Interaction of flavonoids within organized molecular assemblies of anionic surfactant

The interaction of various flavonoids (compounds having C6-C3-C6 configuration) with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) an anionic surfactant was studied through absorption spectroscopy as a function of the concentration of surfactant above and below the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of the surfactant. A mechanism was proposed for the interaction between these flavonoids and anionic surfactants. The approximate number of additive molecules (flavonoids) incorporated per micelle was estimated at a particular concentration of SDS. Incorporation of additive in micelles shifts the UV absorption bands towards higher wavelengths of different magnitude. The spectral shift also depends upon the nature of the surfactant head group. The absorption spectra of the flavonoids in aqueous solution and in methanol are also reported.     

Thermal decomposition of potassium tetraborate tetrahydrate to anhydrous potassium tetraborate in a fluidized bed

Production of anhydrous potassium tetraborate from potassium tetraborate tetrahydrate (PTT) was investigated in a controlled fluidized bed calcinatory (FBC). Single step calcination gives a puffed product with very low bulk density and the calcination of potassium tetraborate tetrahydrate is incomplete since agglomeration starts at temperature higher than 250 °C. Effect of the temperature on the bulk density of the product obtained at the end of single step is given and compared with theoretical calculation. In order to obtain anhydrous potassium tetraborate, dehydration should be carried out at least two stages. The most important step dominating the final bulk density is the first step. Dehydration of potassium tetraborate tetrahydrate up to 85% K₂B₄O₇ content and temperature lower than 150 °C in the first step gives commercial available product at final stage. As a result, both puffed and denser anhydrous potassium tetraborate of 99.5% purity with bulk density around 0.4 and 0.7 g cm⁻³ has been produced by two and three stage calcinations.     

Sequential ring-opening of trans-1,4-cyclohexadiene dioxide for an expedient modular approach to 6,7-disubstituted (±)-hexahydro-benzo[1,4]oxazin-3-ones

A modular approach to novel 6-amino-7-hydroxysubstituted hexahydro-benzo[1,4]oxazin-3-ones has been developed. The method involves a sequential ring-opening of trans-1,4-cyclohexadiene dioxide with amino nucleophiles. The resultant mono-epoxide from benzylamine was converted to a general electrophilic precursor, which enables the parallel treatment with amino nucleophiles to obtain a series of cyclohexane-fused morpholin-3-ones.     

Potato peels as solid waste for the removal of heavy metal copper(II) from waste water/industrial effluent

A new sorbent potato peels, which are normally discarded as solid waste for removing toxic metal ion Cu(II) from water/industrial waste water have been studied. Potato peels charcoal (PPC) was investigated as an adsorbent of Cu(II) from aqueous solutions. Kinetic and isotherm studies were carried out by studying the effects of various parameters such as temperature, pH and solid liquid ratios. The optimum pH value for Cu(II) adsorption onto potato peels charcoal (PPC) was found to be 6.0. The thermodynamic parameters such as standard Gibb's free energy (Delta G degrees ), standard enthalpy (Delta H degrees ) and standard entropy (DeltaS degrees ) were evaluated by applying the Van't Hoff equation. The thermodynamics of Cu(II) adsorption onto PPC indicates its spontaneous and exothermic nature. The equilibrium data at different temperatures were analyzed by Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms.     

A Novel Three Dimensional Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Based Porous Phase: Synthesis and Characterization of Reduced Oxovanadium pyromellitate, [VIV2O2(H2O)2(C6H2(COO)4)]

The hydrothermal reaction of a mixture of VOSO₄ · xH₂O, 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic acid (pyromellitic acid) and 0.1 M H₂SO₄ for 72 h at 160 °C gives blue needle like crystals of [V^IV ₂O₂(H₂O)₂(C₆H₂(COO)₄)] in 30% yield. The compound has a porous 3-D extended network structure having a rigid architecture which is held together by the multidentate functionalities of 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylate ligand. Crystal data for the compound: monoclinic space group C 2/c (No:15), a = 11.756(5) ?, b = 9.645(3) ?, c = 11.822(7) ?, β = 107.10(4)°, Z = 8. The compound constitutes the first example of a fully reduced oxovanadium based solid incorporating the organic ligand. This article consists of synthesis, crystal structure and characterization of [V^IV ₂O₂(H₂O)₂(C₆H₂(COO)₄)].     

Novel results for global robust stability of delayed neural networks

This paper investigates the global robust convergence properties of continuous-time neural networks with discrete time delays. By employing suitable Lyapunov functionals, some sufficient conditions for the existence, uniqueness and global robust asymptotic stability of the equilibrium point are derived. The conditions can be easily verified as they can be expressed in terms of the network parameters only. Some numerical examples are also given to compare our results with previous robust stability results derived in the literature.     

Synthesis of 4,4′-biquinazoline alcohols as chiral catalysts in enantioselective alkynylation of aldehydes with phenyl acetylene

Optically active propargylic alcohols are important chiral-building blocks in asymmetric synthesis, while the asymmetric addition of a terminal alkyne to an aldehyde is one of the most important procedures to prepare these chiral-building blocks. In this work, a family of chiral 4,4′-biquinazoline alcohols has been conveniently prepared from the easily accessible (S)-2-acetoxycarboxylic acid chlorides by reaction sequences beginning with condensation and followed by key synthetic steps including chlorination, nickel(0)-mediated homocoupling, and deprotection in addition to being examined as potential ligands in the enantioselective addition of phenylacetylene to aldehydes. These chiral ligands can be combined with Ti(OiPr)₄ and then used to catalyze the asymmetric addition of zinc acetylide, produced in situ by the reaction of phenylacetylene with diethylzinc, to aldehydes. The best enantiomeric excess obtained in this study was 75%.     

Synthesis and Characterization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cis</Emphasis>-[V<Superscript>IV</Superscript>O(pzc)<Subscript>2</Subscript>(H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O)]·2H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O (pzc: 2-pyrazinecarboxylate)

Abstract  

Hydrothermal synthesis and the structural characterization of V(IV) complex of 2-pyrazinecarboxylate (pzc), is reported. The vanadium is in a distorted octahedral environment. Pairs of pyrazine-2-carboxylate ligands are always cis to each other. The pzc ligands do not link adjacent vanadium atom directly. The remainder of the three-dimensional network is completed by intense hydrogen bonding of uncoordinated water molecules to aqua and pzc ligands. Cis-[V^IVO(pzc)₂(H₂O)]·2H₂O, 1, was characterized by means of elemental analysis (CHNS), TGA, FT-IR, manganometric titration, bond valance sum calculations and single crystal X-ray diffraction methods. Crystal data for 1: monoclinic space group P2 ₁ /c and unit-cell parameters are a = 9.1142(5), b = 16.5822(10), c = 12.8936(7) ?, β = 131.625(3)° and Z = 4. To the best of our knowledge, cis-[V^IVO(pzc)₂(H₂O)] is reported without single crystal structure by Eugenio Garribba and his colleagues in year 2006. Herein we complete full characterization of the title complex with single crystal structure and also 1 will be the first reported example of solid vanadium complex of 2-pyrazinecarboxylates involving intense hydrogen bonding.     

Silicon nanoparticle charge trapping memory cell

A charge trapping memory with 2 nm silicon nanoparticles (Si NPs) is demonstrated. A zinc oxide (ZnO) active layer is deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD), preceded by Al₂O₃ which acts as the gate, blocking and tunneling oxide. Spin coating technique is used to deposit Si NPs across the sample between Al₂O₃ steps. The Si nanoparticle memory exhibits a threshold voltage (V_t) shift of 2.9 V at a negative programming voltage of –10 V indicating that holes are emitted from channel to charge trapping layer. The negligible measured V_t shift without the nanoparticles and the good re‐ tention of charges (>10 years) with Si NPs confirm that the Si NPs act as deep energy states within the bandgap of the Al₂O₃ layer. In order to determine the mechanism for hole emission, we study the effect of the electric field across the tunnel oxide on the magnitude and trend of the V_t shift. The V_t shift is only achieved at electric fields above 1 MV/cm. This high field indicates that tunneling is the main mechanism. More specifically, phonon‐assisted tunneling (PAT) dominates at electric fields between 1.2 MV/cm < E < 2.1 MV/cm, while Fowler–Nordheim tunneling leads at higher fields (E > 2.1 MV/cm). (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)