A series of aromatic hydrazides 3a-j were prepared by refluxing esters 2a-j with hydrazine hydrate in methanol, which were prepared by the esterification of 1a-j. Acetohydrazides 3a-j upon treatment with carbon disulfide and methanolic potassium hydroxide yielded potassium dithiocarbazate salts 4a-j, which on refluxing with hydrazine hydrate yielded substituted 4-amino-5-aryl-3H-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiones 5a-j. The target compounds 6a-j were synthesized by condensing furan-3-carboxylic acid in the presence of polyphosphoric acid under reflux. The structures of newly synthesized compounds were characterized by IR, $^1H$ NMR, $^{13}C$ NMR, elemental analysis and mass spectrometric studies. All the synthesized compounds were screened for their urease, acetylcholine esterase inhibition, antioxidant and alkaline phosphatase inhibition activity. Almost all of the compounds 6a-j showed good to excellent activities against urease and acetylcholine esterase more than the reference drugs. Compounds 6f and 6g were more potent scavenger of free radicals than the reference n-propyl gallate. Compound 6b and 6h showed excellent activities of alkaline phosphatase as compare to the reference $KH_2PO_4$.

In order to improve the bioactivity and mechanical properties of hydroxyapatite (HAp), chitosan (Chi) was in situ combined into HAp to fabricate a composite scaffold by a sublimation-assisted compression method. A highly porous film with sufficient mechanical strength was prepared and the bioactivity was investigated by examining the apatite formed on the scaffolds incubated in simulated body fluid. In addition, the cytotoxicity of the HAp/Chi composite was studied by evaluating the viability of murine fibroblasts (L-929 cells) exposed to diluted extracts of the composite films. The apatite layer was assessed using scanning electronic microscopy, inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry and weight measurement. Composite analysis showed that a layer of micro-sized, needle-like crystals was formed on the surface of the composite film. Additionally, the WST-8 assay after L-929 cells were exposed to diluted extracts of the composite indicated that the HAp/Chi scaffold has good in vitro cytocompatibility. The results indicated that HAp/Chi composites with porous structure are promising scaffolding materials for bone-patch engineering because their porous morphology can provide an environment conductive to attachment and growth of osteoblasts and osteogenic cells.

Iron-oxide nanoparticles (IONs) with biocompatible coatings are the only nanostructural materials which have been approved by the FDA for clinical use. Common biocompatible coatings such as hydrocarbons, polymers, and silica have profound influences on critical characteristics of IONs. Recently, amino acids were introduced as a novel biocompatible coating. In the present study, the effects of amino acids on IONs synthesis and characteristics have been evaluated. Magnetite nanoparticles with L-arginine and L-lysine coatings were synthesised by a coprecipitation reaction in aqueous solvent and their characteristics were compared with naked magnetite nanoparticles. The results showed that amino acids can be a perfect coating for IONs and would increase particle stability without any significant effects on the critical properties of nanoparticles such as particle size and magnetization saturation value.

Headspace (HS) and headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) were studied for extracting volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from whole blood, with chemical and instrumental variables being optimized for maximum sensitivity: incubation at $60^{\circ}C$, equilibration for 30 min, pH 11, and 2 mL injection volume. Both techniques provided accurate analyses, with detection limits of 0.05-0.1 ng $mL^{-1}$ and 0.05-0.5 ng $mL^{-1}$. HS showed better sensitivity, reproducibility, and analysis times than HS-SPME. Overall levels of chloroform in whole blood were found to be 0.05-5.84 ng $mL^{-1}$; detected levels of benzene were 0.05-2.20 ng $mL^{-1}$.

A simple method was developed for the analysis of seven stilbene-type fluorescent whitening agents (FWAs) in paper materials by ion-pair reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. These stilbene-type FWAs included two disulfonate, two tetrasulfonate, and three hexasulfonate compounds. After optimization of chromatographic conditions, the FWAs were satisfactorily separated using a reversed-phase column (RP-18) with the following isocratic mobile phase: methanol-water (60:40) containing 17.5 mM TBABr and 10 mM citrate buffer (pH = 7.0). The calibration plot was linear in the range from 5 to 500 ng/mL for two disulfo-FWAs and from 1 to 500 ng/mL for the other five FWAs. Precision levels of the calibration curve as indicated by RSD of response factors were 1.2 and 8.1%. Limits of quantitation (LOQ) ranged from 1.2 to 11 ng/mL.

Nanostructured thermoelectric bismuth telluride ($Bi_2Te_3$) powders with various morphologies, such as nanoplates, nanorods, and nanotubes, were prepared by a hydrothermal method based on the reaction between $BiCl_3$, Te, and sodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate ($Na_2$-EDTA) at 150, 180, and $210^{\circ}C$. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). The effect of reaction temperature on the morphology of the $Bi_2Te_3$ particles was investigated, and the possible mechanism of morphology control was proposed.

Anatase nanocrystalline and its tungsten-doped (0.4, 2, and 4 mol %) powders have been synthesized by microwave irradiation through hydrolysis of titanium tetra-isopropoxide (TIP) in aqueous solution. The materials are characterized by XRD, Raman, SEM-EDX, TEM, FT-IR and UV-vis techniques. The nanocrystalline $TiO_2$ particles are 30 nm in nature and doping of tungsten ion decreases their size. As seen in TEM images, the crystallites of W (4 mol %) doped $TiO_2$ are small with a size of about 10 nm. The photocatalytic activity was tested on the degradation of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP). Catalytic activities of W-doped and pure $TiO_2$ were also compared. The results show that the photocatalytic activity of the W-doped $TiO_2$ photocatalyst is much higher than that of pure $TiO_2$. Degradation decreases from 96 to 50%, during 115 min, when the initial 4-NP concentration increases from 10 to 120 ppm. Maximum degradation was obtained at 35 mg of photocatalyst.

Silver nanopowders were prepared from silver 2-ethylhexylcarbamate (Ag-EHCB) complexes by simple thermal reduction at $85^{\circ}C$ without any reducing agent in organic solvent. 2-Ethylhexylammonium 2-ethylhexylcarbamate (EHAEHC) was investigated in terms of their abilities to stabilize the silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) and its subsequent effects on the preventing aggregation between Ag-NPs. Conditions (concentration of stabilizer and reaction time) used to reduce Ag-EHCB complex were systematically varied to determine their effects on the sizes of Ag-NPs. The formation of the stabilized Ag-NPs were easily monitored by UV-vis spectroscopy and characterized by TGA, TEM, SEM and XRD. When EHAEHC was used as a stabilizer, Ag-NPs of 10-30 nm in diameter were easily obtained in high yield. Silver patterns were obtained from a silver nano-paste by heat treatment at $200^{\circ}C$ in air and were found to have resistivity values of $2.9{\times}10^{-8}\;{\Omega}{\cdot}m$.

Three-dimensional porous nickel foam was used as a current collector to prepare a Co-Ni oxide/Ni foam electrode for a supercapacitor. The synthesized Co-Ni oxide was proven to consist of mixed oxide phases of $Co_3O_4$ and NiO. The Co-Ni oxide/Ni foam electrode prepared was characterized by morphological observation, crystalline property analysis, cyclic voltammetry, and impedance spectroscopy. Cyclic voltammetry for the electrode showed high specific capacitances, such as 936 F $g^{-1}$ at 5 mV $s^{-1}$ and 566 F $g^{-1}$ at 200 mV $s^{-1}$, and a comparatively good cycle performance. These improved results were mainly due to the dimensional stability of the nickel foam and its high electrical contact between the electrode material and the current collector substrate.

With continuing progress of nanotechnologies and various applications of nanoparticles, one needs to develop a quick and fairly standard assessment tool to evaluate cytotoxicity of nanoparticles. However, much cytotoxicity studies on the interpretation of the interaction between nanoparticles and cells are non-mechanistic and time-consuming. Here, we propose a simple screening method for the analysis of the interaction between several AgNPs (5.3 to 64 nm) and fluorescence-dye containing vesicles ($12{\mu}m$) acting as a biomimetic cell-membrane. Fluorescence-dye containing vesicle was prepared using a fluorescence probe (1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatryene), which was intercalated into the lipid bilayer due to their hydrophobicity. Zeta potential of all materials except for bare-AgNPs (+32.8 mV) was negative (-26 to -54 mV). The morphological change (i.e., rupture and fusion of vesicle, and release of dye) after mixing of the vesicle and AgNPs was observed by fluorescence microscopy, and fluorescence image were different with coating materials and surface charge of x-AgNPs. In the results, we found that the surface charge of nanoparticles is the key factor for vesicle rupture and fusion. This proposed method might be useful for analyzing the cytotoxicity of nanoparticles with cell-membranes instead of in vitro or in vivo cytotoxicity tests.

A novel copper nanoparticles were synthesized from cupric sulfate using hydrazine as reducing reagents. A series of aromatic nitro compounds were reacted with sodium borohydride in the presence of the copper nanoparticles catalysts to afford the aromatic amino compounds in high yields. Additionally, the catalysts system can be recycled and maintain a high catalytic effect in the reduction of aromatic nitro compounds.

Efficient synthetic route to novel 4'-fluorinated 5'-deoxythreosyl phosphonic acid nucleosides was described from glyceraldehyde using Horner-Emmons reaction in the presence of triethyl ${\alpha}$-fluorophosphonoacetate. Glycosylation reaction of nucleosidic bases with glycosly donor 14 gave the nucleosides which were further phosphonated and hydrolyzed to reach desired nucleoside analogues. Synthesized nucleoside analogues 18, 21, 25 and 28 were tested for anti-HIV activity as well as cytotoxicity. Adenine derivatives 18 and 21 showed significant anti-HIV activity up to $100{\mu}M$.

Manganese(III) 5-(4-carboxyphenyl)-10,15,20-triphenyl porphyrin chloride (Mn(TCPP)Cl) was grafted through amide bond on silica zeolite Y (HY), zeolite beta ($H{\beta}$) and hexagonal mesoporous silica (HMS). XRD, ICP-AES, $N_2$ physisorption, SEM, TEM, FTIR and thermal analysis were employed to analyse these novel heterogeneous materials. These silica supported catalysts were shown to be used for epoxidation and good shape selectivity was observed. The effect of support structure on catalytic performance was also discussed. The catalytic activity remained when the catalysts were recycled five times. The energy changes about epoxidation of alkenes by $NaIO_4$ and $H_2O_2$ were also computationally calculated to explain the different catalytic efficiency.

Cytotoxicity assessment of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was performed using MTT-based microfluidic image cytometry (${\mu}FIC$). The $LC_{50}$ value of HeLa cells exposed to AgNPs in the microfluidic device was estimated as 46.7 mg/L, which is similar to that estimated by MTT-based IC for cells cultured in a 96 well plate (49.9 mg/L). These results confirm that the ${\mu}FIC$ approach can produce cytotoxicity data that is reasonably well-matched with that of the conventional 96 well plate system with much higher efficiency. This ${\mu}FIC$ method provides many benefits including ease of use and low cost, and is a more rapid in vitro cell based assay for AgNPs. This may aid in speeding up data acquisition in the field of nanosafety and make a significant contribution to the quantitative understanding of nanoproperty-toxicity relationships.

Tris(2-phenylphenoxo)aluminum ($(2-PhC_6H_4O)_3Al$) exists as a dimeric form in toluene. When toluene-insoluble anhydrous cobalt acetate is treated with tris(2-phenylphenoxo)aluminum in toluene, the toluene-soluble adduct $(2-PhC_6H_4O)_3Al{\cdot}Co(OAc)_2$ is formed. The 2-phenylphenoxo ligand in the adduct can be replaced with another aryloxo ligand to give (aryloxo)$(2-PhC_6H_4O)_2Al{\cdot}Co(OAc)_2$ (aryloxo = 2-methylphenoxo, 2-isopropylphenoxo, 4-methylphenoxo, 4-isopropylphenoxo, or 4-tert-butylphenoxo). These complexes are active for butadiene polymerization without gel formation when activated with an equivalent amount of $(2-PhC_6H_4O)AlEt_2$ for 2 h. The highest activity, 175 kg/mol-Co (turnover number, 3200) was achieved with $(2-PhC_6H_4O)_3Al{\cdot}Co(OAc)_2$ at $65^{\circ}C$ for 2 h. The microstructure of the polymer chains is mostly trans-1,4-configuration (70-75%) with the remaining being 1,2-vinyl. The cis-1,4-configuration observed by IR is minimal (1-5%). By replacing the 2-phenylpheoxo with a 4-alkylphenoxo ligand, the amount of 1,4-configuration slightly increases, resulting in increase in the endothermic melting signal at $-30{\sim}50^{\circ}C$ in the DSC curve. The molecular weights of the polymers are high ($M_n$: 300000~800000) with a fairly narrow molecular weight distribution ($M_w/M_n$, 2.0-2.7).

Presented study describes the synthesis of photo cross-linkable and water soluble hydroxyethyl starch hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HESHEMA) samples with different degree of substitution (DS) by functionalization of hydroxyethyl starch (HES) with hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) or hydroxyethyl methacrylate carbonylimidazole (HEMACI) in DMSO using two different routes. It was revealed that the reaction time for HESHEMA synthesis can be reduced from 5 days to 24 h by conducting the reaction at $80^{\circ}C$ instead of at room temperature. Solubility of HESHEMA was found to be dependent on DS which in turn was dependent on ratio between HES and HEMA or HEMACI. HESHEMA samples with DS > 0.24 depicted insoluble in water, whereas the samples with DS < 0.05 did not form appreciable gel. HESHEMA samples with appropriate DS were converted into hydrogels by cross-linking polymer chains under UV radiations and resulting HESHEMA hydrogels showed swelling up to 1200%. Application of HESHEMA in controlled drug delivery was investigated by diffusion based encapsulation of Ondansetron, a serotonin 5-$HT_3$ receptor antagonist drug, mainly used for nausea and vomiting treatment.

The recombinant expression of proteins has been the method of choice to meet the demands from proteomics and structural genomics studies. Despite its successful production of many heterologous proteins, Escherichia coli failed to produce many other proteins in their native forms. This may be related to the fact that the stresses resulting from the overproduction interfere with cellular processes. To better understand the physiological change during the overproduction phase, we profiled the metabolites along the time course of the recombinant protein expression. We identified 32 metabolites collected from different time points in the protein production phase. The stress induced by protein production can be characterized by (A) the increased usage of aspartic acid, choline, glycerol, and N-acetyllysine; and (B) the accumulation of adenosine, alanine, oxidized glutathione, glycine, N-acetylputrescine, and uracil. We envision that this work can be used to create a strategy for the production of usable proteins in large quantities.

A new and facile protocol for the synthesis of dithiocarabamate in EtOH/$H_2O$ is described. Reaction of aromatic and aliphatic amines with $CS_2$ and 3,4-dihydro-2H-pyran in the presence of N,N,N',N'-tetrabromobenzene-1,3-disulfonamide [TBBDA] and poly(N-bromo-N-ethylbenzene-1,3-disulfonamide) [PBBS] gives the corresponding dithiocarbamates in good to high yields.

The composite photocatalyst, N-$TiO_2$ loaded with $Ni_2O_3$, was prepared by $N_2$ plasma treatment. X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, $N_2$ adsorption, UV-vis spectroscopy, photoluminescence, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to characterize the prepared $TiO_2$ samples. The results indicated that the band gap energy was decreased obviously by nitrogen doping, whereas loading of $Ni_2O_3$ did not influence the band gap and visible light absorption. The photocatalytic activities were tested in the degradation of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP) under visible light. The photocatalytic activity and stability of composite photocatalyst were much higher than that of catalyst modified with nitrogen or $Ni_2O_3$ alone. The synergistic effect of doping nitrogen and $Ni_2O_3$ over $TiO_2$ was investigated.

The effect of a conductive agent on the structural and electrochemical properties of $Li_4Ti_5O_{12}$(LTO) spinel was investigated through neutron diffraction during Li intercalation and electrochemical measurements. The charging process of LTO is known as transformation of the white $(Li_3)_{8a}[LiTi_5]_{16d}O_{12}$ into a dark-colored $(Li_{3-X})_{8a}[Li_{X+Y}]_{16c}[LiTi_5]_{16d}O_{12}$ by incorporating the inserted Li into octahedral 16c sites, and the Li in tetrahedral 8a sites shifted to 16c sites. The occupancy of the tetrahedral 8a site varied with the existence of carbon in the electrode. Without carbon, the lattice parameter and cell volume of LTO decreased more notably than in the carbon-containing LTO electrode during Li insertion process. These phenomena might be attributed that the Li occupancy of the tetrahedral 8a of the LTO electrode without carbon was less than that of the carbon-containing LTO electrode.

Oxide substrates in semiconductor-sensitized solar cells (SSSCs) have a great impact on their performance. $TiO_2$ has long been utilized as an oxide substrate, and other alternatives such as ZnO and $SnO_2$ have also been explored due to their superior physical properties over $TiO_2$. In the development of high-performance SSSCs, it is of significant importance to understand the effect of oxides on the electron injection and charge recombination as these two are major factors in dictating solar cell performance. In addition, elucidating the relationship between these two critical processes and solar cell performance in each oxide is critical in building up the basic foundation of SSSCs. In this study, ultrafast pump-probe laser spectroscopy and open-circuit decay analysis were conducted to examine the characteristics of three representative oxides ($TiO_2$, ZnO, and $SnO_2$) in terms of electron injection kinetics and charge recombination, and the implication of results is discussed.

Metallacyclodimeric complexes of $[(Me_4en)Pd(L)]_2(ClO_4)_4$ ($Me_4en$ = N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine; L = dimethylbis(4-pyridyl)silane (dmps), methylvinylbis(4-pyridyl)silane (mvps)) have been synthesized, and their structures have been characterized by X-ray single crystallography. The skeletal structures consist of one 20-membered metallamacrocycle, two 5-membered metallacycles, and four pyridyl groups. The local geometry around the palladium(II) ion approximates to a typical square planar arrangement with four nitrogen donors. Delicate difference in catalytic effects on hydrogenation was investigated based on the structure of catalyst and substrates.

The first step in the common pathway for the biosynthesis of branched chain amino acids is catalyzed by acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS). The AHAS is found in plants, fungi and bacteria. With an aim to identify new anti-tuberculosis drugs that inhibit branched chain amino acid biosynthesis, we screened a chemical library against Mycobacterium tuberculosis AHAS. The screening identified four compounds, AVS 2087, AVS 2093, AVS 2236, and AVS 2387 with $IC_{50}$ values of 0.28, 0.21, 3.88, and $0.25{\mu}M$, respectively. Moreover, these four compounds also showed strong inhibition against reconstituted AHAS with $IC_{50}$ values of 0.37, 0.26, 1.0, and $1.18{\mu}M$, respectively. The basic scaffold of the AVS group consists of 1-pyrimidin-2-yl-1H-[1,2,4]-triazole-3-sulfonamide. The most active compound, AVS 2387, showed the lowest total interaction energy -8.75 Kcal/mol and illustrates its binding mode by hydrogen bonding with $H_{\varepsilon}$ of Gln517 with the distance of $2.24{\AA}$.

The mechanism of the cycloaddition reaction between singlet state dichlorosilylene germylidene ($Cl_2Si=Ge:$) and acetone has been investigated with B3LYP/6-$31G^*$ and B3LYP/6-$31G^{**}$ method, from the potential energy profile, we predict that the reaction has one dominant reaction pathway. The presented rule of the reaction is that the two reactants firstly form a Si-heterocyclic four-membered ring germylene through the [2+2] cycloaddition reaction. Because of the 4p unoccupied orbital of Ge atom in the Si-heterocyclic four-membered ring germylene and the ${\pi}$ orbital of acetone forming a ${\pi}{\rightarrow}p$ donor-acceptor bond, the Si-heterocyclic four-membered ring germylene further combines with acetone to form an intermediate. Because the Ge atom in the intermediate hybridizes to an $sp^3$ hybrid orbital after the transition state, then, the intermediate isomerizes to spiro-heterocyclic ring compound involving Si and Ge (P4) via a transition state.

Theoretical calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) were performed to study the substituent effect on the geometric and electronic structures as well as the biological behavior of technetium-99m-labeled diphosphonate complexes. Optimized structures of these complexes are surrounded by six ligands in an octahedral environment with three unpaired 4d electrons ($d^3$ state) and the optimized geometry of $^{99m}Tc$-MDP agrees with experimental data. With the increase of electron-donating substituent or tether between phosphate groups, the energy gap between frontier orbitals increases and the probability of non-radiative deactivation via d-d electron transfer decreases. The charge distribution reflects a significant ligand-to-metal electron donation. Based on the calculated geometric and electronic structures and biologic properties of $^{99m}Tc$-diphosphonate complexes, several structure-activity relationships (SARs) were established. These results may be instructive for the design and synthesis of novel $^{99m}Tc$-diphosphonate bone imaging agent and other $^{99m}Tc$-based radiopharmaceuticals.

We introduced a new UV-cured resin polymer gel as an electrolyte for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) that is cured with UV irradiation to form a thin film of UV-cured resin polymer gel in the cells. The gel film was characterized and its potential for use as an electrolyte in DSSCs was investigated. This new UV-cured resin polymer gel was successfully applied as a gel polymer electrolyte in DSSCs overcoming the problems associated with the liquid electrolytes in typical DSSCs. The effect of ${\gamma}$-butylrolactone (GBL) on the long-term stability and photovoltaic performance in DSSCs using this UV-cured resin polymer gel electrolyte was also investigated. The results of the energy conversion efficiency, ionic conductivity and Raman spectra of the UV-cured resin polymer gel electrolyte with the addition of 6 wt % GBL to the UV-cured resin polymer electrolyte showed good long-term stability and photovoltaic performance for the DSSCs with the UV-cured polymer gel electrolyte.

The potential energy surface (PES) for the loss of HCN from the pyrimidine molecular ion has been explored using quantum chemical calculations. Possible reaction pathways to form five $C_3H_3N^{+{\bullet}}$ isomers have been obtained with Gaussian 4 model calculations. The rate constant for the HCN loss and the product branching ratio have been calculated using the Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus theory on the basis of the obtained PES. The resultant rate constant agrees with the previous experimental result. By a kinetic analysis, it is proposed that the formation of $CH=CHC{\equiv}NH^{+{\bullet}}$ is favored near the dissociation threshold, while the formation of $CH=CHN{\equiv}CH^{+{\bullet}}$ is favored at high energies.

Efficient double click methods for the synthesis of diblock codendrimers were developed. The synthetic strategy involved the sequential click reactions between an alkyne and an azide. The short core building block, 1,4-diazidobutane, was chosen to serve as the azide functionalities for dendrimer growth via click reactions with the alkyne-functionalized PAMAM dendrons as hydrophilic dendron and alkyne-functionalized Fr$\acute{e}$chet-type dendrons as hydrophobic dendron. The structure of diblock codendrimers was confirmed by $^1H$ and $^{13}C$ NMR spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and GPC analysis.

An efficient solid-phase methodology has been developed for the synthesis of 2-amino and 2-amidobenzo[d]-oxazole derivatives. The key step in this procedure involves the preparation of polymer-bound 2-aminobenzo-[d]oxazole resins 4 by cyclization reaction of 2-hydroxy-phenylthiourea resin 3. The resin-bound 2-hydroxyphenylthiourea 3 is produced by the addition of 2-aminophenol to the isothiocyanate-terminated resin 2 and serve as a key intermediate for the linker resin. This core skeleton 2-aminobenzo[d]oxazole resin 4 undergoes functionalization reaction with various electrophiles, such as alkylhalides and acid chlorides to generate 2-amino and 2-amidobenzo[d]oxazole resins 5 and 6 respectively. Finally, 2-amino and 2-amidobenzo[d]oxazole derivatives 7 and 8 are then generated in good yields and purities by cleavage of the respective resins 5 and 6 under trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) in dichloromethane ($CH_2Cl_2$).

The solvolysis rate constants of allyl chloroformate ($CH_2=CHCH_2OCOCl$, 3) in 30 different solvents are well correlated with the extended Grunwald-Winstein equation, using the $N_T$ solvent nucleophilicity scale and $Y_{Cl}$ solvent ionizing scale, with the sensitivity values of $0.93{\pm}0.05$ and $0.41{\pm}0.02$ for l and m, respectively. These l and m values can be considered to support a $S_N2$ reaction pathway. The activation enthalpies (${\Delta}H^{\neq}$) were 12.5 to 13.4 $kcal{\cdot}mol^{-1}$ and the activation entropies (${\Delta}S^{\neq}$) were -34.4 to -37.3 $cal{\cdot}mol^{-1}{\cdot}K^{-1}$, which is also consistent with the proposed bimolecular reaction mechanism. The solvent kinetic isotope effect (SKIE, $k_{MeOH}/k_{MeOD}$) of 2.16 was also in accord with the $S_N2$ mechanism. The values of product selectivity (S) for the solvolyses of 3 in alcohol/water mixtures was 1.3 to 3.9, which is also consistent with the proposed bimolecular reaction mechanism.

Cellulose-graft-poly (L-lactide) (cellulose-g-PLLA) was successfully prepared via ring-opening polymerization (ROP) by using 4-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) as an organic catalyst in an ionic liquid 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (AmimCl). The structure and morphology of the polymer was characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). From wide-angle X-ray powder diffraction (WAXD) and degradation test (by acid, alkaline, PBS and enzyme solution), changes in the crystalline structure as a result of degradation was also investigated. The results indicated that materials which have low degree of crystallinity showing higher degradability, however, in acid liquor, enzyme solution, alkaline liquor and PBS system, the degradation rate of the polymer decreased by the above sequence. Moreover, with the further increase of graft degree of this material, its degradation degree decreased.

We report a fast, efficient, and facile route for the synthesis of 2,5-dihydro-5-imino-2-methylfuran-3,4-dicarboxylate derivatives from the isocyanide, dialkyl acetylenedicarboxylate and acetic anhydride under ultrasound-assisted conditions. Utilization of easy reaction conditions, very high to excellent yields, and short reaction times makes this manipulation potentially very useful.

Several palladium complexes containing ${\beta}$-ketoiminate and ${\beta}$-diketiminate ligands successfully produced poly(DCPD) possibly via vinyl addition. It was found that catalysts with ${\beta}$-diketiminate ligands containing bulkier aryl substituents showed the highest activity in the presence of MAO as a cocatalyst. Purity of DCPD is quite essential for the higher activity and small amount of organic solvent such as $CH_2Cl_2$ and toluene is required to reduce the viscosity of the reactant mixture for the higher activity. $^1H$ NMR spectra of produced polymers with N,N-dimethylanilinium tetra(pentafluorophenyl)borate (N,N-DAPFAr"$_4$) show that 5,6-double bond of DCPD is removed with 2,3-double bond remaining. Produced poly(DCPD) with MAO cocatalyst is quite rigid and insoluble in common organic solvents but rather brittle.

A novel bioabsorbable suture material, poly(glycolide-caprolactone) (PGLCL) monofilament, was prepared by spinning of the PGLCL copolymer. The physical properties, strength retention, biocompatibility, and organism resolvability of the PGLCL monofilament were investigated. The results showed that the knot pull strength of the monofilament was higher than that stated in European Pharmacopoeia. The in vivo retention strength following implantation was 64%, 23%, 7%, and 0% after one, two, three, and four weeks, respectively. Mortality, clinical signs, validation, and sterility tests indicated that all items had passed. Organism resolvability tests showed that the PGLCL monofilament, as a suture, was absorbed within 91 days.

This paper introduces a technique for resolving amino acids that combines the advantages of the conventional CSP (chiral stationary phase) method with the CMPA (chiral mobile phase additive) method. A commercially available chiral crown ether column, CROWNPAK CR(+), was used as the CSP and three cyclodextrins (${\beta}$-CD, ${\gamma}$-CD, HP-${\beta}$-CD) were used as the mobile phase additives. Chromatographic resolution was performed at $25^{\circ}C$ and $50^{\circ}C$ with or without sonication. A comparison of the chromatographic results under ultrasonic conditions with those under non-ultrasonic conditions showed that ultrasound decreased the elution time and enantioselectivity at all temperatures. In the case of the ${\beta}$-CD mobile phase additive, the elution time and enantioselectivity under ultrasonic condition were significantly higher than under non-sonic condition at all temperatures. Commercially available Chiralpak AD, Whelk-O2 and Pirkle 1-J columns were used as CSPs to examine more meticulously the effects of ultrasonication and temperature on the optical resolution. The optical resolution of some chiral samples analyzed at $25^{\circ}C$ and $50^{\circ}C$ with or without sonication was compared. As in the previous case, the enantioselectivity was lower at $25^{\circ}C$ but similar enantioselectivity was observed at $50^{\circ}C$.

A novel and simple method of luminescence enhancement effect for the determination of trace amounts of bile acid was proposed. The procedure was based on the luminescence intensity of the balofloxacin-europium(III) complex that could be strongly enhanced by bile acid in the presence of sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS). Under the optimum conditions, the enhanced luminescence intensity of the system exhibited a good linear relationship with the bile acid concentration in the range $5.0{\times}10^{-9}-7.0{\times}10^{-7}\;mol\;L^{-1}$ with a detection limit of $1.3{\times}10^{-9}\;mol\;L^{-1}$ ($3{\sigma}$). The relative standard deviation (RSD) was 1.7% (n = 11) for $5.0{\times}10^{-8}\;mol\;L^{-1}$ bile acid. The applicability of the method to the determination of bile acid was demonstrated by investigating the effect of potential interferences and by analyzing human serum and urine samples. The possible enhancement mechanism of luminescence intensity in balofloxacin-europium(III)-bile acid-SDBS system was also discussed briefly.

Efficient synthesis of ${\alpha}$-chloroenones bearing ${\beta}$-carbonates or ${\beta}$-carbamates was achieved by rhodium(II)-catalyzed reaction of cyclic diazodicarbonyl compounds with a variety of chloroformates or carbamyl chlorides in good yields. These reactions provided a useful and rapid route to ${\beta}$-substituted ${\alpha}$-haloenones.

We characterized the physisorption of p-iodo-phenyl octadecyl ether molecules (I-POE) onto superlattice regions of graphite surfaces using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The formation of self-organized I-POE monolayers does not affect the overall structures of moir$\acute{e}$ patterns and their modulation periods. However, the packing density of the I-POE monolayer and the orientations of lamella structures were sensitive to the underlying superlattice structure. Depending on the bias voltage, the STM images selectively showed moir$\acute{e}$ pattern, I-POE layer, or both. Reflecting the local density of states at a certain energy level, the STM images thereby revealed the relative energy level scale of the superlattice with respect to the molecular orbitals of I-POE.

Density functional MO calculations for the methylsilole anion of $[C_4H_4SiMe]^-$ and methylgermole anion of $[C_4H_4SiMe]^-$ at the B3LYP (full)/6-311+$G^*$ level (GAUSSIAN 94) were carried out and characterized by frequency analysis. The ground state structure for the methylsilole anion and methylgermole anion is that the methyl group is pyramidalized with highly localized structure. The difference between the calculated $C_{\alpha}-C_{\beta}$ and $C_{\beta}-C_{\beta}$ distances are 9.4 and 11.5 pm, respectively. The E-Me vector forms an angle of $67.9^{\circ}$ and $78.2^{\circ}$ with the $C_4E$ plane, respectively. The optimized structures of the saddle point state for the methylsilole anion and methylgermole anion have been also found as a planar with highly delocalized structure. The optimized $C_{\alpha}-C_{\beta}$ and $C_{\beta}-C_{\beta}$ distances are nearly equal for both cases. The methyl group is located in the plane of $C_4E$ ring and the angle between the E-Me vector and the $C_4E$ plane for the methylsilole anion and methylgermole anion is $2.0^{\circ}$ and $2.3^{\circ}$, respectively. The energy difference between the ground state structure and the transition state structure is only 5.1 kcal $mol^{-1}$ for the methylsilole anion. However, the energy difference of the methylgermole anion is 14.9 kcal $mol^{-1}$, which is much higher than that for the corresponding methylsilole monoanion by 9.8 kcal $mol^{-1}$. Based on MO calculations, we suggest that the head-to-tail dimer compound, 4, result from [2+2] cycloaddition of silicon-carbon double bond character in the highly delocalized transition state of 1. However, the inversion barrier for the methylgermole anion is too high to dimerize.

Magnetic fluorescent silica nanotubes were fabricated using reverse micro-emulsions coupled with conventional sol-gel methods. Anodic aluminum oxide templates were used to separate spatially the magnetic and the fluorescent moieties on individual nanotubes and so prevent quenching of the fluorescence. C18 and fluorescent layers were deposited sequentially on silica. Magnetism was then obtained by the introduction of pre-made magnetic nanoparticles inside the nanotubes. The photo- and chemical stabilities of nanotubes were demonstrated through dye release and photobleaching tests. The produced nanotubes did not show fluorescence quenching upon the addition of the nanoparticles, an advantage over conventional spherical fluorescent magnetic nanoparticles. High photostability of nanotubes, magnetism and biocompatiblily make them potentially useful in bioanalysis.

To elucidate the roles of cysteine residues in rice Phi-class GST F3, in this study, all three cysteine residues were replaced with alanine by site-directed mutagenesis in order to obtain mutants C22A, C73A and C77A. Three mutant enzymes were expressed in Escherichia coli and purified to electrophoretic homogeneity by affinity chromatography on immobilized GSH. The substitutions of Cys73 and Cys77 residues in OsGSTF3 with alanine did not affect the glutathione conjugation activities, showing non-essentiality of these residues. On the other hand, the substitution of Cys22 residue with alanine resulted in approximately a 60% loss of specific activity toward ethacrynic acid. Moreover, the ${K_m}^{CDNB}$ value of the mutant C22A was approximately 2.2 fold larger than that of the wild type. From these results, the evolutionally conserved cysteine 22 residue seems to participate rather in the structural stability of the active site in OsGSTF3 by stabilizing the electrophilic substrates-binding site's conformation than in the substrate binding directly.

From Neungsalli Temple located in Buyeo, ancient glass vessel fragments were discovered along with hundreds of glass beads. In this research, we used SEM-EDS to analyze glass vessel fragments and beads excavated from Neungsalli Temple. Then, we analyzed their chemical composition and examined their characteristics. In particular, we investigated a relationship between glass vessels from Neungsalli temple and Hwangnamdaechong (South tomb). The result of our experiment showed that the glass artifacts from Neungsalli temple were all soda glass. To be specific, the vessel fragments were soda-lime glass and spherical beads were high-alumina soda glass. Then, we compared glass vessel fragments from Neungsalli temple to glass vessels excavated from Hwangnamdaechong. Glass vessels from both sites turned out to be soda lime glass. We classified them further based on raw material used for soda - natron and marine plant ash.

The target compounds 6-11a-e were synthesized by condensing 4-amino-5-aryl-3H-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiones 5a-f with various aromatic carboxylic acids in the presence of phosphorous oxychloride. The structures of newly synthesized compounds were characterized by IR, $^1H$ NMR, $^{13}C$ NMR, elemental analysis and mass spectrometric studies. All the synthesized compounds were screened for their antibacterial activity. Almost all the tested compounds were potent against four different strains of bacteria when compared with that of reference drug ciprofloxacin. Compounds 6c, 6e, 8d, 9b, 9e, 11a and 11b showed nearly equal or lower MIC values than standard drug, against all four tested bacterial strains but rest of the compounds showed excellent antibacterial activities.