Ni-Ag core-shell nanoparticles were synthesized by polyol process and microemulsion technique successfully. In the polyol process, a chemical reduction method for preparing highly dispersed pure nickel and Ag shell formation have been reported. The approach involved the control of reaction temperature and reaction time in presence of organic solvent (ethylene glycol) as a reducing agent for Ag cation with poly(vinyl-pyrrolidone) (PVP. Mw = 40000) as a capping agent. In microemulsion method, the emulsion was prepared by water/cetyltrimetylammonium bromide (CTAB)/cyclohexane. The size of microemulsion droplet was determined by the molar ratio of water to surfactant (${\omega}_o$). The core-shell formation along with the change in structural phase and stability against oxidation at high temperature heat treatments of nanoparticles were investigated by X-ray diffraction and TEM analysis. Under optimum conditions the polyol process gives the Ni-Ag core-shell structures with 13 nm Ni core covered with 3 nm Ag shell, while the microemulsion method gives Ni core diameter of 8 nm with Ag shell of thickness 6 nm. The synthesized Ni-Ag core-shell nanoparticles were stable against oxidation up to $300^{\circ}C$.

We present an efficient and new preparative method for the symmetric ${\beta}$-diketimines assisted by microwave. A series of N,N'-symmetrically alkyl substituted ${\beta}$-diketimines have been synthesized from the reaction of O-acylation with dimethylsulfate. Higher reproducibility and yield, lower cost and much improved green nature originated from no solvent condition and higher energy efficiency due to faster reaction time are major merits of this new method. In addition to these merits, almost every kind of ${\beta}$-diketimines including alkyl-substituted ${\beta}$-diketimines little reported yet has been successfully prepared. Much wider applications of these compounds in various fields are expected.

Second-order rate constants ($k_{Ox^-}$) have been measured spectrophotometrically for nucleophilic substitution reactions of 4-nitrophenyl X-substituted-cinnamates (7a-7e) and Y-substituted-phenyl cinnamates (8a-8e) with butane-2,3-dione monoximate ($Ox^-$) in 80 mol % $H_2O$/20 mol % DMSO at $25.0{\pm}0.1^{\circ}C$. The Hammett plot for the reactions of 7a-7e consists of two intersecting straight lines while the Yukawa-Tsuno plot exhibits an excellent linearity with ${\rho}_X$=0.85 and r=0.58, indicating that the nonlinear Hammett plot is not due to a change in the rate-determining step but is caused by resonance stabilization of the ground state (GS) of the substrate possessing an electron-donating group (EDG). The Br${\o}$nsted-type plot for the reactions of Y-substituted-phenyl cinnamates (8a-8e) is linear with ${\beta}_{lg}$ = -0.64, which is typical of reactions reported previously to proceed through a concerted mechanism. The ${\alpha}$-nucleophile ($Ox^-$) is more reactive than the reference normal-nucleophile ($4-ClPhO^-$). The magnitude of the ${\alpha}$-effect (i.e., the $k_{Ox^-}/k_{4-ClPhO^-}$ ratio) is independent of the electronic nature of the substituent X in the nonleaving group but increases linearly as the substituent Y in the leaving group becomes a weaker electron-withdrawing group (EWG). It has been concluded that the difference in solvation energy between $Ox^-$ and $4-ClPhO^-$ (i.e., GS effect) is not solely responsible for the ${\alpha}$-effect but stabilization of transition state (TS) through a cyclic TS structure contributes also to the Y-dependent ${\alpha}$-effect trend (i.e., TS effect).

To enhance the power conversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC), the surface of titanium dioxide ($TiO_2$) photoelectrode was modified by hydroxylation treatment with $NH_4OH$ solution at $70^{\circ}C$ for 6 h. The $NH_4OH$ solutions of various concentrations were used to introduce the hydroxyl groups on $TiO_2$ surface. As the concentration of $NH_4OH$ was increased, the short-circuit current density ($J_{SC}$) value and conversion efficiency of solar cells were increased because the amount of adsorbed dye molecules on $TiO_2$ surface was increased. As a result of the surface modification to introduce hydroxyl groups, the concentration of adsorbed dye on the $TiO_2$ surface could be improved up to 32.61% without the changes of morphology, surface area and pore volume of particles. The morphology, the specific surface area, the pore volume and the chemical states of $TiO_2$ surface were characterized by using FE-SEM, $N_2$ adsorption-desorption isotherms and XPS measurements. The amount of adsorbed dye and the performance of fabricated cells were analyzed by using UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy and solar simulator.

A new complex [$Ni(phen)(C_9H_8Br_2NO_3)_2{\cdot}2CH_3OH{\cdot}2H_2O$] [phen: 1,10-phenanthroline $C_9H_8Br_2NO_3$: 3,5-dibromo-L-tyrosine] was synthesized and characterized by IR, elemental analysis and single crystal X-ray diffraction. X-ray crystallography shows that Ni(II) ion is six-coordinated. The Ni(II) ion coordinates with four nitrogen atoms and two oxygen atoms from three ligands, forming a mononuclear Ni(II) complex. The crystal crystallizes in the Orthorhombic system, space group $P2_12_12$ with a = 12.9546 ${\AA}$, b = 14.9822 ${\AA}$, c = 9.9705 ${\AA}$, V = 1935.2 ${\AA}$, Z = 1, F(000) = 1008, S = 0.969, ${\rho}_{calcd}=1.742g{\cdot}cm^{-3}$, ${\mu}=4.688mm^{-1}$, $R_1$ = 0.0529 and $wR_2$ = 0.0738 for 3424 observed reflections (I > $2{\sigma}(I)$). Theoretical study of the title complex was carried out by density functional theory (DFT) method and the B3LYP method employing the $6-3l+G^*$ basis set. The energy gap between HOMO and LUMO indicates that this complex is prone to interact with DNA. CCDC: 908041.

Direction of intercalation to DNA of the planar dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine ligands (dppz) of a bis-Ru(II) complex namely, $[Ru(1,10-phenanthroline)_2dipyrido[3,2-a:2^{\prime},3^{\prime}-c]phenazine]^{2+}$ linkered by a 1,3-bis(4-pyridyl)propane, was investigated by probing the behavior of 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) that bound deep in the minor groove. Bis-intercalation of DPPZ resulted in a little blue shift and hyperchromism in DAPI absorption band, and a large decrease in DAPI fluorescence intensity which accompined by an increase in the dppz emission intensity. Diminishing the intenisty of the positive induced circular dichroism (CD) and linear dichroism (LD) were also observed. These spectral changes indicated that insertion of dppz ligand caused the change of the binding mode of DAPI, which probably moved to the exterior of DNA from the minor groove and interacted with the phospghate groups of DNA by electrostatic interaction. At the surface of DNA, DAPI binds at the phosphate groups of DNA by electrostatic attraction. Consequently, this observation indicated that the dppz ligand intercalated from the minor groove.

We present the synthesis and characterization of DTPA-bis(histidylamide) (1a), DTPA-bis(aspartamide) (1b), and their gadolinium complexes of the type $[Gd(L)(H_2O)]$ (2a:L = 1a; 2b:L = 1b). Thermodynamic stabilities and $R_1$ relaxivities of 2a-b compare well with Omniscan$^{(R)}$, a well-known commercial, extracellular (ECF) MRI CA which adopts the DTPA-bis(amide) framework for the chelate: $R_1$ = 5.5 and 5.1 $mM^{-1}$ for 2a and 2b, respectively. Addition of the Cu(II) ion to a solution containing 2b triggers relaxivity enhancement to raise $R_1$ as high as 15.3 $mM^{-1}$, which corresponds to a 300% enhancement. Such an increase levels off at the concentration beyond two equiv. of Cu(II), suggesting the formation of a trimetallic ($Gd/Cu_2$) complex in situ. Such a relaxivity increase is almost negligible with Zn(II) and other endogenous ions such as Na(I), K(I), Mg(II), and Ca(II). In vivo MR images and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) obtained with an aqueous mixture of 2b and Cu(II) ion in an 1:2 ratio demonstrate the potentiality of 2 as a copper responsive MRI CA.

Fluorescent and colorimetric recognition properties of 2-(4-N-phenyl-3-thiosemicarbazone)-8-hydroxyquinoline (1) in buffered aqueous solution (1% DMSO, HEPES 20 mM, pH = 7.4) have been examined. Sensor 1 displays highly selective and sensitive recognition to $Cu^{2+}$ with fluorescence "ON-OFF" performance. The in situ formed 1-$Cu^{2+}$ complex exhibits an excellent selectivity toward sulfide ions with fluorescence "OFF-ON" behavior via $Cu^{2+}$ displacement approach. Thus, relay recognition of $Cu^{2+}$ and sulfide by a known molecule 1 has been achieved.

p-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) is a potent herbicide target that is in current use. In this study, we developed a predictive pharmacophore model that uses known HPPD inhibitors based on a theoretically constructed HPPD homology model. The pharmacophore model derived from the three-dimensional (3D) structure of a target protein provides helpful information for analyzing protein-ligand interactions, leading to further improvement of the ligand binding affinity.

Convenient synthetic method for 4-arylethylpyrazoles and 4-styrylpyrazoles was developed using ${\alpha}$-alkenyl-${\alpha},{\beta}$-enones readily accessed from the Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction. For the synthesis of 4-arylethylpyrazole, the reactions with arylhydrazines needed to be carried out in o-dichlorobenzene under $N_2$ balloon atmosphere. On the other hand, 4-styrylpyrazoles required the reactions in ethanol under $O_2$ balloon atmosphere.

Immunoliposomes (antibody-conjugated liposomes) are highly useful as both a drug carrier in drug delivery and as a reporting probe in immunodiagnostics. However, antibody conjugation is lengthy and cumbersome, because this includes several steps such as derivatization of the antibody, conjugation of the derivatized antibody to liposomes, and separation of the unbound antibodies from immunoliposomes. Recently, liposome preparation steps have simplified by using microfluidic devices (${\mu}FDs$) where liposomes are formed when a stream of lipids in solvent is hydrodynamically focused between two oblique buffer streams in a microchannel. Herein, we report a simple method for the production of immunoliposomes (rabbit IgG-conjugated liposomes) using microvalve-controlled ${\mu}FD$. The presence of antibody on the liposome was verified by observing the binding of immunoliposomes to rabbit IgG on the surface. The results suggest that immunoliposomes can be easily prepared through sequential mixing of antibody, conjugation reagents, preformed liposomes using microvalve-controlled ${\mu}FD$.

We present results of molecular dynamics simulations for hydroxide ion in supercritical water of densities 0.22, 0.31, 0.40, 0.48, 0.61, and 0.74 g/cc using the SPC/E water potential with Ewald summation. The limiting molar conductance of $OH^-$ ion at 673 K monotonically increases with decreasing water density. It is also found that the hydration number of water molecules in the first hydration shells around the $OH^-$ ion decreases and the potential energy per hydrated water molecule also decreases in the whole water density region with decreasing water density. Unlike the case in our previous works on LiCl, NaCl, NaBr, and CsBr [Lee at al., Chem. Phys. Lett. 1998, 293, 289-294 and J. Chem. Phys. 2000, 112, 864-869], the number of hydrated water molecules around ions and the potential energy per hydrated water molecule give the same effect to cause a monotonically increasing of the diffusion coefficient with decreasing water density in the whole water density region. The decreasing residence times are consistent with the decreasing potential energy per hydrated water molecule.

This paper presents results for the calculation of transport properties of noble gases (He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe) at 273.15 K and 1.00 atm using equilibrium molecular dynamics (EMD) simulations through a Lennard-Jones (LJ) intermolecular potential. We have utilized the revised Green-Kubo formulas for the stress (SAC) and the heat-flux auto-correlation (HFAC) functions to estimate the viscosities (${\eta}$) and thermal conductivities (${\lambda}$) of noble gases. The original Green-Kubo formula was employed for diffusion coefficients (D). The results for transport properties (D, ${\eta}$, and ${\lambda}$) of noble gases at 273.15 and 1.00 atm obtained from our EMD simulations are in a good agreement with the rigorous results of the kinetic theory and the experimental data. The radial distribution functions, mean square displacements, and velocity auto-correlation functions of noble gases are remarkably different from those of liquid argon at 94.4 K and 1.374 $g/cm^3$.

Fluorescence imaging is considered as one of the most powerful techniques for monitoring biomolecule activities in living systems. Near-infrared (NIR) light is advantageous for minimum photodamage, deep tissue penetration, and minimum background autofluorescence interference. Herein, we have developed a new NIR fluorescent dye, namely, RB-1, based on the Rhodamine B scaffold. RB-1 exhibits excellent photophysical properties including large absorption extinction coefficients, high fluorescence quantum yields, and high photostability. In particular, RB-1 displays both absorption and emission in the NIR region of the "biological window" (650-900 nm) for imaging in biological samples. RB-1 shows absorption maximum at 614 nm (500-725 nm) and emission maximum at 712 nm (650-825 nm) in ethanol, which is superior to those of traditional rhodamine B in the selected spectral region. Furthermore, applications of RB-1 for fluorescence imaging in living cells and small animals were investigated using confocal fluorescence microscopy and in vivo imaging system with a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR = 10.1).

Nanostructured Ag thin films could be facilely prepared by soaking glass substrates in ethanolic solutions containing $Ag_2O$ powders at an elevated temperature. The formation of zero-valent Ag was corroborated using X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The deposition of Ag onto a glass substrate was readily controlled simply by changing the reaction time. Due to the aggregated structures of Ag, the surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectra of benzenethiol could be clearly identified using the Ag-coated glass. The enhancement factor at 514.5 nm excitation estimated using benzenethiol reached $1.0{\times}10^5$ while the detection limit of rhodamine 6G was found to be as low as $1.0{\times}10^{-13}$ M. Since this one-pot fabrication method is eco-friendly and is suitable for the mass production of diverse Ag films, it is expected to play a significant role in the development of surface plasmon-based analytical devices.

Three coordination polymers, [$ML_2(H_2O)_2$] (M = Co (1), Ni (2), Mn (3)), were prepared from metal acetates ($M(CH_3COO)_2{\cdot}4H_2O$) and 3-pyridinepropionic acid ($HL=(3-py)-CH_2CH_2COOH$) by solvent-layer methods. By contrast, a discrete molecular compound, trans-[$Pd(HL)_2Cl_2$] (4), was synthesized by replacing benzonitrile (PhCN) ligands in trans-[$Pd(PhCN)_2Cl_2$] with HL under microwave-heating conditions. Compounds 1-3 have a 2D framework, and compound 4 contains a square-planar Pd metal.

A noble phenylsulfonyl reagent 8 having ${\alpha}$-oxo (cyanomethylene)triphenylphosphorane ylide subunit readily condensed with various alkyl halides under basic conditions to afford ${\beta}$-alkyl-${\alpha}$-oxo-${\beta}$-phenylsulfonyl (cyanomethylene)triphenylphosphorane ylides 9 in excellent yields. These sulfonyl ylides 9 were then reductively desulfonylated with $Na(Hg)/Na_2HPO_4$ in the presence of methanol to provide ${\alpha}$-keto (cyanomethylene)-triphenylphosphorane ylides 2' in good to excellent yields. Our new synthetic approach offers an expeditious access to various ${\alpha}$-keto (cyanomethylene)triphenylphosphorane ylides from alkyl halides utilizing a new phenylsulfonyl reagent as the key reagent under mild reaction conditions in good overall yields.

As the concentration of aqueous $CD_3OH$ solutions was decreased, the OD peaks in $^2H$ NMR spectra grew relative to the $CD_3$ peaks. Isotope impurity for OH groups of $CD_3OH$ and deuterium naturally present in water contributed to the OD peaks. Using these peak area data, the site-specific isotope populations of isotope enriched chemicals were measured. In addition, the method using both $^1H$ and $^2H$ NMR spectroscopy was demonstrated with neat $CD_3OH$ to measure the site-specific isotope populations. The results indicate that although it represents only ~0.015% of hydrogen isotopes, the deuterium naturally present in solvents cannot be ignored, especially when the concentration of deuterium-enriched solutes is varied. Proton/deuteron exchange between methyl and methyl/hydroxyl groups was confirmed to be negligible, while that among hydroxyl groups was detectable.

This paper describes a simple and efficient method involving domino Knovenegal/$6{\pi}$ electrocyclization for the preparation of a variety of 2H-pyrans using microwave irradiation under solvent- and catalyst-free conditions. This method offers the advantages of a green approach, high yields, and short reaction times. Sixteen compounds (9a-p) were obtained in good to excellent yields using the procedure.

A highly efficient and environmentally benign protocol has been developed for the first time to produce a wide range of biologically active 5-hydroxyindole derivatives using montmorillonite KSF clay as a reusable solid acid catalyst. The use of recyclable clay makes this procedure quite simple, more convenient and cost-effective.

In this study, we developed a liquid crystal (LC)-based optical sensor for monitoring enzymatic activity through orientational changes in liquid crystals (LCs) coupled to the properties of a poly-${\small{L}}$-lysine (PLL)-based polymeric membrane. We prepared a PLL-based polymeric membrane at the planar interface between the thermotropic liquid crystal and aqueous phases. The PLL-based polymeric membrane was obtained by contacting the PLL solution with water immiscible LCs, 4-cyano-4'-pentyl-biphenyl (5CB) doped with adipoyl chloride. We then investigated the membrane properties by examining the permeability of the membrane to phospholipids, 1,2-didodecanoyl-rac-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DLPC). The permeability of the membrane to transport phospholipids was monitored through the orientational transition of 5CB in contact with the dispersions of DLPC. Since trypsin can enzymatically catalyze the hydrolysis of PLL, we incubated an aqueous trypsin solution with the membrane for 2 h at room temperature to cause an increase in the permeability of the polymeric membrane to DLPC. As a result, a bright to dark optical shift of LCs was observed, which implied that an enzymatic reaction between trypsin and PLL-based membrane occurred. Two control experiments using chymotrypsin and bovine serum albumin (BSA) revealed no sign of improved permeability based on the orientational transition of LCs.

A doubly tethered $N-CH_3$ amide chiral stationary phase (CSP 4) based on (+)-(18-crown-6)-2,3,11,12-tetracarboxylic acid was applied to the resolution of an antiarrythmic agent, tocainide, and its analogues and the chromatographic resolution results were compared with those on a singly tethered N-H amide CSP (CSP 1), a singly tethered $N-CH_3$ amide CSP (CSP 2) and a doubly tethered N-H amide CSP (CSP 3) under an identical aqueous mobile phase condition. CSP 4 was found to be generally better than other CSPs in terms of the separation factors (${\alpha}$) and resolutions (RS). The retention times of analytes denoted by the retention factors ($k_1$) on CSP 4 were quite long compared to those on other CSPs because of the improved lipophilicity of CSP 4. The long retention times of analytes on CSP 4 were successfully controlled by the addition of a small amount of ammonium acetate to aqueous mobile phase without hurting the chiral recognition efficiency. The variation of the content and type of organic and acidic modifier in aqueous mobile phase was found not to change the chiral recognition efficiency significantly.

Second-order rate constants ($k_N$) have been measured spectrophotometrically for the reactions of 4-chloro-2-nitrophenyl X-substituted-benzoates (1a-1h) with a series of cyclic secondary amines in 80 mol % $H_2O$/20 mol % DMSO at $25.0{\pm}0.1^{\circ}C$. The Hammett plot for the reactions of 1a-1h with piperidine consists of two intersecting straight lines, while the Yukawa-Tsuno plot exhibits an excellent linear correlation with ${\rho}_X $ = 1.25 and r = 0.58, indicating that the nonlinear Hammett plot is not due to a change in the rate-determining step (RDS) but is caused by ground-state stabilization through resonance interactions for substrates possessing an electron-withdrawing group in the benzoyl moiety. The Br${\o}$nsted-type plot for the reactions of 4-chloro-2-nitrophenyl benzoate (1d) with a series of cyclic secondary amines curves downward with ${\beta}_2$ = 0.85, ${\beta}_1$ = 0.24, and $pK_a{^o}$ = 10.5, implying that a change in RDS occurs from the $k_2$ step to the $k_1$ process as the $pK_a$ of the conjugate acid of the amine exceeds 10.5. Dissection of $k_N$ into the microscopic rate constants $k_1$ and $k_2/k_{-1}$ ratio associated with the reaction of 1d reveals that $k_2$ is dependent on the amine basicity, which is contrary to generally held views.

The solvolysis rate constants of 3,4- (1) and 3,5-dimethoxybenzoyl (2) chlorides were measured in various pure and binary solvents at $25.0^{\circ}C$, and studied by application of the extended Grunwald-Winstein (G-W) equation, kinetic solvent isotope effect in methanolysis and activation parameters. The solvolysis of 1 was interpreted as the unimolecular pathway due to a predominant resonance effect from para-methoxy substituent like 4-methoxybenzoyl chloride (3), while that of 2 was evaluated as the dual mechanism, with unimolecular or bimolecular reaction pathway according to the character of solvent systems (high electrophilic/nucleophilic) chosen, caused by the inductive effect by two meta-methoxy substituents, no resonance one. In the solvolyses of 1 and 2 with two $-OCH_3$ groups, the resonance effect of para-methoxy substituent is more important to decide the mechanism than the inductive effect with other corresponding evidences.

The structural, electronic, and optical properties of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) have been comprehensively studied by density functional theory (DFT) to rationalize the experimentally observed properties. Rather, we employed periodic boundary conditions (PBC) method to simulate the polymer block, and calculated effective charge mass from the band structure calculation for describing charge transport properties. The simulated results of P3HT are consistent with the experimental results in band gaps, absorption spectra, and effective charge mass. Based on the same calculated methods as P3HT, a series of polymers have been designed on the basis of the two types of building blocks, furofurans and furofurans substituted with cyano (CN) groups, to investigate suitable polymers toward polymer solar cell (PSC) materials. The calculated results reveal that the polymers substituted with CN groups have good structural stability, low-lying FMO energy levels, wide absorption spectra, and smaller effective masses, which are due to their good rigidity and conjugation in comparison with P3HT. Besides, the insertion of CN groups improves the performance of PSC. Synthetically, the designed polymers PFF1 and PFF2 are the champion candidates toward PSC relative to P3HT.

The effect of Mn-promotion on high surface area Al-pillared montmorillonite (AlMMT) supported Co nanoparticles prepared by hydrothermal method have been investigated. A series of different weight% Mn-promoted Co nanoparticles were prepared and characterized by XRD, TPR, TGA, BET and SEM techniques. An increase in the surface area of MMT is observed with Al-pillaring. Fischer-Tropsch catalytic activity of the as prepared catalysts was studied in a fixed bed micro reactor at $225^{\circ}C$, $H_2/CO$ = 2 and at 1 atm pressure. The data showed that by the addition of Mn the selectivity of $C_1$ dropped drastically while that of $C_2-C_{12}$ hydrocarbons increased significantly over all the Mn-promoted Co/AlMMT catalysts. The $C_{13}-C_{20}$ hydrocarbons remained almost same for all the catalysts while the selectivity of $C_{21+}$ long chain hydrocarbons decreased considerably with the addition of Mn. The catalyst with 3.5%Mn showed lowest $C_{21+}$ and highest $C_2-C_{12}$ hydrocarbons selectivity due to cracking of long chain hydrocarbons over acidic sites of MMT.

Two new isoflavanones, (3R) 7,2',4'-trihydroxy-3'-methoxy-5-methoxycarbonyl-isoflavanone (1) and (3R) 7,2'-dihydroxy-3',4'-dimethoxy-5-methoxycarbonyl-isoflavanone (2), together with six known isoflavanones (3-8), were isolated from the stems of Cassia siamea. The structure of 1-8 was elucidated by spectroscopic methods including extensive 1D- and 2D-NMR techniques. Compounds 1, 2, 5-8 were evaluated for their anti-tobacco mosaic virus (Anti-TMV) activity. The results showed that compounds 1 and 6 showed potential anti-TMV activity with inhibition rates of 24.6% and 26.9%, respectively. Compounds 2, 5, 7, 8 also showed anti-TMV activity with inhibition rates in the range of 11.8-18.6%.

Coumaroyl dipeptide amide, Coumaric acid-LG-$NH_2$, was prepared successfully using the solid-phase method, and its efficacy as a skin whitening agent was studied. Coumaric acid-LG-$NH_2$ was prepared with Rink-amide resin, and 96.354% of purity was obtained. Using MTT assay and LDH release assay, we found that it exhibited very low cytotoxicity. And, we found that Coumaric acid-LG-$NH_2$ inhibited tyrosinase activity dose-dependently and showed superior tyrosinase inhibitory activity to well-known whitening agent, arbutin. $IC_{50}$ value of Coumaric acid-LG-$NH_2$ was 182.4 ${\mu}M$, and $IC_{50}$ value of arbutin was 384.6 ${\mu}M$. Also, in measurement of melanin contents using B16F1 melanoma cell lines, Coumaric acid-LG-$NH_2$ reduced melanin production induced by ${\alpha}$-MSH statistically significant, and showed superior melanin inhibitory activity to p-coumaric acid or arbutin. In addition, Coumaric acid-LG-$NH_2$ reduced MC1R mRNA expression level. Thus, we concluded that MC1R pathway is the significant pathway of Coumaric acid-LG-$NH_2$, and Coumaric acid-LG-$NH_2$ has great potential to be used as novel whitening agents.

The adsorption of carbon dioxide on graphene sheets was theoretically investigated using density functional theory (DFT) and MP2 calculations. Geometric parameters and adsorption energies were computed at various levels of theory. The $CO_2$ chemisorption energies on graphene-$C_{40}$ assuming high pressure are predicted to be 71.2-72.1 kcal/mol for the lactone systems depending on various C-O orientations at the UCAM-B3LYP level of theory. Physisorption energies of $CO_2$ on graphene were predicted to be 2.1 and 3.3 kcal/mol, respectively, at the single-point $UMP2/6-31G^{**}$ level of theory for perpendicular and parallel orientations.

Various phenol derivatives were synthesized in a one-pot reaction from MBH acetates and sodium diethyl oxalacetate via a [4C+2C] cyclization protocol. In addition, some pyridine derivatives could also be synthesized using the same starting materials, by isolating the $S_N2^{\prime}$ reaction intermediate and performing the cyclization with $NH_4OAc$.

Nanoscale Chevrel $Mo_6S_8$ powders are synthesized by molten salt synthesis. Synthesized $Mo_6S_8$ powders have different mean particle sizes which are dependent on a ratio of salt to precursor. The particle sizes of $Mo_6S_8$ powders changes along with the ratio increase. $Mo_6S_8$ (6:1) demonstrates the best electrochemical characteristics among the synthesized $Mo_6S_8$ powders although the $Mo_6S_8$ (4:1) has the smallest particle size. $Mo_6S_8$ (6:1) shows a reversible capacity of 83.9 $mAhg^{-1}$, which is 27.5% and 33% improved value over $Mo_6S_8$ (2:1) and $Mo_6S_8$ (4:1) at a current density of 0.2C, respectively. The superior electrochemical properties of $Mo_6S_8$ (6:1) are attributed to the balanced particle size which provides proper contact area with electrolyte and the shortened $Mg^{2+}$ diffusion length. The $Mo_6S_8$ (4:1) has the smallest particle size but further reduction of particle size from $Mo_6S_8$ (6:1) is not advantageous.

Dual-frequency ultrasound assisted photocatalysis (DUAP) method was proposed to degrade a stable organic model effluent, cresol red (CR), using the prepared $Fe^{3+}$-doped $TiO_2$ with active carbon fiber loading ($Fe^{3+}-TiO_2/ACF$) as photocatalyst. The influence of key factors, including Fe doping amount and power density of dual-frequency ultrasounds (20/40 kHz), on the degradation efficiency was investigated. The degradation efficiency rises to 98.7% in 60 min accompanied by the color removal of CR liquid samples from yellow to colorless transparent at optimal conditions. A synergy index of 1.40 was yielded by comparison with single ultrasound assisted photocatalysis (SUAP) and the photocatalysis without ultrasound assisted (UV/$TiO_2$), indicating that a clear synergistic effect exists for the DUAP process. Obvious enhancement of degradation efficiency for the DUAP process should be attributed to production of large amount of free radicals by strong cavitational effects of dual ultrasounds.

Synthesis of Carbon Nanotube bundles has been achieved by simple and economical solvothermal procedure at very low temperature of $180^{\circ}C$. The product yield obtained was about 70-75%. The optimization of reaction conditions for an efficient synthesis of CNTs has been presented. The CNTs are obtained by reduction of hexachlorobenzene in the presence of Na/Ni in cyclohexane. The X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectral studies have inferred us the graphene structure of the products. The CNTs formed as the bundles were viewed on scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope and high-resolution transmission electron microscope. These are the multiwalled CNTs with outer diameter of 5-10 nm, the inner diameter 2-4 nm and cross sectional diameter up to 5 nm. Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) based $N_2$ gas adsorption studies have been made to obtain BET surface area and $H_2$ storage capacity. Effect of the experimental variables such as reaction temperature, amount of catalyst and the amount of carbon source were investigated. It is found that they affect significantly on the product nature and yield.

Methanesulfonic acid (MSA) was used as catalyst to remove trace organic sulfur (thiophene) from Fluid Catalytic Cracking gasoline (FCC) via alkylation with olefins. The reactions were conducted in Erlenmeyer flask equipped with a water-bath under atmospheric pressure. The influence of the temperature, the reaction time, and the mass ration of MSA were investigated. After a 60 min reaction time at 343 K, the thiophene conversion of 98.7% was obtained with a mass ration of MSA to oil of 10%. The catalyst was reused without a reactivation treatment, and the thiophene conversion reached 92.9% at the third time. The method represents an environmentally benign route to desulfur, because MSA could easily be separated from the reaction mixture via decantation and it could be reused.

In this study transesterification of Triglycerides (TG) from Jatropha curcas oil (JCO) with methanol for production of biodiesel was investigated over cerium impregnated ZSM-5 catalysts. NaZSM-5 was synthesized in an alkaline medium and impregnated with cerium oxide by wet method using cerium nitrate as a source for cerium. They were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimeteric analysis (TGA), $CO_2$-temperature programmed desorption, and $N_2$ adsorption/desorption analysis. XRD analysis showed decrease in intensity of the patterns with the increase in the ceria loading but crystallization of ceria to larger size is an evident for 10 and 15% loading. The optimal yield of transesterification process was found to be 90% under the following conditions: oil to methanol molar ratio: 1:12; temperature: $60^{\circ}C$; time: 1 h; catalyst: 5 wt %. Here the yield of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) was calculated through $^1H$ NMR analysis. The investigation on catalyst loading, temperature, time and reusability illustrated that these ceria impregnated NaZSM-5's were found to be selective, recyclable and could yield biodiesel at low temperature with low methanol to oil ratio due to the presence of both Lewis and Bronsted basicity. Hence, from the above study it is concluded that ceria impregnated ZSM-5 could be recognized as a potential catalysts for biodiesel production in industrial processes.

Direct synthesis of $H_2O_2$ and in situ oxidative desulfurization of model fuel over Au/Ti-HMS and Au/TS-1 catalysts has been comparatively investigated in water or methanol. Maximum amount (82%) of active $Au^0$ species for $H_2O_2$ synthesis was obtained. Au/Ti-HMS and Au/TS-1 exhibited the contrary performances in $H_2O_2$ synthesis as $CH_3OH/H_2O$ ratio of solvent changed. $H_2O_2$ decomposition and hydrogenation in water was inhibited by the introduction of methanol. Effect of $O_2/H_2$ ratio on $H_2O_2$ concentration, $H_2$ conversion and $H_2O_2$ selectivity revealed a relationship between $H_2O_2$ generation and $H_2$ consumption. The highest dibenzothiophene removal rate (83.2%) was obtained over Au/Ti-HMS in methanol at 1.5 of $O_2/H_2$ ratio and $60^{\circ}C$. But removal of thiophene over Au/TS-1 should be performed in water without heating to obtain a high removal rate (61.3%). Meanwhile, $H_2$ conversion and oxidative desulfurization selectivity of $H_2$ were presented.

Designed and synthesized twenty-four 2,4-diaryl benzofuro[3,2-b]pyridine derivatives were evaluated for topoisomerase I and II inhibitory activities as well as cytotoxicities against several human cancer cell lines. Various aryl groups such as phenyl, 2- or 3- furyl, 2- or 3-thienyl, and 2-pyridyl were substituted at 2- or 4- position of central pyridine. Compounds 8, 12, 13, and 14, with 2-furyl either at 2- or 4- position of central pyridine showed the significant topoisomerase II inhibitory activity at 100 ${\mu}M$.

Diacetylene lipid monomers possess the capability to self-assemble into vesicles via polymerization under ultraviolet irradiation, resulting in the formation of polydiacetylene (PDA) liposomes. Exposure of the polymerized vesicles to external stimuli is known to induce a unique blue-to-red color transition. The cyclic oligosaccharide ${\alpha}$-cyclodextrin known for its use in many applications, such as drug delivery, purification, and stimulus sensing, is able to form an inclusion complex with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) in aqueous solution. In this study, we prepared polymeric liposomes with PEG (PEG-PDA) with the aim of improving the stability of the vesicles and colorimetric response toward ${\alpha}$-cyclodextrin. We demonstrated that PEG-PDA liposome displays unique characteristics compared with native PDA liposome and it also shows apparent chromic properties of the inclusion complex formation with ${\alpha}$-cyclodextrin.

A novel PVC membrane sensor for perindopril based on perindopril-phosphotungstate ion pair complex was prepared. The influence of membrane composition (i.e. percent of PVC, plasticizer, ion-pair complex, and kind of plasticizer), inner solution, pH of test solution and foreign cations on the electrode performance was investigated. The optimized membrane demonstrates Nernstian response ($30.9{\pm}1.0$ mV per decade) for perindopril cations over a wide linear range from $9.0{\times}10^{-7}$ to $1{\times}10^{-2}$ M at $25^{\circ}C$. The potentiometric response is independent of the pH in the range of 4.0-9.5. The proposed sensor has the advantages of easy preparation, fast response time. The selectivity coefficients indicate excellent selectivity for perindopril over many common cations (e.g., $Na^+$, $K^+$, $Mg^{2+}$, $Cu^{2+}$, $Ni^{2+}$, rhamnose, maltose, glycine and benzamide. The practical applications of this electrode was demonstrated by measuring the concentrations of perindopril in pure solutions and pharmaceutical preparations with satisfactory results.

The synthesis, X-ray crystallography, spectroscopic (IR, UV-vis), and electrochemical properties of the title compound, $[H_3O][Cr(dipic)_2][H_3O^+.Cl^-]$ (1), ($H_2dipic$ = 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid), are reported. This complex crystallizes in the monoclinic space group Cc with a = 14.9006(10) ${\AA}$, b = 12.2114(8) ${\AA}$, c = 8.6337(6) ${\AA}$, ${\alpha}=90.00^{\circ}$, ${\beta}=92.7460(10)^{\circ}$, ${\gamma}=90.00^{\circ}$, and V = 1569.16(18) ${\AA}^3$ with Z = 4. The hydrogen bonding and noncovalent interactions play roles in the stabilization of the structure. In order to gain a better understanding of the most important geometrical parameters in the structure of the complex, atoms in molecules (AIM) method at B3LYP/6-31G level of theory has been employed.