Reversible fluorescence sensing of Zn2+ based on pyridine-constrained bis(triazole-linked hydroxyquinoline) sensor

Zinc ion (Zn²⁺) is an important and a most useful biological trace nutrient responsible for the activity of several enzymes. Zn²⁺ concentrations in the environment as well as in the human body increase beyond permissible limits as a consequence of its mining and widespread industrial applications. Such excess Zn²⁺ concentrations are toxic to humans and many aquatic organisms. The magnetic inertness and spin paired electronic configuration of Zn²⁺ makes it hard to detect by common analytical techniques. Therefore, fluorometric detection using chemosensor is the most effective tool for the environmental and biological detection of Zn²⁺. We have developed a novel pyridine-constrained bis(triazole-linked hydroxyquinoline) ligand as a reversible fluorescent chemosensor for Zn²⁺. The symmetrical ligand is highly selective for Zn²⁺ and fluoresces brightly upon complexation compared with other metal ions based on chelation-enhanced fluorescence mechanism. Interestingly, free ligand can be regenerated by treating the ligand–Zn²⁺ complex with aqueous ammonia.     

On the existence of ‘glycine barium nitrate potassium nitrate’ crystal

It is proved that a so called novel nonlinear optical glycine barium nitrate potassium nitrate single crystal grown by slow evaporation solution growth technique by Ravishankar et al. (Optik, 2013) is actually the well-known γ-glycine crystal.     

Simulation of local ion transport in lamellar block copolymer electrolytes based on electron micrographs

A method is presented to relate local morphology and ionic conductivity in a solid, lamellar block copolymer electrolyte for lithium batteries, by simulating conductivity through transmission electron micrographs. The electrolyte consists of polystyrene‐block‐poly(ethylene oxide) mixed with lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide salt (SEO/LiTFSI), where the polystyrene phase is structural phase and the poly(ethylene oxide)/LiTFSI phase is ionically conductive. The electric potential distribution is simulated in binarized micrographs by solving the Laplace equation with constant potential boundary conditions. A morphology factor, f, is reported for each image by calculating the effective conductivity relative to a homogenous conductor. Images from two samples are examined, one annealed with large lamellar grains and one unannealed with small grains. The average value of f is 0.45 ± 0.04 for the annealed sample, and 0.37 ± 0.03 for the unannealed sample, both close to the value predicted by effective medium theory, 1/2. Simulated conductivities are compared to published experimental conductivities. The value of f_Unannealed/f_Annealed is 0.82 for simulations and 6.2 for experiments. Simulation results correspond well to predictions by effective medium theory but do not explain the experimental measurements. Observation of nanoscale morphology over length scales greater than the size of the micrographs (～1 μm) may be required to explain the experimental results. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2017 , 55, 266–274     

meta-Nitration of Arenes Bearing ortho/para Directing Group(s) Using C−H Borylation

Herein, we report the meta-nitration of arenes bearing ortho/para directing group(s) using the iridium-catalyzed C−H borylation reaction followed by a newly developed copper(II)-catalyzed transformation of the crude aryl pinacol boronate esters into the corresponding nitroarenes in a one-pot fashion. This protocol allows the synthesis of meta-nitrated arenes that are tedious to prepare or require multistep synthesis using the existing methods. The reaction tolerates a wide array of ortho/para-directing groups, such as −F, −Cl, −Br, −CH₃, −Et, −iPr −OCH₃, and −OCF₃. It also provides regioselective access to the nitro derivatives of π-electron-deficient heterocycles, such as pyridine and quinoline derivatives. The application of this method is demonstrated in the late-stage modification of complex molecules and also in the gram-scale preparation of an intermediate en route to the FDA-approved drug Nilotinib. Finally, we have shown that the nitro product obtained by this strategy can also be directly converted to the aniline or hindered amine through Baran's amination protocol.     

Can a ‘magnesium sulfate admixtured l-threonine’ crystal be grown by slow evaporation solution growth method?

Slow evaporation of an aqueous solution containing l-threonine and magnesium sulphate heptahydrate, results in the fractional crystallization of the less soluble l-threonine crystal and not any novel optoelectronic ‘magnesium sulfate admixtured l-threonine’ crystal as reported by Puhal Raj et al. in Optik, 124 (2013) 6887–6891.     

A stochastic expectation-maximization algorithm for the analysis of system lifetime data with known signature

Statistical estimation of the model parameters of component lifetime distribution based on system lifetime data with known system structure is discussed here. We propose the use of stochastic expectation-maximization (SEM) algorithm for obtaining the maximum likelihood estimates of model parameters based on complete and censored system lifetimes. Different ways of implementing the SEM algorithm are also studied. We have shown that the proposed methods are feasible and are easy to implement for various families of component lifetime distributions. The proposed methodologies are then illustrated with two popular lifetime models—the Weibull and Birnbaum-Saunders distributions. Monte Carlo simulation is then used to compare the performance of the proposed methods with the corresponding estimation by direct maximization. Finally, two illustrative examples are presented along with some concluding remarks.     

Sulfonated rGO from waste dry cell graphite rod and its hybrid with PANI as electrode for supercapacitor

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - Development of high-performance energy storage devices is a vital research area to meet the present-day energy demand. In the work carried toward the...