Synthesis of single-crystalline anatase nanorods and nanoflakes on transparent conducting substrates

Single-crystalline anatase nanorods and nanoflakes were grown on transparent conducting fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates through hydrolysis of titanium tetrachloride (TiCl(4)) followed by heating to 450 °C.     

Antitumour effect of Diospyros cordifolia bark on Ehrlich ascites carcinoma-bearing Swiss albino mice

Diospyros cordifolia Roxb. (Ebenaceae), commonly known as Indian ebony, is used traditionally for several medicinal purposes. In this study, the methanol extract of D. cordifolia bark (MEDC) was evaluated for its antitumour effect against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC)-bearing Swiss albino mice. Twenty-four hours after intraperitoneal inoculation of tumour (EAC) cells in mice, MEDC was administered intraperitoneally at 25 and 50?mg kg?1 bodyweight for 9 consecutive days. On the 10th day, half of the mice were sacrificed to determine the tumour volume, viable and non-viable tumour cell counts, and rest were kept alive for the assessment of median survival time and increase in life span. Haematological profiles were also determined. MEDC exhibited a marked decrease in tumour growth parameters and increased the survival rate of EAC-bearing animals. MEDC normalised the haematological parameters as compared with the EAC control mice. Therefore, this study demonstrated that D. cordifolia bark possessed remarkable antitumour efficacy.     

The striking influence of SWNT-COOH on self-assembled gelation

A miniscule amount of f-SWNTs remarkably improved (~17-fold) the gelation efficiency of amphiphilic molecules by triggering the formation of interconnecting self-assembled fibrillar networks (SAFIN) in supramolecular gelation.     

A miniaturized and integrated gel post platform for multiparameter PCR detection of herpes simplex viruses from raw genital swabs

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is one of the most prevalent viruses, with acute and recurrent infections in humans. The current gold standard for the diagnosis of HSV is viral culture which takes 2-14 days and has low sensitivity. In contrast, DNA amplification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) can be performed within 1-2 h. We here describe a multiparameter PCR assay to simultaneously detect HSV-1 and HSV-2 DNA templates, together with integrated positive and negative controls, with product detection by melting curve analysis (MCA), in an array of semi-solid polyacrylamide gel posts. Each gel post is 0.67 μL in volume, and polymerized with all the components required for PCR. Both PCR and MCA can currently be performed in one hour and 20 min. Unprocessed genital swabs collected in universal transport medium were directly added to the reagents before or after polymerization, diffusing from atop the gel posts. The gel post platform detects HSV templates in as little as 2.5 nL of raw sample. In this study, 45 genital swab specimens were tested blindly as a preliminary validation of this platform. The concordance of PCR on gel posts with conventional PCR was 91%. The primer sequestration method introduced here (wherein different primers are placed in different sets of posts) enables the simultaneous detection of multiple pathogens for the same sample, together with positive and negative controls, on a single chip. This platform accepts unprocessed samples and is readily adaptable to detection of multiple different pathogens or biomarkers for point-of-care diagnostics.     

One-Pot Oxidation of Alanine and Its Ethyl Ester with a Mild Oxidant 4′-Methylazobenzene-2-sulfenyl Bromide

One-pot oxidation of alanine and its ethyl ester with a mild oxidant 4′-methylazobenzene-2-sulfenyl bromide is described. Using a nonreactively water-soluble electrophilic species, 4′-methylazobenzene-2-sulfenyl bromide, with L-alanine and its ethyl ester (in 3:1 molar proportions) in aqueous solution at room temperature, the corresponding sulfenimines are prepared. On hydrolysis in acidic medium at room temperature, these sulfenimines give ethanal and pyruvic acid respectively.

Enhanced mobility and environmental stability in all organic field‐effect transistors: The role of high dipole moment solvent

Low‐operating voltage, high mobility, and stable organic field‐effect transistors (OFETs) using polymeric dielectrics such as pristine poly(4‐vinyl phenol) (PVP) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), dissolved in solvents of high dipole moment, have been achieved. High dipole moment solvents such as propylene carbonate and dimethyl sulfoxide used for dissolving the polymer dielectric enhance the charge carrier mobilities by three orders of magnitude in pentacene OFETs compared with low dipole moment solvents. Fast switching circuits with patterned gate PVP‐based pentacene OFETs demonstrated a switching frequency of 75 kHz at input voltages of |5 V|. The frequency response of the OFETs is attributed to a high degree of dipolar‐order in dielectric films obtained from high‐polarity solvents and the resulting energetically ordered landscape for transport. Remarkably, these pentacene‐based OFETs exhibited high stability under bias stress and in air with negligible shifts in the threshold voltage. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2013 , 51, 1533–1542     

Preparation of Aryl‐Substituted E‐Homoallylic Bromides from Cyclopropylcarbinol and PBr3

An expeditious synthesis of aryl substituted E‐homoallylic bromides has been accomplished by the cleavage of cyclopropylcarbinols with phosphorus tribromide.     

Sulfone coupling and double-elimination strategy for carotenoid synthesis

[Reaction: see text]. A highly efficient synthetic method of carotenoid compounds has been developed on the basis of the sulfone coupling and double-elimination strategy. This method highlighted the sulfone-mediated coupling with the novel C(10) dialdehyde, 2,7-dimethyl-4-octenedial, which was easily prepared and efficiently utilized in the synthesis of the conjugated polyene chains.     

Studies directed toward the synthesis of rhizopodin: stereoselective synthesis of the C1-C15 fragment

A stereoselective synthesis of the C1-C15 fragment of a G-actin binding natural macrodiolide, rhizopodin was achieved using, as key steps, highly stereoselective acetate aldol reactions to build the C1-C7 fragment, one pot oxazole synthesis and an asymmetric Keck allylation reaction to build the C8-C15 fragment and finally, a Stille reaction to couple both the fragments.     

Hexanuclear copper(II) cage with {Cu3O···H···OCu3} core supported by a dicompartmental oxime ligand with m-xylyl spacer: synthesis, molecular structure and magnetic studies

A new dicompartmental dioxime ligand (H(2)L) with m-xylyl spacer between the donor sites has been synthesised by Schiff-base condensation of α,α'-diamino-m-xylene and diacetyl monooxime. The ligand reacts with copper(ii) salts giving rise to hexanuclear tricationic copper(II) cage complexes [Cu(II)(6)(μ(3)-O···H···O-μ(3))L(3)(H(2)O)(6)]X(3) (X = BF(4), 1a; X = ClO(4), 1b). The complexes have been characterised by different analytical and spectroscopic techniques and confirmed the hexanuclear structure even in solution. Single crystal X-ray diffraction studies of both the complexes revealed a very similar core structure with three dicompartmental ligands supporting two triangular Cu(3)O cores that share a proton, located on their common threefold axis and involved in a strong hydrogen bond interaction (O···O distance of 2.517(2) ?). Two Cu(3)O units do not superimpose but are staggered and disposed with the formation of a helicate structure. However both the enantiomers are present in the centrosymmetric space group. The facing Cu(3)-planes in 1a are separated at a distance of 3.476 ?. The temperature dependence of the magnetic behaviour of the hexanuclear complex 1a clearly indicates an overall antiferromagnetic exchange interaction between the spin carriers in the cage having two Cu(3)O subunits and leaves a single unpaired electron in each triangular unit. The unpaired electrons in the two Cu(3)O units interact antiferromagnetically through hydrogen bonding giving rise to an overall singlet-spin ground state.