The first examples of phlorin analogues of meso-fused carbatriphyrins(2.1.1) and organo P­(V) complex of one of the meso-fused carbatriphyrins were obtained by adopting a premodification strategy starting with fluorene as a fused polyaromatic precursor over a sequence of steps. The meso-fused carbatriphyrins(2.1.1) were obtained as their nonaromatic phlorin analogues owing to the unstable nature of the fully conjugated meso-fused carbatriphyrins(2.1.1). The organo P­(V) complex of one of the meso-fused carbatriphyrins was prepared by treating the phlorin analogue of carbatriphyrin(2.1.1) with PCl3 in toluene/triethylamine at reflux for 1 h. The P­(V) complex of the meso-fused carbatriphyrin(2.1.1) was found to be moderately aromatic and the resulting global conjugation pathways in the P­(V) complex significantly alters the aromaticity of the fluorene unit. The nonaromatic nature of the phlorin analogues of the meso-fused carbatriphyrin(2.1.1) and the moderately aromatic nature of its P­(V) complex were supported by X-ray crystallography, absorption spectroscopy, NMR studies together with nucleus-independent chemical shifts, anisotropy-induced current density, and harmonic oscillation stabilization energy calculations.

No abstract

A field experiment was conducted on sandy loam acidic soil to study the effect of nutrient managements on light interception, photosynthesis, growth, biomass production and yield of Indian mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czern & Coss.]. Plant height, number of branches per plant, number of siliqua per plant, number of seeds per siliquae, 1000‐seed weight, seed and oil yield of Indian mustard improved at 100 % recommended rates of NPK (N‐P‐K at 80‐17.2‐33.2 kg ha−1) + 10 t ha−1 farmyard manure (FYM) (T3) compared with 100 % NPK rate (T2). It was also at par with 100 % NPK + 10 kg ha−1 borax + 20 kg ha−1 ZnSO4 (T6) and 50 % NPK + 10 t ha−1 FYM +10 kg ha−1 borax + 20 kg ha−1 ZnSO4 (T10). The rate of photosynthesis increased due to appropriate nutrient management treatments (T3, T6 or T10) with concomitant increase in photosynthetically active radiation, internal CO2 concentration and rate of transpiration and decrease in stomatal resistance. Consequent upon the higher rate of photosynthesis, dry‐matter accumulation increased. The crop receiving nutrient treatment T3 or T6 maintained higher light interception ratio (LIR), leaf area index (LAI), biomass production, crop growth rate (CGR) and net assimilation rate (NAR) that resulted in greater rate of photosynthesis, harvest index and seed yield. Similarly, T10 was equally efficient in registering greater LIR, LAI, CGR, NAR and seed yield of mustard. The average seed yields were 1692, 1683 and 1668 kg ha−1 in T3, T6 and T10, respectively, and these three treatments were significantly superior to T2 (1332 kg ha−1), control (723 kg ha−1) and other treatments. Significantly greater seed oil contents of 41.30, 40.60 and 41.07 % were recorded in T3, T6 and T10, respectively. Thus, significant improvement due to appropriate combination of NPK, FYM, borax and ZnSO4 was observed for uptake of nutrients.

Arsenic contamination in groundwater is becoming more and more a worldwide problem. Nearing 50 million of people are at health risk from arsenic contamination at Ganga-Meghna-Bramhaputra basin. The experimental results of the five blocks under Malda district of West Bengal, India, showed that the arsenic concentration in groundwater (0.41-1.01 mg/l) was higher than the permissible limit for drinking water (0.01 mg/l) (WHO) and FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) permissible limit for irrigation water (0.10 mg/l). The soil arsenic level (13.12 mg/kg) crossed the global average (10.0 mg/kg), but within the maximum acceptable limit for agricultural soil (20.0 mg/kg) recommended by the European Union. The total arsenic concentration on food crops varied from 0.000 to 1.464 mg/kg of dry weight. The highest mean arsenic concentration was found in potato (0.456 mg/kg), followed by rice grain (0.429 mg/kg). The total mean arsenic content (milligrams per kg dry weight) in cereals ranged from 0.121 to 0.429 mg/kg, in pulses and oilseeds ranged from 0.076 to 0.168 mg/kg, in tuber crops ranged from 0.243 to 0.456 mg/kg, in spices ranged from 0.031 to 0.175 mg/kg, in fruits ranged from 0.021 to 0.145 mg/kg and in vegetables ranged from 0.032 to 0.411 mg/kg, respectively. Hence, arsenic accumulation in cereals, pulses, oilseed, vegetables, spices, cole crop and fruits crop might not be safe in future without any sustainable mitigation strategies to avert the potential arsenic toxicity on the human health in the contaminated areas.

New examples of nonaromatic fused expanded porphyrins containing both pyridine and crown ether moiety as a part of macrocyclic framework were synthesized by condensing pyridine based pentapyrrane with polyether‐based diol in CH2Cl2 in the presence of one equivalent of BF3 ⋅ OEt2 under inert conditions followed by oxidation with DDQ in open air. The condensation was expected to form pyridine‐containing crowned expanded porphyrins but resulted in the formation of fused crowned expanded porphyrins due to intramolecular fusion of two pyrrole nitrogens with two adjacent inverted thiophene carbons as revealed by X‐ray crystallography obtained for one of the macrocycle. HRMS and NMR studies supported the formation of fused crowned pyridine containing expanded porphyrins, and the macrocycles showed simple, well‐resolved NMR spectra where all resonances were identified easily by 2D NMR spectroscopy. The macrocycles exhibited typical nonaromatic absorption features and showed one broad band with peak maxima at 535 nm and one or two shoulder bands in the higher energy region. The protonation studies resulted in clear colour change from purple to blue and absorption bands experienced bathochromic shifts with a broad band at 662 nm which was extended up to 800 nm. The electrochemical studies revealed that the macrocycles were easier to oxidize but difficult to reduce. DFT studies indicated that the macrocycle attains a very puckered and distorted ‘U’ shaped structure owing to the flexibility of the crown ether chain and TD‐DFT studies corroborated experimental results. The preliminary studies indicated that the macrocycles could be used as colorimetric optical sensor for the detection of Cu2+ ion.