Using Water as a Design Element in Crystal Engineering. Host-Guest Compounds of Hydrated 3,5-Dihydroxybenzoic Acid

Thirteen host guest compounds of 3,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHBA) have been structurally characterized. Water molecules occupy the peripheries of a hexagonal void, created with DHBA molecules, and act as ``hooks'' to connect the guest molecules with the host-framework via hydrogen bonding. The ``water hook'' is an OH group acting as a donor. Consequently, the guest molecules were chosen so that they contain good hydrogen bond acceptor functionalities. A number of multicomponent hydrates were isolated with stoichiometries (DHBA)(x)(H2O). (guest),. Of these, compounds with the following as guests were obtained as crystals that were good enough for single crystal work: ethyl acetate (EtOAc), diethyl oxalate, dimethyl oxalate, di(n-propyl) oxalate, diethyl malonate, diethyl succinate, chloroacetonitrile, N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF), acetone, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), 1-propanol, and 2-butanol. From 2-butanol, a hemihydrate, (DHBA)(2)(H2O), was also obtained concomitantly. Further to guest stabilization, water acts as a good mediator of effective crystal packing and also determines the topology of the host framework. En the present series of compounds, the role of water is wide ranging, and it is not easy to classify it specifically as a host or as a guest.

Greening India Mission

The Government of India has announced the Greening India Mission (GIM) under the National Climate Change Action Plan. The Mission aims to restore and afforest about 10 mha over the period 2010-2020 under different sub-missions covering moderately dense and open forests, scrub/grasslands, mangroves, wetlands, croplands and urban areas. Even though the main focus of the Mission is to address mitigation and adaptation aspects in the context of climate change, the adaptation component is inadequately addressed. There is a need for increased scientific input in the preparation of the Mission. The mitigation potential is estimated by simply multiplying global default biomass growth rate values and area. It is incomplete as it does not include all the carbon pools, phasing, differing growth rates, etc. The mitigation potential estimated using the Comprehensive Mitigation Analysis Process model for the GIM for the year 2020 has the potential to offset 6.4% of the projected national greenhouse gas emissions, compared to the GIM estimate of only 1.5%, excluding any emissions due to harvesting or disturbances. The selection of potential locations for different interventions and species choice under the GIM must be based on the use of modelling, remote sensing and field studies. The forest sector provides an opportunity to promote mitigation and adaptation synergy, which is not adequately addressed in the GIM. Since many of the interventions proposed are innovative and limited scientific knowledge exists, there is need for an unprecedented level of collaboration between the research institutions and the implementing agencies such as the Forest Departments, which is currently non-existent. The GIM could propel systematic research into forestry and climate change issues and thereby provide global leadership in this new and emerging science.

Interaction of water molecules in non-identical protein structures

The interaction of the protein atoms with the surrounding water oxygen atoms has been computed for 392 protein chains from 369 protein structures belonging to 90% non-homologous high resolution (<= 1.5 angstrom) protein Structures with a crystallographic R-factor <= 20%. The percentage composition of the polar atoms is found to be 36.3%. An average of 82.55% of water oxygen atoms are found to be in the primary hydration shell and 15.12% in the secondary hydration shell. The average Percentage of interactions of water oxygen atoms with the polar atoms of the main chain and side chain are 54% and 46%. respectively. The interaction of the acidic residues, aspartate and glutamate, with the water oxygen atoms is more when compared to that of the other residues.

Risk minimization in water quality control problems of a river system

Methodologies are presented for minimization of risk in a river water quality management problem. A risk minimization model is developed to minimize the risk of low water quality along a river in the face of conflict among various stake holders. The model consists of three parts: a water quality simulation model, a risk evaluation model with uncertainty analysis and an optimization model. Sensitivity analysis, First Order Reliability Analysis (FORA) and Monte-Carlo simulations are performed to evaluate the fuzzy risk of low water quality. Fuzzy multiobjective programming is used to formulate the multiobjective model. Probabilistic Global Search Laussane (PGSL), a global search algorithm developed recently, is used for solving the resulting non-linear optimization problem. The algorithm is based on the assumption that better sets of points are more likely to be found in the neighborhood of good sets of points, therefore intensifying the search in the regions that contain good solutions. Another model is developed for risk minimization, which deals with only the moments of the generated probability density functions of the water quality indicators. Suitable skewness values of water quality indicators, which lead to low fuzzy risk are identified. Results of the models are compared with the results of a deterministic fuzzy waste load allocation model (FWLAM), when methodologies are applied to the case study of Tunga-Bhadra river system in southern India, with a steady state BOD-DO model. The fractional removal levels resulting from the risk minimization model are slightly higher, but result in a significant reduction in risk of low water quality. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ce0.78Sn0.2Pt0.02O2-delta: A new non-deactivating catalyst for hydrogen production via water-gas shift reaction

We demonstrate the activity of Ce0.78Sn0.2Pt0.02O2-delta, a new catalyst, towards water-gas shift (WGS) reaction. Over 99.5% CO conversion to H-2 is observed at 300 +/- 25 degrees C. Based on different characterization techniques we found that the present catalyst is resistant to deactivation due to carbonate formation and sintering of Pt on the surface when subjected to longer duration of reaction conditions. The catalyst does not require any pre-treatment or activation between start-up/shut-down reaction operations. Formation of side products such as methane, methanol, formaldehyde, coke etc. was not observed under the WGS reaction conditions indicating the high selectivity of the catalyst for H-2. Temperature programmed reduction of the catalyst in hydrogen (H-2-TPR) shows reversible reduction of Ce4+ to Ce3+, Sn4+ to Sn2+ and Pt4+ to Pt-0 oxidation state with oxygen storage capacity (OSC) of 3500 mu mol g(-1) at 80 degrees C. Such high value of OSC indicates the presence of highly activated lattice oxygen. CO oxidation in presence of stoichiometric O-2 shows 100% conversion to CO2 at room temperature. The catalyst also exhibits 100% selectivity for CO2 at room temperature towards preferential oxidation (PROX) of residual CO in presence of excess hydrogen in the feed. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A study of the spectrum of an acoustic field in shallow water due to noise sources at the surface

An expression for the spectrum and cross spectrum of an acoustic field measured at two vertically separated sensors in shallow water has been obtained for any correlated noise sources distributed over the surface. Numerical results are presented for the case where the noise sources, white noise and wind-induced colored noise, are contained within a circular disk centered over the sensors. The acoustic field is generally inhomogeneous except when the channel is deep. The coherence function becomes real for a large disk, for a radius greater than 25 times the depth of the channel, decreases with further increase of the size of the disk, and finally tapers off after certain limiting size, approximately given by 1/alpha, where alpha is the attenuation coefficient.

Support-Dependent Activity of Noble Metal Substituted Oxide Catalysts for the Water Gas Shift Reaction

The water gas shift reaction was carried out over noble metal ion substituted nanocrystalline oxide catalysts with different supports. Spectroscopic studies of the catalysts before and after the reaction showed different surface phenomena occurring over the catalysts. Reaction mechanisms were proposed based upon the surface processes and intermediates formed. The dual site mechanism utilizing the oxide ion vacancies for water dissociation and metal ions for CO adsorption was proposed to describe the kinetics of the reaction over the reducible oxides like CeO2. A mechanism based on the interaction of adsorbed CO and the hydroxyl group was proposed for the reaction over ZrO2. A hybrid mechanism based on oxide ion vacancies and surface hydroxyl groups was proposed for the reaction over TiO2. The deactivation of the catalysts was also found to be support dependent. Kinetic models for both activation and deactivation were proposed. (C) 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 56: 2662-2676, 2010

Chemistry in Confined Spaces: High-Energy Conformer of a Piperidine Derivative is Favored Within a Water-Soluble Capsuleplex

Propyloxy-substituted piperidine in solution adopts a conformation in which its alkoxy group is equatorially positioned Surprisingly, two conformers of it that do not interconvert in the NMR time scale at room temperature have been found within an octa-acid capsule The serendipitous finding of the axial conformer of propyloxy-substituted piperidine within a supramolecular capsule highlights the value of confined spaces in physical organic chemistry.

Fishes of the Darkness : Water colour-regulated competitive interactions in humic lakes

Humic lakes are abundant in the temperate and cold regions of the Boreal Zone. High levels of water colour and strong thermal stratification of humic lakes limit the potential fish habitats and give a special role to the intraspecific and interspecific interactions. Water colour has different effects on species depending on species-specific life-history traits and trophic interactions. Fish species whose success in predation is based on visual cues are more susceptible to suffer in competition. The main aim of the thesis was to demonstrate the effects of water colour on European perch (Perca fluviatilis) in humic lakes. The contribution of water colour to diet, feeding, growth and competitive interactions of fish was studied both in laboratory and in small humic lakes with varying levels of water colour. The main findings of the thesis were that water colour has different effects on species, depending on species-specific life-history traits and trophic interactions. Water colour affected visually-oriented perch feeding and growth negatively, and the prolonged benthic feeding phase of perch resulting from the increased water colour could increase intraspecific competition in perch populations and may result in a partial bottleneck in growth for perch. Moreover, water colour may act as a proximate factor behind the population dependency of sexual growth dimorphism in perch.

Enhanced Pair Hydrophobicity in the Water-Dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) Binary Mixture at Low DMSO Concentrations

We observe a surprisingly sharp increase in the pair hydrophobicity in the water climethylsulfoxide (DMSO) binary mixture at small DMSO concentrations, with the mole fraction of DMSO (x(D)) in the range 0.12-0.16. The increase in pair hydrophobicity is measured by an increase in the depth of the first minimum in the potential of mean force (PMF) between two methane molecules. However, this enhanced hydrophobicity again weakens at higher DMSO concentrations. We find markedly unusual behavior of the pure binary mixture (in the same composition range) in the diffusion coefficient of DMSO and in the local composition fluctuation of water, We find that, in the said composition range, the average coordination number of the methyl groups (of distinct DMSO) varies between 2.4 and 2.6, indicating the onset of the formation of a chain-like extended connectivity in an otherwise stable tetrahedral network comprising of water and DMSO molecules. We propose that the enhanced pair hydrophobicity of the binary mixture at low DMSO concentrations is due to the participation of the two methane molecules in the local structural order and the emerging molecular associations in the water-DMSO mixture.