Chromatographic, Spectroscopic, and Thermal Characterization of Biofield Energy Treated N,N-Dimethylformamide

What is it about?

N,N-Dimethylformamide (DMF) is a ‘universal’ solvent and has wide variety of applications in organic synthesis, purification, crystallization, and as cross-linking agent. The aim of this study was to evaluate the physicochemical and spectroscopic properties of DMF after the biofield energy treatment using various analytical techniques. DMF sample was divided into two parts, one part (control) remained as untreated, while the other (treated) part was treated with Mr. Trivedi’s biofield energy treatment. The treated sample was subdivided into three parts named as T1, T2, and T3 for gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Five relatively intense peaks were observed in the mass spectrum of both control and treated samples of DMF. The GC-MS data revealed that the isotopic abundance ratio of (PM+1)/PM in DMF was slightly decreased by 5.76% in T1, and increased by 48.73%, and 30.17% in T2, and T3 samples, respectively as compared to the control [where, PM- primary molecule, (PM+1)- isotopic molecule either for 13C or 2H or 15N]. Similarly, the isotopic abundance ratio of (PM+2)/PM was decreased by 10.34% in T1 and then increased upto 43.67% (T2) as compared to the control [where, (PM+2)- isotopic molecule for 18O]. In high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), the treated DMF showed similar retention time (TR) as compared to the control with an additional small peak at 2.26 min appeared in the treated sample. In DSC thermogram the heat change in a sharp endothermic transition at around 61°C of treated DMF was increased by 152.56% as compared to the control. Further, C=O and C-N stretching frequencies of treated sample were shifted by 7 cm-1 and 3 cm-1, respectively towards low energy region in Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. These results suggested that biofield energy treatment has significantly altered the physical and spectroscopic properties of DMF, which could make them more stable solvent in organic synthesis and as a suitable formulation agent in polymer/paint industry.

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Why is it important?

N,N-Dimethylformamide (DMF), is a colorless organic liquid with slight amine odor. It is a highly polar aprotic solvent extensively used in the organic synthesis [1], paint, and coating formulations [2]. Its attractive solvent properties are due to the high dielectric constant, wide solubility range, and less volatile nature. The high solubility of polyacrylonitrile in DMF [3] and high miscibility of DMF in water makes it the ideal solvent in acrylic fiber production. Also, the synthesis of polyurethane and some other polyurethane based elastomers is performed in DMF based solvents [4]. It has an important role in the synthesis of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) as a solvent [5] and as a co-solvent in the crystallization of drug molecules. For instance, piroxicam is soluble in DMF and after addition of a bridging liquid like chloroform, enables the diffusion of the drug to a third emulsified phase in which the drug molecule agglomerates to grow spherical crystals [6]. Further, as a solvent DMF is used in the production of polyurethane coated textiles, in the production of synthetic fibers (~10%) [7], as gas stabilizer in acetylene cylinders [8], in the production of medical devices [9], as cleaning solvent, as laboratory chemical etc. [10]. DMF is also used in epoxy based formulations [11]. Despite its usabilities, it has some toxic effect on the environment also. However, it decomposes into dimethyl amine and formaldehyde as a result of UV irradiation or hydrolyzed in aqueous solution and at elevated temperature in the presence of alkali or acid, limiting its practical applications [12]. The stability issue associated with DMF can be addressed by an alternative mean. Nowadays, biofield energy treatment is known to alter the various properties of living and non-living things [13,14]. The biofield is the energy fields that purportedly surround and penetrate the human body. Human has the ability to harness the energy from environment/universe and can transmit into any object around the Universe. After receiving the energy, the object or living thing(s) used to respond in a useful way. This process is known as biofield treatment [15]. National Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) have reported that energy therapies are commonly used to promote the health and healing and are popular in subgroup of energy medicine among complementary medicines [16,17]. People in western countries practice biofield healing therapy as certain form of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) [18]. Mr. Trivedi’s unique biofield treatment is also called as The Trivedi Effect®. The impact of the Trivedi Effect has been well studied in various research fields like material sciences [19, 20], agricultural [14,21], and microbiology research [22]. Hence, based on the outstanding results achieved by the biofield energy treatment an attempt was made to evaluate the effect of biofield energy treatment on DMF.

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