Ethanol is a prototype molecule used in probing catalytic reactivity of oxide catalysts such as $TiO_2$. In the present study, we adsorbed ethanol on $TiO_2$(001) at room temperature (RT) and the corresponding bonding state of ethanol was systematically studied by x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) using synchrotron radiation. Especially, we compared $TiO_2$(001) surfaces prepared in ultra-high vacuum (UHV) with different surface treatments such as $Ar^+$-sputtering and oxidation with molecular $O_2$, respectively. We find that the saturation coverage of ethanol at RT varies depending on the amount of reduced surface defects (e.g., $Ti^{3+}$) which are introduced by $Ar^+$-sputtering. We also find that the oxidized $TiO_2$(001) surface has other type of surface defects (not related to Ti 3d state) which can dissociate ethanol for further reaction above 600 K. Our C 1s core level spectra indicate clearly resolved features for the two chemically distinct carbon atoms from ethanol adsorbed on $TiO_2$(001), showing the adsorption of ethanol proceeds without C-C bond dissociation. No other C 1s feature for a possible oxidized intermediate was observed up to the substrate temperature of 650 K.

A self-assembled Al-bridged diiminopyridine-based ligand (3) was synthesized and characterized by FT-IR, ESI-MS and NMR spectroscopy. Electron spectral titrations were performed to confirm the formation of a novel trinuclear bis(imino)pyridyl iron(II) complex (4) upon addition of $FeCl_2$ into Al-bridged ligand 3 in methanol solution. Simultaneously, a typical bis(imino)pyridine-iron(II) complex (2) was synthesized and fully characterized. The X-ray crystal study of the iron(II) complex 2 disclosed a five-coordinate, distorted square-pyramidal structure with the tridentate N^N^N ligand and chlorides. The optimal molecular structure of 4 was obtained by means of molecular mechanics, which showed that each iron atom in the complex 4 is surrounded by two chlorides, a tridentate N^N^N ligand and one oxygen atom, supporting considerations about the possibility of six-coordinate geometry from MMAO or the ethylene access. A comparison of 4 with the reference 2 revealed a remarkable decrease of the catalytic activity and MMAO consumption (activity up to $0.41{\times}10^3\;kg\;{mol_{Fe}}^{-1}h^{-1}bar^{-1}$, Al/Fe = 650 for 4 and $7.02{\times}10^3\;kg\;{mol_{Fe}}^{-1}h^{-1}bar^{-1}$, Al/Fe = 1600 for 2).

Two pyridinecarboxamide cobalt dicyanide building blocks and Mn(III) compounds have been employed to assemble cyanide-bridged heterometallic complexes, resulting in three trinuclear cyanide-bridged $Co^{III}-Mn^{II}$ complexes: $\{[Mn(MeOH)_4][Co(bpb)(CN)_2]_2\}{\cdot}2MeOH{\cdot}2H_2O$ (1), $\{[Mn(MeOH)_4][Co(bpmb)(CN)_2]_2\}{\cdot}2MeOH{\cdot}2H_2O$ (2) and $\{[Mn(DMF)_2(en)_2][Co(bpb)(CN)_2]_2\}{\cdot}2DMF{\cdot}H_2O$ (3) ($bpb^{2-}$ = 1,2-bis(pyridine-2-carboxamido)benzenate, $bpmb^{2-}$ = 1,2-bis(pyridine-2-carboxamido)-4-methyl-benzenate, en = ethylenediamine). Single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis shows their similar sandwich-like structures, in which the two cyanide-containing building blocks act as monodentate ligands through one of their two cyanide groups to coordinate the Mn(II) center. For complex 3, it was further linked into one-dimensional structure by ethylenediamine acting as bridges. Investigation of the magnetic properties of complex 3 reveals weak antiferromagnetic coupling between the neighboring Mn(II) centers through the bridging ethylenediamine molecule. A best-fit to the magnetic susceptibilities of complex 3 gave the magnetic coupling constant J = -0.073(2) $cm^{-1}$.

In this study, the kinetic properties of wild-type and C117D mutant H. influenzae MurA (Hi MurA), which catalyzes the first reaction in the biosynthetic pathway of the cell wall, were characterized. Purified recombinant Hi MurA was active at pH values ranging from pH 5.5 to pH 10, and its $K_m$ (UNAG), $K_m$ (PEP), and $k_{cat}$ values were measured to be 31 ${\mu}M$, 24 ${\mu}M$, and 210 $min^{-1}$, respectively. Hi MurA activity was effectively inhibited by fosfomycin with an $IC_{50}$ value of 60 ${\mu}M$. Hi MurA contains a cysteine residue (C117) at the loop region near the PEP binding, whereas MurA from fosfomycin resistant Mycobaterium tuberculosis or Chlamydia trachomatis contain an aspartate residue instead of the cysteine at the corresponding site. Aspartate substitution of Cys117 in Hi MurA shifted its optimum pH from 7.8 to 6.0. In addition, the $K_m$ values for UNAG and PEP were increased to 160 ${\mu}M$ and 150 ${\mu}M$, respectively, and the $k_{cat}$ value was significantly reduced to 41 $min^{-1}$. Furthermore, the C117D mutant form of Hi MurA was not inhibited by 1 mM fosfomycin. These results indicate that the Cys117 of Hi MurA is the binding site of fosfomycin and plays an important role in the fast turnover of the catalytic reaction.

Two novel quinacridone (QNC) dyes with thiophene or benzene-conjugated bridge and cyanoacrylic acid acceptor were first designed and synthesized for use in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The absorption spectra, electrochemical and photovoltaic properties of these dyes were investigated. Under simulated AM 1.5G irradiation conditions, the solar cell based on the quinacridone dye containing thiophene as a bridge unit had a short-circuit photocurrent density of 8.51 $mA{\cdot}cm^{-2}$, an open-circuit voltage of 643.6 mV, and a fill factor of 0.70, corresponding to an overall conversion efficiency of 3.86%.

Mesoporous silicon dioxide (meso-$SiO_2$) was prepared using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as the structure-directing reagent and tetraethyl orthosicate as the silicon source. The influence of pH value on the adsorption behavior of bisphenol A (BPA) was investigated. The adsorption capacity of BPA onto meso-$SiO_2$ increases slightly with pH value from 2 to 6, and then gradually decreases as further improving pH value. The effect of temperature was also studied, and the adsorption capacity of BPA gradually declines with increasing temperature. The adsorption kinetics and thermodynamics of BPA were examined. It is found that the adsorption of BPA onto meso-$SiO_2$ is in good agreement with Langmuir adsorption model. The rate constant of adsorption is $5.17{\times}10^{-3}g\;mg^{-1}\;min^{-1}$, and the maximum adsorption capacity is as high as 353.4 $mg\;g^{-1}$ at 20 $^{\circ}C$.

The reaction of bromoacetonitrile with 3,14-dimethyl-2,6,13,17-tetraazatetracyclo[$16.4.1^{2.6}.0^{1.18}.0^{7.12}$]tricosane ($L^{10}$) containing a N-$CH_2$-N linkage produces 17-cyanomethyl-3,14-dimethyl-2,6,13,17-tetraazatetracyclo-[$16.4.1^{2.6}.0^{1.18}.0^{7.12}$]tricosane ($L^{11}$). The mono-N-functionalized macrocyclic complexes $[ML^2]^{2+}$ (M = Ni(II) or Cu(II); $L^2$ = 2-cyanomethyl-5,16-dimethyl-2,6,13,17-tetraazatricyclo[$16.4.0.0^{7.12}$]docosane) can be prepared by the reaction of $L^{11}$ with nickel(II) or copper(II) ion in acetonitrile. The N-$CH_2CN$ group attached to $[ML^2]^{2+}$ readily reacts with water or methanol to yield the corresponding complexes of $HL^3$ bearing one N-$CH_2CONH_2$ pendant arm or $L^4$ bearing one $N-CH_2C(=NH)OCH_3$ group. The $N-CH_2CONH_2$ or $N-CH_2C(=NH)OCH_3$ group of each complex is coordinated to the central metal ion. Both $[NiL^4(H_2O)]^{2+}$ and $[CuL^4]^{2+}$ are quite stable in acidic aqueous solutions, but undergo hydrolysis to yield $[Ni(HL^3)(H_2O)]^{2+}$ or $[Cu(HL^3)]^{2+}$ in basic aqueous solutions. In contrast to $[Cu(HL^3)]^{2+}$, $[Ni(HL^3) (H_2O)]^{2+}$ is readily deprotonated to form $[NiL^3 (H_2O)]^+$ ($L^3$ = a deprotonated form of $HL^3$) in basic aqueous solutions.

Surface film formation on $Li(Ni_{1/3}Co_{1/3}Mn_{1/3})O_2$ cathodes upon oxidation of electrolyte during electrochemical cycling was investigated. Information on the important factors for film formation on the cathode can facilitate the design of additives that improve the properties of the cathode. Pyrazole is added to the electrolyte because it is readily oxidized to form a surface film on the cathode. The results of differential scanning calorimetry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed that the active material played a dominant role in the interfacial film formation with the electrolyte. Carbon black played a negligible role in the surface film formation.

We have designed a 20-residue hybrid peptide CA(1-8)-MA(1-12) (CAMA) incorporating residues 1-8 of cecropin A (CA) and residues 1-12 of magainin 2 (MA) with high bacterial cell selectivity. CAMA-P2 is an ${\alpha}$-helical antimicrobial peptide designed from a CAMA hybrid peptide and substitution of Gly-Ile-Gly hinge sequence of CAMA to Pro influences the flexibility at central part of CAMA. Based on structure-activity relationships of CAMA peptides, to investigate the effects of the total positive charges on antimicrobial activity of CAMA-P2, the $Ser^{14}{\rightarrow}$Lys analogue (CAMA-syn1) was synthesized. The role of tryptophan at C-terminal ${\alpha}$-helix on its antimicrobial activity as well as synergistic activity was also investigated using $Ser^{14}{\rightarrow}$Lys/$Phe^{18}{\rightarrow}$Trp analogue (CAMA-syn2). Also, we designed CAMA-syn3 by substitution of $Lys^{16}$ located opposite side of substituted $Lys^{14}$ of CAMA-syn1 with Leu residue, resulting in increase of hydrophobicity and amphipathicity of the peptide. All of CAMA-syn analogues showed good antimicrobial activities similar to those of CAMA and CAMA-P2. The CAMA-syn1 and CAMA-syn2 showed low hemolytic activity and cytotoxicity against human keratinocyte Haca-T cells while CAMA-syn3 showed hemolytic activity and cytotoxicity at its MIC value. We then investigated their abilities to act synergistically in combination with the antimicrobial flavonoids and synthetic compounds screened in our laboratory. The results showed that all peptides exhibited synergistic effects with dihydrobinetin, while only CAMA-syn2 exhibited synergistic effects with YKAs3001 against both S. aureus and MRSA, suggesting that Trp residue at C-terminus of CAMA-syn2 may facilitate the polar antibiotic flavonoids and synthetic compounds to permeabilize the membrane. This study will be useful for the development of new antibiotic peptides with potent antimicrobial and synergistic activity but without cytotoxicity.

Nickel nanoparticle-poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone)/$TiO_2-ZrO_2$ composite (Ni-PVP/$TiO_2-ZrO_2$) was prepared by in situ polymerization method. The physical and chemical properties of Ni-PVP/$TiO_2-ZrO_2$ were investigated by XRD, FT-IR, BET, TGA, SEM and TEM techniques. The catalytic performance of this novel heterogeneous catalyst was determined for the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction between aryl halides and phenylboronic acid in the presence of methanol-water mixture as solvent. The effects of reaction temperature, the amount of catalyst, amount of support, solvent, and amount of metal for the synthesis of Ni-PVP/$TiO_2-ZrO_2$, were investigated as well as recyclability of the heterogeneous composite. The catalyst used for this synthetically useful transformation showed considerable level of reusability besides very good activity.

Polyphenols (PPs) are known as antioxidant compounds having benign biological activities. In this paper, a series of hybrid molecules between the free or acetyl protected polyphenol compounds were synthesized and their in vitro antioxidant activity (DPPH assay) and cholinesterase [acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE)] inhibition activities were evaluated. As expected, free phenolic hybrid compounds (6 and 8) showed better antioxidant activity than acetyl protected hybrid compounds (5 and 7) from DPPH assay. But the contrast result was obtained from BuChE inhibition assay. Acetyl protected hybrid compounds (5 and 7) showed better inhibition activity for BuChE than free phenolic hybrid compounds (6 and 8). Specifically, 10 (AcFA-AcFA) were shown as an effective inhibitor of BuChE ($IC_{50}=2.3{\pm}0.3{\mu}M$) and also had a great selectivity for BuChE over AChE (more than 170 fold). Inhibition kinetic studies with acetyl protected compounds (5, 7, 9, and 10) indicated that 5, 7 and 10 are a hyperbolic mixed-type inhibition and 10 is a competitive inhibition type. The binding affinity (Ki) value of 10 to BuChE is $2.32{\pm}0.15{\mu}M$.

The fluorescence of ethidium bound to DNA, poly[d(A-T)$_2$], and poly[d(G-C)$_2$] at a [ethidium]/[DNA] ratio of 0.005 was quenched by porphyrins when both ethidium and the porphyrins simultaneously bound to the same polynucleotide. The quenching was tested using the "inner sphere" and the "Forster resonance energy transfer" (FRET) models, with the latter found to contribute, at least in part, to the quenching. Meso-tetrakis(N-methylpyridinium-4-yl)porphyrin (TMPyP) exhibited a higher quenching and FRET efficiency than cis-bis(N-methylpyridinium-4-yl)porphyrin (BMPyP) for all of the tested DNA and polynucleotides, demonstrating that energy transfer efficiency is affected by the number of positive charges of porphyrins.

Monodispersed Ag/$TiO_2$ core/shell nanoparticles were synthesized in solution via colloid-seeded deposition process using Ag nanoparticles as colloid seeds and $Ti(SO_4)_2$ as Ti-source respectively. Silver nitrate was reduced to Ag nanoparticles with $N_2H_4{\cdot}H_2O$ in the presence of CTAB as stabilizing agent. The titania sols hydrolyzed by the $Ti(SO_4)_2$ solution deposited on the surface of Ag nanoparticles to form the Ag/$TiO_2$ core/shell nanoparticles. Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) showed low amount of Ag ion leaching from the Ag/$TiO_2$ core/shell nanoparticles. The Ag/$TiO_2$ core/shell nanoparticles indicated excellent antibacterial effects against Escherichia coli and maintained long-term antibacterial property.

We studied the physical properties of the mercaptopyruvic-acid layer formed on gold surfaces, which has the interactions with the titanium dioxide surface for design of gold- titanium dioxide distribution. Surface force measurements were performed, using the atomic force microscope (AFM), between the surfaces as a function of the salt concentration and pH value. The forces were analyzed with the DLVO (Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek) theory, to evaluate the potential and charge density of the surfaces quantitatively for each salt concentration and each pH value. The difference in the properties reflected the effect of the isoelectric point on the surface forces. The forces were interpreted for the evaluation with the law of mass action and the ionizable groups on the surface. The salt concentration dependence of the surface properties, found from the measurement at pH 8.0, was consistent with the prediction from the law. It was found that the mercaptopyruvic-acid layer had higher values for the surface charge densities and potentials than the titanium dioxide surfaces at pH 8, which may be attributed to the ionized-functional-groups of the mercaptopyruvic-acid layer.

Two new Zn(II) complexes, $[Zn_2(dpa)_2(phen)_2(H_2O)_2]{\cdot}H_2O$ (1) (dpa = dephenate, phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) and [$Zn_2(dpa)_2(bpy)_2(H_2O)_2$] (2) (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine) have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The X-ray analysis reveals that the structures of 1 and 2 are dinuclear zinc(II) complexes bridged by dpa dianions, respectively. The zinc ions in 1 exhibit a distorted square pyramidal environments, while the zinc ions in 2 exhibit a trigonal bipyramid geometry. In each complex, the dpa ligand is coordinated to zinc ions as a bis-monodentate.

We investigated the surface structure and wetting behavior of octaneselenolate self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on Au(111) formed in a 50 ${\mu}M$ ethanol solution according to immersion time, using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and an automatic contact angle (CA) goniometer. Closely-packed, well-ordered alkanethiol SAMs would form as the immersion time increased; unexpectedly, however, we observed the structural transition of octaneselenolate SAMs from a molecular row phase with a long-range order to a disordered phase with a high density of vacancy islands (VIs). Molecularly resolved STM imaging revealed that the missing-row ordered phase of the SAMs could be assigned as a $(6{\times}{\surd}3)R30^{\circ}$ superlattice containing three molecules in the rectangular unit cell. In addition, CA measurements showed that the structural order and defect density of VIs are closely related to the wetting behaviors of octaneselenolate SAMs on gold. In this study, we clearly demonstrate that interactions between the headgroups and gold surfaces play an important role in determining the physical properties and surface structure of SAMs.

The nucleophilic substitution reactions of Y-O-aryl phenyl phosphonochloridothioates with substituted anilines ($XC_6H_4NH_2$) and deuterated anilines ($XC_6H_4ND_2$) are kinetically investigated in acetonitrile at $55.0^{\circ}C$. The deuterium kinetic isotope effects (DKIEs) invariably increase from an extremely large secondary inverse ($k_H/k_D$ = 0.439; min) to a primary normal ($k_H/k_D$ = 1.34; max) as both substituents of nucleophile (X) and substrate (Y) change from electron-donating to electron-withdrawing. These results are opposite to the DKIEs on Y-O-aryl methyl phosphonochloridothioates, and can be rationalized by the gradual transition state (TS) variation from backside to frontside attack. The trigonal bipyramidal pentacoordinate TS is proposed for a backside attack, while the hydrogen-bonded, four-center-type TS is proposed for a frontside attack. The negative values of the cross-interaction constants (${\rho}_{XY(H)}$ = -0.38 for $XC_6H_4NH_2$ and ${\rho}_{XY(D)}$ = -0.29 for $XC_6H_4ND_2$) indicate that the reactions proceed by a concerted $S_N2$ mechanism.

A new type of ionic liquid based on N-(3-aminepropyl)imidazolium iodide, called IIQAI, which consists of imidazolium and quaternary ammonium salt, and APII-(hydroxyethyl, propyl, hexyl) were synthesized and used as ionic liquid in dye-sensitized solar cells. APII-hexyl is solid, whereas IIQAI, APII-(hydroxyethyl, propyl) are viscous liquids. The synthesized ionic liquid showed relative thermal stability compared to the commercial ionic liquid of DMII. Among them, IIQAI was more stable than the other ionic liquid because of the two salt groups. APII-hydroxyethyl, which contains two hydroxyl groups, showed low viscosity with good flow. New types of ionic liquids were examined by $^1H$-NMR spectroscopy, thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA). IIQAI enabled a solar energy conversion efficiency of 6.3%, which is slightly higher than that of the referenced (DMII, 6.2%).

A new ultrasonic-assisted micellar extraction and cloud-point pre-concentration method was developed for the determination of major saikosaponins, namely saikosaponins -A, -C and -D, in Radix Bupleuri by high performance liquid chromatography with evaporative light scattering detection (HPLC-ELSD). The non-ionic surfactant Genapol X-080 (oligoethylene glycol monoalkyl ether) was chosen as the extraction additive and parameters affecting the extraction efficiency were optimized. The highest yield was obtained with 10% (w/v) Genapol X-080, a liquid/solid ratio of 200:1 (mL/g) and ultrasonic-assisted extraction for 40 min. In addition, the optimum cloud-point pre-concentration was reached with 10% sodium sulfate and equilibration at $60^{\circ}C$ for 30 min. Separation was achieved on an Ascentis Express C18 column (100 ${\times}$ 4.6 mm i.d., 2.7 ${\mu}M$) using a binary mobile phase composed of 0.1% acetic acid and acetonitrile. Saikosaponins were detected by ELSD, which was operated at a $50^{\circ}C$ drift tube temperature and 3.0 bar nebulizer gas ($N_2$) pressure. The water-based solvent modified with Genapol X-080 showed better extraction efficiency compared to that of the conventional solvent methanol. Recovery of saikosaponins ranged from 93.1 to 101.9%. An environmentally-friendly extraction method was successfully applied to extract and enrich major saikosaponins in Radix Bupleuri.

Efficient ditopic receptor, uranyl(II) N,N'-(ethylenedioxy)benzenebis(salicylideneimine) (3) for beryllium ion has been obtained upon functionalization of 1,2-ethylenedioxybenzene (1) with a uranyl-salphen (salphen = N,N'-phenylenebis(salicylideneimine)) unit. Binding affinities of the receptor, 3 in AN-DMSO (v/v 95:5) solution have been measured for alkali and alkaline earth metal ions by conductometry comparing 1. The results showed that both monotopic 1 and ditopic receptor 3 were selective for $Be^{2+}$ ions over other cations, while especially 3 that can complex both with cations (coordinated to basic oxygen of ethylenedioxybenzene) and anions (coordinated to the Lewis acidic uranyl center) results in an increase of the stability constants by a factor of $10^{2.42}$ with respect to 1. Furthermore, the $Be^{2+}$-3 interactions are demonstrated by $^1H$ NMR experiments in highly polar solvent medium, DMSO-$d_6$. Higher selectivities were also observed for $Be^{2+}$ when the ditopic receptor, 3 was incorporated into PVC membranes and tested as ion selective electrodes at neutral pH.

A simple HPLC-DAD method was developed and validated to determine B group vitamin content (thiamine, riboflavin, nicotinamide, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine and folic acid) in supplemented food samples, i.e., infant formula, cereal, low-calorie food, a multi-vitamin pill and a vitamin drink. In this study, the most significant advantages were simultaneous determination of the six B group vitamins in various food matrices and a small number of sample treatment steps that required only an organic solvent, acetonitrile. Moreover, this method prevents reduction of column durability, because the mobile phase does not contain ion-pairing reagents. Analytes were separated on a Develosil RPAQUEOUS $C_{30}$ (4.6 mm ${\times}$ 250 mm, 5 ${\mu}M$ particle size) column with a gradient elution of acetonitrile and 20 mM phosphate buffer (pH 3.0) at a flow rate between 0.8 and 1.0 mL/min. Detection was performed at 275 nm, except for that of pantothenic acid (205 nm). The calibration curves for all six vitamins showed good linearity with correlation coefficients ($r^2$) higher than 0.995. The developed method was validated with respect to linearity, intra- and inter-day accuracy and precision, limit of quantification (LOQ), recovery and stability. The method showed good precision and accuracy, with intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation less than 15% at all concentrations. The recovery was carried out according to the standard addition procedure, with yields ranging from 89.8 to 104.4%. This method was successfully applied to the determination of vitamin B groups in supplemented food products.

1,2,4-Triazoles and quinoxalines were found to display various pharmacological activities. Hence a series of 1-aryl-4-methyl-1,2,4-triazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalines were synthesized. Due to various advantages of organic reactions under solvent-free conditions these compounds were developed using iodobenzene diacetate under solvent-free conditions. The synthesized compounds were characterized by elemental microanalysis, infrared spectroscopy, $^1H$ NMR, $^{13}C$ NMR and HRMS. All the synthesized compounds were investigated for their antitubercular activity and 5g was found to the most active compound.

We studied the effect of structural and morphological changes on the conductivity of a stretched conducting polymer film. To improve the poor processability of polyaniline, we used dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid as both a surfactant and a dopant during emulsion polymerization, followed by blending with high-impact polystyrene. UV-Vis/NIR spectra were obtained to observe conformational changes, and SEM and AFM were used to investigate morphological changes. FT-IR dichroism was applied to determine the microscopic orientation, and XRD patterns were obtained for quantitative crystallinity analysis. The electrical conductivity (${\sigma}_{\parallel}/{\sigma}_{\perp}$) was measured as a function of draw ratio. We found a clear correlation between morphological changes and (${\sigma}_{\parallel}/{\sigma}_{\perp}$), especially at the stretching limit. The conductivity of the films can be modified according to the desired application by controlling their structure and morphology.

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and capillary electrophoresis (CE) were used to identify five active components in the modified herbal decoction Bo-Yang-Hwan-O-Tang (mBHT), i.e., amygdalin, decursin, paeoniflorin, salvianolic acid B, and calycosin-7-O-${\beta}$-D-glycoside. These components were identified by comparing their retention times and mass spectra with those of reference compounds. The conditions of both analytical methods were optimized and validated. Sufficient separation of target analytes was achieved using a buffer consisting of 40 mM sodium borate and 60 mM sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) containing 10% methanol (pH 9.5) at 250 nm for CE analysis and gradient elution with a water-methanol mobile phase and ultraviolet (UV) photodiode array detector (DAD) at 250 nm for HPLC analysis. The mBHT components were determined within 65 min by HPLC and 16 min by CE. All calibration curves showed high linearity (R > 0.999) within the ranges tested. Intra-day and inter-day precision were less than 1.6% and 1.8% for HPLC and 2.5% and 4.8% for CE, respectively. The accuracy of the methods ranged from 98.8% to 102.3% for HPLC and from 95.9% to 108.2% for CE.

Nanocrystalline $TiO_2$ spherical particle (NP) with a dimension of 5 ${\times}$ 5.5 nm and several nanorods (NR) with different aspect ratios (diameter ${\times}$ length: 5 ${\times}$ 8.5, 4 ${\times}$ 15, 4 ${\times}$ 18 and 3.5 ${\times}$ 22 nm) were selectively synthesized by a solvothermal process combined with non-hydrolytic sol-gel reaction. With varying the molar ratio of TTIP to oleic acid from 1:1 to 1:16, the NRs in the pure anatase phase were elongated to the c-axis direction. The prepared NP and NRs were applied for the formation of nanoporous $TiO_2$ layers in dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). Among them, NR2 ($TiO_2$ nanorod with 4 ${\times}$ 15 nm) exhibited the highest cell performance: Its photovoltaic conversion efficiency (${\eta}$) of 6.07%, with $J_{sc}$ of 13.473 mA/$cm^2$, $V_{oc}$ of 0.640 V, and FF of 70.32%, was 1.44 times that of NP with a size of 5 ${\times}$ 5.5 nm. It was observed from the transient photoelectron spectroscopy and the incident photon to current conversion efficiency (IPCE) spectra that the $TiO_2$ films derived from NR2 demonstrate the longest electron diffusion length ($L_e$) and the highest external quantum efficiency (EQE).

Direct nitrolysis of 3,7-dinitro-1,3,5,7-tetraazabicyclo[3,3,1]nonane (DPT) is a feasible way to synthesize HMX, and it has multiple practical applications. In this paper, a new nitrolysis process involving the use of an $N_2O_5-HNO_3$ system catalyzed by acidic ionic liquids (AILs) was developed. The results show that [$Et_3NH$]TsO was the best catalyst among the 28 AILs used and that HMX was formed at a higher yield of 61%, compared to 45% without any AIL. Moreover, with the addition of $N_2O_5$, the yield was further increased to a maximum value of 69%. The AILs were also efficiently recovered by simple extractions without any apparent loss of catalytic activity, even after five runs.

Silica-manganese oxides with a core-shell structure were synthesized via precipitation of manganese oxides on the $SiO_2$ core while varying the concentration of a precipitation agent. Elemental analysis, crystalline property investigation, and morphology observations using low- and high-resolution electron microscopes were applied to the synthesized silica-manganese oxides with the core-shell structure. As the concentration of the precipitating agent increased, the manganese oxide shells around the $SiO_2$ core sequentially appeared as $Mn_3O_4$ particles, $Mn_2O_3+Mn_3O_4$ thin layers, and ${\alpha}-MnO_2$ urchin-like phases. The prepared samples were assembled as electrodes in a supercapacitor with 0.1 M $Na_2SO_4$ electrolyte, and their electrochemical properties were examined using cyclic voltammetry and charge-discharge cycling. The maximum specific capacitance obtained was 197 F $g^{-1}$ for the $SiO_2-MnO_2$ electrode due to the higher electronic conductivity of the $MnO_2$ shell compared to those of the $Mn_2O_3$ and $Mn_3O_4$ phases.

Novel 5'-norcarbocyclic adenine and guanine phosphonic acid analogues with 6'-electronegative moiety such as unsaturated C-C bond were designed and synthesized from commercially available 2-methylene-propane-1,3-diol (4). Regioselective Mitsunobu reaction successfully proceeded from an allylic functional group (${\pm}$)-12b at low reaction temperature in polar cosolvent (DMF/1,4-dioxane) to give purine phosphonate analogues (${\pm}$)-13 and (${\pm}$)-20. The purine nucleoside phosphonate and phosphonic acid analogues were subjected to antiviral screening against HIV-1. Guanine analogue (${\pm}$)-23 shows significant anti-HIV activity in PBM cell lines ($EC_{50}=8.1\;{\mu}M$).

${\beta}$ Ketoacyl acyl carrier protein synthase III (KAS III) initiates fatty acid synthesis in bacteria and is a key target enzyme to overcome the antibiotic resistance problem. In our previous study, we found flavonoid inhibitors of Enterococcus faecalis KAS III and proposed three potent antimicrobial flavonoids against Enterococcus faecalis and Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis with MIC values in the range of 128-512 ${\mu}g/mL$ as well as high binding affinities on the order from $10^6$ to $10^7\;M^{-1}$. Using these series of flavonoids, we conducted biological assays as well as docking study to find potent flavonoids inhibitors of Staphylococcus aureus KAS III with specificities against Staphylococcus aureus and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Here, we propose that naringenin (5,7,4'-trihydroxyflavanone) and eriodictyol (5,7,3',4'-tetrahydroxyflavanone) are potent antimicrobial inhibitors of Staphylococcus aureus KAS III with binding affinity of $3.35{\times}10^5$ and $2.01{\times}10^5\;M^{-1}$, respectively. Since Arg38 in efKAS III is replaced with Met36 in saKAS III, this key difference caused one hydrogen bond missing in saKAS III compared with efKAS III, resulting in slight discrepancy in their binding interactions as well as decrease in binding affinities. 4'-OH and 7-OH of these flavonoids participated in hydrogen bonding interactions with backbone carbonyl of Phe298 and Ser152, respectively. In particular, these flavonoids display potent antimicrobial activities against various MRSA strains in the range of 64 to 128 ${\mu}M$ with good binding affinities.

The 1:1 imine intermediate generated by the addition of primary amine to chloroacetone is trapped by N-isocyaniminotriphenylphosphorane in the presence of (E)-cinnamic acids and the corresponding iminophosphorane intermediate was formed. Disubstituted 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives are formed via intramolecular aza-Wittig reaction of the iminophosphorane intermediate. The reactions were completed in neutral conditions at room temperature. The disubstituted 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives were produced in excellent yields.

Four MOFs functionalized with 1-Me, 1-Pr, 1-Ph, and 1-$PhCF_3$ were prepared through post-synthetic modifications of a metal-organic framework (MOF), UMCM-1-$NH_2$ (1) with acetic, butyric, benzoic, and 4-(trifluoromethyl)benzoic anhydrides, respectively. Methane adsorption measurements between 253 and 298 K at pressures up to 1 bar indicated that both 1-Ph and 1-$PhCF_3$ adsorbed more $CH_4$ than the parent MOF, 1. All the functionalized MOFs adsorbed more $CO_2$ than 1 under conditions similar to the $CH_4$ test. The introduction of functional groups promoted adsorption of both $CH_4$ and $CO_2$ despite significantly reducing Brunauer-Emmet-Teller (BET) surface area: 4170 (1), 3550 (1-Me), 2900 (1-Pr), 3680 (1-Ph), and 3520 $m^2/g$ (1-$PhCF_3$). Electron-withdrawing aromatic groups (1-Ph, 1-$PhCF_3$) more effectively enhanced $CO_2$ adsorption than electron-donating alkyl groups (1-Me, 1-Pr). In particular, 1-Ph adsorbed 23% more $CO_2$ at 298 K and 50% more at 253 K than 1.

para-Substituted phenoxide derivatives of Pd(II) having an NCN pincer, Pd(NCN)($OC_6H_4$-p-X) (NCN = 2,6-$(CH_2NMe_2)_2C_6H_3$; X = $NO_2$ (1), Me (2)) were prepared by the reaction of Pd(NCN)($OSO_2CF_3$) with equi-molar amount of $NaOC_6H_4$-p-X. Treatment of Pd(NCN)($OSO_2CF_3$) with an excess amount of $NaOC_6H_4$-p-Me affords the hydrogen-bonding adduct complex 3 ($2{\cdot}HOC_6H_4$-p-Me). Complex 3 can also be obtained from benzene solution of 2 in the presence of free $HOC_6H_4$-p-Me. Complex 1 does not undergo adduct formation with $HOC_6H_4-p-NO_2$ neither from metathesis reaction of Pd(NCN)($OSO_2CF_3$) with an excess amount of $NaOC_6H_4-p-NO_2$ nor from treatment of 1 with free $HOC_6H_4-p-NO_2$. Complex 3 undergoes fast exchange of the coordinated p-cresolate with the hydrogen-bonding p-cresol. Complex 2 undergoes ${\sigma}$-ligand exchange reaction with $HOC_6H_4-p-NO_2$ to give 1. The exchange reaction, however, is irreversible as readily anticipated from their respective $pK_a$ values of the phenol derivatives. Reaction of 2 with diphenyliodium chloride quantitatively produced Pd(NCN)Cl and PhI along with liberation of O-phenylated product $PhOC_6H_4$-p-Me which was identified by GC/MS spectroscopy.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are a subfamily of nuclear receptors (NRs). Human peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (hPPAR${\gamma}$) has been implicated in the pathology of numerous diseases, including obesity, diabetes, and cancer. ELISA-based hPPAR${\gamma}$ activation assay showed that biapigenin increased the binding between hPPAR${\gamma}$ and steroid receptor coactivator-1 (SRC-1) by approximately 3-fold. In order to confirm that biapigenin binds to hPPAR${\gamma}$, fluorescence quenching experiment was performed. The results showed that biapigenin has higher binding affinity to hPPAR${\gamma}$ at nanomolar concentrations compared to indomethacin. Biapigenin showed anticancer activity against HeLa cells. Biapigenin was noncytotoxic against HaCa T cell. All these data implied that biapigenin may be a potent agonist of hPPAR${\gamma}$ with anticancer activity. We will further investigate its anticancer effects against human cervical cancer.

Plasticized poly(vinyl chloride), PVCs, with different membrane compositions tested for use in the construction of an ion-selective sensor for the determination dibucaine. A prepared membrane with dioctyl phthalate-PVC and ion-pair of N-(1-naphthyl)ethylenediamine dihydrochloride-tetraphenyl borate had a good potential to acts as a potentiometric sensor for the analysis of dibucaine. A linear relationship was obtained between potential and logC varying between $1.0{\times}10^{-6}$ and $1.0{\times}10^{-2}$ M dibucaine with a good repeatability and reproducibility. The sensor was applied for the determination of the drug in pharmaceuticals and biological fluids such as plasma and urine samples with satisfactory results. The drug electrode has also been used to study the interaction of bovine serum albumin (BSA) with dibucaine. The saturated quantities of dibucaine binding were 13.04, 5.30 and 9.70 mol/mol in 0.01, 0.02 and 0.1% of protein, respectively.

A new method for the determination of josamycin has been developed based on quenching of the fluorescence of 3-mercaptopropionic acid-capped CdTe quantum dots (MPA-CdTe QDs) by josamycin in ethanol. Reaction time, interfering substances on the fluorescence quenching, and mechanism of the interaction of CdTe QDs with josamycin were investigated. Under optimum conditions, the relative fluorescence intensity was linearly proportional to the concentration of josamycin between 12.0 and 120.0 ${\mu}g\;mL^{-1}$ with a correlation coefficient of 0.9956 and a detection limit of 2.5 ${\mu}g\;mL^{-1}$. The proposed method was successfully applied to commercial tablets, and the results were satisfactory, i.e. consistent with those of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

In pH 4.2 HAc-NaAc buffer solution, horseradish peroxidase (HRP) catalyzed $H_2O_2$ oxidation of nanosilver to form $Ag^+$. After centrifugation, $Ag^+$ in the supernatant can be measured by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry (GFAAS) at the silver absorption wavelength of 328.1 nm. When HRP concentration increased, the $Ag^+$ concentration in the supernatant increased, and the absorption value enhanced. The HRP concentration in the range of 0.84-50 $ng{\cdot}mL^{-1}$ was linear to the enhanced absorption value (${\Delta}A$), with a regression equation of ${\Delta}A$=0.012C+0.11, correlation coefficient of 0.9988, and detection limit of 0.41 $ng{\cdot}mL^{-1}$ HRP. The proposed GFAAS method was used to detect HRP in waste water samples, with satisfactory results.

Ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of an ethyl-substituted tetracyclododecene (8-ethyltetracyclo[$4.4.0.1^{2,5}.1^{7,10}$] dodec-3-ene, Et-TCD) was carried out in the presence of a ternary catalyst system consisting of $WCl_6$, triisobutyl aluminium (iso$Bu_3Al$), and ethanol. The optimal molar ratio of Et-TCD/$WCl_3$/iso-$Bu_3Al$/ethanol was found as 500/1/3/2 at which the yield of ring-opened polymer was 100%. 1-Hexene was shown to be an effective molecular weight controlling agent for ROMP reaction of Et-TCD. The hydrogenation of the ring opened polymer (p-Et-TCD) was conducted successfully using Pd(5 wt %)/${\gamma}$-$Al_2O_3$ at $80^{\circ}C$ for 1 h. Chemical structures of p-Et-TCD and its hydrogenated product($H_2$-p-Et-TCD) were characterized using 2D NMR techniques ($^1H-^1H$ COSY and $^1H-^{13}C$ HSQC). The changes of physical properties such as thermal stability, glass transition temperature and light transmittance after the hydrogenation were also investigated using TGA, DSC, and UV.

Lanthanide(III)-cored complex as a wavelength conversion material has been successfully designed and synthesized for highly efficient dye-sensitized solar cells, for the first time, since light with a short wavelength has not been effectively used for generating electric power owing to the limited absorption of these DSSCs in the UV region. A black dye (BD) was chosen and used as a sensitizer, because BD has a relatively weak light absorption at shorter wavelengths. The overall conversion efficiency of the BD/WCM device was remarkably increased, even with the relatively small amount of WCM added to the device. The enhancement in $V_{oc}$ by WCM, like DCA, could be correlated with the suppression of electron recombination between the injected electrons and $I_3{^-}$ ions. Furthermore, the short-circuit current density was significantly increased by WCM with a strong UV light-harvesting effect. The energy transfer from the Eu(III)-cored complex to the $TiO_2$ film occurred via the dye, so the number of electrons injected into the $TiO_2$ surface increased, i.e., the short-circuit current density was increased. As a result, BD/WCM-sensitized solar cells exhibit superior device performance with the enhanced conversion efficiency by a factor of 1.22 under AM 1.5 sunlight: The photovoltaic performance of the BD/WCM-based DSSC exhibited remarkably high values, $J_{sc}$ of 17.72 mA/$cm^2$, $V_{oc}$ of 720 mV, and a conversion efficiency of 9.28% at 100 mW $cm^{-2}$, compared to a standard DSSC with $J_{sc}$ of 15.53 mA/$cm^2$, $V_{oc}$ of 689 mV, and a conversion efficiency of 7.58% at 100 mW $cm^{-2}$. Therefore, the Eu(III)-cored complex is a promising candidate as a new wavelength conversion coadsorbent for highly efficient dye-sensitized solar cells to improve UV light harvesting through energy transfer processes. The abstract should be a single paragraph which summaries the content of the article.

The visible vibronic emission spectrum was recorded from the corona discharge of precursor 1,2,3,4-tetramethylbenzene with a large amount of inert carrier gas helium using a pinhole-type glass nozzle coupled with corona excited supersonic expansion. The spectrum showed a series of vibronic bands in the $D_1{\rightarrow}D_0$ electronic transition of jet-cooled benzyl-type radicals formed from the precursor in a corona excitation. The analysis confirmed that two isomeric radicals, 2,3,4- and 2,3,6-trimethylbenzyl radicals, were produced as a result of removal of a hydrogen atom from the methyl group at different substitution positions. For each isomeric product, the electronic transition and a few vibrational mode frequencies were determined in the ground electronic state.

To develop more advanced binaphthol derived CSPs, two new 1,1-bi-2-naphthol derived chiral stationary phases (CSPs) (CSP 1 and CSP 2) were prepared by connecting with silica gel at a hydroxy (OH) group of binaphthol. Previously reported two 1,1'-binaphthyl-2,2'-diamine derived CSPs (CSP 3 and CSP 4) were also prepared to compare the role of their functional groups (-OH and -$NH_2$) with CSP 1 and CSP 2. Enantioseparation of randomly selected, 11 chiral compounds on these four CSPs was performed and the results compared to each other. 3,5-Dinitrobenzoyl (3,5-DNB) derivatives of each CSP showed better results than the others and binaphthyldiamine derived CSP showed slightly better than binaphthol derived one.

A new Ruddlesden-Popper phase $NdSr_2MnCrO_7$ has been prepared by the standard ceramic method. The powder X-ray diffraction studies suggest that the phase crystallizes with tetragonal unit cell in the space group I4/mmm. The electrical transport properties show that the phase is an electrical insulator and the electrical conduction in the phase occurs by a 3D variable range hopping mechanism. The magnetic studies suggest that the ferromagnetic interactions are dominant.

Organic dye-doped glasses, viz., ruthenium (II) tris(4,7'-diphenyl-1,10'-phenanthroline) $[Ru(dpp)_3]^{2+}$ incorporated into thin silica xerogel films produced by the sol-gel method, were prepared and their $O_2$ quenching properties investigated as a function of the $[Ru(dpp)_3]^{2+}$ concentration (3-400 ${\mu}M$) within the xerogel. The ratio of the luminescence from the $[Ru(dpp)_3]^{2+}$-doped films in the presence of $N_2$ and $O_2$ ($I_{N2}/I_{O2}$) was used to describe the film sensitivity to $O_2$ quenching. ($I_{N2}/I_{O2}$ changed three-fold over the $[Ru(dpp)_3]^{2+}$ concentration range. Time-resolved intensity decay studies showed that there are two discrete $[Ru(dpp)_3]^{2+}$ populations within the xerogels (${\tau}_1$ ~ 300 ns; ${\tau}_2$ ~ 3000 ns) whose relative fraction changes as the $[Ru(dpp)_3]^{2+}$ concentration changes. The increased $O_2$ sensitivity that is observed at the higher $[Ru(dpp)_3]^{2+}$ concentrations is a manifestation of a greater fraction of the 3000 ns $[Ru(dpp)_3]^{2+}$ species (more susceptible to $O_2$ quenching). A model is presented to describe the observed response characteristics resulting from $[Ru(dpp)_3]^{2+}$ distribution within the xerogel.

Poly-ethylenedioxypyrrole (PEDOP) coated thiolated multiwall carbon nanotubes palladium nanoparticles (MWCNTs-Pd) modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) [PEDOP/MWCNTs-Pd/GCE] for the determination of hydroquinone (HQ) and it’s isomer catechol (CA) were synthesized and compared with bare GCE and thiolated multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs-SH/GCE). The modification could be made by simple processes on a GCE with MWCNTs-Pd covered by PEDOP in a 0.05 M tetrabutylammonium perchlorate (TBAP)/MeCN solution system. A well-defined peak potential evaluation of the oxidation of hydroquinone to quinone at 0.05 V (vs. Ag/AgCl), and electrochemical reduction back to hydroquinone were found by cyclic voltammetry (CV) in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) at pH 7.4. Peak current values increased linearly with increasing hydroquinone contents. The peak separation between the anodic and cathodic peaks at the PEDOP/MWCNTs-Pd/GCE was ${\Delta}Ep$ = 40 mV for HQ and ${\Delta}Ep$ = 70 mV for CA, resulting in a higher electron transfer rate. Moreover, good reproducibility, excellent storage stability, a wide linear range (0.1 ${\mu}M$ - 5 mM for HQ and 0.01 ${\mu}M$ - 6 mM for CA), and low detection limits ($2.9{\times}10^{-8}$ M for HQ and $2.6{\times}10^{-8}$ M for CA; S/N = 3) were determined using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and amperometric responses; this makes it a promising candidate as a sensor for determination of HQ and CA.