Water mediated deprotective intramolecular hydroamination of N-propargylaminopyridines: synthesis of imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines

Metal-free synthesis of substituted imidazole [1,2-a]pyridines from deprotective N-(prop-2-yn-1-yl)pyridin-2-amines in water is elucidated. Electron releasing substituents on pyridine ring provided pure products in quantitative yields without separation by column chromatography.     

Synthesis,Properties, and Applications of Amino Acids Based Surfactants: A Review

Amino acids based surfactants belong to the class of surfactants with high biodegradability, low toxicity and excellent surface active properties. They possess excellent emulsifying, detergency properties and form fine lather. These surfactants are environment friendly, mild to skin and eyes, and have hard water tolerance. This article reviews types, synthesis, various surface properties such as cmc (critical micelle concentration), surface tension, phase behavior, Krafft temperature, and interfacial adsorption of these surfactants. The biological properties such as antimicrobial activity, aquatic toxicity, biodegradability and hemolytic activity have also been focused. The various applications of amino acid based surfactants in the area of life sciences such as gene transfection, formation of liposomes, and drug delivery systems have also been reviewed.     

Synthesis, characterization and ion transport properties of hot-pressed solid polymer electrolytes (1−x) PEO:x KI

Synthesis and ion transport properties of hot-pressed solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs), (1-x) PEO: x KI, where x is the content of KI in wt%, are reported. A hot-press technique has been used for the formation of the polymeric membranes in place of the usual solution cast method. The composition (80PEO:20KI) was identified as the highest conducting polymer electrolyte on the basis of compositional dependent conductivity studies of PEO:KI films. A conductivity enhancement of more than two orders of magnitude from that of the pure PEO was achieved. Materials characterization and ion transport mechanism were explained by using various experimental techniques.     

Computer modelling of the director configuration in a supertwist nematic liquid crystal cell

Abstract

The director distribution in a supertwist nematic cell, containing La-Roche liquid crystal mixture 3010, has been studied extensively using Berreman's computer simulation approach. It is seen that the director distribution in the cell depends critically on the total twist angle θ_t, the surface tilt angle θ_o and the ratio of the cell thickness to the pitch d/p. The values of θ_o and φ_t have been optimized to yield a small bistability (ΔV = 0.06 V) and a relatively large change in the midplane tilt angle (Δθ_m = 51°) in an unstrained cell with ?_t = (d/p) × 360°. The optimum values of θ_o and Ø_t were found to be 15° and 240°, respectively. The effect of varying d/p on the director distribution has also been studied in great detail in supertwist cells with θ_o = 30° and Ø_t = 270°. Some interesting features in understrained and overstrained cells have been observed.     

Blue phase III widening in CE6-dispersed surface-functionalised CdSe nanoparticles

The phase transition behaviour of the chiral liquid crystal CE6 doped with spherical surface-functionalised CdSe nanoparticles has been examined by means of high-resolution adiabatic scanning calorimetry and polarising microscopy. The addition of nanoparticles results in an essentially stabilised blue phase III. The phase diagram is displayed upon heating and cooling and the enthalpy changes involved in the conversion between the blue phases are determined. The dispersion of functionalised nanoparticles is prominent for the stabilisation of blue phase III, which is potentially useful for applications, especially if applied on liquid crystals that exhibit blue phases close to room temperature.     

Metal-based anticancer agents: targeting androgen-dependent and androgen-independent prostate and COX-positive pancreatic cancer cells by phenanthrenequinone semicarbazone and its metal complexes

A planar, polycyclic and aromatic hydrocarbon ligand, namely 9,10-phenanthrenequinone semicarbazone, and its transition metal complexes have been synthesized and structurally characterized. The in vitro antiproliferative activity of these compounds against five human cancer cell lines revealed that they were effective against androgen receptor-positive/negative prostate cancer cells as well as COX-positive pancreatic BxPC-3 cancer cell line. The driving force behind such antiproliferative activity seems to be the up-regulated COX expression in these cells, which was amenable for targeting through metal complexation. These structural motifs can, therefore, serve as a starting point for developing novel cytotoxic agents against the growing number of prostate and pancreatic cancers.     

Cobalt(III) complexes of unsaturated carboxylic acids: synthesis, characterization, and photochemical studies in aqueous medium

Cobalt(III) ammine complexes coordinated to carboxylic acids are classic examples showing photoredox reactions originating from the ligand to metal charge transfer excited states. Cobalt(III) pentaammine complexes coordinated to unsaturated carboxylic acids as ligands were synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic methods. The photolysis of these complexes produces a carboxylate free radical. This free radical undergoes further transformation to form organic photoproducts. The organic photoproducts were characterized by spectroscopic methods. The nature of the decomposition products from the organic photoproduct was examined in detail. The quantum yields were also determined. The photochemical reactions have the potential to produce novel compounds from the decarboxylation of unsaturated acids, which shows interesting reaction pathways.     

Sol–gel synthesis and optical behavior of Mg–Ce–O nano-crystallites

The Mg–Ce–O powder are shown to contain periclase-type MgO and/or fluoride-type cerium oxide (CeO₂) depending upon the composition (x) defined by Ce/(Ce + Mg) atomic ratio. Lattice contraction of pariclase phase of MgO (average crystallite size ~8.8 nm) at Ce content of ‘x’ = 0.20 in comparison to pure MgO (crystallite size ~9.5 nm) has been realized due to oxygen vacancy formation. The optical band gap values of CeO₂ varies (3.0–3.2 eV) due to oxygen vacancy formation in CeO₂ phase, crystallite size and/or Ce³⁺/Ce⁴⁺ ratio. Further, the addition of Ce has shown to reduce the physisorption and chemisorption of water significantly as reflected by (1) suppression of related absorption peaks and (2) absence of magnesium hydroxide, Mg(OH)₂, bands in Fourier transform infrared spectra.     

Novel Tripod Amphiphiles for Membrane Protein Analysis

Integral membrane proteins play central roles in controlling the flow of information and molecules across membranes. Our understanding of membrane protein structures and functions, however, is seriously limited, mainly due to difficulties in handling and analysing these proteins in aqueous solution. The use of a detergent or other amphipathic agents is required to overcome the intrinsic incompatibility between the large lipophilic surfaces displayed by the membrane proteins in their native forms and the polar solvent molecules. Here, we introduce new tripod amphiphiles displaying favourable behaviours toward several membrane protein systems, leading to an enhanced protein solubilisation and stabilisation compared to both conventional detergents and previously described tripod amphiphiles.     

Vasicine as tridentate ligand for enantioselective addition of diethylzinc to aldehydes

The first report of natural l-vasicine as tridentate chiral ligand for the enantioselective addition of diethylzinc to a variety of aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes is described. The ligand generates R-isomer of the secondary alcohols upto 98% ee. The quinazoline structure possibly imparts rigidity to the ligand and hence, consistently high enantioselectivity. The importance of the quinazoline ring was also supported by the reaction with other related ligands, partially lacking the structural features, thus resulting in poor enantioselectivity.