The wettabilities of the partially fluorinated polymers (ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene copolymer (ETFE), ethylenechlorotrifluoroethylene copolymer (ECTFE), and poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)) were investigated by contact angle measurements. Zisman plots for ETFE and ECTFE exhibited linear relationships, while the Zisman plot for PVDF showed a slight curvature, which was interpreted to indicate strong non-dispersive interactions between the surface and the contacting liquids. The Lifshitz-van der Waals forces of the fluoropolymers were estimated to increase in the order of ETFE < PVDF $\ll$ ECTFE. An evaluation of the polar or "acid-base" interaction energies showed that PVDF, which possesses the most acidic hydrogens among the examined fluoropolymers, has the strongest acid-base interactions.

A dinuclear copper(II) complex of [$Cu_2(aceace)_4$(dipyph)] [aceace = acetylacetone, dipyph = 1,4-di(4-pyridylethene-2-yl-)benzene] has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR and X-ray single crystal diffraction. It crystallizes in the monoclinic system, space group P21/c, with lattice parameters a = 7.9584(16) $\AA$, b = 18.594(4) $\AA$, c = 15.063(4) $\AA$ $\beta=120.97(2)^o$ and $M_r$ = 807.85 ($C_{40}H_{44}Cu_2N_2O_8$), Z = 2. Each of the $Cu^{2+}$ ion adopts a square pyramid geometry and coordinates with four oxygen atoms from two aceace ligands and one nitrogen atom from dipyph bidentate ligand. Magnetic measurement shows that the Weiss constant and Curie constant for the title compound are -0.22 K and 0.1154 emu K/mol, respectively. Thermal stability data indicate that the title complex undergoes two steps decomposition and the residue is $Cu_2O_4$. In the potential range of -1.5 ~ 0.8 V, the title complex represents an irreversible electrochemical process.

Cysteine and histidine-capped water-dispersible ZnS:Mn nanocrystals (ZnS:Mn-Cys and ZnS:Mn-His) were synthesized and their effects on E. coli and human cells were investigated. Particle sizes of these nanocrystals were found from HR-TEM images to be 3.5 nm and 4.0 nm, respectively. Their solution photoluminescence spectra showed identical broad emission peaks at 580 nm. ZnS:Mn-His significantly suppressed the growth of E. coli at $100{\mu}g/mL$ and 1 mg/mL concentrations, something not observed with ZnS:Mn-Cys. Consistent with this, greater inhibition of cell proliferation and viability were observed in HEK293 and IMR90 cells in ZnS:Mn-His at $100{\mu}g/mL$ and 1 mg/mL concentrations.

Degree of unsaturation in fatty acid molecules plays an important role in the formation of vesicles. Vesicle formation from C18 fatty acids with different amount of double bonds such as oleic acid, linoleic acid and linolenic acid with the incorporation of 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycerol-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-[methoxy(polyethylene glycol)-2000] (DPPE-PEG2000) have been examined by TEM. Critical vesicular concentrations (CVC) of the vesicle suspension are determined by turbidity and surface tension methods. The CVC of fatty acids increases when the amount of unsaturation in the alkyl chain increases. On the other hand, stability of vesicle suspension has been examined by using particle size and zeta potential at $30^{\circ}C$. There was a dramatic decrease in particle size measurement from mono-unsaturation to tri-unsaturation which could be due to the effect of fluidity in the membrane bilayer caused by different degree of unsaturation. The values of zeta potential for vesicles that were formed without the incorporation of DPPE-PEG2000 were in the range of -70 mV to -100 mV. It has been observed that the incorporation of DPPEPEG2000 to the vesicle reduces the magnitude of zeta potential. However, this phenomenon does not obviously seen in fatty acid vesicles formed by linoleate-linoleic acid and linolenate-linolenic acid. We therefore conclude that the addition of DPPE-PEG2000 does not effectively improve the stability of the linoleate-linoleic acid and linolenatelinolenic acid vesicle at pH 9.0 after the evaluation of their particle size and zeta potential over a period of 30 days. Although the vesicles formed were not stable for more than 10 days, they have displayed the potential in encapsulating the active ingredients such as vitamin E and calcein. The results show that the loading efficiencies of vitamin E are of encouraging value.

Coumarins are ubiquitous in plant kingdom and have been used as antitumor, antifungals, anticoagulants, insecticides. Chalcones are also widespread in plant kingdom and have been known to possess diverse biological activities; antibacterial, antifungal, antitumor and anti-inflammatory, etc. As they are considered as important natural products, numerous synthetic approaches have been reported up to the present. We devise a new selective method of preparing dihydrocoumarins and chalcones from aryl cinnamates by the selection of reagents. Dihydrocoumarin derivatives were prepared selectively by using intramolecular cyclization catalyzed by p-toluene sulfonic acid. Also, chalcones were prepared by Fries-rearrangement catalyzed by $TiCl_4$. This method can be used for preparing various coumarin & chalcone compounds.

An efficient nucleophilic [$^{18}F$]fluorination has been studied to reduce byproducts and preparation time. Instead of conventional aqueous solution of $K_2CO_3-K_{222}$, several organic solution containing inert organic salts were used to release [$^{18}F$]fluoride ion and anion bases captured in the polymer cartridge, concluding that methanol solution is the best choice. Comparing to azeotropic drying process, one min was sufficient to remove methanol completely, resulting in about 10% radioactivity saving by reducing drying time. The polymer cartridge, Chromafix$^{(R)}$ (PS-$HCO_3$) was pretreated with several anion bases to displace pre-loaded bicarbonate base. Phosphate bases showed better results than carbonate bases in terms of lower basicity. tert-Butanol solvent used as a reaction media played another critical role in nucleophilic [18F]fluorination by suppressing eliminated side product. Consequent [$^{18}F$]fluorination under the present condition afforded fast preparation of reaction solution and high radiochemical yields (98% radio-TLC, 84% RCY) with 94% of precursor remained.

A new high performance liquid chromatograpgy (HPLC) stationary phase that possesses an internal carbonyl functional group is synthesized by heterogeneous "graft from" method. This new stationary phase, poly (vinyl octadecanoate) grafted silica (Sil-2) is then characterized by different physico-chemical methods such as diffuse reflectance infrared fourier transform, suspension state $^1H$ NMR, solid state $^{13}C$ CP/MAS NMR, $^{29}Si$ CP/MAS NMR, elemental analysis and thermogravimetric analysis. Chromatographic properties of Sil-2 were evaluated under reversed phase condition by separating polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and comparing the chromatographic results with those on polymeric as well as monomeric octadecylated silica stationary phases.

The bone density fractionation method is a potential palaeodietary tool in tracing lifetime dietary changes as well as separating diagenetically altered fractions. This paper presents a workable bone density fractionation method that uses a devised mathematical model and the particle size distribution. Different grinding methods, i.e., a Spex $LN_2$ mill, a Disc mill and a Micronising mill, were used to reduce archaeological bone particles to an appropriate size range, which was then analyzed by a Laser particle sizer. It was found that density profiles are in good agreement with the diagenetic parameters, and with their stable isotope results.

The mechanism of the cycloaddition reaction of forming germanic bis-heterocyclic compound between singlet dimethylgermylene carbene and acetone has been investigated with CCSD(T)//B3LYP/6-$31G^*$ method. From the potential energy profile, it can be predicted that, this reaction has one dominant channel. The presented rule of this dominant channel is that the two reactants firstly form a four-membered ring carbene (RC4) through the [2+2] cycloaddition reaction. Due to $sp^2$ hybridization of carbene C atom in RC4, RC4 further combines with acetone to form a reactant complexe (RC5). Due to the further $sp^3$ hybridization of carbene C atom in RC4, RC5 isomerizes to a germanic bisheterocyclic compound (P6) via the transition state (TS5).

$CaTi_{1-x}Fe_xO_3(0{\leq}x{\leq}0.4)$ solid solution photocatalysts were synthesized by iron doping during the conventional solid state reaction at $1100^{\circ}C$ for 5 h and characterized by ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, morphological analysis. We found that $CaTi_{1-x}Fe_xO_3$ samples not only absorb UV but also the visible light photons. This is because the Fe substitution at Ti-site in $CaTi_{1-x}Fe_xO_3$ lattice induces the band transition from Fe3d to the Fe3d + Ti3d hybrid orbital. The photocatalytic activity of Fe doped $CaTiO_3$ samples for hydrogen production under UV light irradiation decreased with the increase in the Fe concentration. There exists an optimized concentration of iron in $CaTiO_3$, which yields a maximum photocatalytic activity under visible light ($\lambda\geq420nm$) photons.

The structures of the conformers for 1,3-di-t-butyl-2,4-dinitro-tetramethoxysulfonylcalix[4]arene (1) and 1,2-di-t-butyl-3,4-dinitro-tetramethoxysulfonylcalix[4]arene (2) were optimized using DFT BLYP and mPW1PW91/6-31G(d,p) (hybrid HF-DF) calculation methods. We have analyzed the total electronic and Gibbs free energies and the differences between the various conformations (cone, partial-cone (PC), 1,2-alternate, and 1,3-alternate) of 1 and 2. For both compounds, the 1,3-alternate (1,3-A) conformers were calculated to be the most stable, which correlate very well with the experimental results. The orderings of the relative stability of 1 and 2 that resulted from the mPW1PW91/6-31G(d,p) calculations are the following: 1: 1,3-A (syn) > PC (syn) > PC (anti) > 1,2-A (anti) > CONE (syn); 2: 1,3-A (anti) > PC (anti) > PC (syn) > 1,2-A (anti) > 1,2-A (syn) > CONE (syn). The BLYP/6-31G(d) calculated IR spectra of the most stable 1,3-A conformers of 1 and 2 are compared.

The cycling behavior of $Li_4Ti_5O_{12}$ electrode in the ionic liquid (IL)-based electrolytes containing 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide and a small amount of additive (vinylene carbonate, ethylene carbonate, fluoroethylene carbonate) was investigated. The $Li_4Ti_5O_{12}$ electrode in the IL electrolyte with an additive exhibited reversible cycling behavior with good capacity retention. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and FTIR studies revealed that an electrochemically stable solid electrolyte interphase was formed on the $Li_4Ti_5O_{12}$ electrode in the presence of vinylene carbonate and ethylene carbonate during cycling.

A new derivative of tacrolimus was evaluated for its molecular weight, using LC-MS of the tacrolimus bulk active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) recovered through the purification of crude tacrolimus produced by Streptomyces clavuligerus CKD-1119. In addition, the molecular weight of the new derivative of tacrolimus was found to be at m/z 818 and was identified by $^{13}C$-NMR with peak assignments based on the differences in methyl group location resulting from the chemical structure. The structure of the new derivative, an unknown impurity of tacrolimus, was found to be 18-methyltacrolimus through comparison of the spectral data of the structural differences between ascomycin, tacrolimus, and the new derivative 18-methyltacrolimus.

Slope analysis method was applied to determine the stoichiometry of the solvent extraction reaction of Ni(II) by Alamine336 from strong HCl solution range from 1 to 10 M. Solvent extraction data was obtained from the literature. The effective equilibrium constant for the solvent extraction reaction was estimated by considering the ionic equilibria of $NiCl_2$ in the HCl solution. The measured distribution coefficients of Ni(II) agreed well with those calculated in this study. Our results suggest that further study on the measurement of the activities of nickel complexes at high HCl solution need to be done.

Size-controlled Ag nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared from the decomposition of Ag(I) carboxylates using ethanolamine derivatives as a reducing agent without an additional stabilizing agent. The size of the Ag NPs with a narrow size distribution (sub-10 nm to ca. 40 nm) was controlled precisely by varying the processing parameters, such as the type of reducing agent and the chain length of the carboxylate in the Ag(I) carboxylate. The optical properties, surface composition and crystallinity of the Ag NPs were characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, thermal gravimetric analysis, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction.

A new phosphorescent cyclometalated heteroleptic iridium (III) complex with an ancillary ligand of 4-azacrownpicolinate was prepared and its metal ion selective phosphorescent chemosensing behavior was investigated. The new iridium (III) complex exhibits notable phosphorescence quenching for Hg2+ in aqueous 50% acetonitrile solution with respect to the selective phosphorescent detection of various metal ions including $Li^+,Na^+,K^+,Cs^+,Mg^{2+},Ca^{2+},Ba^{2+},Fe^{2+},Ni^{2+},Cu^{2+},Zn^{2+},Ag^+,Pb^{2+},Cd^{2+},Cr^{2+},Cr^{3+}$ and $Hg^{2+}$. The phosphorescence quenching for $Hg^{2+}$ increased linearly with increasing concentration of $Hg^{2+}$ in the range of $10{\mu}M-700{\mu}M$ even in the presence of other metal ions, except for $Cu^{2+}$. Consequently, the new iridium (III) complex has the potential to be utilized for the determination of parts per million levels of $Hg^{2+}$ in aqueous acetonitrile media.

One new tirucallane-type triterpenoid, alianthusaltinin A (1), one new $C_{29}$ sterone, alianthaltone A (2), and 12 known compounds have been isolated from the stem bark of Ailanthus altissima. The structures of new compounds were identified by means of spectroscopic methods. Compound 3 was isolated from natural sources for the first time, and compounds 4, 5, and 9 were isolated from this plant for the first time.

Synthesis of N-(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)-6-substituted-1,3-benzothiazol-2-amines and 6-substituted-N-(4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-2-yl)-1,3-benzothiazol-2-amines by the reaction of substituted 2-aminobenzothiazoles with carbon disulphide and methyl iodide followed by the reaction with o-phenylene diamine/ethylene diamine are reported. All the synthesized compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectra and $^1H$ NMR spectral studies. The potent antibacterial and entomological (antifeedant, acaricidal, contact toxicity and stomach toxicity) activities of the synthesized compounds were investigated.

The aminolysis reactions of phenyl N-benzyl thiocarbamate with benzylamines in acetonitrile at $50.0^{\circ}C$ are investigated. The reactions are first order in both the amine and the substrate. Under amine excess, pseudo-first coefficient ($k_{obs}$) are obtained, plot of $k_{obs}$ vs free amine concentration are linear. The signs of ${\rho}_{XZ}$ (< 0) are consistent with concerted mechanism. Moreover, the variations of $\rho_X$ and $\rho_Z$ with respect to the sustituent in the substrate and large ${\rho}_{XZ}$ value indicate that the reactions proceed concerted mechanism. The normal kinetic isotope effects ($k_H/k_D$ = 1.3 ~ 1.5) involving deuterated benzylamine nucleophiles suggest a hydrogen-bonded, four-centered-type transition state. The activation parameters, ${\Delta}H^\ddagger$ and ${\Delta}S^\ddagger$, are consistent with this transition state structure.

We report the synthesis of $SrTiO_3$, $BaTiO_3$ and $Ba_xSr_{1-x}TiO_3$ (BST) nanoparticles (NPs) in various compositions (x = 0.25, 0.5 and 0.75) by an inorganic sol-gel method under a basic condition. Highly crystalline nanoparticles were formed at the reaction temperature of 25 - $100^{\circ}C$ from a stabilized titanium alkoxide in tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) and barium or strontium acetate in aqueous solution. Morphology and particle structure of the synthesized BST NPs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The BST nanoparticles in various compositions were monodispersed without mutual aggregation, and their average sizes were in the range of 70 - 80 nm. Furthermore, they showed highly crystallized perovskite phase over the whole composition range from $SrTiO_3$ to $BaTiO_3$. We also proposed a mechanism for the low-temperature formation of BST NPs.

The thermal behavior of lithiated Si anodes has been investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). In particular, the effect of Si particle size on the thermal stability of a fully lithiated Si electrode was investigated. For DSC measurements, a lithiated Si anode was heated in a hermetically sealed high-pressure pan with a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) binder and a 1 M $LiPF_6$ solution in an ethylene carbonate (EC)-diethyl carbonate (DEC) mixture. The thermal evolution around $140^{\circ}C$ increases with lithiation and with decreasing particle size; this phenomenon is attributed to the thermal decomposition of the solid electrolyte interface (SEI) film. Exothermic peaks, following a broad peak at around $140^{\circ}C$, shift to a lower temperature with a decrease in particle size, indicating that the thermal stability of the lithiated Si electrode strongly depends on the Si particle size.

A new chemiluminescence immunochromatographic analysis system with high sensitivity and high reproducibility was developed for the determination of microcystins (MCs) in water. Horse radish peroxidase (HRP) labeled microcystin monoclonal antibody was used for the sensitive chemiluminescence detection. The chemiluminescence immunochromatographic analysis system was composed of microcystin LR (MCLR)-monoclonal antibody (mAb)-Horse Radish Peroxidase (HRP) conjugate, MCLR-BSA conjugate, luminol, hydrogen peroxide mixture solution, an immunochromatographic assay strip and luminometer. To detect the concentration of microcystins in water, we utilized one spot analysis of the strip instead of flow type analysis. We could detect the microcystins in water at a concentration as low as 9.45 pg/mL with the chemiluminescence (CL) detection.

A concise synthesis of (${\pm}$)-rhinacanthin A is achieved in two steps by epoxidation of dehydro-$\alpha$-lapachone, followed by chemo- and regioselective reduction. Dehydro-$\alpha$-lapachone was also synthesized in two steps starting from 4-methoxy-1-naphthol by ethylenediamine diaetate (EDDA)-catalyzed benzopyran formation and a CAN-mediated oxidation reaction. $\beta$-Lapachone was synthesized in three steps from 4-methoxy-1-naphthol by benzopyran formation, catalytic hydrogenation, and Jones oxidation. As additional reactions, synthesis of pyranonaphthoquinone derivatives with the pyranokunthone B skeleton has been achieved in a single step from readily available 2-hydroxy-6-methoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone and 2-hydroxy-7-methoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone.

For the fabrication of multifunctional biopolymer nanocomposites in the combination of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), recently increasing attention has been paid to an effective homogenization of CNTs within polymer matrices and a fine tuning of the concentration. We developed an efficient method to produce homogeneous CNT-polycaprolactone nanocomposites with various and controllable CNT concentrations using an ionically-modified multi-walled CNT, MWCNT-Cl. The modified MWCNTs could be homogeneously dispersed in tetrahydrofuran (THF). Polycaprolactone (PCL) as a biodegradable and biocompatible polymer was smoothly dissolved in the homogeneous MWCNT-Cl/THF solution without agglomeration of MWCNT-Cl. The physicochemical and mechanical properties of the resultant nanocomposites were examined and the biological usefulness was briefly assessed.

Many ligands have been experimentally designed and tested for their activities as inhibitors against bacterial enoyl-ACP reductase (FabI), ENR. Here the binding energies of the reported ligands with the E. coli ENR-$NAD^+$ were calculated, analyzed and compared, and their molecular dynamics (MD) simulation study was performed. IDN, ZAM and AYM ligands were calculated to have larger binding energies than TCL and IDN has the largest binding energy among the considered ligands (TCL, S54, E26, ZAM, AYM and IDN). The contribution of residues to the ligand binding energy is larger in E. coli ENR-NAD+-IDN than in E. coli ENR-$NAD^+$-TCL, while the contribution of $NAD^+$ is smaller for IDN than for TCL. The large-size ligands having considerable interactions with residues and $NAD^+$ have many effective functional groups such as aromatic $\pi$ rings, acidic hydroxyl groups, and polarizable amide carbonyl groups in common. The cation-$\pi$ interactions have large binding energies, positively charged residues strongly interact with polarisable amide carbonyl group, and the acidic phenoxyl group has strong H-bond interactions. The residues which have strong interactions with the ligands in common are Y146, Y156, M159 and K163. This study of the reported inhibitor candidates is expected to assist the design of feasible ENR inhibitors.

The synthesis of new pyrazolyl and cyclopropyl derivatives of purpurin-18 methyl ester and purpurin-18-N-butylimide 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b and 8 is described. The new compounds were characterized by NMR, UV-vis spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. UV-vis spectra of the new compounds showed long wavelength absorption of ranges 692 - 708 nm ($\lambda_{max}$). Photodynamic effects of the chlorin derivatives 1a, 1b, 2a and 2b were investigated by WST-1 assay in A549 cells, and showed good photodynamic activities with high photocytotoxicity and low cytotoxicity in the dark. In comparison between pyrazolyl and cyclopropyl derivatives, purpurin-18 methyl ester compounds 1a and 1b showed comparable photocytotoxicity result of the cell viabilities, otherwise, pyrazolyl derivative of purpurin-18-N-butylimide 2a showed better cell viabilities than those of cyclopropyl derivative 2b. And cyclopropyl derivative of purpurin-18-N-butylimide 2b showed higher dark cytotoxicity than that of others.

A facile, convenient, efficient and high yielding synthesis of a combinatorial library of coumarins has been developed by the condensation of readily available $\beta$-oxodithioesters and S,S-acetal with 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde in the presence of catalytic amount of $CuCl_2$ under solvent free conditions.

Second-order rate constants ($k_{OH^-}$) have been measured spectrophotometrically for reactions of Y-substituted phenyl phenyl thionocarbonates (4a-i) with $OH^-$ in 80 mol % $H_2O$/20 mol % DMSO at $25.0{\pm}0.1^{\circ}C$. The $k_{OH^-}$ values for the reactions of 4a-i have been compared with those reported previously for the corresponding reactions of Y-substituted phenyl phenyl carbonates (3a-i) to investigate the effect of changing the electrophilic center from C=O to C=S on reactivity and mechanism. Thionocarbonates 4a-i are less reactive than the corresponding carbonates 3a-i although 4a-i are expected to be more reactive than 3a-i. The Bronsted-type plot for reactions of 4a-i is linear with $\beta_{lg}$ = -0.33, a typical $\beta_{lg}$ value for reactions reported to proceed through a stepwise mechanism with formation of an intermediate being the rate-determining step (RDS). Furthermore, the Hammett plot correlated with $\sigma^o$ constants results in much better linearity than that correlated with $\sigma^-$ constants, indicating that expulsion of the leaving group is not advanced in the RDS. Thus, alkaline hydrolysis of 4a-i has been concluded to proceed through a stepwise mechanism with formation of an intermediate being RDS, which is in contrast to the forced concerted mechanism reported for the corresponding reactions of 3a-i. Enhanced stability of the intermediate upon modification of the electrophilic center from C=O to C=S has been concluded to be responsible for the contrasting mechanisms.

Adenylate kinase-like activity and phosphotransferase-like activity from $F_1$-ATPase of Escherichia coli was revealed by $^{31}P$ NMR spectroscopy. Incubation of F1-ATPase with ADP in the presence of $Mg^{2+}$ shows the appearance of $^{31}P$ resonances from AMP and Pi, suggesting generation of AMP and ATP by adenylate kinase-like activity and the subsequent hydrolysis to Pi. Incubation of $F_1$-ATPase with ADP in the presence of methanol shows additional peak from methyl phosphate, suggesting phosphotransferase-like activity of $F_1$-ATPase. Both adenylate kinase-like activity and phosphotransferase-like activity has not been reported from $F_1$-ATPase of Escherichia coli. $^{31}P$ NMR could be a valuable tool for the investigation of phosphorous related enzyme.

Periodically ordered mesoporous manganese oxides were synthesized in a single and double replication procedure. Mesoporous SBA-15 and -16 silica and their reverse replica carbons were successively used as hard templates. The silica and carbon pore systems were infiltrated with $Mn(NO_3)_2{\cdot}xH_2O$ or $Mn(AcAc)_2$, which was then converted to $Mn_2O_3$ at 873 K; the silica and carbon matrix were finally removed by NaOH solution or calcinations in air. The structure of the mesoporous $Mn_2O_3$, using a carbon template, corresponds to that of the original SBA-15 and SBA-16 silica. The products consist of hexagonally arranged cylindrical mesopores with crystalline pore walls or cubic mesoporous pores. The structure of replica has been confirmed by XRD, TEM analysis, and its electrochemical properties were tested with cyclic voltammetry. Formation of $Mn_2O_3$ inside the mesoporous carbon pore system showed much improved electrical properties.

This study reports the root cause of the improved rate performance of $LiFePO_4$ after Cr doping. By measuring the chemical diffusion coefficient of lithium ($D_{Li}$) using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), the correlation between the electrochemical performance of $LiFePO_4$ and Li diffusion is acquired. The diffusion constants for $LiFePO_4$/C and $LiFe_{0.97}Cr_{0.03}PO_4$/C measured from CV are $2.48{\times}10^{-15}$ and $4.02{\times}10^{-15}cm^2s^{-1}$, respectively, indicating significant increases in diffusivity after the modification. The difference in diffusivity is also confirmed by EIS and the $D_{Li}$ values obtained as a function of the lithium content in the cathode. These results suggest that Cr doping facilitates Li ion diffusion during the charge-discharge cycles. The low diffusivity of the $LiFePO_4$/C leads to the considerable capacity decline at high discharge rates, while high diffusivity of the $LiFe_{0.97}Cr_{0.03}PO_4$/C maintains the initial capacity, even at high C-rates.

In this work, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) was grafted onto amine treated graphite nanosheets ($NH_2$-GNs) and the surface characteristics and physical properties of the $NH_2$-GNs-g-PMMA films were investigated. The graft reaction of $NH_2$-GNs and PMMA was confirmed from the shift of the $N_{1S}$ peak, including amine oxygen and amide oxygen, by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The surface characteristics of the $NH_2$-GNs-g-PMMA films were measured as a function of the $NH_2$-GN content using the contact angle method. It was revealed that the specific component of the surface free energy (${\gamma}s$) of the films was slightly increased as the $NH_2$-GN content increased. Also, the thermal and mechanical properties of the $NH_2$-GNs-g-PMMA films were enhanced with the addition of $NH_2$-GNs. This can be attributed to the chemical bonding caused by the graft reaction between the $NH_2$-GNs and the PMMA matrix.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are members of nuclear receptors and their activation induces regulation of fatty acid storage and glucose metabolism. Therefore, the $PPAR\gamma$ is a major target for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. In order to generate pharmacophore model, 1080 known agonists database was constructed and a training set was selected. The Hypo7, selected from 10 hypotheses, contains four features: three hydrogen-bond acceptors (HBA) and one general hydrophobic (HY). This pharmacophore model was validated by using 862 test set compounds with a correlation coefficient of 0.903 between actual and estimated activity. Secondly, CatScramble method was used to verify the model. Hence, the validated Hypo7 was utilized for searching new lead compounds over 238,819 and 54,620 chemical structures in NCI and Maybridge database, respectively. Then the leads were selected by screening based on the pharmacophore model, predictive activity, and Lipinski's rules. Candidates were obtained and subsequently the binding affinities to $PPAR\gamma$ were investigated by the molecular docking simulations. Finally the best two compounds were presented and would be useful to treat type 2 diabetes.

In this work, the calculated nuclear quadrupole coupling constants of $^{17}O$ in some styrylquinoline conformers were presented. The calculations were carried out to find the relationships between the charge distribution of styrylquinolines and their pharmaceutical behavior and to explore the differences among the electronic structures of some conformers of these potent HIV IN inhibitors. Furthermore, the HIV IN inhibitory of R1 and R2 rotamers was compared. On the basis of our results: - Charge density on oxygen atoms of carboxyl moiety has a dominant role in the drug activity. - The a conformer in which a divalent hydrogen atom is a link, has more capability in antiviral drug treatment. - The R1 conformer, as a $Mg^{+2}$ chelating agent, is better than R2 conformer and thus it is more inhibitor of HIV IN.

The scope of homogeneous Lewis acid-catalyzed benzo[N,N]-heterocyclic condensation was expanded to include the use of various metal salts not reported in the literature and $SnCl_2{\cdot}2H_2O$ was finally selected. Among various solid supports activated with $SnCl_2$, heterogeneous $SnCl_2/SiO_2$ proved to be the most effective and significantly higher conversions were achieved compared to $SnCl_2{\cdot}2H_2O$ itself. The results of TG-DTA and BET indicated that dispersed $SnCl_2$ coordinates with surface hydroxyl groups of silica leading to formation of stable Lewis acid sites. Low catalyst loading, operational simplicity, practicability and applicability to various substrates render this eco-friendly approach as an interesting alternative to previously applied procedures.

The new MPV type reagent, Al-trifluoromethanesulfonyldiisobutylalane ($DIBAO_3SCF_3$), has been prepared and its reducing characteristics in the reduction of selected organic compounds containing representative functional groups have been examined, and compared its reactivity with that of Al-methanesulfonyldiisobutylalane ($DIBAO_3SCH_3$) in order to understand the fluorine-substituent effect on its reactivity. In general, the reactivity of $DIBAO_3SCF_3$ appears to be much higher than that of $DIBAO_3SCH_3$, apparently due to the acidity increase by the electron-withdrawing fluorine-substituent. The reagent reduced aldehydes and ketones readily, but showed a perfect selectivity in the reduction of $\alpha,\beta$-unsaturated aldehydes and ketones to produce the corresponding allylic alcohols in an absolutely 100% purity. In addition, the reagent achieved the regioselective cleavage of phenyl- or/and alkyl-substituted epoxides to the less substituted alcohols in a perfect regioselectivity. Moreover, the reagent also showed an high stereoselectivity in the reduction of substituted cycloalkanones to produce the thermodynamically more stable alcohol epimers exclusively.

Poly(4-vinylpyridine)-supported $Br{\phi}nsted$ acids (P4VP-HX) were prepared by wet impregnation technique. These supported acids were found as efficient heterogeneous green catalysts for acetylation of alcohol, amine and phenol with different catalytic activities. The wide application of P4VP-HX as reusable solid acid catalyst in organic reactions is possible because of its simple preparation and handling, stability, simple work up procedure.

A series of novel glucose derived benzyl and alkyl 1,2,3-triazoles and their hydrochlorides have been synthesized via Cu(I)-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition. All the new compounds were characterized by MS, IR and NMR spectra. The DEPT, APT, $^1H$-$^1H$ and $^1H-^{13}C$ 2D NMR spectra for some compounds were also recorded. These compounds were evaluated for their in vitro antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus proteus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, and antifungal activities against Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus. The bioactive data revealed that (3R,4S,5S,6S)-2-(hydroxymethyl)-6-methoxy-4,5-bis((1-octyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)methoxy)-tetrahydro-2H-pyran-3-ol 8a exhibited excellent antifungal activity against A. fumigatus with an MIC value of 0.055 mM compared to Fluconazole. It also showed broad inhibitory efficacy against tested bacterial strains with MIC values ranging from 0.049 mM to 0.39 mM.

In this study, quantitative and pattern recognition analysis for the quality evaluation of Cimicifugae Rhizoma using HPLC/UV was developed. For quantitative analysis, three major bioactive phenolic compounds were determined. The separation conditions employed for HPLC/UV were optimized using ODS $C_{18}$ column ($250{\times}4.6mm$, $5{\mu}M$) with isocratic elution of acetonitrile and water with 0.1% phosphoric acid as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min and a detection wavelength of 323 nm. These methods were fully validated with respect to the linearity, accuracy, precision, recovery, and robustness. The HPLC/UV method was applied successfully to the quantification of three major compounds in the extract of Cimicifugae Rhizoma. The HPLC analytical method for pattern recognition analysis was validated by repeated analysis of twelve reference samples corresponding to five different species of Cimicifugae Rhizoma and seventeen samples purchased from markets. The results indicate that the established HPLC/UV method is suitable for the quantitative analysis and quality control of multi-components in Cimicifugae Rhizoma.

We designed an effective screening method for double strand DNA (dsDNA) binders using DNA-modified magnetic particles. Hairpin DNA was immobilized on the surface of magnetic particle for a simple screening of dsDNA binding materials in a solution containing various compounds. Through several magnetic separation and incubation processes, four DNA-binding materials, DAPI, 9AA, AQ2A, and DNR, were successfully screened from among five candidates. Efficiency of screening was demonstrated by HPLC analysis using a C2/18 reverse-phase column. In addition, their relative binding strengths were verified by measuring the melting temperature ($T_m$). If hairpin DNA sequence is modified for other uses, this magnetic bead-based approach can be applied as a high-throughput screening method for various functional materials such as anti-cancer drugs.

Human ether-a-go-go related gene (hERG) potassium channel blockade, an undesirable side effect which might cause sudden cardiac death, is one of the major concerns facing the pharmaceutical industry. The purpose of this study is to develop an in silico QSAR model which uncovers the structural parameters of T-type calcium channel blockers to reduce hERG blockade. Comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA) was conducted on a series of piperazine and benzimidazole derivatives bearing methyl 5-(ethyl(methyl)amino)-2-isopropyl-2-phenylpentanoate moieties, which was synthesized by our group. Three different alignment methods were applied to obtain a reliable model: ligand based alignment, pharmacophore based alignment, and receptor guided alignment. The CoMSIA model with receptor guided alignment yielded the best results : $r^2$ = 0.955, $q^2$ = 0.781, $r^2_{pred}$ = 0.758. The generated CoMSIA contour maps using electrostatic, hydrophobic, H-bond donor, and acceptor fields explain well the structural requirements for hERG nonblockers and also correlate with the lipophilic potential map of the hERG channel pore.

Highly luminescent and monodisperse InP quantum dots (QDs) were prepared by a non-organometallic approach in a non-coordinating solvent. Fatty acids with well-defined chain lengths as the ligand, a non coordinating solvent, and a thorough degassing process are all important factors for the formation of high quality InP QDs. By varying the molar concentration of indium to ligand, QDs of different size were prepared and their absorption and emission behaviors studied. By spin-coating a colloidal solution of InP QD onto a silicon wafer, InP QD thin films were obtained. The thickness of the thin films cured at 60 and $200^{\circ}C$ were nearly identical (approximately 860 nm), whereas at $300^{\circ}C$, the thickness of the thin film was found to be 760 nm. Different contrast regions (A, B, C) were observed in the TEM images, which were found to be unreacted precursors, InP QDs, and indium-rich phases, respectively, through EDX analysis. The optical properties of the thin films were measured at three different curing temperatures (60, 200, $300^{\circ}C$), which showed a blue shift with an increase in temperature. It was proposed that this blue shift may be due to a decrease in the core diameter of the InP QD by oxidation, as confirmed by the XPS studies. Oxidation also passivates the QD surface by reducing the amount of P dangling bonds, thereby increasing luminescence intensity. The dielectric properties of the thin films were also investigated by capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements in a metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) device. At 60 and $300^{\circ}C$, negative flat band shifts (${\Delta}V_{fb}$) were observed, which were explained by the presence of P dangling bonds on the InP QD surface. At $300^{\circ}C$, clockwise hysteresis was observed due to trapping and detrapping of positive charges on the thin film, which was explained by proposing the existence of deep energy levels due to the indium-rich phases.

Uniform Ag nanoparticles (< 10 nm) were effectively prepared in 1-amino-4-methylpiperazine as a solvent with multiple functions including reduction and stabilization. An Ag-complex such as $Ag_2(ehac)_2(eha)_2$ (ehac = 2-ethylhexylammonium carbamate; eha = 2-ethylhexylamine) was used as an Ag-precursor, whereas the usage of a salt such as $AgNO_3$ showed the formation of Ag nanoparticles in larger and irregular size (30 - 500 nm). The Ag nanoparticles (< 10 nm) prepared by using the Ag-complex could also be effectively stabilized by 1-amino-4-methylpiperazine. Transmission electron micrographs confirmed that the Ag particles were spherical and in the nanometer size.

We studied the relative stability and atomic structure of five $C_{20}^{2+}$ isomers obtained by two-electron ionization of a $C_{20}$ cage (the smallest fullerene). All the isomers are bond-stretch isomers, i.e., they differ in bond length. In particular, in one of the isomers with Ih symmetry, all the bond lengths are equal. Full geometry optimizations of the dipositive ion $C_{20}^{2+}$ were performed using the hybrid density functional (B3LYP/6-31G(d)) methods. All isomers were found to be true minima by frequency analysis at the level of B3LYP/6-31G(d) under the reinforced tight convergence criterion and a pruned (99,590) grid. The zero-point correction energy for the cage bond-stretch isomers was in the increasing order $D_{2h}<C_{2h}<C_2<T_h<I_h$ of $C_{20}^{2+}$. The energy difference among the isomers of cage dipositive ions was less than that among neutral cage isomers. Our results suggest that these isomers show bond-stretch isomerism and that they have an identical spin state and an identical potential energy curve. Although the predominant electronic configurations of the isomers are similar, the frontier orbital characteristics are different, implying that we could anticipate an entirely different set of characteristic chemical reactions for each type of HOMO and LUMO.

We investigated the effects of tunneling current on scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) images of 1-octanethiol (OT) and 1-decanethiol (DT) self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). At a low tunneling current, the domain boundaries and ordered alkanethiol molecules were clearly resolved. As the tunneling current was increased at a constant bias voltage, however, the STM images showed disordered structures of the OT and DT SAMs. As the tunneling current was reduced back to low values, the ordered structures of the alkanethiol molecules reappeared. The reversibility of the process suggests that the sulfur head groups did not rearrange under any of the tunneling current conditions. On the basis of our observations, which are inconsistent with the standard model for STM imaging of molecules on metal surfaces, we consider the STM imaging mechanism in terms of a two-region tunneling junction model.

Ginsenoside Rg3 was reported to have important biological activities. We demonstrate conjugation and quantification procedures of ginsenoside Rg3 to gold nanoparticles for future biological and medical applications. Ginsenoside Rg3 was conjugated to spherical gold nanoparticles using a bifunctional heptaethylene glycol linker. The sulfhydryl group of heptaethylene glycol was adsorbed onto gold nanoparticles, and carboxylic acid end of heptaethylene glycol was bonded through a hydroxyl group of Rg3 via ester bond formation. The conjugation of Rg3 was characterized with various spectroscopic techniques, high resolution-transmission electron microscopy, and using Rg3 monoclonal antibody. The Rg3- functionalized gold nanoparticles were $4.7{\pm}1.0$ nm in diameter with a surface charge of -4.12 mV. The total number of Rg3 molecules conjugated to a 3.6 mL solution of gold nanoparticle was determined to be $9.5{\times}10^{14}$ corresponding to ~6 molecules of Rg3/gold nanoparticle. These results suggest that ginsenoside Rg3 is successfully conjugated to gold nanoparticles via heptaethylene glycol linker. The quantification was performed by using Rg3 monoclonal antibody without interference of gold's intrinsic color.

The catalytic enantioselective conjugate addition reaction of $\alpha$-nitroacetate to $\alpha,\beta$-unsaturated enones promoted by chiral bifunctional organocatalysts is described. The treatment of $\alpha$-nitroacetate to $\alpha,\beta$-unsaturated enones afforded the corresponding Michael adducts with high enantioselectivity. The conjugate addition adducts are easily converted to chiral $\gamma$-nitro ketones and $\delta$-keto esters.