Strengthening tobacco control policies during the COVID-19 pandemic in India.

Problem Considered: The aim of this paper was to support policy makers to make informed decisions regarding public health response in general, and tobacco control interventions particularly, in the context of COVID-19.

Methods: An online cross-sectional survey using a semi-structured questionnaire was conducted in the year 2020 with stakeholders in tobacco control and public health experts from private and government organizations. Information pertaining to background characteristics of study participants and impact of pandemic on tobacco use and means to leverage tobacco control policy was collected.

Molecular Design of pH-Sensitive Ru(II)-Polypyridyl Luminophores.

Three new [Ru(bpy)X] complex ions, where bpy represents bipyridyl ligand and X denotes pyridyl diazolate or pyrazinyl diazolate coordination site, have been computationally designed and synthesized as pH-sensitive molecules. The choice of pyridyl and pyrazinyl moieties allows for the nitrogen content to vary, whereas the influence of the protonation site is quantified by using 1,2-diazolate and 1,3-diazolate derivatives. The absorption and emission properties of the deprotonated and protonated complex ions were characterized by UV-vis and photoluminescence spectroscopy as well as by time-dependent density functional theory.

Synthesis of 1,2,4-Triazol-3-imines via Selective Stepwise Cycloaddition of Nitrile Imines with Organo-cyanamides.

A convenient method for the synthesis of 1,2,4-triazol-3-imines through a selective, formal, 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of organo-cyanamide ions with nitrile imine dipoles is reported. Hydrolysis of the 1,2,4-triazol-3-imines yields the corresponding 1,2,4-triazol-5-ones. A stepwise mechanism, supported by DFT calculations, is invoked to explain the reaction selectivity.

Recent Advances in Cyanamide Chemistry: Synthesis and Applications.

The application of alkyl and aryl substituted cyanamides in synthetic chemistry has diversified multi-fold in recent years. In this review, we discuss recent advances (since 2012) in the chemistry of cyanamides and detail their application in cycloaddition chemistry, aminocyanation reactions, as well as electrophilic cyanide-transfer agents and their unique radical and coordination chemistry.

High efficiency air stable organic photovoltaics with an aqueous inorganic contact.

We report a ZnO interfacial layer based on an environmentally friendly aqueous precursor for organic photovoltaics. Inverted PCDTBT devices based on this precursor show power conversion efficiencies of 6.8-7%.