Advances in materials for room temperature hydrogen sensors

Hydrogen (H(2)), as a source of energy, continues to be a compelling choice in applications ranging from fuel cells and propulsion systems to feedstock for chemical, metallurgical and other industrial processes. H(2), being a clean, reliable, and affordable source, is finding ever increasing use in distributed electric power generation and H(2) fuelled cars. Although still under 0.1%, the distributed use of H(2) is the fastest growing area. In distributed H(2) storage, distribution, and consumption, safety continues to be a critical aspect. Affordable safety systems for distributed H(2) applications are critical for the H(2) economy to take hold. Advances in H(2) sensors are driven by specificity, reliability, repeatability, stability, cost, size, response time, recovery time, operating temperature, humidity range, and power consumption. Ambient temperature sensors for H(2) detection are increasingly being explored as they offer specificity, stability and robustness of high temperature sensors with lower operational costs and significantly longer operational lifetimes. This review summarizes and highlights recent developments in room temperature H(2) sensors.     

Breast tumor cell detection at single cell resolution using an electrochemical impedance technique

Gold micro-electrodes with various diameters (25, 50, 75, 100 and 250 μm) were manufactured using standard micro-fabrication techniques and optimized for counting of MCF-7 cells (breast tumor cells) with single cell resolution. For specific cell capture, anti-EpCAM was immobilized on 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (11-MUA)-3-mercaptopropionic acid (3-MPA) mixed self-assembled monolayer (SAM) modified gold surface of micro-electrodes. Electrodes were characterized using optical, cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopic (EIS) techniques. Cell capture response recorded using EIS suggested that optimum electrode dimensions should be analogous to desired cell size. For MCF-7 cells with an average diameter of 18 ± 2 μm, an electrode with 25 μm diameter was established as the optimum electrode size for precise single cell recognition and enumeration. In EIS investigation, the 25 μm electrode exhibited an impedance change of ~2.2 × 10(7) Ω in response to a single tumor cell captured on its surface. On the other hand other electrodes (250, 100, 75 and 50 μm) showed much less response for a single tumor cell. In future, the use of high density arrays of such electrodes with surface modifications will result in miniaturized lab on a chip devices for precise counting of MCF-7 cells with single cell resolution.     

Synthesis of (+)-L-733,060, (+)-CP-99,994 and (2S,3R)-3-hydroxypipecolic acid: application of an organocatalytic direct vinylogous aldol reaction

The γ-butenolide obtained from an organocatalyzed, direct vinylogous aldol reaction of γ-crotonolactone and benzaldehyde serves as the key starting material in the expedient synthesis of a 3-hydroxy-2-phenyl piperidine intermediate which is converted to the target 2,3-disubstituted piperidines.     

Design,Synthesis, Characterization,and Antimicrobial Activity of Biginelli Products of Indandione

A simple and efficient method has been developed for the synthesis of 4‐(substituted phenyl)‐3,4‐dihydro‐1H‐indeno [1,2‐d] pyrimidine‐2,5‐dione (5) and 4‐(substituted phenyl)‐2‐thioxo‐1,2,3,4‐tetrahydroindeno [1,2‐d] pyrimidine‐5‐one (6) , by a one‐pot three component cyclocondensation reaction of 1,3 dicarbonyl compound (Indandione) (1) , aromatic aldehyde (2) , and urea/thiourea (3/4) using catalytic amount of conc. HCl in refluxing ethanol. Representative samples were screened for their antimicrobial activity against gram‐negative bacteria, E coli and Paeruginosa and gram‐positive bacteria, S aureus, and C diphtheriae using disc diffusion method. The structures of the products were confirmed by IR, ¹H, ¹³C NMR, and elemental analysis.     

Acyclic Edge Coloring of Triangle‐Free Planar Graphs

An acyclic edge coloring of a graph is a proper edge coloring such that there are no bichromatic cycles. The acyclic chromatic index of a graph is the minimum number k such that there is an acyclic edge coloring using k colors and is denoted by a′(G). It was conjectured by Alon, Sudakov and Zaks (and much earlier by Fiamcik) that a′(G) ? Δ + 2, where Δ = Δ(G) denotes the maximum degree of the graph. If every induced subgraph H of G satisfies the condition |E(H)| ? 2|V(H)|?1, we say that the graph G satisfies Property A. In this article, we prove that if G satisfies Property A, then a′(G) ? Δ + 3. Triangle‐free planar graphs satisfy Property A. We infer that a′(G) ? Δ + 3, if G is a triangle‐free planar graph. Another class of graph which satisfies Property A is 2‐fold graphs (union of two forests). © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory     

Self-propulsion of nematic drops: novel phase separation dynamics in impurity-doped nematogens

We report a novel phase separation dynamics, mediated by self-propelled motion of the nucleated drops, in a mixture of a nematogen and an isotropic dopant. We show that surface flow, induced by the gradient in the concentration of the dopant expelled by the growing drops, provides the driving force for the propulsion of nematic droplets. While the liquid crystal-isotropic transition is used here to demonstrate the phenomenon, self-propulsion should be observable in many other systems in which the dynamics of a conserved order parameter is coupled to a nonconserved order parameter.     

A competitive molecular recognition study: syntheses and analysis of supramolecular assemblies of 3,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid and its bromo derivative with some N-donor compounds

A molecular recognition study of 3,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (1) and its bromo derivative 4-bromo-3,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2) with the N-donor compounds 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethene (bpyee), 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane (bpyea), and 4,4'-bipyridine (bpy) is reported. Thus, the syntheses and structural analysis of molecular adducts 1 a-1 c (1 with bpyee, bpyea, and bpy, respectively) and 2 a-2 c (2 with bpyee, bpyea, and bpy, respectively) are discussed. In all these adducts, recognition between the constituents is established through either O--H...N and/or O--H...N/C--H...O pairwise hydrogen bonds. In all the adducts both OH and COOH functional groups available on 1 and 2 interact with the N-donor compounds, except in 2 a, in which only COOH (COO-) is involved in the recognition process. The COOH moieties in 1 a, 1 b, and 2 b form only single O--H...N hydrogen bonds, whereas in 1 c and 2 c, they form pairwise O--H...N/C--H...O hydrogen bonds. In addition, subtle differences in the recognition patterns resulted in the formation of cyclic networks of different dimensions. In fact, only 1 c forms a four-molecule cyclic moiety, as was already documented in the literature for this kind of assemblies. All complexes have been characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The supramolecular architectures are quite elegant and simple, with stacking of sheets in all adducts, but a rather complex network with a threefold interpenetration pattern was found in 2 c.     

Dioxygen activation at non-heme diiron centers: characterization of intermediates in a mutant form of toluene/o-xylene monooxygenase hydroxylase

We report the generation and characterization of an intermediate in a mutant form of the toluene/o-xylene monooxygenase hydroxylase component from Pseudomonas stutzeri OX1. The reaction of chemically reduced I100W variant in the presence of the coupling protein, ToMOD, with dioxygen was monitored by stopped-flow UV/visible spectroscopy. Rapid-freeze quench (RFQ) samples were also generated for EPR and M?ssbauer spectroscopy. A transient species is observed in the UV/visible spectrum with an absorption maximum at 500 nm. EPR and M?ssbauer spectra of RFQ samples identified this species as a diiron(III,IV) cluster spin-coupled to a neutral W radical. A diamagnetic precursor to the mixed-valent diiron(III,IV) was also observed at an earlier time point, with M?ssbauer parameters typical of high-spin FeIII. We have tentatively assigned this antiferromagnetically coupled diiron(III) intermediate as a peroxo-bridged cluster, and this complex has also been observed in preliminary studies of the wild-type hydroxylase.     

An efficient approach towards three component coupling of one pot reaction for synthesis of functionalized benzopyrans

Three component coupling of one pot reaction which servers as the most convenient route to the synthesis of benzopyran derivatives using the TiCl₄ catalyst (10 mol %) under solvent free conditions is described. The procedure offers a systematic method with a number of advantages including operational simplicity, neat reactions, reduced reaction time, high yields of products and applicability to large scale reactions.     

Comparison of microwave-assisted and conventional preparations of cyclic imides

Microwave-assisted preparation of several cyclic imides was performed with four different cyclic anhydrides. All the reactions are significantly faster and the isolated yields are significantly higher compared to conventionally heated reactions. Furthermore, many of these reactions can be performed with a minimal amount of solvent, thereby enabling the synthetic chemist to obtain high quantities of pure cyclic imides in a matter of hours.