Wavelength-scanning Talbot effect and its application for arbitrary three-dimensional step-height measurement

We demonstrate the phenomenon of Talbot self-image plane shift by tuning the wavelength of the broadband light source. A superluminescent diode (SLD) is used as a broad-band light source and an acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF) as wavelength-scanning device. A periodic grating is illuminated by the wavelength tuned light of SLD using AOTF and Talbot self-image plane is shifted continuously in the longitudinal direction without mechanically moving the grating. The wavelength-scanning Talbot effect is then implemented for the measurement of arbitrary step-height of discontinuous objects with extended range. The main advantages of the proposed system are non-mechanical scanning, high stability because of it’s common-path geometry and compactness. Since the measurement of the phase is not required the system is free from phase ambiguity problem and therefore, the range of measurement is large as compare to interferometric techniques.     

Photochemical and thermal transformations of azomethine imines

The thermal and photochemical fragmentations of a few bisazoalkenes have been investigated. 2-Phenyl-4,5-disubstituted-1, 2,3-triazoles were obtained both in the thermolysis and photolysis of 1, 2-bisphenylazo-(4, 4′-dichloro) stilbene, 1, 2-bisphenylazo(4, 4′-dimethoxy)stilbene, 1, 2-bisphenylazocyclohexene and o-(phenylazo) phenyldiazocyanide. Both 2, 3-bisphenylazo-2-butene and 1, 2-bisphenylazoethylene failed to undergo either photolysis or thermolysis in the expected manner. However, 2, 3-bisphenylazo-2-butene underwent an acid-catalysed valence isomerisation to anhydro 1-phenylimino-2-phenyl-4, 5-dimethyl-1, 2, 3-trizolium hydroxide, which on photolysis gave 2-phenyl-4, 5-dimethyl-1, 2, 3-triazole. The same iminotriazolium intermediate gave a cycloadduct, 2, 6-diphenyl-3, 3a-dimethyl-4, 5-dicarbomethoxypyrazolino [2.3.c][1.2.3] triazole, on treatment with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate, whereas treatment with carbon disulphide gave 2-phenyl-4, 5-dimethyl-1, 2, 3-triazole. Both photolysis and thermolysis of C-biphenylene-N^α(4-chlorophenyl)-N^β-cyanoazomethine imine gave 9-fluorenone-N- (4-chlorophenyl) anil. Photolysis of 1, 2-bisphenylazoacenaphthylene in methanol gave acenaphthenequinone monophenylhydrazone.     

Parallel synthesis of PNA-peptide conjugate libraries

An optimized semi-automatic protocol for parallel synthesis of up to 96 peptide nucleic acids (PNA) or PNA-peptide conjugates using Boc-protection strategy has been developed using a robotic system. The approach is illustrated by synthesizing PNA and PNA-peptide libraries varying between 15 and 27 amino acid units. The peptides (NLS (nuclear localization signal) or Tat-peptide) were attached to N-terminus of the PNA. The method was found to be far superior to that based on the SPOT/Fmoc protocol by which PNA oligomers are synthesized on a modified cellulose membrane. On a 0.5 micromole scale the method typically yielded 2 mg product of 90% purity by HPLC/MALDI-TOF analysis. This approach is suitable for screening of a large number of PNA and/or peptide sequences for biochemical and biological studies.     

Tris(2-ethylhexyl)phosphate as an extractant for trivalent gallium, indium and thallium

A systematic study of solvent extraction behaviour of gallium(III), indium(III) and thallium(III) with tris(2-ethylhexyl)phosphate from salicylate media has been undertaken and a scheme for their separation is proposed. The optimum extraction conditions are evaluated and described. The method is applicable to the analysis of standard aluminium and aluminium alloys samples. The results obtained are reproducible and accurate.     

Solid-phase development of chiral phosphoramidite ligands for enantioselective conjugate addition reactions

The development of a method for the optimization of chiral ligands for the steric steering of enantioselective Cu-catalyzed conjugate additions of Znalkyls to enones is described. The method is based on combinatorial principles and solid-phase techniques. It includes the combinatorial synthesis of chiral bispidine-derived ligands embodying a phosphoramidite group on the solid phase and their investigation in immobilized form in the conjugate addition of ZnEt2 to cyclohexenone as test reaction. The best identified ligands were also synthesized separately and investigated in its soluble form. The results obtained for the polymer-bound ligands correctly mirrored the performance of the soluble ligands. The library embodied members giving ee values varying between 3 and 67%. The "positional scanning" approach proved to be invalid for the study of the ligand system, indicating that this approach in general should be applied with care. Taken together, the method allowed for rapid and efficient optimization of the ligands and led to the development of the first enantioselective, Cu-catalyzed conjugate addition reaction with a polymer-bound ligand.     

Synthesis and utility of new amine/nucleobase addition products of allenylphosphonates

In the reaction of allenylphosphonates with amines/nucleobases, depending on the amine and the allenylphosphonate, either Z- or E-vinylphosphonate or allylphosphonate as a single isomer with a β-amino functionality was isolated. A simple route to phosphonates with a β-NH₂ group is developed by direct reaction with ammonia. In reactions with adenine, three different modes of reaction, with one of them involving an unusual cyclisation, are observed. The utility of (enamino)allyl phosphonate products thus obtained in the synthesis of (enamino)-1,3-butadienes via Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons (HWE) reaction is also demonstrated.     

Highly stereoselective synthesis of 2,5-disubstituted 3-vinylidene tetetrahydrofurans via Prins-type cyclization

[reaction: see text]. A novel synthetic methodology for 2,5-disubstituted tetrahydrofurans having an allenyl group at the 3-position via Prins-type cyclization was developed. The reaction led to excellent selectivity and moderate to high yields.     

An approximate max-flow min-cut relation for undirected multicommodity flow,with applications

In this paper, we prove the first approximate max-flow min-cut theorem for undirected multicommodity flow. We show that for a feasible flow to exist in a multicommodity problem, it is sufficient that every cut's capacity exceeds its demand by a factor ofO(logClogD), whereC is the sum of all finite capacities andD is the sum of demands. Moreover, our theorem yields an algorithm for finding a cut that is approximately minimumrelative to the flow that must cross it. We use this result to obtain an approximation algorithm for T. C. Hu's generalization of the multiway-cut problem. This algorithm can in turn be applied to obtain approximation algorithms for minimum deletion of clauses of a 2-CNF formula, via minimization, and other problems. We also generalize the theorem to hypergraph networks; using this generalization, we can handle CNF clauses with an arbitrary number of literals per clause.Most of the results in this paper were presented in preliminary form in Approximation through multicommodity flow,Proceedings, 31th Annual Symposium on Foundations of Computer Science (1990), pp. 726–737.Research supported by the National Science Foundation under NSF grant CDA 8722809, by the Office of Naval and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency under contract N00014-83-K-0146, and ARPA Order No. 6320, Amendament 1.Research supported by NSF grant CCR-9012357 and by an NSF Presidential Young Investigator Award.     

An extraction study of gallium, indium and thallium using TPASO as an extractant

A method is proposed for the extraction and individual separation of trivalent gallium, indium and thallium from salicylate media using triphenylarsine oxide dissolved in toluene as an extractant. The optimum extraction conditions are evaluated and described. The extracted metal ions are stripped and estimated spectrophotometrically following complexation with 4-(2-pyridylazo) resorcinol. A possible mechanism of the extraction is discussed. The method permits rapid and precise individual separation of gallium (III), indium (III) and thallium (III) and is applicable to the analysis of alloy samples.