A synthetic approach to kingianin A based on biosynthetic speculation

A synthetic approach towards the structurally complex dimer, kingianin A is reported. The strategy involved a cascade of complexity generating reactions, inspired through biosynthetic speculation. A concise protecting group free synthesis of the proposed monomeric precursor pre-kingianin A has been achieved using a tandem Stille cross-coupling reaction and electrocyclisation process. However, preliminary studies of the key dimerisation reaction have been conducted, which indicate that the process is not spontaneous, raising questions as to the origin of this complex natural product.     

Room temperature palladium catalysed coupling of acyl chlorides with terminal alkynes

Conditions are reported for the facile, high-yielding coupling of acyl chlorides with terminal alkynes in a reaction involving palladium and copper iodide; the reaction is tolerant of a wide variety of acyl chlorides and terminal alkynes and provides a convenient one-pot route to acetylenic ketones.     

Improvements in the Sensitivity of Time Resolved Fluorescence Energy Transfer Assays

The effect on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) of multiple labelling of DNA oligonucleotides with donor lanthanide chelate and acceptor CyDye fluors has been investigated. It is shown that using a multiple donor lanthanide chelate with a single acceptor Cy or Cy5 can increase sensitivity and fluorescence output. The enhanced FRET observed in the multiple donor label system has been utilised in two different DNA based assay formats to demonstrate the advantages over a steady state fluorescence assay and a radiometric assay.     

Ring-modified analogues and molecular dynamics studies to probe the requirements for fungicidal activities of malayamycin A and its N-nucleoside variants

The importance of functional group orientations and the integrity of the bicyclic perhydrofuran core of malayamycin A and two equally active N-nucleoside analogues as fungicides were investigated. Two analogues 10 and 11, representing a THP-truncated and a bicyclic aza-variant, were synthesized and found to be inactive. Molecular dynamics studies on malayamycin A and analogues were performed to highlight the importance of properly orientating the urea and methyl ether groups.     

A silver-mediated one-step synthesis of oxazoles

A silver-mediated one-step procedure to 2,4-disubstituted and 2,4,5-trisubstituted oxazoles has been developed. The method is complementary to existing technologies, yet provides advantages with regard to simplicity, efficiency, and performance. The silver product can be readily recycled, thus minimizing waste.     

Device quality ZnO grown using a Filtered Cathodic Vacuum Arc

In this paper we report on the structural, electrical and optical characteristics of unintentionally doped ZnO films grown on a-plane sapphire substrates using the Filtered Cathodic Vacuum Arc (FCVA) technique. The resulting films showed considerable promise for device applications with properties including high transparency, moderate intrinsic carrier concentrations (10¹⁷–10¹⁹ cm⁻³), electron mobilities up to 30 cm²/Vs, low surface roughness (typically <2% of film thickness) and well-structured photoluminescence. Post-annealing in oxygen at temperatures up to 800 °C produced significant improvements in the properties of these films. Silver oxide Schottky diodes fabricated on FCVA ZnO showed ideality factors as low as 1.20 and good sensitivity to ultraviolet light.     

Then and now: James Clerk Maxwell and colour

A survey of the researches of James Clerk Maxwell into the production and perception of colour is presented, and links to a selection of present day applications of colour science are indicated. Although false colour photography was not known in Maxwell's time, aspects of his work, suitably interpreted, have a bearing on the wide applicability of the technique. An outline is given of one application of false colour to visualising and analysing data on fluid motion.     

Sum frequency generation studies of surfaces of high-surface-area powdered materials

We report the first observation of sum frequency generation (SFG) photons on high-surface-area powders, critically important materials in heterogeneous catalysis. We utilize SFG in total internal reflection (TIR) geometry and show that the TIR-SFG approach markedly reduces the destructive interference associated with nonlinear optical spectroscopy of small particle surfaces, making SFG studies of high-surface-area powders possible. The index of refraction of materials and their distance from the TIR-SFG prism are key parameters in generating and detecting the sum frequency signal. We find that TIR-SFG is highly sensitive to capillary condensation. To demonstrate the capability of the TIR-SFG technique, we measure the thermodynamics of methanol adsorption and desorption on high-surface-area SiO2.