Physicochemical and Spectroscopic Characteristics of Biofield Treated p-Chlorobenzophenone

What is it about?

p-Chlorobenzophenone (p-CBP) is the important chemical intermediate used for the synthesis of several pharmaceutical drugs like fenofibrate, cetirizine, alprazolam, and benzodiazepine. The aim of this study was set to evaluate the impact of biofield energy treatment on physicochemical and spectroscopic properties of p-CBP. The study was accomplished in two groups i.e. control and treated. The treated group was subjected to Mr. Trivedi’s biofield energy treatment. Subsequently, the control and treated samples of p-CBP were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), particle size analyzer, surface area analyzer, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis-derivative thermogravimetric analysis (TGA-DTG), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. The XRD study exhibited the increase in average crystallite size (25.93%) as well as the intensity of XRD peaks of treated p-CBP, as compared to the control. The particle size analysis showed the reduction in particle size of fine particles (≤51.49 µm) by 21.6% (d10), whereas, increase in particle size of large particles (≥433.59 µm) by 12.82% (d90) and 17.71% (d99), respectively after biofield treatment, as compared to the control. The surface area analysis exhibited the surface area as 0.7005 m2/g in control and 0.7020 m2/g in treated sample of p-CBP. The DSC thermogram of treated p-CBP exhibited the slight decrease in melting temperature. However, the latent heat of fusion was significantly altered (24.90%) after biofield energy treatment as compared to the control. TGA analysis showed the weight loss by 57.36% in control and 58.51% in treated sample. In addition, the onset temperature of thermal degradation was also decreased by 6.32% after biofield energy treatment as compared to the control p-CBP. The FT-IR and UV spectroscopic study did not show the alteration in the wavenumber and wavelength, respectively in treated p-CBP as compared to the control. Altogether, the XRD, particle size and thermal analysis suggest that biofield energy treatment has significant impact on physical and thermal properties of treated p-CBP.

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Why is it important?

Benzophenones (diphenyl ketones) are the important compounds and refer to all types of substituted benzophenone. They are widely used in organic synthesis of several pharmaceutical drugs like anxiolytic, hypnotic and antihistaminic. Benzophenone is also used as the starting material for dyes, pesticides and natural products [1, 2]. It has rose-like odor, therefore used in the preparation of synthetic perfumes. Benzophenones are used as a photoinitiator of UV-curing applications in inks, optical fibers, adhesive, coatings, and in printed circuit boards [3]. Photoinitiators are compounds, which break down into free radicals upon ultraviolet radiation exposure. The cosmetic grade benzophenone is used in sunscreen to reduce skin damage by blocking UV radiations i.e. UV-A (320-400 nm) and UV-B (290-320 nm) [4]. Benzophenones are also known to be pharmacologically active and reported as DNA photosensitizers [5]. Based on the importance of benzophenone as a chemical intermediate for organic synthesis of pharmaceutical drug. It is advantageous to find out the alternate approach that can enhance the physicochemical and thermal properties of p-chlorobenzophenone (p-CBP). Recently, biofield energy treatment was reported to alter the physicochemical and thermal properties of several metals [6, 7] and ceramics [8, 9]; and spectroscopic properties of various pharmaceutical drugs like chloramphenicol, tetracycline, paracetamol, and piroxicam [10, 11]. The National Institute of Health/National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NIH/NCCAM) considered the biofield energy therapy (therapy) in subcategory of energy therapies (putative energy fields) [12, 13]. The biofield energy treatment has been used in healing process to reduce pain, anxiety and to promote the overall health of human being [14, 15]. According to the Maxwell JC, the every vibrant process in the human body has an electrical significance that generates magnetic field in the human [16]. This electromagnetic field of the human body is known as the biofield and energy associated with this field is termed as the biofield energy [17, 18]. Prakash et al. reported that various scientific instruments such as Kirlian photography, resonance field imaging (RFI) and polycontrast interference photography (PIP) can be extensively used to measure the biofield of human body [19]. Thus, the human has the ability to harness the energy from the environment or Universe and transmit this energy to any living or nonliving object on the Globe. The object(s) receive the energy and respond into useful way; this process is termed as biofield treatment. Mr. Trivedi’s unique biofield energy is known as The Trivedi Effect®. Recently, the biofield energy treatment has been evaluated in several fields like biotechnology [20], microbiology [21, 22], material science [6-9], and agricultural science [23, 24]. Based on the published literature and outstanding impact of biofield energy treatment on various living and nonliving things, the present study was aimed to evaluate the impact of biofield energy treatment on physicochemical and spectroscopic properties of p-CBP using various analytical techniques.

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