Lanthanum(Ⅲ) sorption studies on poly[dibenzo-18-crown-6] and its separation from uranium(Ⅵ) and thorium(Ⅳ) in L-valine medium

The sorption study of La(Ⅲ) was carried out on poly[dibenzo-18-crown-6] and L-valine medium. The quantitative adsorption of La(Ⅲ) was found at 1x10-2 to 1x10-5 mol/L L-valine. The various eluting agents were found efficient eluents for La(Ⅲ). The capacity of crown polymer for La(Ⅲ) was found to be 0.43 ±0.01 mmol/g. The tolerance limit of various cations and anions for La(Ⅲ) was determined.La(Ⅲ) was quantitatively separated from other metal ions in binary as well as multicomponont mixtures. The study was extended to sequen-tial separation of La(Ⅲ), U(Ⅵ) and Th(Ⅳ). The good separation yields were obtained and had good reproducibility (±2%). The method in-corporated the determination of La(Ⅲ) in real sample. The method was simple, rapid and selective.     

Studies on influence of reflux time on synthesis of nanocrystalline TiO2 prepared by peroxotitanate complex solutions

Aqueous peroxotitanate complex (PTC) precursor was used to obtain phase pure anatase nanocrystaline TiO₂. A wet chemical synthesis route was used in which number of aqueous solutions of PTC was refluxed for different time intervals to study the effect of reflux time on final product. Several characterization techniques were used such as DSC–TGA, XRD, UV–Vis, SEM and TEM. The study revealed that there is a significant influence of reflux time on structural, morphological and optical properties of TiO₂. As reflux time of PTC has been increased, crystallite size found to be increased. Also, surface morphology of TiO₂ nanoparticles changed from ‘hexagonal shape’ to ‘rice like’ shape and further in ‘ellipsoid rod like’ shape. Optical band gap energy and refractive index incurred to be altered with respect to reflux time of PTC. Detailed study of refluxed PTC solutions has been reported for the first time in the literature.     

Synthesis and Properties of Monodisperse Superparamagnetic Mg_（0.8）Mn_（0.2）Fe_2O_4 Nanoparticles Using Polyol Reflux Method

Superparamagnetic monodisperse Mg0.8Mn0.2Fe2O4 nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized in liquid polyol at elevated temperature of 200 °C. Diethylene glycol(DEG) used here plays dual role in synthesis as it acts as reducing agent and alternatively coats the surface of nanoparticles while synthesis and thereby maintaining uniform size and dispersibility. Powder X-ray diffraction(XRD) and magnetic measurements showed that the sample is cubic spinel and superparamagnetic at room temperature. Raman spectra confirmed the formation of the Mg0.8Mn0.2Fe2O4 nanoparticles.The nanoparticles exhibit very good stability in water due to in situ coating with DEG molecules.     

Direct synthesis and characterization of high temperature stable anatase TiO2 nanospheres from peroxo-titanium complex

Phase pure anatase nanospherical TiO₂ has been obtained by sol dissolution method using TiCl₃ as a precursor. The effect of annealing temperature on the properties of TiO₂ has been studied and discussed. The structural, morphological and optical properties of the synthesized powder were determined using XRD, SEM, AFM, TEM, UV-Visible and flourimetry. The anatase phase of synthesized TiO₂ using this method has a higher thermal stability up to 800 °C after which it is transformed into rutile phase. The crystallite size increases with the annealing temperature. The shift in absorption towards the visible region is observed for the anatase phase. The material showed fluorescence properties emitting light of 410 nm. The study also evaluated the photodegradation of a congo red as model dye. The TiO₂ powder has shown good catalytic properties due to its high surface area. The proposed method is simple, fast, and efficient and reproducible for the synthesis of homogeneous nanospheres of TiO₂, which will be applicable in possible optoelectronic devices.     

Anchor node path planning for localization in wireless sensor networks

Wireless Networks - Localization is one of the most important challenges of wireless sensor networks because the location information is typically used in other domains such as coverage,...     

Superparamagnetic CoFe_2O_4@Au with High Specific Absorption Rate and Intrinsic Loss Power for Magnetic Fluid Hyperthermia Applications

CoFe_2O_4 nanoparticles(NPs) and surface modified with gold(Au) have been synthesized by a thermal decomposition method. The obtained NPs and formation of CoFe_2O_4@Au core–shell(CS) were confirmed by characterizing their structural and optical properties using X-ray powder diffraction(XRD) patterns, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,Raman spectroscopy, UV–Visible and photoluminescence studies. Morphological and compositional studies were carried out using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, while the magnetic properties were determined using alternating gradient magnetometer and Mossbauer to define the magneto-structural effects of shell formation on the core NPs. Induction heating properties of CoFe_2O_4 and CoFe_2O_4@Au CS magnetic nanoparticles(MNPs) have been investigated and correlated with magneto-structural properties. Specific absorption rate and intrinsic loss power were calculated for these MNPs within the human tolerable range of frequency and amplitude,suggesting their potential in magnetic fluid hyperthermia therapy for possible cancer treatment.     

A Lucifer‐Based Environment‐Sensitive Fluorescent PNA Probe for Imaging Poly(A) RNAs

Fluorescence‐based oligonucleotide (ON) hybridization probes greatly aid the detection and profiling of RNA sequences in cells. However, certain limitations such as target accessibility and hybridization efficiency in cellular environments hamper their broad application because RNAs can form complex and stable structures. In this context, we have developed a robust hybridization probe suitable for imaging RNA in cells by combining the properties of 1) a new microenvironment‐sensitive fluorescent nucleobase analogue, obtained by attaching the Lucifer chromophore ( 1,8‐naphthalimide) at the 5‐position of uracil, and 2) a peptide nucleic acid (PNA) capable of forming stable hybrids with RNA. The fluorescence of the PNA base analogue labeled with the Lucifer chromophore, when incorporated into PNA oligomers and hybridized to complementary and mismatched ONs, is highly responsive to its neighboring base environment. Notably, the PNA base reports the presence of an adenine repeat in an RNA ON with reasonable enhancement in fluorescence. This feature of the emissive analogue enabled the construction of a poly(T) PNA probe for the efficient visualization of polyadenylated [poly(A)] RNAs in cells—poly(A) being an important motif that plays vital roles in the lifecycle of many types of RNA. Our results demonstrate that such responsive fluorescent nucleobase analogues, when judiciously placed in PNA oligomers, could generate useful hybridization probes to detect nucleic acid sequences in cells and also to image them.     

Responsive Fluorescent PNA Analogue as a Tool for Detecting G‐quadruplex Motifs of Oncogenes and Activity of Toxic Ribosome‐Inactivating Proteins

Fluorescent oligomers that are resistant to enzymatic degradation and report their binding to target oligonucleotides (ONs) by changes in fluorescence properties are highly useful in developing nucleic‐acid‐based diagnostic tools and therapeutic strategies. Here, we describe the synthesis and photophysical characterization of fluorescent peptide nucleic acid (PNA) building blocks made of microenvironment‐sensitive 5‐(benzofuran‐2‐yl)‐ and 5‐(benzothiophen‐2‐yl)‐uracil cores. The emissive monomers, when incorporated into PNA oligomers and hybridized to complementary ONs, are minimally perturbing and are highly sensitive to their neighboring base environment. In particular, benzothiophene‐modified PNA reports the hybridization process with significant enhancement in fluorescence intensity, even when placed in the vicinity of guanine residues, which often quench fluorescence. This feature was used in the turn‐on detection of G‐quadruplex‐forming promoter DNA sequences of human proto‐oncogenes (c‐myc and c‐kit). Furthermore, the ability of benzothiophene‐modified PNA oligomer to report the presence of an abasic site in RNA enabled us to develop a simple fluorescence hybridization assay to detect and estimate the depurination activity of ribosome‐inactivating protein toxins. Our results demonstrate that this approach with responsive PNA probes will provide new opportunities to develop robust tools to study nucleic acids.