Antimicrobial Hydantoin‐grafted Poly(ε‐caprolactone) by Ring‐opening Polymerization and Click Chemistry

Novel degradable and antibacterial polycaprolactone‐based polymers are reported in this work. The polyesters with pendent propargyl groups are successfully prepared by ring‐opening polymerization and subsequently used to graft antibacterial hydantoin moieties via click chemistry by a copper(I)‐catalyzed azide‐alkyne cycloaddition reaction. The well‐controlled chemical structures of the grafted copolymers and its precursors are verified by FT‐IR spectroscopy, NMR spectroscopy, and GPC characterizations. According to the DSC and XRD results, the polymorphisms of these grafted copolymers are mostly changed from semicrystalline to amorphous depending on the amount of grafted hydantoin. Antibacterial assays are carried out with Bacillus subtilis and two strains of Escherichia coli and show fast antibacterial action.

     

Observation of multiferroic properties in pyroxene NaFeGe2O6

We report the observation of multiferroicity in a clinopyroxene NaFeGe(2)O(6) polycrystal from the investigation of its electrical and magnetic properties. Following the previously known first magnetic transition at T(N1) = 13 K, a second magnetic transition appears at T(N2) = 11.8 K in the temperature dependence of the magnetization. A ferroelectric polarization starts to develop clearly at T(N2) rather than T(N1) and its magnitude increases up to ~13 μC m(-2) at 5 K, supporting the idea that the ferroelectric state in NaFeGe(2)O(6) stems from a helical spin order stabilized below T(N2). When a magnetic field of 90 kOe is applied, the electric polarization decreases to 9 μC m(-2) and T(N2) slightly increases by 0.5 K. At intermediate magnetic fields, around 28 and 78 kOe, anomalies in the magnetoelectric current, magnetoelectric susceptibility, and field derivative of magnetization curves are found, indicating field-induced spin-state transitions. Based on these electrical and magnetic properties, we provide a detailed low temperature phase diagram up to 90 kOe, and discuss the nature of each phase of NaFeGe(2)O(6).     

Measurements of radiative lifetime of high-lying odd parity energy levels of U I

We have measured the radiative lifetimes of nine odd-parity high-lying energy levels of atomic uranium (U I) using pump probe techniques. These measurements were carried out by employing a resonance ionisation mass spectrometry (RIMS) setup consisting of three dye lasers and a Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer (TOF-MS). In most of the cases, our measurement values match reasonably well with those reported in the literature; however, large deviations were also observed in two long-lived cases, which we have tried to explain. The lifetimes of three odd parity energy levels of U I were measured for the first time.     

Autoacetylation of Purified Calreticulin Transacetylase Utilizing Acetoxycoumarin as the Acetyl Group Donor

Our earlier reports documented that calreticulin, a multifunctional Ca²⁺-binding protein in endoplasmic reticulum lumen, possessed protein acetyltransferase function termed Calreticulin Transacetylase (CRTAase). The autoacetylation of purified human placental CRTAase concomitant with the acetylation of receptor proteins by a model acetoxycoumarin, 7,8-Diacetoxy-4-methylcoumarin, was observed. Here, we have examined the autoacetylation property of CRTAase by immunoblotting and mass spectrometry. Ca²⁺ was found to inhibit CRTAase activity. The inhibition of both autoacetylation of CRTAase as well as acetylation of the receptor protein was apparent when Ca²⁺ was included in the reaction mixture as visualized by interaction with anti-acetyl lysine antibody. The acetylation of lysines residues: −48, −62, −64, −153, and −159 in N-domain and −206, −207, −209, and −238 in P-domain of CRTAase were located by high-performance liquid chromatography-electronspray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Further, computer assisted protein structure modeling studies were undertaken to probe the effect of autoacetylation of CRTAase. Accordingly, the predicted CRTAase 3D model showed that all the loop regions of both N- and P-domain bear the acetylated lysines. Energy minimization of the acetylated residues revealed charge neutralization of lysines due to the N-ε-acetylation which may facilitate the interaction of CRTAase with the protein substrate and the subsequent transacetylase action. An erratum to this article can be found at     

A comprehensive review on recent material development of passive direct methanol fuel cell

Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) within all types of fuel cells are the most viable alternative to lithium-ion batteries in the portable application and recently attracted much attention. This study reviews on passive DMFC material development with emphasis on to the performance activity, cost, durability and stability aspect. This paper has reported the basic desirable characteristics of each component with their material development. This paper has reviewed all possible materials of passive DMFC component, which can make the passive DMFC compact and feasible energy source in the future.     

Compositional effect on thermo-mechanical,thermal and tensile properties of cis-polyisoprene and chloroprene rubber blends

Blends of cis-polyisoprene (CPI) and chloroprene rubber (CR) have been prepared in different blend compositions by solution casting. Structural characterization of these blends has been done using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The experimental values of thermo-mechanical properties, mechanical properties and thermal conductivity of so-prepared blends determined using dynamic mechanical analyzer and thermal constant analyzer have been presented. Crosslink density has been determined using different models. Experimental results from thermo-mechanical properties show that all the blends are immiscible. Tensile strength, toughness, Young's modulus and thermal conductivity of these blends were found to be higher than that of pure CPI and pure CR. However, mechanical properties of 25/75(V/V) of CPI/CR blend and thermal conductivity of 75/25(V/V) of CPI/CR blend have been found to be highest.     

Rare earth metal initiated ring‐opening polymerization of lactones

The progress in the synthesis of organolanthanide complexes supports the exploration of these compounds as initiators for ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) of lactones. The performance of these initiators in terms of yield, molecular weight, polydispersity, stereoregularity is affected by the ligands and by the oxidation state of the respective rare earth metals. Several initiators are known to initiate living polymerization of lactones with excellent polydispersities of the thus obtained polymers. Differences in the performance of the initiators are caused by differences in the initiation mechanism, chain growth mechanism, or side reactions. ROP of lactones was extended to block‐ and graft copolymerization with polylactones, polylactides, and polyolefins either by simply utilizing living polymer chain ends, by transformation of living polymer chain ends, or by usage of polyinitiators.     

Classical Einstein–Langevin equation and proposed applications

We propose a Classical Einstein–Langevin equation, for certain applications in Astrophysics and Cosmology. The domain of applications and the formulation are quite different than its semiclassical counterpart, which is an active area of research and inspires one to carry out this new formalism. The field of study can be seen to emerge out of well established ideas and results in Stochastic Processes in Newtonian Physics and the Physics in curved spacetime. This is an effort to combine ideas from the two areas to get meaningful and new physical results in astrophysics and cosmology. A brief calculation, to demonstrate the contribution of stochasticity and induced fluctuations to the spacetime metric, for static spherically symmetric relativistic stars by heuristic solution of the Classical Einstein–Langevin equation is given. The applicability of the proposed formalism can have a wider expanse than is mentioned in this article.     

Well‐Defined N‐Heterocyclic Carbene‐Palladium Complexes as Efficient Catalysts for Domino Sonogashira Coupling/Cyclization Reaction and C‐H bond Arylation of Benzothiazole

Well‐defined and air‐stable PEPPSI (Pyridine Enhanced Precatalyst Preparation Stabilization and Initiation) themed palladium bis‐N‐heterocyclic carbene complexes have been developed for the domino Sonogashira coupling/cyclization reaction of 2‐iodophenol with a variety of terminal alkynes and C‐H bond arylation of benzothiazole with aryl iodides. The PEPPSI themed palladium complexes, 2a and 2b were synthesized in good yields from the reaction of corresponding imidazolium salts with PdCl₂ and K₂CO₃ in pyridine. The new air‐stable palladium‐NHC complexes were characterized by NMR spectroscopy, X‐ray crystallography, elemental analysis, and mass spectroscopy studies. The PEPPSI themed palladium(II) bis‐N‐heterocyclic carbene complexes 2a and 2b exhibited excellent catalytic activities for domino Sonogashira coupling/cyclization reaction of 2‐iodophenol with terminal alkynes yielding benzofuran derivatives. In addition, the palladium complexes, 2a and 2b successfully catalyzed the direct C‐H bond arylation of benzothiazole with aryl iodides as coupling partners in presence of CuI as co‐catalyst.     

Generalized incomplete Trojan-type designs

Generalized incomplete Trojan-type designs are defined to be row–column designs in which each cell, corresponding to the intersection of row and column, contains more than one treatment and the rows are incomplete. A method of constructing generalized incomplete Trojan-type design has been developed and some properties of this class of designs are discussed.