Hydrogen bonding in different pyrimidine–methanol clusters probed by polarized Raman spectroscopy and DFT calculations

We report on the hydrogen bonding between pyrimidine (Pd) and methanol (M) as H‐donor in this study. Hydrogen bonds between pyrimidine and methanol molecules as well as those between different methanol molecules significantly influence the spectral features at high dilution. The ring‐breathing mode ν₁ of the reference system Pd was chosen as a marker band to probe the degree of hydrogen bonding. Polarized Raman spectra in the region 970–1020 cm⁻¹ for binary mixtures of (pyrimidine + methanol) at 28 different mole fractions were recorded. A Raman line shape analysis of the isotropic Raman line profiles at all concentrations revealed three distinct spectral components at mole fractions of Pd below 0.75. The three components are attributed to three distinct groups of species: ‘free Pd’ (pd), ‘Pd with low methanol content’ (pd1) and ‘Pd with high‐methanol content’ (pd2). The two latter species differ considerably in the pattern and the strengths of the hydrogen bonds. The results of density functional theory calculations on structures and vibrational spectra of neat Pd and eight Pd/M complexes with varying methanol content support our interpretations of the experimental results. A nice spectra–structure correlation for the different cluster subgroups was obtained, similar to earlier results obtained for Pd and water. Apart from N···H and O···H hydrogen bonds between pyrimidine and methanol, O···H hydrogen bonds formed among the methanol molecules in the cluster at high methanol content also play a crucial role in the interpretation of the experimental results. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Highly selective organic fluorescent probe for azide ion: formation of a "molecular ring"

An indole based naphthalene derivative is reported as a highly selective fluorescent probe for azide ion in aqueous ethanol. The probe is applied for cell imaging of the N(3)(-) ion in contaminated living cells. Both experimental and theoretical studies have been performed to figure out the plausible mechanism of fluorescence enhancement of the probe upon binding with N(3)(-).     

Retracted: A comparative Raman study of graphite,single‐walled,and multi‐walled carbon nanotubes

Retraction: The following article from Journal of Raman Spectroscopy, ‘A comparative Raman study of graphite, single‐walled, and multi‐walled carbon nanotubes’, by Animesh K. Ojha and Arnulf Materny published online on 3 March 2009 in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ), has been retracted by agreement between the authors, the journal Editor in Chief, Wolfgang Kiefer, and the publisher John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. The retraction has been agreed due to lack of citation or acknowledgement of third party interests in certain data included in the article.     

Study of effective parameters on wear behavior of rubbers based on statistical methods

This study investigates the wear, surface roughness, and temperature buildup (TBU) of styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), natural rubber (NR), and nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) while sliding over abrasives of different sizes with the variation of normal load. Rubber properties such as tensile strength (s) and elongation at break (e) were considered as input parameters. Individual, as well as interacting effects of different parameters, were analyzed in‐depth by using statistical methods. Overall wear of rubber depends not only on the tribological system but also on mechanical properties that contribute different wear mechanisms in addition to abrasion. The abrasive particle size and 1/(se) are the first and second most significant contributing factors, respectively, to all output parameters except the wear rate where the second contributing factor is the applied load and abrasive size is the highest contributor. Larger abrasive particles deepen ploughing marks, which is enhanced by the higher load, and lead to higher surface roughness. The effect of load on TBU is negligible because of the soft nature of the rubber material.     

Three-flavoured neutrino oscillations and the Leggett–Garg inequality

Three-flavoured neutrino oscillations are investigated in the light of the Leggett–Garg inequality (LGI). The results obtained are: (a) The maximum violation of the LGI is 2.17036 for neutrino path length \(L_{1}=140.15 \) km and \(\Delta L=1255.7 \) km. (b) The presence of the mixing angle \(\theta _{13}\) enhances the maximum violation of LGI by \(4.6\%\). (c) The currently known mass hierarchy parameter \(\alpha = 0.0305\) increases the maximum violation of LGI by \(3.7\%\). (d) The presence of a CP-violating phase parameter enhances the maximum violation of LGI by \(0.24\%\), thus providing an alternative indicator of CP violation in three-flavoured neutrino oscillations. The outline of an experimental proposal is suggested whereby the findings of this investigation may be verified.     

Quantum metrology: dynamics versus entanglement

A parameter whose coupling to a quantum probe of n constituents includes all two-body interactions between the constituents can be measured with an uncertainty that scales as 1/n3/2, even when the constituents are initially unentangled. We devise a protocol that achieves the 1/n3/2 scaling without generating any entanglement among the constituents, and we suggest that the protocol might be implemented in a two-component Bose-Einstein condensate.     

A Bis(azo-imine)palladium(II) System with 10 Ligand pi Electrons. Synthesis, Structure, Serial Redox, and Relationship to Bis(azooximates) and Other Species

The first azo-imine chelate system, Pd(N(H)C(R)NNPh)(2) (Pd(RA)(2)), has been isolated in the form of diamagnetic solids by the 6e(-)-6H(+) reduction of bis(phenylazooximato)palladium(II), Pd(N(O)C(R)NNPh)(2) (abbreviated Pd(RB)(2)), with ascorbic acid in a mixed solvent (R = Ph, alpha-naphthyl). Selected spectral features are described. The X-ray structures of Pd(PhA)(2) and Pd(PhB)(2) have revealed trans-planar geometry consistent with metal oxidation state of +2. Bond length trends within the chelate rings are rationalized in terms of steric and electronic factors. In Pd(PhA)(2) a total of 10 ligand pi electrons are present, each formally monoanionic ligand contributing five. Model EHMO studies have revealed that the filled HOMO (a(u)) in Pd(RA)(2) is a bonding combination of two ligand pi orbitals with large azo contributions. The LUMO (b(g)) is roughly the corresponding antibonding combination. The outer pi-electron configuration of Pd(RA)(2) is (a(u))(2)(b(g))(0). Four successive voltammetric responses, two oxidative and two reductive, are observed. The E(1/2) range is -1.3 to +0.8 V vs SCE for Pd(PhA)(2) in a 1:9 MeCN-CH(2)Cl(2) mixture (Pt electrode). EPR and electronic spectra of the electrogenerated one-electron-oxidized complex Pd(PhA)(2)(+) are described. The azo-imine system is compared with imine-imine and azo-azo systems. Crystal data for the complexes are as follows. Pd(PhA)(2): crystal system monoclinic; space group C2/c; a = 18.167(5) ?, b = 7.420(3) ?, c = 16.527(6) ?; beta = 92.70(3) degrees; V = 2225(1) ?(3); Z = 4; R = 2.61%, R(w) = 3.58%. Pd(PhB)(2): crystal system monoclinic; space group P2(1)/n; a = 5.735(5) ?, b = 10.797(6) ?, c = 18.022(11) ?; beta = 97.73(6) ?; V = 1105(1) ?(3); Z = 2; R = 3.37%; R(w) = 3.40%.     

Nucleation of beta-hairpin structures with cis amide bonds in E-vinylogous proline-containing peptides

Synthesis and conformational studies of peptides containing the E-vinylogous prolines 1 (VPro1) and 2 (VPro2), Boc-Ala-Val-VPro1-Xaa-Leu-OMe (3, Xaa = Gly; 4, Xaa = Phe), Boc-Ala-Val-VPro2-Xaa-Leu-OMe (5, Xaa = Gly; 6, Xaa = Phe), Boc-Leu-Ile-Val-VPro1-Xaa-Leu-OMe (7, Xaa = Gly; 8, Xaa = Phe), and Boc-Leu-Ile-Val-VPro2-Xaa-Leu-OMe (9, Xaa = Gly; 10, Xaa = Phe), were carried out. It has been shown that both VPro1 and VPro2 lead to the formation of 12-membered intramolecularly hydrogen bonded structures very similar to type VI beta-turns with a cis Xaa-VPro amide bond in the major conformers in all the peptides 3-10, resulting in the nucleation of beta-hairpin type structures in these molecules in CDCl(3).     

Ring electrographic analysis of some ancient punch-marked silver coins from Soron, Allahabad, India

The chemical analysis of a number of punch-marked silver coins of the period 400-300 B.C., obtained from the archaeological site at Soron, Phoolpur Sub Division, Allahabad District, India, has been carried out nondestructively by a modified ring colorimetric method. On the basis of the compositions the order of their age has been suggested.