Chemical Composition of Essential Oil from Pilea microphylla and its Antimicrobial Activity

Chemistry of Natural Compounds -     

Magnetic susceptibility and Eu Mössbauer studies on cubic ternary compounds: EuPtSi and EuPdSi

Two new equiatomic ternary compounds, EuPtSi and EuPdSi, have been synthesized and are found to crystallize in the cubic LaIrSi type structure. The magnetic susceptibility of both compounds follows Curie-Weiss behavior in the temperature range 10 to 300 K with an effective magnetic moment close to that of Eu²⁺ moment. The paramagnetic Curie temperatures are 5 K for EuPtSi and 9 K for EuPdSi. There is no clear indication of magnetic ordering in the susceptibility of both the compounds down to 4.2 K. However, ¹⁵¹Eu Mössbauer studies show a hyperfine split pattern in EuPtSi at 4.2 K indicating the onset of magnetic ordering. The ¹⁵¹Eu isomer shifts are temperature independent and are characteristic of the divalent Eu ion. All these results establish that the Eu ions are in a stable divalent state in these compounds.     

Comparative study of volatile oil compositions of two Plectranthus species from northern India

The leaf and inflorescence essential oils of Plectranthus rugosus Wall. (syn. Rabdosia rugosa Wall.) and Plectranthus incanus L. (syn. Plectranthus mollis L.), which grow wild in Uttarakhand, India, were analysed and compared by capillary gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The analysis led to the identification of 43 constituents, forming 89.5-93.6% of the total oil compositions. Both leaf and inflorescence oil of P. rugosus were dominated by sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (71.8%, 71.7%) represented by β-caryophyllene (36.2%, 29.8%), germacrene D (25.2%, 28.2%) and α-humulene (6.6%, 8.6%) as the major constituents. Conversely, the leaf and inflorescence oil of P. incanus were dominated by monoterpenoids (74.4%, 65.8%) with piperitenone oxide (44.2%, 38.5%), piperitone (8.6%, 12.2%) and terpinolene (14.5%, 10.2%) as major constituents. Piperitenone oxide, piperitone, cis- and trans-piperitols and trans-piperitol acetate were the marker constituents in P. incanus, which were not noted in the essential oil of P. rugosus.     

151Eu-Mössbauer investigation in some new ternary Eu2M3Si5 systems (M=Ni,Pd, Cu,Rh)

The series Eu₂M₃Si₅ (M=Ni, Cu, Pd, Rh) have been synthesised for the first time. The Ni, Cu, Pd systems form in U₂Co₃Si₅ type structure.¹⁵¹Eu Mössbauer spectroscopy shows that Eu is in valence fluctuating (VF) state in Ni system, while in Cu and Pd systems it is in stable divalent state. These observations are further confirmed by magnetic susceptibility studies. The material Eu₂Rh₃Si₅ shows two lines in the Mössbauer resonance, one of which shows VF behaviour.     

Structural,magnetic and151Eu Mössbauer studies on EuTCu4 (T-Al,Pd and Ag) compounds

New ternary compounds having the formula EuTCu₄ where T=Al, Pd and Ag have been synthesized. All these compounds are found to crystallize in the hexagonal CaCu₅ type structure. Magnetization measurements reveal that these compounds are magnetically ordered with magnetic moments close to 7 μ_B. The Curie temperatures obtained from low field ac susceptibility measurements are 26K, 25K and 50K for T-Al, Pd and Ag respectively.¹⁵¹Eu Mössbauer studies at room temperature show a large negative isomer shift relative to SmF₃. A hyperfine split pattern is observed at 4.2K in all these compounds, indicating that Eu ion is present in a divalent state and is magnetically ordered.     

Low binding energy satellites in the 3d X-ray photoelectron spectra of rare earths (R) in RMn2Si2 and RGa2

The 3_d core-level X-ray photoelectron spectra of rare earths (R) in RMn₂Si₂ (R = Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd) and RGa₂ (R = Pr, Nd, Sm) have been recorded. A structure has been detected on the low binding energy side of each of the 3d_{$\text{5}\text{2}$} and 3d_{$\text{3}\text{2}$} photoemission peaks. The structure identified as a shake-down satellite shows no chemical shift. The energy separation of the satellite has been measured with respect to the main 3d_{$\text{5}\text{2}$} peak. The present results have been examined in the light of recent experimental and theoretical reports.     

Volatile constituents of Origanum vulgare L., 'thymol' chemotype: variability in North India during plant ontogeny

Essential oils derived from six different phenophases, namely early vegetative stage, late vegetative stage, early flowering stage, full flowering stage (FFS), late flowering stage and seed shattering stage of Origanum vulgare L. grown in Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, India were investigated by GC and GC-MS. A total of 38 constituents, representing 97.4-99.7% of the total oil composition, were identified. Major components of oils were thymol (40.9-63.4%), p-cymene, (5.1-25.9%), γ-terpinene (1.4-20.1%), bicyclogermacrene (0.2-6.1%), terpinen-4-ol (3.5-5.9%), α-pinene (1.6-3.1%), 1-octen-3-ol (1.4-2.7%), α-terpinene (1.0-2.2%), carvacrol (<0.1-2.1%), β-caryophyllene (0.5-2.0%) and β-myrcene (1.2-1.9%). Thymol, terpinen-4-ol, 3-octanol, α-pinene, β-pinene, 1,8-cineole, α-cubebene and (E)-β-ocimene were observed to be higher during FFS. The study showed that plant stage had a significant effect on the essential oil content and composition of O. vulgare grown in the hilly tracks of Northern India.     

X-ray absorption spectroscopic study of a mixed valence system,EuPd2Si2

L₃ X-ray absorption spectroscopic study of Eu firmly establishes that the compound, EuPd₂Si₂, is a mixed valence system. It is found that the relative intensities of the absorption peaks corresponding to divalent and trivalent europium ions in EuPd₂Si₂ are a strong function of temperature.