This review covers recent developments in our group regarding the synthesis, characterization and applications of single-crystalline one-dimensional nanostructures based on a wide range of material systems including noble metals, metal silicides and metal germanides. For the single-crystalline one-dimensional nanostructures growth, we have employed chemical vapor transport approach without using any catalysts, capping reagents, and templates because of its simplicity and wide applicability. Au, Pd, and Pt nanowires are epitaxially grown on various substrates, in which the nanowires grow from seed crystals by the correlations of the geometry and orientation of seed crystals with those of as-grown nanowires. We also present the synthesis of numerous metal silicide and germanide 1D nanostructures. By simply varying reaction conditions, furthermore, nanowires of metastable phase, such as $Fe_5Si_3$ and $Co_3Si$, and composition tuned cobalt silicides (CoSi, $Co_2Si$, $Co_3Si$) and iron germanides ($Fe_{1.3}Ge$ and $Fe_3Ge$) nanowires are synthesized. Such developments can be utilized as advanced platforms or building blocks for a wide range of applications such as plasmonics, sensings, nanoelectronics, and spintronics.

The coating N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) on gold surfaces may be used to design the distribution of either gold particle adsorbed to the $ZrO_2$ surface or vice versa by adjusting the electrostatic interactions. In this study, it was performed to find out electrostatic properties of the NAC-coated-gold surface and the $ZrO_2$ surface. The surface forces between the surfaces were measured as a function of the salt concentration and pH value using the AFM. By applying the Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory to the surface forces, the surface potential and charge density of the surfaces were quantitatively acquired for each salt concentration and each pH value. The dependence of the potential and charge density on the concentration was explained with the law of mass action, and the pH dependence was with the ionizable groups on the surface.

Results of the comparisons of various density functional theory (DFT) methods with different basis sets for predicting the molecular geometry of TPOP24N-Oxide macrocycle, an oxoporphyrin N-oxide, are reported in this paper. DFT methods, including M06-2X, B3LYP, LSDA, B3PW91, PBEPBE, and BPV86, are examined. Different basis sets, such as 6-$31G^*$, 6-31+G (d, p), 6-311+G (d, p), and 6-311++G (d, p), are also considered. The M06-2X/6-$31G^*$ level is superior to all other density functional methods used in predicting the geometry of TPOP24N-Oxide. The geometries of regioisomeric chlorin N-oxide and oxoporphyrin N-oxide are reported using M06-2X/6-$31G^*$ method. The geometry effects of oxoporphyrin and chlorin N-oxide regioisomers are increased ${\beta}-{\beta}$ bond lengths by N-oxidation because the bond overlap index due to charge transfers is decreased. In N-oxidation ring (II, III), angles that include ${\beta}-{\beta}$ bond length increase as the bond overlap index of ${\beta}-{\beta}$ bond is decreased by N-oxidation. The potential energy surfaces of chlorin N-oxide and oxoporphyrin N-oxide are explored by M06-2X/6-$31G^*$, and single-point calculations are performed at levels up to M06-2X/6-311++G (d, p). Total and relative energies are then calculated. The results indicate that chlorin 24 N-oxides are more stable than chlorin 22 N-oxides in chlorin N-oxide regioisomers. Moreover, TPOP24N-Oxide is less stable than TPOP22N-Oxide.

SAN/$BMIPF_6$ nanofibers were fabricated by an electrospinning process and used as chemiresistors for sensing alcohol vapours. A hydrophobic and air-stable ionic liquid, $BMIPF_6$, was used to impart electrical conductivity to insulating SAN nanofibers. The effects of $BMIPF_6$ addition on the morphology of the nanofibers were explained in terms of surface tension, viscosity and conductivity. After exposing the SAN/$BMIPF_6$ nanofibers collected on an interdigitated electrode to alcohol vapours (ethanol, 1-propanol and 1-butanol), the resistance of the nanofibers decreased due to adsorption of alcohol molecules. The electrospun SAN/$BMIPF_6$ nanofibers sensor exhibited good sensitivity and reproducibility.

Quasi-classical trajectory (QCT) calculations of H+HLi reaction have been carried out on a new potential energy surface of the ground state reported by Prudente et al. [Chem. Phys. Lett. 2009, 474, 18]. The four polarization-dependent differential cross sections have been carried out in the center of mass (CM) frame at various collision energies. The reaction probability for the depletion channel has been studied over a wide collision energy range. It has been found that the collision energy decreases remarkably reaction probability, which shows the expected behavior of the title reaction belonging to an exothermic barrierless reaction. The results are in good agreement with previous RMP results. The P(${\theta}_r$), P(${\phi}_r$) and P(${\theta}_r,\;{\phi}_r$) distributions, the k-k'-j' correlation and the angular distribution of product rotational vectors are presented in the form of polar plots. The average rotational alignment factor <$P_2(j{\prime}{\cdot}k)$> as a function of collision energy is also calculated. The results indicate that the collision energy has a great influence on the polarization of the product rotational angular momentum vector j'.

Amentoflavone is naturally occurring bioflavonoid that is found in a number of plants. In this paper, the anti-inflammatory activity of amentoflavone in LPS-stimulated macrophages and its mode of action were examined. Using LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells, we found that amentoflavone exerted anti-inflammatory activities through inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) production and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$ and macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-2 secretion. Amentoflavone (1.0-20 ${\mu}M$) gradually inhibited nitrite production without cytotoxicity. Amentoflavone (1.0 and 10 ${\mu}M$) effectively suppressed both TNF-${\alpha}$ and MIP-2 cytokine release from LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. The expression of mIL-$1{\beta}$ and mMIP-2 cytokine mRNAs was completely inhibited while expression of mMIP-1 was effectively suppressed and mTNF-${\alpha}$ expression was slightly inhibited by 10 ${\mu}M$ amentoflavone. We also demonstrated that the innate immune response to amentoflavone involves the toll-like receptor (TLR) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. LPS-induced upregulation of p38 MAPK phosphorylation was significantly reduced by 10 ${\mu}M$ amentoflavone. These results suggest that amentoflavone exhibits effective anti-inflammatory activities through regulation of TLR4 and phosphorylation of p38 MAPKs.

LL-37 is the only antimicrobial peptide (AMP) of the human cathelicidin family. In addition to potent antimicrobial activity, LL-37 is known to have the potential to inhibit lipolysaccharide (LPS)-induced endotoxic effects. To provide the stability to proteolytic digestion and increase prokaryotic selectivity and/or anti-endotoxic activity of two Lys/Trp-substituted 19-meric antimicrobial peptides (a4-W1 and a4-W2) designed from IG-19 (residues 13-31 of LL-37), we synthesized the diastereomeric peptides (a4-W1-D and a4-W2-D) with D-amino acid substitution at positions 3, 7, 10, 13 and 17 of a4-W1 and a4-W2, respectively and the enantiomeric peptides (a4-W1-E and a4-W2-E) composed D-amino acids. The diastereomeric peptides exhibited the best prokaryotic selectivity and effective protease stability, but no or less anti-endotoxic activity. In contrast, the enantiomeric peptides had not only prokaryotic selectivity and anti-endotoxic activity but also protease stability. Our results suggest that the hydrophobicity and ${\alpha}$-helicity of the peptide is important for anti-endotoxic activity. In particular, the enantiomeric peptides showed potent anti-endotoxic and LPS-neutralizing activities comparable to that of LL-37. Taken together, both a4-W1-E and a4-W2-E holds promise as a template for the development of peptide antibiotics for the treatment of endotoxic shock and sepsis.

A simple regioselective synthesis of cinnoline derivatives was achieved by a one-pot three component synthetic methodology. New substituted 7,8-dihydrocinnolin-5(6H)-ones are prepared via one-pot three component reaction of arylglyoxals with 1,3-cyclohexanedione and dimedone in the presence of hydrazine hydrate in moderate to good yields.

New photovoltaic donor materials, 4,4'-(2,2'-bithiazole-5,5'-diyl)bis(N,N-diphenylbenzenamine) (BDT) and 4-(2,2'-bithiazol-5-yl)-N,N-diphenylbenzenamine (BT), were synthesized. A solution processable triphenylamine-containing bithiazole (BDT and BT) was blended with a [6,6]-phenyl $C_{61}$ butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) acceptor to study the performance of small-molecule-based bulk heterojunction (BHJ) photovoltaic devices. Optimum device performance was achieved after annealing, for device with a BDT/PCBM ratio of 1:4. The open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current, and power conversion efficiency of the device with the aforementioned BDT/PCBM ratio were 0.51 V, 4.10 $mA\;cm^{-2}$, and 0.68%, respectively, under simulated AM 1.5 solar irradiation (100 $mW\;cm^{-2}$).

K-7174, a GATA-specific inhibitor, is a putative anti-inflammatory agent that attenuates effects of inflammatory cytokines in certain cell types. An expeditious four-step synthesis of K-7174 is described in this paper. The route employs Wittig olefination and bis-alkylation of homopiperazine as the key reactions. The iodine-catalyzed isomerization of the Z-isomer results in complete conversion to the E-isomer is the highlight of our synthetic endeavors.

A disintegrin and metalloprotease with thrombospondin domains (ADAMTS) are a member of peptidase and involved in processing of von Willebrand factor as well as cleavage of aggrecan, versican, brevican and neurocan. Among 19 subfamilies of human ADAMTS, ADAMTS-4 is a zinc-binding metalloprotease and is a famous therapeutic target for arthritis. It has been reported that a flavonoid luteolin shows inhibitory activity against ADMATS-4. In this study, we verified that luteolin is a potent inhibitor of ADAMTS-4 and probed the molecular basis of its action. On the basis of a docking study, we proposed a binding model between luteolin and ADAMTS-4 in which 3',4'-dihydroxyl groups in luteolin formed hydrogen bonding with ADMATS-4 and these interactions are important for its inhibitory activity against ADAMTS-4.

Cadmium sulphide (CdS) nanorods were prepared by a single precursor thermal decomposition (SPTD) method. The formation of CdS nanorods and their structure, morphology and elemental composition were studied by means of FT-IR, XRD, FE-SEM, HR-TEM and EDAX analysis. Photoluminescence (PL) and lifetime measurements were recorded to study the luminescence properties of the material. The PL spectrum of the CdS nanorods showed one broad peak and four shoulders and the cause for this emission was discussed. The PL emissions from the band edge and deep trap state of the CdS nanorods were studied by lifetime measurements. Further, the synthesized CdS nanorods showed an increase in efficiency of photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine B (RhB). The increase in the photocatalytic activity was attributed to the mixed phase of the CdS nanorods.

Four novel metal-organic complexes $[Cd_2(IP)_2(TBZ)_2(H_2O)_2]{\cdot}(H_2O)$ (1), $[Zn_4(IP)_4(TBZ)_4]{\cdot}2(H_2O)$ (2), $[Zn_2(BTC)(TBZ)_2(CO_2H)]$ (3), [Co(PDC)(TBZ)] (4) (where IP = isophthalate; TBZ = thiabendazole; BTC = 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate; PDC = pyridine-3,4-dicarboxylate) have been prepared and characterized by IR spectrum, elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. X-ray structure analysis reveals that 1, 2, and 3 are one-dimensional chain polymers, while 4 is a two-dimensional network polymer. The TBZ acts as a typical chelating ligand coordinated to the metal center in all complexes. The 1D chain architecture of 1 is constructed from isophthalates and cadmium atoms. A simultaneous presence of chelating, monodentate and bidentate coordination modes of IP ligands is observed in complex 2. In complex 3, the 16-membered rings are alternately arranged forming an infinite 1D double-chain structure. The 2D skeleton of 4 is formed by cobalt ions as nodes and PDC dianions as spacers, through coordination bonds. The hydrogen bonds and ${\pi}-{\pi}$ stacking play important roles in affecting the final structure where complexes 1 and 3 have 2D supramolecular networks, while complexes 2 and 4 have 3D supramolecular architectures.

A three-dimensional pharmacophore hypothesis was developed for atypical antipsychotics in order to map common structural features of highly active compounds by using HipHop in CATALYST program. The pharmacophore hypotheses were generated using 12 compounds as training set and validated using 11 compounds as test set. The most predictive hypothesis (Hypo1) comprises five features viz. two hydrophobic regions, two hydrogen bond acceptor lipid and one aromatic ring. In the absence of information like crystallized structure of 5-$HT_{2A}$ receptor and binding mode of antipsychotics with 5-$HT_{2A}$ receptor, this hypothesis will serve as a potentially valuable tool in the design of novel atypical antipsychotics acting primarily at 5-$HT_{2A}$ and $D_2$ receptors.

We have theoretically investigated the magnetic properties of N-confused porphyrin (NCP), tetraphenyl-N-confused porphyrin (TPNCP) and their substituted derivatives with O, S and Se heteroatoms (2ONCP, 2STPNCP, 2SeNCP, 2OTPNCP, etc.) by using DFT method. In the minimum energy structures of the 2OTPNCP, the two couples opposite phenyl substitutes are staggered. In the case of TPNCP, 2STPNCP and 2SeTPNCP, two phenyls being respectively close to or opposite to N-confused pyrrole are found to be pointed the same direction, whilst others are in the opposite direction. Based on the equilibrium structures, the $^1H$ chemical shifts and nucleus-independent chemical shifts (NICS) are calculated in this paper. The ${\pi}$ current density being induced by the tridimensional perpendicular magnetic field transmits the inner section of the pyrrole segments for NCP and TPNCP. As for their substituted derivatives with O, S and Se atoms, the current path passes through the outer section of the two heterorings. The NICS values at the ring critical points of the heterorings are much lower (in absolute value) than those of which is at the center of an isolated pyrrole molecule. The $^1H$ NMR for ${\beta}H$ atoms of the heterorings decreases from O, S to with Se.

We report the first spectroscopic evidence of the jet-cooled p-chloro-${\alpha}$-methylbenzyl radical. The visible vibronic emission spectrum was recorded from the corona discharge of precursor p-chloro-ethylbenzene seeded in a large amount of inert carrier gas helium using a pinhole-type glass nozzle coupled with a technique of corona excited supersonic expansion. From the comparison with the vibronic spectrum of the p-chlorobenzyl radical, we identified the evidence of formation of the jet-cooled p-chloro-${\alpha}$-methylbenzyl radical in the corona discharge of precursor p-chloro-ethylbenzene.

Nano ZnO with an average size of 8 nm was prepared by thermal decomposition of zinc oxalate at $450^{\circ}C$. A series of based composite polymer electrolyte PEO-$LiClO_4$ and nano ZnO as a filler have been synthesized using solution cast technique, with varying the filler ratio systematically. XRD, DSC and FTIR studies have been conducted to investigate the structure and interaction of different groups in the composite polymer electrolyte. Effect of nano ZnO ceramic filler concentration on the structure of composites and their electrical properties (DC-conductivity, AC-conductivity, dielectric constant, dielectric loss and impedance) at different frequencies and temperatures was studied. Melting temperature ($T_m$) of PEO decreased with the addition of both $LiClO_4$ salt and nano ZnO filler due to increasing the amorphous state of polymer. All composite samples showed an ionic conductivity. The maximum room temperature ionic conductivity is found for $(ZnO)_{0.5}(PEO)_{12}(LiClO_4)$ composite sample. All the results are correlated and discussed.

Product ion yields in the in- and post-source decays of three peptide ions, $[Y_5X+H]^+$ (X = Y (tyrosine), K (lysine), and R (arginine)), generated by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) were measured at six wavelengths, 307, 317, 327, 337, 347, and 357 nm, using ${\alpha}$-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (CHCA) and 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHB) as the matrices. The temperatures of the early and late plumes generated by MALDI were estimated via kinetic analysis of the product ion yield data. For both matrices, the temperature drop (${\Delta}T$), i.e. the difference in the temperature between the early and late plumes, displayed negative correlation with the absorption coefficient. This was in agreement with the previous reasoning that deeper laser penetration and larger amount of material ablation arising from smaller absorption coefficient would result in larger extent of expansion cooling. The results support the postulation of the expansion cooling occurring in the plume presented previously.

Mesoporous carbons with tailored pore size were prepared by using sucrose as the carbon source and silicas as the templates. The silica templates were obtained from a hydroxypropyl-${\beta}$-cyclodextrin-silica hybrids using ammonium perchlorate oxidation at different temperatures to remove the organic matter. The structures and surface chemistry properties of these carbon materials were characterized by $N_2$ adsorption, TEM, SEM and FTIR measurements. The catalytic performances of these carbon materials were investigated through the reduction of nitroaromatic using hydrazine hydrate as the reducing agent. Compared with other carbon materials, such as active carbon, and carbon materials from the silica templates obtained by using calcination to remove the organic matter, these carbon materials exhibited much higher catalytic activity, no obvious deactivation was observed after recycling the catalyst four times. Higher surface area and pore volume, and the presence of abundant surface oxygen-containing functional groups, which originate from the special preparation process of carbon material, are likely responsible for the high catalytic property of these mesoporous carbon materials.

Fullerene/polystyrene ($C_{60}$/PS) nano particle was prepared by using emulsion polymerization. Styrene and fullerene were emulsified in aqueous media in the presence of poly(N-vinyl pyridine) as an emulsion stabilizer, and polymerization was initiated by water soluble radical initiator, potassium persulfate. The obtained nano particles have an average diameter in the range of 400-500 nm. The fullerene contents in the nano particle can be controlled up to 15 wt % by varying the feed ratio, which was confirmed by themogravimetric analysis (TGA) and elemental analysis (EA). The structure and morphologies of the $C_{60}$/PS nano particles were examined by various analytical techniques such as dynamic light scattering (DLS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), electron diffraction (ED) pattern, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and UV spectroscopy. Unlike conventional $C_{60}$/PS particles initiated by organic free radical initiators, in which the fullerene is copolymerized forming a covalent bond with styrene monomer, the prepared $C_{60}$/PS nano particles contain pristine fullerene as secondary particles homogeneously distributed in the polystyrene matrix.

Second-order rate constants $k_N$ have been measured spectrophotometrically for nucleophilic substitution reactions of t-butyl 4-pyridyl carbonate 8 with a series of alicyclic secondary amines in $H_2O$ at $25.0{\pm}0.1^{\circ}C$. The Br${\emptyset}$nsted-type plot for the reactions of 8 is linear with ${\beta}_{nuc}$ = 0.84. The ${\beta}_{nuc}$ value obtained for the reactions of 8 is much larger than that reported for the corresponding reactions of t-butyl 2-pyridyl carbonate 6 (i.e., ${\beta}_{nuc}$ = 0.44), which was proposed to proceed through a forced concerted mechanism. Thus, the aminolysis of 8 has been concluded to proceed through a stepwise mechanism with a zwitterionic tetrahedral intermediate $T^{\pm}$, in which expulsion of the leaving-group from $T^{\pm}$ occurs at the rate-determining step (RDS). In contrast, aminolysis of benzyl 4-pyridyl carbonate 7 has been reported to proceed through two intermediates, $T^{\pm}$ and its deprotonated form $T^-$ on the basis of the fact that the plots of pseudo-first-order rate constant $k_{obsd}$ vs. amine concentration curve upward. The current study has demonstrated convincingly that the nature of the leaving and nonleaving groups governs the reaction mechanism. The contrasting reaction mechanisms have been rationalized in terms of an intramolecular H-bonding interaction, steric acceleration, and steric inhibition.

Nitrile-forming eliminations from (E)-2,4-$(NO_2)_2C_6H_2CH=NOC_6H_4-2-X-4-NO_2$ (1a-e) promoted by $R_3N$ in MeCN have been studied kinetically. The reactions are second-order and exhibit Br$\ddot{o}$nsted ${\beta}$ = 0.83-1.0 and ${\mid}{\beta}_{lg}{\mid}$ = 0.41-0.46. The results have been interpreted in terms of highly E1cb-like transition state with extensive $C_{\beta}$-H bond cleavage and limited $N_{\alpha}$-OAr bond cleavage. Comparison with existing data reveals that the structure of the transition state changes from E2-central to highly E1cb-like either by the change of the ${\beta}$-aryl group from Ph to 2,4-dinitrophenyl under the same condition or by the base-solvent system variation from $EtO^-$-EtOH to $Et_3N$-MeCN for a given substrate (1a-e).

Active site mapping has been done for ${\Delta}^5$-3-ketosteroid isomerase (KSI) by analyses of paramagnetic effect on $^1H-^{15}N$ HSQC spectra using 4-hydroxyl-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyl-1-oxy (HyTEMPO) and an intermediate analog (equilenin). Our result revealed that residues in hydrophobic cavity of KSI, particularly active site region, mainly experienced a high line-broadening effect of NMR signal with HyTEMPO, while they experienced full recovery of a lineshape upon the addition of equilenin. The mapped region was very similar to the active site of KSI as described by the crystal structure. These observations indicate that a combined use of paramagnetic reagent and substrate (or analog) could rapidly identify the residues in potential active site of KSI, and can be applied to the analysis of both active site and function in unknown protein.

New thiazoline derivatives 7a-c, and thiophenes 9a-c linked to indole moiety were easily prepared via the reaction of the acrylamide derivative 3 with phenacyl bromides 4a-c, depending on the reaction conditions. In addition, the reaction of compound 3 with hydrazonoyl chlorides 11a-f afforded a series of 1,3,4-thiadiazole derivatives 13a-f. Moreover, coupling of 3-(3-methyl-1H-indol-2-yl)-3-oxopropanenitrile (2) with the diazonium salts of 3-phenyl-5-aminopyrazole 16 or 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole 17 gave the corresponding hydrazones 18 and 19, respectively. Cyclization of the latter hydrazones yielded the corresponding pyrazolo[5,1-c]-1,2,4-triazine and 1,2,4-triazolo[5,1-c]-1,2,4-triazine derivatives 20 and 21, respectively. The structures of the synthesized compounds were assigned on the basis of elemental analysis, IR, $^1H$ NMR and mass spectral data. All the synthesized compounds were tested for in vitro activities against certain strains of fungi such as Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus nodulans, Alternaria alternate. Compounds showed marked inhibition of fungal growth nearly equal to the standards.

A series of new diarylureas and diarylamides possessing 1,3,4-triarylpyrazole scaffold was synthesized and their in vitro antiproliferative activities against A375P human melanoma cell line and NCI-60 cell line panel were tested. Compounds 9, 11, 12, 14, and 17-21 showed superior potency against A375P to Sorafenib. Over the NCI-60 cancer cell line panel, compound 14 possessing a methoxy group, amide linker, and 4-chloro-3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl terminal ring showed the highest potency and broad-spectrum anticancer activity. Compound 13 showed high selectivity towards leukemia subpanel over other cancer types.

Various types of room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) containing 1,1-dicyano-1-acetylmethanide anion ($[C(CN)_2(COCH_3)]^-$, $[DCNAcC]^-$) were prepared and their physical and electrochemical properties were studied. All of these ILs exhibited high thermal stabilities over $200^{\circ}C$ and relatively high ionic conductivities up to 29.4 $mS\;cm^{-1}$ at $80^{\circ}C$. Although the ionic conductivity of IL containing bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)-imide ($[Tf_2N]^-$) anion is higher than that of ILs bearing $[DCNAcC]^-$ anion, the specific capacitance of ILs bearing $[DCNAcC]^-$ anion are higher than that of IL containing $[Tf_2N]^-$ anion and showed high temperature dependence. Such favorable electrochemical properties of these ILs are likely to be attributed to the efficient dissociation of cation and anion at higher temperature and enhanced electrosorption of $[DCNAcC]^-$ anion at the electrode.

Small molecule conjugated peptides were prepared by solid-phase synthesis as potential novel whitening agents, and their melanogenesis inhibitory activities were investigated. The conjugated small molecules were well-known materials as tyrosinase inhibitors, and peptides were selected from the sequences that are known to antagonize melanocortin receptor 1 (MC1R). Most of small molecules-peptide conjugates showed superior melanin inhibition activity to kojic acid and arbutin. Among these, almost all compounds have -AR- sequence. From this study, we concluded that the small molecule conjugated peptides containing -AR- sequence have melanogenesis inhibitory activities and have potential to be used as novel whitening agents.

This study evaluated the use of iron-impregnated SBA-15 (Fe/SBA-15) as a catalyst for the oxidative degradation of persistent phenol analogues, such as 2-chlorophenol (2-CP), 4-chlorophenol (4-CP), 2-nitrophenol (2-NP), 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP) in water. The oxidation reactions were carried out with reaction time, concentration of the phenols, amount of the catalysts, reaction temperature, pH of the reaction mixture as the process variables with or without using hydrogen peroxide as the oxidizing agent. The conversion achieved with Fe/SBA-15 at 353 K for 2-CP, 4-CP, 2-NP, 4-NP, 2,4,6-TCP was 80.2, 71.2, 53.1, 62.8, 77.3% in 5h with a reactant to $H_2O_2$ mole ratio of 1:1, and 85.7, 65.8, 61.9, 63.7, 78.1% in the absence of $H_2O_2$, respectively. The reactions followed pseudo first order kinetics. The leachability study indicated that the catalyst released very little iron into water and therefore, the possibility of secondary pollution is negligible.

The geometrical parameters, vibrational frequencies, and binding energies for $(H_2O_3)_n$ (n = 1-5) have been investigated using various quantum mechanical techniques. The possible structures of the clusters (n = 2-5) are fully optimized and the binding energies are predicted using energy differences at each optimized geometry. The harmonic vibrational frequencies are also determined and zero-point vibrational energies (ZPVEs) are considered for the better prediction of the binding energy. The best estimation of the binding energy for the dimer is 8.65 kcal/mol. For n = 2 and 3, linear structures with all trans forms of the HOOOH monomers are predicted to be the lowest conformations in energy, while the cyclic structures with all cis-HOOOH monomers are preferable structures for n = 4 and 5.

Carbon microcapsules containing silicon nanoparticles (Si NPs)-carbon nanotubes (CNTs) nanocomposite (Si-CNT@C) have been fabricated by a two step polymerization method. Silicon nanoparticles-carbon nanotubes (Si-CNT) nanohybrids were prepared with a wet-type beadsmill method. A polymer, which is easily removable by a thermal treatment (intermediate polymer) was polymerized on the outer surfaces of Si-CNT nanocomposites. Subsequently, another polymer, which can be carbonized by thermal heating (carbon precursor polymer) was incorporated onto the surfaces of pre-existing polymer layer. In this way, polymer precursor spheres containing Si-CNT nanohybrids were produced using a two step polymerization. The intermediate polymer must disappear during carbonization resulting in the formation of an internal free space. The carbon precursor polymer should transform to carbon shell to encapsulate remaining Si-CNT nanocomposites. Therefore, hollow carbon microcapsules containing Si-CNT nanocomposites could be obtained (Si-CNT@C). The successful fabrication was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). These final materials were employed for anode performance improvement in lithium ion battery. The cyclic performances of these Si-CNT@C microcapsules were measured with a lithium battery half cell tests.

The hydrogen storage mechanism of graphite was studied by measuring the electrical resistance change. Graphite was expanded and activated to allow for an easy hydrogen molecule approach and to enlarge the adsorption sites. A vanadium catalyst was simultaneously introduced on the graphite during the activation process. The hydrogen storage increased due to the effects of expansion, activation, and the catalyst. In addition, the electrical resistance of the prepared samples was measured during hydrogen molecule adsorption to investigate the hydrogen adsorption mechanism. It was found that the electrical resistance changed as a result of the easy hydrogen molecule approach, as well as of the adsorption process and the catalyst. It was also notable that the catalyst improved not only the hydrogen storage capacity but also the speed of hydrogen storage based on the response time. The hydrogen storage mechanism is suggested based on the effects of expansion, activation, and the catalyst.

Pressure tensors at the planar surface of liquid-vapor argon are evaluated from the virial theorem, Irving-Kirkwood, and Harasima versions using a test-area molecular dynamics simulation method through a Lennard-Jones intermolecular potential at two temperatures. We found that the normal and transverse components of the pressure tensor, $p_N(z)$ and $p_T(z)$, obtained from the virial theorem and Harasima version are essentially the same. The normal component of the pressure tensor from Irving-Kirkwood version, $p_N^{IK}(z)$, is shown to be a nearly constant at the lower temperature, independent of z, as agreed in a previous study, but not for $p_N^H$(z), while the transverse components, $p_T^{IK}(z)$ and $p_T^H(z)$, are almost the same. The values of surface tension for both versions computed from $p_N(z)-p_T(z)$ are also the same and are fully consistent with the experimental data.

To investigate the scattering layer effect of a $TiO_2$ multilayer in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), we designed a new DSSC system, assembled with a CdS-$TiO_2$ scattering layer electrode. A high-magnification SEM image exhibited hollyhock-like particles with a width of 1.5-2.0 ${\mu}m$ that were aggregated into 10-nm clumps in a hexagonal petal shape. The efficiency was higher in the DSSC assembled with a CdS-$TiO_2$ scattering layer than in the DSSC assembled with $TiO_2$-only layers, due to the decreased resistance in electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The short-circuit current density ($J_{sc}$) was increased by approximately 7.26% and the open-circuit voltage ($V_{oc}$) by 2.44% over the 1.0 wt % CdS-$TiO_2$ composite scattering layer and the incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) in the maximum peak was also enhanced by about 5.0%, compared to the DSSC assembled without the CdS-$TiO_2$scattering layer.

The use of aspirin is widely recommended for the prevention of heart attacks owing to its ability to inhibit platelet activation by irreversibly blocking cyclooxygenase 1. However, aspirin also affects the fibrinolytic and hemostatic pathways by mechanisms that are not well understood, causing severe hemorrhagic complications. Here, we investigated the ability of aspirin and aspirin metabolites to inhibit thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI), the major inhibitor of plasma fibrinolysis. TAFI is activated via proteolytic cleavage by the thrombin-thrombomodulin complex to TAFIa, a carboxypeptidase B-like enzyme. TAFIa modulates fibrinolysis by removing the C-terminal arginine and lysine residues from partially degraded fibrin, which in turn inhibits the binding of plasminogen to fibrin clots. Aspirin and its major metabolites, salicylic acid, gentisic acid, and salicyluric acid, inhibit TAFIa carboxypeptidase activity. Salicyluric acid effectively blocks activation of TAFI by thrombin-thrombomodulin; however, salicylates do not inhibit carboxypeptidase N or pancreatic carboxypeptidase B. Aspirin and other salicylates accelerated the dissolution of fibrin clots and reduced thrombus formation in an in vitro model of fibrinolysis. Inhibition of TAFI represents a novel hemostatic mechanism that contributes to aspirin's therapy-associated antithrombotic activity and hemorrhagic complications.

A simple, rapid and sensitive spectrofluorometric method was developed for the determination of folic acid (FA), based on its quenching effect on the fluorescence intensity of enoxacin (ENX)-europium ($Eu^{3+}$) complex as a fluorescent probe. Fluorometric interaction between ENX-$Eu^{3+}$ complex and FA was studied using UV-visible and fluorescence spectroscopy. The quenched fluorescence intensity at an emission wavelength of 614 nm was proportional to the concentration of FA. Optimum conditions for the determination of FA were investigated. Under optimal conditions, the reduced fluorescence intensity at 614 nm was responded linearly with the concentration of FA. The linearity was maintained in the range of $1.25{\times}10^{-9}$ to $1.50{\times}10^{-7}$ M (R = 0.9986) with the limit of detection ($3S_b/m$) (where $S_b$ is the standard deviation of blank and m is the slop of linear calibration curve) of $6.94{\times}10^{-10}$ M. The relative standard deviation (RSD) for 9 repeated measurements of $1.0{\times}10^{-9}$ M FA was 1.42%. This method was simple, cost effective, and relatively free of interference from coexisting substances. Successful determinations of FA in pharmaceutical formulation and biological samples with the developed method were demonstrated.

Novel 2-hexylthieno[3,2-b]thiophene-containing conjugated molecules have been synthesized via a reduction reaction using tin chloride in an acidic medium. They exhibited good solubility in common organic solvents and good self-film and crystal-forming properties. The single-crystalline objects were fabricated by a solvent slow diffusion process and then were employed for fabricating field-effect transistors (FETs) along with thinfilm transistors (TFTs). TFTs made of 5 and 6 exhibited carrier mobility as high as 0.10-0.15 $cm^2V^{-1}s^{-1}$. The single-crystal-based FET made of 6 showed 0.70 $cm^2V^{-1}s^{-1}$ which was relatively higher than that of the 5-based FET (${\mu}=0.23cm^2V^{-1}s^{-1}$). In addition, we fabricated organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells with new 2-hexylthieno [3,2-b]thiophene-containing conjugated molecules and methanofullerene [6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester ($PC_{61}BM$) without thermal annealing. The ternary system for a bulk heterojunction (BHJ) OPV cell was elaborated using $PC_{61}BM$ and two p-type conjugated molecules such as 5 and 7 for modulating the molecular energy levels. As a result, the OPV cell containing 5, 7, and $PC_{61}BM$ had improved results with an open-circuit voltage of 0.90 V, a short-circuit current density of 2.83 $mA/cm^2$, and a fill factor of 0.31, offering an overall power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 0.78%, which was larger than those of the devices made of only molecule 5 (${\eta}$~0.67%) or 7 (${\eta}$~0.46%) with $PC_{61}BM$ under identical weight compositions.

Human ${\alpha}$-synuclein is the major component of the protein aggregates known as Lewy bodies or Lewy neurites, which define the intracellular lesions of Parkinson's disease. Despite extensive efforts, the physiological function of ${\alpha}$-synuclein has not yet been elucidated in detail. As an approach to defining its function, proteins that interacted with ${\alpha}$-synuclein were screened in phage display assays. The SNARE protein vesicle t-SNARE-interacting protein homologous 1B (VTI1B) was identified as an interacting partner. A selective interaction between ${\alpha}$-synuclein and VTI1B was confirmed by coimmunoprecipitation and GST pull-down assays. VTI1B and ${\alpha}$-synuclein were colocalized in N2a neuronal cells, and overexpression of ${\alpha}$-synuclein changed the subcellular localization of VTI1B to be more dispersed throughout the cytosol. Considering the role played by VTI1B, ${\alpha}$-synuclein is likely to modulate vesicle trafficking by interacting with a SNARE complex.