The ecology of fungus farming Role of worker behaviour and microbes in maintaining weed free fungal gardens in the colonies of Odontotermes obesus

Abstract

The formation of the reactive open-shell ring systems simultaneously containing C, N, S and O newlinepresents considerable interest in astrochemistry and astrobiology due to their crucial role in newlineprimordial evolution. Equally, heterocyclic radicals have recently gained a lot of importance due newlineto the advancements in photo- and electroredox methodologies and their generation and utility in newlineorganic transformations. Despite the widespread interest, systematic studies on heterocyclic newlineradicals are rare; particularly, gaining insights into controlling their stability and reactivity will be newlineenormously helpful. newlineIn the first chapter, we focused on the thiazole radical and biradical by considering 2 newlineiodothiazole (IT) and 2,5-diiodothiazole (DIT) as precursors. Their photochemistry under matrix newlineisolation conditions in solid argon at 4 K revealed various photoproducts. Through extensive newlinephotochemical experiments at different wavelengths of light and kinetic mode measurements, newlinemajor pathways and intriguing photoproducts, including the target radical, were identified. The newlinesecond chapter focuses on a benzene-fused thiazole to restrict the multiple ring-opening reaction newlinechannels in the thiazole photochemistry. The study revealed a reversible photoinduced ring newlineopening of 2-iodobenzothiazole (IBT), forming a 2-isocyanophenylthiyl radical under 254 nm newlinelight and reverting under 365 nm light or annealing at 30 K, facilitated by iodine. The mechanistic newlineinvestigations were unravelled with the help of the photochemistry of benzothiazole (BT) under newlinesimilar conditions and computations. These findings underscore the significance of light-induced newlineC-S bond scission in sulfur-based heterocycles, which is relevant to photovoltaic and organic newlineelectronic applications. newlineIn the following two chapters, the dehydro-radical isomers of pyrazole and imidazole were newlineinvestigated. newlineComputations revealed that among pyrazole radicals, the N-centered newlinedehydropyrazole P-a, a and#960;-radical, is thermodynamically more stable than the C-centered and#963; newlineradicals.