Synthesis and characterization of ZnO thin films by thermal evaporation

ZnO thin films have been successfully synthesized by thermal evaporation of pure zinc at 900 °C under the flow of different percentages of argon and oxygen gases. The films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), variable pressure scanning electron microscopy (VPSEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and UV–vis spectroscopy. The aim of this paper is to study the influence of the oxygen percentage on the structural and morphological properties of the ZnO films. VPSEM results show that very thick needle structures were produced at high oxygen percentages. EDS results revealed that only Zn and O are present in the sample, indicating a composition of pure ZnO. XRD results showed that the ZnO synthesized under different quantities of oxygen were crystalline with the hexagonal wurtzite structure. UV–vis spectroscopy results indicated that the optical band gap energies from the transmission spectrum are between 3.62 and 3.69 eV for ZnO thin films.     

A property of weakly Krull domains

We show that a weakly Krull domain satisfies : for every pair there is an such that is -invertible. For Noetherian, satisfies if and only if every grade-one prime ideal of is of height one. We also show that a modification of can be used to characterize Noetherian domains that are one-dimensional.

     

Automated discrimination of polymerase chain reaction products with closely related sequences by software-based detection of characteristic peaks in product ion spectra

A computer-based method is described for automated detection of peaks in product ion spectra that allows discrimination of structurally related polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products. PCR products of K-ras mutants having single nucleotide substitutions and isomeric sequence changes in positions 1 and 2 of codon 12 (e.g. TGT and GTT) were used as a model system. SpecDiff, a tool for differentiating pairs of mass spectra by identifying peaks that either differ in relative intensity between spectra or only appear in one of a pair of spectra, was created to help automate detection. This program was demonstrated to have great utility in detection of mutations and could also be useful as a general tool for differentiating other molecules of closely related structure.     

Unconventional Cellulose Esters: Synthesis, Characterization and Structure–Property Relations

This paper summarizes selected results obtained during a two-year research project in the framework of the focus program Cellulose and cellulose derivatives (SPP 1011), sponsored by the German Science Foundation (DFG). New synthesis paths for the preparation of the most important cellulose ester, cellulose acetate, were investigated. In contrast to conventional methods, cellulose was converted in a homogeneous phase reaction with acetyl chloride in the presence of different bases, including polyvinyl pyridine and cross-linked polyvinyl pyridine. Moreover, results of the conversion in the new solvent dimethyl sulfoxide/tetrabutylammonium fluoride trihydrate are discussed. The structures obtained were analyzed both on the level of the anhydroglucose unit (AGU) and along the polymer chain. It was found that the addition of a base can significantly change the selectivity of the reaction and thereby the properties of the products (e.g., solubility). No signs of a non-statistical distribution of the acetyl groups along the polymer chains were observed. Furthermore, reactivity and selectivity of the acylation reactions, using in situ activation with p-toluenesulfonyl chloride (Tos-Cl), were studied for different long-chain carboxylic acids (capric-, caprylic-, decanoic-, lauric-, palmitic-, stearic acid). The thermogravimetric analysis of these derivatives showed that the decomposition temperature increased with an increasing number of carbon atoms, starting from 292 °C (cellulose caprate) to 318 °C (cellulose stearate). New cellulose derivatives were synthesized, for example, cellulose adamantoyl ester. For this purpose cellulose was converted homogeneously in N,N-dimethylacetamide/LiCl with free acids in the presence of activating reagents, for example, Tos-Cl or 1,1-carbonyldiimidazol.     

Atomistic simulation of nanoporous layered double hydroxide materials and their properties. I. Structural modeling

An atomistic model of layered double hydroxides, an important class of nanoporous materials, is presented. These materials have wide applications, ranging from adsorbents for gases and liquid ions to nanoporous membranes and catalysts. They consist of two types of metallic cations that are accommodated by a close-packed configuration of OH- and other anions in a positively charged brucitelike layer. Water and various anions are distributed in the interlayer space for charge compensation. A modified form of the consistent-valence force field, together with energy minimization and molecular dynamics simulations, is utilized for developing an atomistic model of the materials. To test the accuracy of the model, we compare the vibrational frequencies, x-ray diffraction patterns, and the basal spacing of the material, computed using the atomistic model, with our experimental data over a wide range of temperature. Good agreement is found between the computed and measured quantities.     

Alpha-glucosidase inhibitory constituents from Cuscuta reflexa

Two new compounds, 7'-(3',4'-dihydroxyphenyl)-N-[(4-methoxyphenyl)ethyl]propenamide (4), and 7'-(4'-hydroxy,3'-methoxyphenyl)-N-[(4-butylphenyl)ethyl]propenamide (5) have been isolated from Cuscuta reflexa along with five known compounds, 6,7-dimethoxy-2H-1-benzopyran-2-one (1), 3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-propen-1-ethanoate (2), 6,7,8-trimethoxy-2H-1-benzopyran-2-one (3), 3-(4-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside-3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-2-propen-1-ol (6), 2-(3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-3,5-dihydroxy-7-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside-4H-1-benzopyrane-4-one (7), reported for the first time from this species. Structures of these compounds were determined by spectral analysis. These compounds showed strong inhibitory activity against alpha-glucosidase.     

First natural urease inhibitor from Euphorbia decipiens

Three new diterpene esters with a myrsinol-type skeleton have been isolated from Euphorbia decipiens BOISS. & BUHSE. The structure elucidation of the isolated compounds was based primarily on two-dimensional (2D)-NMR techniques including correlation spectroscopy (COSY), heteronuclear multiple quantum coherence (HMQC), heteronuclear multiple bond correlation (HMBC) and nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (NOESY) experiments. Compounds 1 and 3 are active against prolyl endopeptidase and compound 2 showed inhibitory activity against urease enzyme.     

High performance liquid chromatographic separation and UV determination of cobalt, copper iron and platinum in pharmaceutical preparations using bis(isovalerylacetone)ethylenediimine as complexing reagent

The reagent bis(isovalerylacetone)ethylenediimine(H₂IVA₂en) has been examined for HPLC separation and UV determination of cobalt, copper, iron and platinum using off-line precolumn derivatization and extraction in chloroform. The complexes of cobalt(II), cobalt(III), iron(II), iron(III) and the reagent have been subsequently separated on a Microsorb C-18 column. The complexes were eluted isocratically using ternary mixtures of methanol/water/acetonitrile. Detection was achieved by UV monitoring. Detection limits for Co(II), Co(III), Fe(II) and Fe(III) were 2.5–5.0 ng/injection, based on 0.5–1.0 g/ml with 5 l/injection. The concentration of cobalt(II) and cobalt(III) in aqueous solution have been determined. The presence of oxovanadium(IV), platinum(II), and nickel(II) did not affect the determinations. The HPLC method developed has been applied to the determination of cobalt, copper, iron and platinum in pharmaceutical preparations at the 30 g/g to 15 mg/g level and the obtained results were compared to those of atomic absorption spectrometry.     

Enzyme inhibiting lignans from Vitex negundo

Two new lignans trivially named negundins A (1) and B (2), were isolated along with (+)-diasyringaresinol (3), (+)-lyoniresinol (4), vitrofolal E (5) and vitrofolal F (6), reported for the first time from this species. The structures of the new compounds were established through spectral studies. Compound 2 showed potent inhibitory activity against lipoxygenase enzyme, while 5 showed moderate activity against butyryl-cholinesterase.     

2,3,3′,6‐Tetra‐O‐acetyl‐4,1′,6′‐trichloro‐4,1′,4′,6′‐tetradeoxygalactosucrose

At 160 K, one of the Cl atoms in the furanoid moiety of 3‐O‐acetyl‐1,6‐di­chloro‐1,4,6‐tri­deoxy‐β‐d ‐fructo­furan­osyl 2,3,6‐tri‐O‐acetyl‐4‐chloro‐4‐deoxy‐α‐d ‐galacto­pyran­oside, C₂₀H₂₇­Cl₃O₁₁, is disordered over two orientations, which differ by a rotation of about 107° about the parent C—C bond. The conformation of the core of the mol­ecule is very similar to that of 3‐O‐acetyl‐1,4,6‐tri­chloro‐1,4,6‐tri­deoxy‐β‐d ‐tagato­furanos­yl 2,3,6‐tri‐O‐acetyl‐4‐chloro‐4‐deoxy‐α‐d ‐galacto­pyran­oside, particularly with regard to the conformation about the glycosidic linkage.