An effective and regioselective bromination of 1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarboxylic dianhydride using tribromoisocyanuric acid

A highly efficient and cost-effective reagent for the bromination of 1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarboxylic dianhydride under mild reaction conditions is reported. Bromination of 1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarboxylic dianhydride using tribromoisocyanuric acid (TBCA) in concentrated H₂SO₄ is very effective and regioselective. 1,4,5,8-Naphthalenetetracarboxylic dianhydride was brominated smoothly under optimized reaction conditions to give mono-, di- and tetra-brominated products in good to excellent yields using TBCA. As a proof of principle, the potential of this bromination methodology is demonstrated by converting brominated naphthalenetetracarboxylic dianhydrides into N-imide and core functionalized 1,4,5,8-napthalenetetracarboxylic diimides by treating with n-butylamine to yield corresponding mono-, di- and tetra-(n-butylamino)-naphthalene diimides in good yields in one-step reactions.     

A differentially selective sensor with fluorescence turn-on response to Zn2+ and dual-mode ratiometric response to Al3+ in aqueous media

A novel quinoline-coumarin (QC) fluoroionophore conjugated by means of a triazolyl-pyrrolidinyl linker exhibits differential dual selectivity for Zn(2+) and Al(3+) in mixed media. QC acts as a turn on fluorescence sensor for Zn(2+) while exhibiting overall ratiometric selectivity for Al(3+) in aqueous media. Moreover, QC exhibited preferential second mode of selectivity for Al(3+) as it ratiometrically displaces Zn(2+) from the [QC + Zn(2+)] complex.     

Rh2(OAc)4 catalyzed substrate selective [4+2]/[2+2] cycloaddition of acylketenes: a highly chemo- and regioselective synthesis of spiro(oxindolyl)oxazinones and β-lactams

A rhodium(II) catalyzed [4+2]/[2+2] cycloaddition reaction of N-protected isatin-3-arylimine with acylketene derived from α-diazocarbonyl compounds has been achieved for the first time for the preparation of a novel class of spiro(oxindolyl)oxazinone and spiro(oxindolyl)-β-lactam derivatives.     

Polyphenolics with Strong Antioxidant Activity from Acacia nilotica Ameliorate Some Biochemical Signs of Arsenic-Induced Neurotoxicity and Oxidative Stress in Mice

Neurotoxicity is a serious health problem of patients chronically exposed to arsenic. There is no specific treatment of this problem. Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathological process of neurotoxicity. Polyphenolics have proven antioxidant activity, thereby offering protection against oxidative stress. In this study, we have isolated the polyphenolics from Acacia nilotica and investigated its effect against arsenic-induced neurotoxicity and oxidative stress in mice. Acacia nilotica polyphenolics prepared from column chromatography of the crude methanol extract using diaion resin contained a phenolic content of 452.185 ± 7.879 mg gallic acid equivalent/gm of sample and flavonoid content of 200.075 ± 0.755 mg catechin equivalent/gm of sample. The polyphenolics exhibited potent antioxidant activity with respect to free radical scavenging ability, total antioxidant activity and inhibition of lipid peroxidation. Administration of arsenic in mice showed a reduction of acetylcholinesterase activity in the brain which was counteracted by Acacia nilotica polyphenolics. Similarly, elevation of lipid peroxidation and depletion of glutathione in the brain of mice was effectively restored to normal level by Acacia nilotica polyphenolics. Gallic acid methyl ester, catechin and catechin-7-gallate were identified in the polyphenolics as the major active compounds. These results suggest that Acacia nilotica polyphenolics due to its strong antioxidant potential might be effective in the management of arsenic induced neurotoxicity.     

Insecticidal potential of Ocimum canum plant extracts against Anopheles stephensi,Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus larval and adult mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae)

Mosquitoes have developed resistance to various synthetic insecticides, making their control increasingly difficult. Insecticides of botanical origin may serve as suitable natural control. This study evaluates the toxic potential of Ocimum canum (Sims) leaf extract and powder against Anopheles stephensi (Liston), Aedes aegypti (Lin) and Culex quinquefasciatus (Say) larval and adult mosquitoes. Larval mortality was observed after 24 h recovery period and adult smoke toxicity observed for 40 min duration at 10 min interval. Methanol extract of O. canum showed highest larval mortality against the larvae of C. quinquefasciatus LC₅₀ = 28.3225, LC₉₀ = 44.1150; Ae. aegypti LC₅₀ = 43.327, LC₉₀ = 61.249; and An. stephensi LC₅₀ = 30.2001, LC₉₀ = 48.2866 ppm. The smoke toxicities were 93% mortality in C. quinquefasciatus, 74% in Ae. aegypti and 79% in An. stephensi adults, respectively, whereas 100% mortality was recorded in the commercial mosquito control. Our results suggest that O. canum leaf extract and powder are natural insecticide, and ideal eco friendly approach for mosquito control.     

Transfer measurements for the Ti+Ni systems at near barrier energies

Large enhancements have been observed in the sub-barrier fusion cross sections for Ti+Ni systems in our previous studies. Coupled channel calculations incorporating couplings to 2⁺ and 3⁻ states failed to explain these enhancements completely. A possibilty of transfer channels contributing to the residual enhancements had been suggested. In order to investigate the role of relevant transfer channels, measurements of one- and two-nucleon transfer were carried out for ^46,48Ti+⁶¹Ni systems. The present paper gives the results of these studies.     

Silica iodide catalyzed,ultrasound-promoted,one-pot four-component synthesis of novel 1,4,5,6-tetrahydropyridine-3-carboxylate derivatives

Silica iodide catalyzed, competent synthesis of 15 novel substituted-1,4,5,6-tetrahydropyridine-3-carboxylate derivatives was achieved by a one-pot four-component cyclocondensation of Meldrum's acid, aryl aldehydes, aromatic amines and ethyl acetoacetate under ultrasonic irradiation. In comparison to the conventional methods, our protocol is convenient, eco-friendly and offers several benefits such as: mild conditions, high yields, shorter reaction time and ease in product isolation.     

Solvent‐Induced Helical Assembly and Reversible Chiroptical Switching of Chiral Cyclic‐Dipeptide‐Functionalized Naphthalenediimides

Understanding the roles of various parameters in orchestrating the preferential chiral molecular organization in supramolecular self‐assembly processes is of great significance in designing novel molecular functional systems. Cyclic dipeptide (CDP) chiral auxiliary‐functionalized naphthalenediimides (NCDPs 1 – 6 ) have been prepared and their chiral self‐assembly properties have been investigated. Detailed photophysical and circular dichroism (CD) studies have unveiled the crucial role of the solvent in the chiral aggregation of these NCDPs. NCDPs 1 – 3 form supramolecular helical assemblies and exhibit remarkable chiroptical switching behaviour (M‐ to P‐type) depending on the solvent composition of HFIP and DMSO. The strong influence of solvent composition on the supramolecular chirality of NCDPs has been further corroborated by concentration and solid‐state thin‐film CD studies. The chiroptical switching between supramolecular aggregates of opposite helicity (M and P) has been found to be reversible, and can be achieved through cycles of solvent removal and redissolution in solvent mixtures of specific composition. The control molecular systems (NCDPs 4 – 6 ), with an achiral or D ‐isomer second amino acid in the CDP auxiliary, did not show chiral aggregation properties. The substantial roles of hydrogen bonding and π–π interactions in the assembly of the NCDPs have been validated through nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), photophysical, and computational studies. Quantum chemical calculations at the ab initio, semiempirical, and density functional theory levels have been performed on model systems to understand the stabilities of the right (P‐) and left (M‐) handed helical supramolecular assemblies and the nature of the intermolecular interactions. This study emphasizes the role of CDP chiral auxiliaries on the solvent‐induced helical assembly and reversible chiroptical switching of naphthalenediimides.     

Continuous sampling plans for Markov-dependent production processes under limited inspection capacity

A continuous sampling plan is a set of rules that provide a given Average Outgoing Quality (AOQ), ideally with the minimum of effort (as measured by the Average Fraction Inspected, or AFI). Most such plans are based on the assumption that the quality (either defective or not) of successive production units is uncorrelated. In this paper, we explore the impact of correlation in the production process on the design of a sampling plan when it is not possible to inspect long runs of production unit-by-unit. We shall generalize Dodge's continuous sampling plan on two counts, replacing Level 1 100% inspection by 100f_o% inspection, and considering the production process to be Markov dependent instead of consisting of independent Bernoulli trials. We derive formulae for the AOQ and AFI, and consider how best to choose the sampling plan parameters in the presence of nonzero correlation.