Reactivity studies,structural characterization,and thermolysis of cubic titanosiloxanes: precursors to titanosilicate materials which catalyze olefin epoxidation

The cubic titanosiloxane [RSiO(3)Ti(OPr(i))](4) (R = 2,6-Pr(2)(i)C(6)H(3)NSiMe(3)) (1) is found to be relatively inert in its attempted reactions with alcohols and other acidic hydrogen containing compounds. The reaction of 1 with silanol (Bu(t)O)(3)SiOH however proceeds over a period of approximately 3 months to result in the hydrolysis of (Bu(t)O)(3)SiOH and yield the transesterification product [RSiO(3)Ti(OBu(t))](4) (2) rather than the expected [RSiO(3)Ti(OSi(OBu(t))(3))](4). Products 1 and 2 have been characterized by elemental analysis, thermal analysis, and spectroscopic techniques (IR, EI-MS, and NMR). The solid-state structures of both 1 and 2 have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Compounds 1 and 2 are isomorphous and crystallize in a cubic space group with a central cubic Ti(4)Si(4)O(12) core. Solid state thermolysis of 1 was carried at 450, 600, 800, 900, 1000, and 1200 degrees C in air, and the resulting titanosilicate materials 1a-f were characterized by spectroscopic (IR and DR UV), powder XRD, and electron microscopic methods. While, the presence of Ti-O-Si linkages appears to be dominant in the samples prepared at lower temperatures (450-800 degrees C), phase separation of anatase and rutile forms of TiO(2) occurs at temperatures above 900 degrees C as revealed by IR spectral and PXRD studies. The presence of octahedral titanium centers was observed by DR UV spectroscopy for the samples heated at higher temperatures. The use of new titanosilicate materials as catalysts for olefin epoxidation has been investigated. The titanosilicate materials produced at temperatures below 800 degrees C with a large number of Ti-O-Si linkages (or tetrahedral titanium centers) were found to be more active catalysts compared to the materials produced above 900 degrees C. The observed conversion in the epoxidation reactions was found to be somewhat low although the selectivity of the epoxide formation over the other possible oxidized products was found to be very good.     

Micron Particles of AlN/Al: Efficient,Novel, and Reusable Heterogeneous Catalyst for the Synthesis of Bis(indolyl)methanes

The present work introduces for the first time the catalytic utility of micron particulate aluminium nitride (AlN/Al) as a novel and reusable heterogeneous catalyst for the synthesis of bis(indolyl)methanes involving the electrophilic substitution of indoles on aldehydes. The catalyst is recyclable and works without any significant change in its catalytic activity.     

Assessment of inhalation exposure potential of broken uranium ore piles in low-grade uranium mine

This paper presents the assessment of inhalation exposure potential of broken uranium ore piles in different stopes of Jaduguda uranium mines of India. ²²²Rn emanation coefficient of broken uranium ore was measured in laboratory by collecting air sample from airtight glass jar containing ore sample. An attempt was also made to correlate the emanation coefficient with ²²⁶Ra content of the ore. The ²²²Rn progeny doses estimated based on radon activity concentration of broken ore, occupancy period and equilibrium ratio in different stopes were well below the prescribed limit of International Commission on Radiological Protection. The maximum ²²²Rn progeny dose contribution from broken ore piles was worked out to be 0.22 mSv year^?1. This suggests that the broken ore piles are not the significant contributor of inhalation exposure under the existing ventilation condition of Jaduguda uranium mine.     

Multiple parameter tuning of the bandwidth, wavelength and attenuation of a fiber-based acousto-optic tunable filter

In this paper we presented a method, which will allow multiple parameter control of the 3-dB bandwidth, center notch wavelength and attenuation level in a fiber-based acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF). The method basically involves the variation of the interaction length, RF frequency and RF power on a single-fiber device to achieve multiple parameters tuning of the optical filter. The acousto-optic (AO) interaction inside a single-mode fiber (SMF) was studied theoretically and experimentally.     

Sonocatalyzed synthesis of 2-phenylvaleronitrile under controlled reaction conditions--a kinetic study

In the current study, kinetics of synthesis of 2-phenylvaleronitrile (PVN) was successfully carried out by selective C-alkylation of benzyl cyanide (BC) with n-bromopropane (BP) using aqueous KOH and catalyzed by TBAB under ultrasonic (300W) assisted organic solvent-free conditions. Selective monoalkylation of benzyl cyanide has been achieved by controlling the reaction conditions and has been followed using gas chromatogram. The effects of various parameters such as agitation speed, catalyst concentration, KOH concentration, benzyl cyanide concentration, volume of water, ultrasonic frequency and temperature were studied systematically to understand their influence on the rate of the reaction. The experimental observations are consistent with an interfacial-type process. Further the kinetic results demonstrate clearly, that ultrasonic assisted phase-transfer catalysis significantly increased the reaction rate when compared to silent reactions.     

Synthesis and characterization of LSMO manganite-based biocomposite

In this paper we study the structural, morphological and magnetic properties of La_0.67Sr_0.33MnO₃ (LSMO) manganite nanoparticles (NPs) and its biocomposite, obtained by mixing NPs of hydroxyapatite (HA). From the studies of X-ray diffraction and Fourier transmission of infrared spectroscopy it is evident that in the biocomposite sample both the individual phases are distinguishable from each other. The measurements of direct current (DC) magnetization and hysteresis loops reveal that the basic magnetic behaviour of LSMO–HA is similar to that of LSMO; however, the admixture of HA makes the sample magnetically softer. From the investigation of transmission electron microscopy it is observed that such a biocomposite is composed of the NPs of LSMO surrounded by HA particles, which can be found suitable for biomedical applications.     

Synthesis and conformational studies of peptides from new C-linked carbo-beta-amino acids (beta-Caas) with anomeric methylamino- and difluorophenyl moieties

New C-linked carbo-beta-amino acids (beta-Caas), Cbz-(S)-beta-Caa-(NHBoc)-OMe (1) and Cbz-(R)-beta-Caa-(NHBoc)-OMe (2), with an additional amine group (methylamino group of NHBoc) at the C-1 position of the lyxofuranoside side chain and Boc-(S)-beta-Caa-(diFP)-OMe (3) and Boc-(R)-beta-Caa-(diFP)-OMe (4), with a C-difluorophenyl (diFP) moiety at the anomeric position of the lyxofuranoside side chain were prepared from D-mannose. Beta-peptides [tetra- and hexapeptides] were synthesized from these beta-Caas, 'epimeric' [at the amine stereocentre (C(beta))], using the concept of 'alternating chirality' to carry out their conformational studies [NMR (CDCl(3)), CD and MD]. In the monomer design, it was envisaged that the presence of an additional amine group in 1 or 2 would help in solubilizing the peptides in water, while, the C-difluorophenyl (diFP) moiety of 3 and 4 is expected to enhance the biological activity. The peptides having 1 and 2, though could not retain their 12-10-mixed helices in water, have shown moderate activity against gram positive and gram negative bacterial strains. The peptides prepared from 3 and 4, much against our expectations, did not display any biological activity.     

12/10- and 11/13-mixed helices in alpha/gamma- and beta/gamma-hybrid peptides containing C-linked carbo-gamma-amino acids with alternating alpha- and beta-amino acids

New classes of alpha/gamma- and beta/gamma-hybrid peptides have been synthesized with novel 12/10- and 11/13-mixed helical patterns, respectively. The alpha/gamma-peptides were derived from the dipeptide repeats with alternating arrays of l-Ala and gamma-Caa((l)) (C-linked carbo-gamma-amino acid from d-mannose), which generated a new 12/10-mixed helix, for the first time, without a beta-amino acid. The beta/gamma-peptides made from an alternating arrangement of beta-Caa((x)) (C-linked carbo-beta-amino acid) and gamma-Caa((x)) (C-linked carbo-gamma-amino acid from d-xylose), on the other hand, resulted in an unprecedented 11/13-helix. The secondary structures in these peptides have been ascertained from detailed NMR studies, and CD spectroscopy and molecular dynamics investigations provided additional support for the structures derived.