Bismuth Oxyiodide Nanoflakes Showed Toxicity Against the Malaria Vector <Emphasis Type="Italic">Anopheles stephensi</Emphasis> and In Vivo Antiplasmodial Activity

Anopheles stephensi is a mosquito vector of malaria, which is still considered a relevant public health problem due to increasing outdoor transmission, growing resistance to insecticides used to target vectors, and antiplasmodial drugs as well. Thus, there is a vital need to explore novel sources of effective compounds. In this study, the hydrothermal method was used for the synthesis of bismuth oxyiodide (BiOI) nanoflakes. Furthermore, the toxicity of BiOI nanoflakes was evaluated for the first time on A. stephensi, as well as in vivo against the malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei. The synthesis of BiOI nanoflakes was confirmed by various characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). LC₅₀ of BiOI nanoflakes on A. stephensi were 2.263 ppm (larva I), 3.414 ppm (II), 4.956 ppm (III), 6.983 ppm (IV) and 8.605 ppm (pupae). In vivo antiplasmodial experiments conducted on P. berghei infecting albino mice showed 27.2% of chemosuppression after 4 days of treatment with 300 mg/kg/day of BiOI, a lower performance if compared to chloroquine. Overall, our results suggested that hydrothermal synthesis of BiOI nanoflakes may be considered to develop newer and safer tools for malaria vector control.     

Far-infrared spectroscopy of the supreconductor YBa2Cu4O8

The frequencies of allB _1u (z) phonon modes predicted by a group-theoretical analysis were measured and found to agree well with recent lattice dynamical calculations for this compound. We report also the determination of two superconducting gap values in YBa₂Cu₄O₈ through phonon self-energy effects in the normal and superconducting conducting state. The gap-to-T _c ratios obtained from an analysis of these effects are 2 ₁/kT _c 2.5 and 5.82 ₂/kT _c 9.2. This coincides with previous results of both phononic and electronic Raman scattering where values of 2.1 and 6.3 were found. We further find anomalous softenings of two phonon modes 40 Kabove T _c , which correlate with an observed deviation from the linear temperature dependence of the average plasma frequency _p (T).     

Synthesis, structure, spectra and redox activities of model compounds for methanogenic bacteria

Synthetically accessible benzimidazoles have been synthesized and the benzimidazole ligands were complexed with nickel(II) nitrate. A nickel(II) complex of N,N-bis(benzimidazole-2-ylethyl)ethylenediamine was crystallized in single-crystal form and the structure was investigated by X-ray crystallography. The structure of the complex is bicapped axial coordinated octahedral. Ni(bbes)²⁺₂[bbes=bis(benzimidazole-2-ylethyl)sulfide] exhibits broad low energy bands in electronic spectra and high redox potential in cyclic voltammetry (CV) rather than Ni(enbzim)²⁺ [enbzim =N,N-bis(benzimidazol-2-ylethyl)ethylenediamine], where high energy well separated bands were observed in the visible region and a more negative redox potential was detected in CV. Experimental studies show that an increasing amount of -orbital interaction with the Ni²⁺ion, irrespective of chelate ring may favour the higher redox potential. The higher redox potential of methanogenic bacterial [Ni(II)/Ni(I)] than nickel compounds is one of the main factors for the degradation of organic biodegradable compounds and the further transformation to methane.     

Thio sol-gel synthesis of titanium disulfide thin films and nanoparticles using titanium(IV) alkoxide precursors

Titanium tetraisopropoxide reacts with hydrogen sulfide in butylamine solvent at room temperature to form an amorphous titanium alkoxy-sulfide which can be converted to crystalline titanium disulfide by heat treatment in a flowing hydrogen sulfide gas stream. The reaction has been studied using infrared and Raman spectroscopy, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, X-ray diffractometry and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis measurements. Based on these studies, it is shown that a partially thiolysed alkoxide precursor forms through the replacement of a limited number of alkoxy groups by hydrosulfide moieties. This alkoxy-hydrosulfide is believed to form following a thiolysis-condensation mechanism similar to the hydrolysis-condensation process that occurs during the corresponding oxide sol-gel reaction. The alkoxy-hydrosulfide species can then be completely thiolysed at 800 °C in a stream of hydrogen sulfide to yield pure, hexagonal titanium disulfide in either film or particulate form.     

A pseudo trinuclear nickel–sodium complex containing tris(8-methyl-2-oxo-quinolidineamino ethylamine): Synthesis,spectral characterization,X-ray crystallography and in vitro biological evaluations

A new mixed nickel–sodium complex has been synthesized from Ni(ClO₄)₂ and tris(8-methyl 2-oxo-quinolidine amino ethylamine) with a 1:1 molar ratio in methanol and has been characterized by various analytical, spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction studies which confirmed an octahedral geometry around the nickel ion. Further, structural optimization of the complex was performed using DFT calculations. The ligand and complex were evaluated for their binding affinity with CT-DNA and an intercalative type of binding interaction was proposed from the absorption and fluorescence titration experiments. Albumin binding interaction of the ligand and complex was determined by absorption, fluorescence and synchronous spectral techniques at room temperature, suggesting the static quenching mechanism of BSA with the compounds. Antioxidant studies revealed the radical scavenging potential of Ni(II) complex. The anticancer activity of the ligand and complex was probed via in vitro cytotoxicity against human breast (MCF7) and lung (A549) cancer cell lines by MTT assay. Further, cytological changes observed in acridine orange/ethidium bromide and DAPI staining methods validated the cytotoxic potential of the complex.     

Synthesis, Raman, X-ray diffraction, and density functional studies of antimony(III) heterotetracycles displaying intramolecular transannular interactions O → Sb

A set of compounds of general formula [{S(C₆H₃S)₂O}SbHal] [Hal = Cl (1), Br (2), I (3)] has been synthesized and studied by Raman and NMR spectroscopy as well as quantum chemical DFT calculations. X-ray diffraction studies of compound 2 revealed that the oxygen atom participates as donor and the antimony atom plays the role of acceptor, adopting a Ψ-distorted trigonal bi-pyramidal geometry, where the eight-membered central ring displays a boat–boat conformation. Furthermore, a series of DFT calculations was performed on compounds 1–3 as well as calculations on the non-synthesized heterotetracyclic systems [{S(C₆H₃S)₂O}SbF] (4a) and the cation [{S(C₆H₃S)₂O}Sb]⁺ (5a). The theoretic study at DFT level indicates as the electronegativity increases at exocyclic substituent along the set of compounds, the interaction is stronger. Moreover, the topological analysis of electronic density showed the existence of critical points along the O → Sb direction which prompted us to suggest the existence of a dative bond.