Catalysis by zeolite leading to the construction of thiazole ring: an improved synthesis of 4-alkynyl substituted thiazoles

Zeolite H-beta facilitated the reaction of α-chloro acetyl chloride with 1,2-bis-trimethyl silyl acetylene to give 1-chloro-4-(trimethylsilyl)but-3-yn-2-one which on treatment with thioacetamide afforded 2-methyl-4-[(trimethylsilyl)ethynyl]thiazole. l-Proline on the other hand facilitated the coupling reaction of 2-methyl-4-[(trimethylsilyl)ethynyl]thiazole with (hetero)aryl halides (modified Sonogashira reaction) under Pd-Cu catalysis in the presence of aqueous K₂CO₃ affording an improved method for the synthesis of corresponding 4-alkynyl substituted thiazole derivatives.     

Total synthesis of (+)-pericosine B and (+)-pericosine C and their enantiomers by using the Baylis–Hillman reaction and ring-closing metathesis as key steps

A simple and divergent route for the total synthesis of pericosine B and pericosine C and their enantiomers from d-ribose by using the Baylis–Hillman reaction and ring-closing metathesis reactions as key steps has been described.     

Amberlyst-15 mediated synthesis of 2-substituted 2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-ones and their crystal structure analysis

An efficient and clean method has been developed for the synthesis of 2-substituted 2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-ones using Amberlyst-15 as a recyclable catalyst. A variety of dihydroquinazolinones were prepared from 2-aminobenzamide and aldehydes under mild conditions in excellent yields. Further structure elaboration of one compound and the crystal structure analysis and hydrogen bonding patterns of the two compounds prepared by using this methodology is presented.     

Studies on sorption of plutonium from carbonate medium on polyacrylhydroxamic acid resin

Polyacrylhydroxamic acid resin synthesized by functionalization of polyacrylamide with hydroxylamine has been investigated for the sorption of plutonium(IV) from carbonate medium, aiming at its application for the removal of plutonium from alkali wash effluent generated during purification of TBP in PUREX process. Batch experiments have been carried out to determine distribution coefficient of plutonium(IV) between this exchanger and various compositions of carbonate medium. Effect of the concentration of sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate and pH of the solution on the distribution coefficient have been studied to optimize the conditions for the uptake of Pu(IV) by this exchanger. Column experiments were carried out to determine the practical capacity of the exchanger for plutonium. Elution studies were also carried out to recover the loaded plutonium from the ion exchange column The exchanger displayed good exchange capacity for Pu(IV) from feed solution simulating the conditions of carbonate wash effluent generated in PUREX process. The exchanger also exhibited fast elution of Pu, suggesting the feasibility of using it for the recovery of Pu from carbonate based wash effluent.     

Effect of sacrificial electron donors on hydrogen generation over visible light–irradiated nonmetal-doped TiO2 photocatalysts

Hydrogen generation over carbon-, nitrogen- and sulfur-doped TiO₂ semiconductor photocatalysts (represented as C–TiO₂, N–TiO₂ and S–TiO₂, respectively) under visible light irradiation has been achieved using various sacrificial electron donors, namely triethanolamine, diethanolamine, monoethanolamine, triethylamine, MeOH, EtOH, EDTA, l-ascorbic acid and phenol. The highest initial rate of H₂ production was found to be in the range 1,000–2,200 μmol/g/h at ambient conditions when triethanolamine was used as sacrificial electron donor. The efficacy of hydrogen production over these photocatalysts depends strongly on the nature of the sacrificial electron donor and decreases in the following order: C–TiO₂ > S–TiO₂ > N–TiO₂. The results of the present studies suggest that the rate of H₂ production is not simply governed by the reduction potential of the sacrificial electron donor but also by the kinetic barrier of the electron transfer process.     

Structures and optical properties of Zn1?x Ni x O nanoparticles by coprecipitation method

Nanocrystals of undoped and nickel-doped zinc oxide (Zn_1?x Ni _x O, where x?=?0.00?C0.05) were synthesized by the coprecipitation method. Crystalline size, morphology, and optical absorption of prepared samples were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and UV?Cvisible spectrometer. XRD and SEM studies revealed that Ni-doped ZnO crystallized in hexagonal wurtzite structure. Doping of ZnO with Ni²⁺ was intended to enhance the surface defects of ZnO. The incorporation of Ni²⁺ in place of Zn²⁺ provoked an increase in the size of nanocrystals as compared to undoped ZnO. Crystalline size of nanocrystals varied from 10 to 40?nm as the calcination temperature increased. Enhancement in the optical absorption of Ni-doped ZnO indicated that it can be used as an efficient photocatalyst under visible light irradiation. Optical absorption measurements indicated a red shift in the absorption band edge upon Ni doping. The band gap value of prepared undoped and Ni-doped ZnO nanoparticles decreased as annealing temperature was increased up to 800?°C.     

Photocatalytic studies of silver doped ZnO nanoparticles synthesized by chemical precipitation method

Ag-doped ZnO nanoparticles (Zn_1?xAg_xO; where x = 0.00–0.05) were synthesized by chemical precipitation method. The synthesized products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and UV–Vis spectrometer. The SEM and TEM micrographs revealed the agglomerated spherical-like morphology and the measurements show that the size of crystallites is in the range of 10–40 nm. Optical measurements indicated a red shift in the absorption band edge after Ag doping. The band gap values of as prepared undoped and doped with silver samples were found to decrease with increase in temperature from 300 to 800 °C. Photocatalytic activities of ZnO and Ag doped ZnO were evaluated by irradiating the sample solution to ultraviolet light by taking methylene blue as organic dye. The experiment demonstrated that the photo-degradation efficiency of 1 mol% Ag-doped ZnO was significantly higher than that of undoped and 2–5 mol% Ag doped ZnO under ultraviolet light irradiation.     

Higher order numerical methods for solving fractional differential equations

In this paper we introduce higher order numerical methods for solving fractional differential equations. We use two approaches to this problem. The first approach is based on a direct discretisation of the fractional differential operator: we obtain a numerical method for solving a linear fractional differential equation with order 0<α<1. The order of convergence of the numerical method is O(h ^3?α ). Our second approach is based on discretisation of the integral form of the fractional differential equation and we obtain a fractional Adams-type method for a nonlinear fractional differential equation of any order α>0. The order of convergence of the numerical method is O(h ³) for α≥1 and O(h ^1+2α ) for 0<α≤1 for sufficiently smooth solutions. Numerical examples are given to show that the numerical results are consistent with the theoretical results.     

Spectroscopic study of inhibition of calcium oxalate calculi growth by Larrea tridentata

Urolithiasis, the category of diseases associated with the formation of kidney stones, has many causes. However, only a few have been documented as aggravating calculi depositions and aggregations. This amply justifies continued work in developing effective and efficient inhibition and treatment techniques. The recent resurgence in reviews on plant antiurolithiatic activity has given credence to the application of modern spectroscopic analysis, and has led us to this study. Results obtained from Raman and infrared (IR) absorption analysis of inhibited calculi growth resulting from laboratory synthesis of calcium oxalate crystals accompanied by the natural infusion of Larrea tridentata are reported. A visible decrease in calcium oxalate crystal growth with increasing amounts of L. tridentata herbal infusion was observed in photomicrographs, as well as a color change from white‐transparent for pure crystals to light orange‐brown for crystals with inhibitor. Both Raman and IR absorption spectra reveal a monohydrate structure for the crystals grown alone, which transform to a dihydrate morphology with the addition of the L. tridentata inhibitor. Furthermore, the resulting data support the possibilities of the influences, in this complex process, of the nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) and its derivative compounds from L. tridentata and the bonding of the magnesium of the inhibitor with the oxalate ion on the surface of the calculi crystals. This assumption corroborates well with the micrographs obtained under higher magnification, which show that the separated small crystallites consist of a darker brownish core, which we attribute to the dominance of growth inhibition by NDGA, surrounded by light transparent thin shells, which possibly correspond to passivation of the crystals by magnesium oxalate. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Stereoselective synthesis of the densely functionalized C1-C9 fragment of amphidinolides C and F

The synthesis of the C1-C9 subunit of amphidinolides C and F is described. Key steps include tandem Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation-S_N2 cyclization reaction, Lewis acid-mediated epoxide opening, Wittig reaction, and Wacker oxidation.