Cyclometalated Iridium (III) complexes: Recent advances in phosphorescence bioimaging and sensing applications

The phosphorescence bioimaging and sensing applications of Iridium (III) complexes, in particular to subcellular organelle staining as well as sensing of biologically important analytes, have been reviewed here. The bioimaging applications of the metal complexes provide an attractive alternative to fluorescent organic compounds in the construction of biosensors and biolabels because of having certain advantages.     

Kinetics and mechanism of dissociation of some tri- and tetra-dentate complexes of copper(II) in acid media

Summary Kinetics of the dissociation ofm-phenylene-dibiguanidecopper(II) ion,N-salicylideneglycyl-glycinatocuprate(II) ion andN-salicylideneglycinato-aquocopper(II) in acid media, forming aquo-copper(II) ion, have been studied by the stopped-flow spectrophotometric technique. Dissociation of the complexes occurs in two consecutive steps, the first being faster than the second. For them-phenylenedibiguanide complex each step exhibits second order acid dependance,k _x=k _x [H⁺]² wherek _x is the observed pseudo-first order rate constant. However, the Schiff base complexes show first order acid dependance,k _x=k _x [H⁺], for both steps. The results, with relatively low H and highly negative S values, are consistent with a solvent-assisted dissociative process.     

Dielectric properties of four room temperature ferroelectric and antiferroelectric multi-component liquid crystalline mixtures

Dielectric properties of four recently formulated room temperature multi-component liquid crystalline mixtures with paraelectric (SmA*), ferroelectric (SmC*) and antiferroelectric (SmC*_A) phases have been studied as a function of temperature and frequency. Under planer anchoring condition, dielectric spectroscopy revealed all the characteristic modes: low frequency P_L and high frequency P_H mode in SmC*_A phase, Goldstone mode (GM) in SmC* phase and soft mode (SM) in SmA* phase. Dielectric behaviour has also been studied under the application of DC bias electric field. With bias electric field, we have been able to study the soft mode dielectric behaviour in the SmC* phase. An unknown high frequency mode (X-mode) with and without bias is also observed in SmC* phase. Dielectric results are explained in the light of generalised Landau theory. The mixtures show very high soft mode electroclinic coefficient in the SmA* phase in addition to fast switching in SmC*_A and SmC* phases [30].     

Fabrication of Ruthenium Nanoparticles in Porous Organic Polymers: Towards Advanced Heterogeneous Catalytic Nanoreactors

A novel strategy has been adopted for the construction of a copolymer of benzene–benzylamine‐1 (BBA‐1), which is a porous organic polymer (POP) with a high BET surface area, through Friedel–Crafts alkylation of benzylamine and benzene by using formaldehyde dimethyl acetal as a cross‐linker and anhydrous FeCl₃ as a promoter. Ruthenium nanoparticles (Ru NPs) were successfully distributed in the interior cavities of polymers through NaBH₄, ethylene glycol, and hydrothermal reduction routes, which delivered Ru‐A, Ru‐B, and Ru‐C materials, respectively, and avoided aggregation of metal NPs. Homogeneous dispersion, the nanoconfinement effect of the polymer, and the oxidation state of Ru NPs were verified by employing TEM, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy mapping, cross polarization magic‐angle spinning ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy analytical tools. These three new Ru‐based POP materials exhibited excellent catalytic performance in the hydrogenation of nitroarenes at RT (with a reaction time of only ≈30 min), with high conversion, selectivity, stability, and recyclability for several catalytic cycles, compared with other traditional materials, such as Ru@C, Ru@SiO₂, and Ru@TiO₂, but no clear agglomeration or loss of catalytic activity was observed. The high catalytic performance of the ruthenium‐based POP materials is due to the synergetic effect of nanoconfinement and electron donation offered by the 3D POP network. DFT calculations showed that hydrogenation of nitrobenzene over the Ru (0001) catalyst surface through a direct reaction pathway is more favorable than that through an indirect reaction pathway.     

Selective extraction of fungicide carbendazim in fruits using β‐cyclodextrin based molecularly imprinted polymers

Considering the importance of developing a new analytical approach for pesticide residue detection for the sake of ensuring food safety, a β‐cyclodextrin based molecularly imprinted polymer was prepared for selective determination of carbendazim. The polymers consist of a porous and hollow structure demonstrating the selective abundant adsorption sites for carbendazim molecule. The selectivity and adsorption capacity of the imprinted polymers were analyzed with dispersive solid‐phase extraction and analyzed with high performance liquid chromatography coupled with ultraviolet. The results of imprinted polymers were higher than non‐imprinted polymers with the maximum adsorption capacity of 3.65 mg/g within 30 min of total adsorption time. The reusability of the imprinted polymers was determined to evaluate its effectiveness and stability, which proved that the polymers lost 10% efficiency within seven consecutive recycles. The developed method displayed good linearity over the concentration range of 0.05–2.0 mg/L. The recovery percentage of 81.33–97.23 with relative standard deviations of 1.49–4.66% was obtained from spiked apple, banana, orange, and peach samples with a limit of detection of 0.03 mg/L and a limit of quantification of 0.10 mg/L (signal to noise ratio = 3/10). The overall performance of the proposed method evident that this technique provided a desirable outcome and it can be used as a convenient approach, as it qualifies the analytical standards.     

Importance of π-bonding in the stabilisation of ternary complexes

Summary Stability constants (K _MAL ^MA ) together with other thermodynamic parameters measuring the stabilities and the contribution of astatistical factors governing the stability of ternary complexes, MAL [M=Co^II, Ni^II, Cu^II or Zn^II; A=2, 2-dipyridylamine (A³), 5-nitro-o-phenanthroline (A⁵), 5-methyl-o-phenanthroline (A⁶); LH=benzohydroxamic acid] have been determined at 25°CC, at ionic strength 0.1 M KNO₃. The results are compared with those for the complexes containing polyaminocarboxylic acids such as iminodiacetic acid (A¹) and other heteroaromaticN-bases such as 2, 2-bipyridine (A²),o-phenanthroline (A⁴) and the stability constants are found in the sequence K_{MA^4 L}^{MA^4 } > K_{MA^2 L}^{MA^3 } = ca.K_{MA^3 L}^{MA^3 } \gg K_{MA^1 L}^{MA^1 } .$$ " align="middle" border="0"> For all heteroaromaticN-bases, the sequence K_{ML_2 }^{ML} $$ " align="middle" border="0"> has been found. The sequences are explained in terms of electrostatic interaction, change of electrophilicity of the bound metal and the -acidic character of the primary ligand.     

Applications of Cannabis Sativa L. in Food and Its Therapeutic Potential: From a Prohibited Drug to a Nutritional Supplement

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is a herbaceous anemophilous plant that belongs to the Cannabinaceae family. The cannabis seed (hemp) has long been utilized as a food source and is commercially important as an edible oil source. In this review, the positive and negative health effects of cannabis, the relationship between cannabis and various diseases, and the use of cannabis in various food products have been discussed. In addition, the scientific literature on the potential use of cannabis and its derivatives as a dietary supplement for the prevention and treatment of inflammatory and chronic degenerative diseases in animals and humans has been reviewed. Cannabis is being developed as a key ingredient in a variety of food items, including bakery, confectionery, beverages, dairy, fruits, vegetables, and meat. Hemp seeds are high in readily digestible proteins, lipids, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), insoluble fiber, carbs, and favorable omega-6 PUFA acid to omega-3 PUFA ratio and have high nutritional value. The antioxidants of cannabis, such as polyphenols, help with anxiety, oxidative stress, and the risk of chronic illnesses, including cancer, neurological disorders, digestive problems, and skin diseases. Cannabis has been shown to have negative health impacts on the respiratory system, driving, and psychomotor functions, and the reproductive system. Overall, the purpose of this research is to stimulate more in-depth research on cannabis’s adaptation in various foods and for the treatment of chronic illnesses.     

Generation of a complete set of additive shape-invariant potentials from an Euler equation

In supersymmetric quantum mechanics, shape invariance is a sufficient condition for solvability. We show that all conventional additive shape-invariant superpotentials that are independent of ? can be generated from two partial differential equations. One of these is equivalent to the one-dimensional Euler equation expressing momentum conservation for inviscid fluid flow, and it is closed by the other. We solve these equations, generate the set of all conventional shape-invariant superpotentials, and show that there are no others in this category. We then develop an algorithm for generating all additive shape-invariant superpotentials including those that depend on ? explicitly.