A structural systematic study of three isomers of difluoro-N-(4-pyridyl)benzamide

The isomers 2,3-, (I), 2,4-, (II), and 2,5-difluoro-N-(4-pyridyl)benzamide, (III), all with formula C₁₂H₈F₂N₂O, all exhibit intramolecular C-H...O=C and N-H...F contacts [both with S(6) motifs]. In (I), intermolecular N-H...O=C interactions form one-dimensional chains along [010] [N...O = 3.0181 (16) Å], with weaker C-H...N interactions linking the chains into sheets parallel to the [001] plane, further linked into pairs via C-H...F contacts about inversion centres; a three-dimensional herring-bone network forms via C-H...π(py) (py is pyridyl) interactions. In (II), weak aromatic C-H...N(py) interactions form one-dimensional zigzag chains along [001]; no other interactions with H...N/O/F < 2.50 Å are present, apart from long N/C-H...O=C and C-H...F contacts. In (III), N-H...N(py) interactions form one-dimensional zigzag chains [as C(6) chains] along [010] augmented by a myriad of weak C-H...π(arene) and O=C...O=C interactions and C-H...O/N/F contacts. Compound (III) is isomorphous with the parent N-(4-pyridyl)benzamide [Noveron, Lah, Del Sesto, Arif, Miller & Stang (2002). J. Am. Chem. Soc. 124, 6613-6625] and the three 2/3/4-fluoro-N-(4-pyridyl)benzamides [Donnelly, Gallagher & Lough (2008). Acta Cryst. C64, o335-o340]. The study expands our series of fluoro(pyridyl)benzamides and augments our understanding of the competition between strong hydrogen-bond formation and weaker influences on crystal packing

A structural systematic study of four isomers of difluoro-N-(3-pyridyl)benzamide

The four isomers 2,4-, (I), 2,5-, (II), 3,4-, (III), and 3,5-difluoro-N-(3-pyridyl)benzamide, (IV), all with formula C12H8F2N2O, display molecular similarity, with interplanar angles between the C6/C5N rings ranging from 2.94 (11)° in (IV) to 4.48 (18)° in (I), although the amide group is twisted from either plane by 18.0 (2)-27.3 (3)°. Compounds (I) and (II) are isostructural but are not isomorphous. Intermolecular N-H...O=C interactions form one-dimensional C(4) chains along [010]. The only other significant interaction is C-H...F. The pyridyl (py) N atom does not participate in hydrogen bonding; the closest H...Npy contact is 2.71 Å in (I) and 2.69 Å in (II). Packing of pairs of one-dimensional chains in a herring-bone fashion occurs via [pi]-stacking interactions. Compounds (III) and (IV) are essentially isomorphous (their a and b unit-cell lengths differ by 9%, due mainly to 3,4-F2 and 3,5-F2 substitution patterns in the arene ring) and are quasi-isostructural. In (III), benzene rotational disorder is present, with the meta F atom occupying both 3- and 5-F positions with site occupancies of 0.809 (4) and 0.191 (4), respectively. The N-H...Npy intermolecular interactions dominate as C(5) chains in tandem with C-H...Npy interactions. C-H...O=C interactions form R22(8) rings about inversion centres, and there are [pi]-[pi] stacks about inversion centres, all combining to form a three-dimensional network. By contrast, (IV) has no strong hydrogen bonds; the N-H...Npy interaction is 0.3 Å longer than in (III). The carbonyl O atom participates only in weak interactions and is surrounded in a square-pyramidal contact geometry with two intramolecular and three intermolecular C-H...O=C interactions. Compounds (III) and (IV) are interesting examples of two isomers with similar unit-cell parameters and gross packing but which display quite different intermolecular interactions at the primary level due to subtle packing differences at the atom/group/ring level arising from differences in the peripheral ring-substitution patterns

Influence of protein concentration and coagulation temperature on rennet-induced gelation characteristics and curd microstructure

peer-reviewedThis study characterized the coagulation properties and defined the cutting window (CW; time between storage modulus values of 35 and 70 Pa) using rheometry for milk standardized to 4, 5, or 6% protein and set at 28, 32, or 36°C. Milks were standardized to a protein-to-fat ratio of approximately 1 by blending ultrafiltration retentate, skim milk, and whole milk. The internal curd microstructure for selected curd samples was analyzed with transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Lowering the coagulation temperature caused longer rennet coagulation time and time to reach storage modulus of 35 Pa, translating into a wider CW. It also led to a lower maximum curd-firming rate (MCFR) with lower firmness at 40 min at a given protein level. Increasing protein levels resulted in the opposite effect, although without an effect on rennet coagulation time at a given temperature. On coagulation at 28°C, milk with 5% protein resulted in a similar MCFR (∼4 Pa/min) and CW (∼8.25 min) compared with milk with 4% protein at 32°C, which reflects more standard conditions, whereas increasing milk to 6% protein resulted in more than doubling of the curd-firming rate (MCFR = 9.20 Pa/min) and a shorter CW (4.60 min). Gels set at 28°C had lower levels of rearrangement of protein network after 40 min compared with those set at 36°C. Protein levels, on the other hand, had no influence on the levels of protein network rearrangement, as indicated by loss tangent values. The internal structure of curd particles, as investigated by both scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, appeared to have less cross-linking and smaller casein aggregates when coagulated at 28°C compared with 36°C, whereas varying protein levels did not show a marked effect on aggregate formation. Overall, this study showed a marked interactive effect between coagulation temperature and protein standardization of milk on coagulation properties, which subsequently requires adjustment of the CW during cheesemaking. Lowering of the coagulation temperature greatly altered the curd microstructure, with a tendency for less syneresis during cutting. Further research is required to quantify the changes in syneresis and in fat and protein losses to whey due to changes in the microstructure of curd particles arising from the different coagulation conditions applied to the protein-fortified milk

The Performance of Hillside Fills During the Northridge Earthquake

Many hillside fills located in the Santa Monica, Santa Susana, and San Gabriel Mountains were damaged during the 1994 Northridge Earthquake. While no deaths have been attributed to fill movement, on the order of tens of millions of dollars in property damage was caused by fill movements which typically involved less than about 7.5cm (3 inches) of localized displacement. Some of the damage was induced by permanent deformations of underlying native materials, but most appears to have resulted from ground failure or ground shaking phenomena associated directly with the fill materials. These phenomena include cyclic compaction, lurching, and amplification of shaking within the fills. This paper presents a preliminary summary of the typical distress to fills caused by the Northridge Earthquake, and discusses the probable mechanisms of failure

2,3-Difluoro-N-(2-pyrid­yl)benzamide

The title compound, C12H8F2N2O, crystallizes with two independent mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit. The independent mol­ecules differ slightly in conformation; the dihedral angles between the benzene and pyridine rings are 51.58 (5) and 49.97 (4)°. In the crystal structure, mol­ecules aggregate via N—H⋯Npyridine inter­actions as hydrogen-bonded dimers with the structural motif R 2 2(8), and these dimers are linked via C—H⋯O inter­actions to form a supra­molecular chain

An Overview of Current Practice in External Beam Radiation Oncology with Consideration to Potential Benefits and Challenges for Nanotechnology

Over the past two decades, there has been a significant evolution in the technologies and techniques employed within the radiation oncology environment. Over the same period, extensive research into the use of nanotechnology in medicine has highlighted a range of potential benefits to its incorporation into clinical radiation oncology. This short communication describes key tools and techniques that have recently been introduced into specific stages of a patient’s radiotherapy pathway, including diagnosis, external beam treatment and subsequent follow-up. At each pathway stage, consideration is given towards how nanotechnology may be combined with clinical developments to further enhance their benefit, with some potential opportunities for future research also highlighted. Prospective challenges that may influence the introduction of nanotechnology into clinical radiotherapy are also discussed, indicating the need for close collaboration between academic and clinical staff to realise the full clinical benefit of this exciting technology