We then use large deviations estimates of the probabilities of these paths, and solve a constrained convex optimization problem to find the most likely path leading to a large queue size. We find that the stationary queue length distribution at the second queue has an exponentially decaying tail, and obtain the exact rate of decay.Research supported in part by NSF grant NCR 88-57731 and the AT & T Foundation.     

Sampling free energy surfaces as slices by combining umbrella sampling and metadynamics

Metadynamics (MTD) is a very powerful technique to sample high‐dimensional free energy landscapes, and due to its self‐guiding property, the method has been successful in studying complex reactions and conformational changes. MTD sampling is based on filling the free energy basins by biasing potentials and thus for cases with flat, broad, and unbound free energy wells, the computational time to sample them becomes very large. To alleviate this problem, we combine the standard Umbrella Sampling (US) technique with MTD to sample orthogonal collective variables (CVs) in a simultaneous way. Within this scheme, we construct the equilibrium distribution of CVs from biased distributions obtained from independent MTD simulations with umbrella potentials. Reweighting is carried out by a procedure that combines US reweighting and Tiwary–Parrinello MTD reweighting within the Weighted Histogram Analysis Method (WHAM). The approach is ideal for a controlled sampling of a CV in a MTD simulation, making it computationally efficient in sampling flat, broad, and unbound free energy surfaces. This technique also allows for a distributed sampling of a high‐dimensional free energy surface, further increasing the computational efficiency in sampling. We demonstrate the application of this technique in sampling high‐dimensional surface for various chemical reactions using ab initio and QM/MM hybrid molecular dynamics simulations. Further, to carry out MTD bias reweighting for computing forward reaction barriers in ab initio or QM/MM simulations, we propose a computationally affordable approach that does not require recrossing trajectories. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Monte Carlo simulation of electrodeposition of copper: a multistep free energy calculation

Electrodeposition of copper (Cu) involves length scales of a micrometer or even less. Several theoretical techniques such as continuum Monte Carlo, kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC), and molecular dynamics have been used for simulating this problem. However the multiphenomena characteristics of the problem pose a challenge for an efficient simulation algorithm. Traditional KMC methods are slow, especially when modeling surface diffusion with large number of particles and frequent particle jumps. Parameter estimation involving thousands of KMC runs is very time-consuming. Thus a less time-consuming and novel multistep continuum Monte Carlo simulation is carried out to evaluate the step wise free energy change in the process of electrochemical copper deposition. The procedure involves separate Monte Carlo codes employing different random number criterion (using hydrated radii, bare radii, hydration number of the species, redox potentials, etc.) to obtain the number of species (CuCl(2) or CuSO(4) or Cu as the case may be) and in turn the free energy. The effect of concentration of electrolyte, influence of electric field and presence of chloride ions on the free energy change for the processes is studied. The rate determining step for the process of electrodeposition of copper from CuCl(2) and CuSO(4) is also determined.     

Influence of molecular weight and degree of segregation on local segmental dynamics of ordered block copolymers

Experiments in the context of block copolymer electrolyte materials have observed intriguing dependence of the ionic conductivities upon the polymer molecular weight and the degree of segregation between the blocks. Such results have been partly rationalized by invoking the spatial extent of dynamical inhomogeneities that manifest in ordered phases of block copolymers comprised of a rubbery and a glassy block. Motivated by such observations, we use molecular dynamics simulations to study the extent of spatial inhomogeneities in segmental dynamics of lamellar diblock copolymer systems where the blocks possess different mobilities. We probed the local average relaxation times and the dynamical heterogeneities as a function of distance from the interface. Our results suggest that the relaxation times of rubbery segments are strongly influenced by both the spatial proximity to the interface and the relative mobility of the glassy segments. Scaling of our results indicate that the interfacial width of the ordered phases serves as the length scale underlying the spatial inhomogeneities in segmental dynamics of the fast monomers. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016 , 54, 859–864