Photopolymers: Synthesis and Characterization of Poly(3‐methacryloyloxystyryl‐2‐naphthyl ketone)

3‐Methacryloyloxystyryl‐2‐naphthyl ketone containing a photosensitive α,β‐unsaturated ketone moiety was synthesized and polymerized in methyl ethyl ketone using benzoyl peroxide as the initiator. The thermally stable polymer was characterized by means of UV, IR and NMR spectroscopy. The molecular weight data as obtained from gel permeation chromatography suggests a high tendency for chain termination by disproportionation. The photosensitivity of the polymer in the presence and absence of photosensitizers and the effect of solvent on the rate of photocrosslinking (see Figure) was also investigated.     

Heat release and burning behaviour of foam and foam/Basofil fabric combination

A comprehensive characterization of the heat release rate and burning behaviour of foam and foam/Basofil fabric combination has been carried out at different levels of heat flux varying from 10 to 70 kW/m² using cone calorimetry. Peak heat release rate (PHRR) was found to increase for foam and foam/fabric combination with the increase in the level of heat flux. However, considerable reduction in PHRR was noted for foam/fabric combination vis-à-vis that of foam alone. Foam/fabric combination was found to exhibit two-step decomposition behaviour at heat flux levels of 40 kW/m² and above due to the cracking of the char formed from the cover fabric. Flashover potential of the foam was considerably reduced by the fabric covering the foam. Carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide yields were found to be lower for foam/fabric combination. Smoke toxicity, as indicated by the index of combustion completeness, was found to be lower for the foam/fabric combination.     

Typical aromatic noncovalent interactions in proteins: A theoretical study using phenylalanine

A systematic study of CH ··· π, OH ··· π, NH ··· π, and cation ··· π interactions has been done using complexes of phenylalanine in its cationic, anionic, neutral, and zwitterionic forms with CH₄, H₂O, NH₃, and NH at B3LYP, MP2, MPWB1K, and M06‐2X levels of theory. All noncovalent interactions are identified by the presence of bond critical points (bcps) of electron density (ρ( r )) and the values of ρ( r ) showed linear relationship to the binding energies (E_total). The estimated E_total from supermolecule, fragmentation, and ρ( r ) approaches suggest that cation ··· π interactions are in the range of 36 to 46 kcal/mol, whereas OH ··· π, and NH ··· π interactions have comparable strengths of 6 to 27 kcal/mol and CH ··· π interactions are the weakest (0.62–2.55 kcal/mol). Among different forms of phenylalanine, cationic form generally showed the highest noncovalent interactions at all levels of theory. Cooperativity of multiple interactions is analyzed on the basis of ρ( r ) at bcps which suggests that OH ··· π and NH ··· π interactions show positive, whereas CH ··· π and cation ··· π interactions exhibit negative cooperativity with respect to the side chain hydrogen bond interactions. In general, side chain interactions are strengthened as a result of aromatic interaction. Solvation has no significant effect on the overall geometry of the complex though slight weakening of noncovalent interactions by 1–2 kcal/mol is observed. An assessment of the four levels of theory studied herein suggests that both MPWB1K and M06‐2X give better performance for noncovalent interactions. The results also support the fact that B3LYP is inadequate for the study of weak interactions. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 2009     

Wahl’s conjecture holds in odd characteristics for symplectic and orthogonal Grassmannians

It is shown that the proof by Mehta and Parameswaran of Wahl’s conjecture for Grassmannians in positive odd characteristics also works for symplectic and orthogonal Grassmannians.      

A regioselective multicomponent protocol for the synthesis of novel bioactive 4-hydroxyquinolin-2(1H)-one grafted monospiropyrrolidine and thiapyrrolizidine hybrids

An expedient route toward the synthesis of 4-hydroxyquinolone grafted spiropyrrolidines or pyrrolizidines has been accomplished through 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of various azomethine ylides derived from isatin or acenaphthalene and sarcosine with 4-hydroxyquinolone derivatives as dipolarophile. The regio and stereo chemical outcome of the cycloaddition reaction is ascertained by X-ray crystallographic studies and spectroscopic techniques of the cycloadducts. Furthermore, cytotoxicity evaluation of selected compounds showed significant inhibition of cell proliferation against cervical as well as colon cancer cell lines.     

Reporting of quantitative oxygen mapping in EPR imaging

Oxygen maps derived from electron paramagnetic resonance spectral-spatial imaging (EPRI) are based upon the relaxivity of molecular oxygen with paramagnetic spin probes. This technique can be combined with MRI to facilitate mapping of pO(2) values in specific anatomic locations with high precision. The co-registration procedure, which matches the physical and digital dimensions of EPR and MR images, may present the pO(2) map at the higher MRI resolution, exaggerating the spatial resolution of oxygen, making it difficult to precisely distinguish hypoxic regions from normoxic regions. The latter distinction is critical in monitoring the treatment of cancer by radiation and chemotherapy, since it is well-established that hypoxic regions are three or four times more resistant to treatment compared to normoxic regions. The aim of this article is to describe pO(2) maps based on the intrinsic resolution of EPRI. A spectral parameter that affects the intrinsic spatial resolution of EPRI is the full width at half maximum (FWHM) height of the gradient-free EPR absorption line in frequency-encoded imaging. In single point imaging too, the transverse relaxation times (T(2)(?)) limit the resolution since the signal decays by exp(-t(p)/T(2)(?)) where the delay time after excitation pulse, t(p), is related to the resolution. Although the spin densities of two point objects may be resolved at this separation, it is inadequate to evaluate quantitative changes of pO(2) levels since the linewidths are proportionately affected by pO(2). A spatial separation of at least twice this resolution is necessary to correctly identify a change in pO(2) level. In addition, the pO(2) values are blurred by uncertainties arising from spectral dimensions. Blurring due to noise and low resolution modulates the pO(2) levels at the boundaries of hypoxic and normoxic regions resulting in higher apparent pO(2) levels in hypoxic regions. Therefore, specification of intrinsic resolution and pO(2) uncertainties are necessary to interpret digitally processed pO(2) illustrations.     

The t-analog of the level one string function for twisted affine Kac–Moody algebras

We study Lusztig?s t-analog of weight multiplicities, or affine Kostka–Foulkes polynomials, associated to level one representations of twisted affine Kac–Moody algebras. We obtain an explicit closed form expression for the unique t-string function, using constant term identities of Macdonald and Cherednik. This extends previous work on t-string functions for the untwisted simply-laced affine Kac–Moody algebras.     

3‐Cyano‐6‐methyl‐4‐(2‐naphthyl­ethenyl)‐1‐benzo­pyran‐2‐one

In the title compound, C₂₃H₁₅NO₂, the naphthyl unit is planar and the benzo­pyran unit is nearly planar. These two moieties are inclined at an angle of 9.10 (6)° with respect to one another.     

Synthesis and optical properties of Cr doped ZnS nanoparticles capped by 2-mercaptoethanol

Nanoparticles of Zn_1−xCr_xS (x=0.00, 0.005, 0.01, 0.02 and 0.03) were prepared by a chemical co-precipitation reaction from homogenous solutions of zinc and chromium salts. These nanoparticles were sterically stabilized using 2-mercaptoethanol. Here a study of the effect of Cr doping on structural, morphological and optical properties of nanoparticles was undertaken. Elemental analysis, morphological, structural and optical properties have been investigated by energy dispersive analysis of X-rays (EDAX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV-visible spectroscopy .EDAX measurements confirmed the presence of Cr in the ZnS lattice. XRD showed that ZnS:Cr nanoparticles crystallized in zincblende structure with preferential orientation along (1 1 1) plane. The average sizes of the nanoparticles lay in the range of 3-6 nm and lattice parameters were in the range of 5.2-5.4 Å. Lattice contraction was observed with an increase of Cr concentration. The particle size and lattice parameters obtained from TEM and SAED images were in agreement with the XRD results. The absorption edge shifted to lower wavelengths with an increase in Cr concentration as per UV-Vis spectroscopy. The band gap energy values were in the range of 3.85-4.05 eV. This blueshift is attributed to the quantum confinement effect.