Cellulose/silver nanoparticles composite microspheres: eco-friendly synthesis and catalytic application

Cellulose/silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) composites were prepared and their catalytic performance was evaluated. Porous cellulose microspheres, fabricated from NaOH/thiourea aqueous solution by a sol–gel transition processing, were served as supports for Ag NPs synthesis by an eco-friendly hydrothermal method. The regenerated cellulose microspheres were designed as reducing reagent for hydrothermal reduction and also micro-reactors for controlling growth of Ag NPs. The structure and properties of obtained composite microspheres were characterized by Optical microscopy, UV–visible spectroscopy, WXRD, SEM, TEM and TG. The results indicated that Ag NPs were integrated successfully and dispersed uniformly in the cellulose matrix. Their size (8.3–18.6?nm), size distribution (3.4–7.7?nm), and content (1.1–4.9?wt%) were tunable by tailoring of the initial concentration of AgNO₃. Moreover, the shape, integrity and thermal stability were firmly preserved for the obtained composite microspheres. The catalytic performance of the as-prepared cellulose/Ag composite microspheres was examined through a model reaction of 4-nitrophenol reduction in the presence of NaBH₄. The composites microspheres exhibited good catalytic activity, which is much high than that of hydrogel/Ag NPs composites and comparable with polymer core–shell particles loading Ag NPs.     

Heteroatom effect on potential energy topology. A novel reaction mechanism of stereospecific Staudinger synthesis

The Staudinger synthesis of various β-carbolines and thienopyridines with acetyl chloride derivatives led to novel β-lactam-type fused heterocyclic compounds. The reaction was stereospecific, giving exclusively the cis cycloadducts as racemates. The enthalpy profile and the driving force for the cis-selectivity of this cycloaddition was studied by high level quantum chemical calculations and was assigned to a new effect of the neighbouring heteroatom of the acyl group. In the course of the reaction a new side product was formed supporting the mechanistic results.     

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles by using eugenol and evaluation of antimicrobial potential

The importance of green synthesis was revealed with advantages such as: eliminating the use of expensive chemicals; consume less energy; and generate environmentally benign products. With this aim, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized by using isolated eugenol from clove extract. Its antimicrobial potential was determined on three different microorganisms. Clove was extracted and eugenol was isolated from this extract. Green synthesis was performed and an anti‐microbial study was performed. All extraction and isolation analyses were performed by high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC); identification and confirmation were achieved using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS); and scanning electron microscopy was used for characterization. Both HPLC and LC–MS analyses showed that eugenol obtained purely synthesized AgNPs and 20‐25‐nm‐sized and homogeneous shaped particles seen in images. The antimicrobial effects of AgNPs at eight concentrations were determinated against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Candida albicans, and maximum inhibition zone diameters were found as 2.6 cm, 2.4 cm and 1.5 cm, respectively. The results of the antimicrobial study showed that eugenol as a biological material brought higher antimicrobial effect to AgNPs in comparison to the other materials found in the literature.     

Metal oxide nanoparticles: synthesis, characterization and application

The synthesis of metal oxide nanoparticles is described in terms of precursor formation, nucleation, growth, and aging processes. The main parameters governing these processes are the solution properties, including the solvent viscosity, dielectric constant and the presence of adsorbing anions, the solubility of the metal oxide, and the metal oxide surface energy.     

Silver nanoparticles: green synthesis and their antimicrobial activities

This review presents an overview of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) preparation by green synthesis approaches that have advantages over conventional methods involving chemical agents associated with environmental toxicity. Green synthetic methods include mixed-valence polyoxometallates, polysaccharide, Tollens, irradiation, and biological. The mixed-valence polyoxometallates method was carried out in water, an environmentally-friendly solvent. Solutions of AgNO(3) containing glucose and starch in water gave starch-protected Ag NPs, which could be integrated into medical applications. Tollens process involves the reduction of Ag(NH(3))(2)(+) by saccharides forming Ag NP films with particle sizes from 50-200 nm, Ag hydrosols with particles in the order of 20-50 nm, and Ag colloid particles of different shapes. The reduction of Ag(NH(3))(2)(+) by HTAB (n-hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide) gave Ag NPs of different morphologies: cubes, triangles, wires, and aligned wires. Ag NPs synthesis by irradiation of Ag(+) ions does not involve a reducing agent and is an appealing procedure. Eco-friendly bio-organisms in plant extracts contain proteins, which act as both reducing and capping agents forming stable and shape-controlled Ag NPs. The synthetic procedures of polymer-Ag and TiO(2)-Ag NPs are also given. Both Ag NPs and Ag NPs modified by surfactants or polymers showed high antimicrobial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The mechanism of the Ag NP bactericidal activity is discussed in terms of Ag NP interaction with the cell membranes of bacteria. Silver-containing filters are shown to have antibacterial properties in water and air purification. Finally, human and environmental implications of Ag NPs to the ecology of aquatic environment are briefly discussed.     

Green synthesis of platinum nanoparticles using Atriplex halimus leaves for potential antimicrobial,antioxidant, and catalytic applications

Herein, green platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) were synthesized using an aqueous extract of Atriplex halimus leaves as a reductant. Atriplex platinum nanoparticles (At-PtNPs) were stable for up to three months. At-PtNPs were characterized by several techniques including UV–Visible spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), EDX elemental mapping, High-resolution Transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), Selected Area Electron Diffraction (SAED), and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Zeta measurements. At-PtNPs were black-colored and mainly spherical with a plasmon peak at 295 nm with ultra-small particle size (1–3 nm) and high surface charge (?25.4 mV). At-PtNPs were verified as a superb catalyst as they were able to catalytically degrade MB dye. At-PtNPs exhibited a high antibacterial efficiency against gram-negative bacteria. At-PtNPs were proved as a highly efficient antioxidant agent. Thus, the attained results offer a promising route of the green synthesis of PtNPs using the aqueous extract of Atriplex halimus.     

Magnetic nanoparticles: synthesis, protection, functionalization, and application

This review focuses on the synthesis, protection, functionalization, and application of magnetic nanoparticles, as well as the magnetic properties of nanostructured systems. Substantial progress in the size and shape control of magnetic nanoparticles has been made by developing methods such as co-precipitation, thermal decomposition and/or reduction, micelle synthesis, and hydrothermal synthesis. A major challenge still is protection against corrosion, and therefore suitable protection strategies will be emphasized, for example, surfactant/polymer coating, silica coating and carbon coating of magnetic nanoparticles or embedding them in a matrix/support. Properly protected magnetic nanoparticles can be used as building blocks for the fabrication of various functional systems, and their application in catalysis and biotechnology will be briefly reviewed. Finally, some future trends and perspectives in these research areas will be outlined.     

Cobalt nanoparticles on charcoal: a versatile catalyst in the Pauson-Khand reaction,hydrogenation, and the reductive Pauson-Khand reaction

[formula: see text] Dispersions of nanometer-sized cobalt particles with very high stability were prepared in charcoal and analyzed by electron microscopy and X-ray analysis. The resulting cobalt nanoparticles on charcoal (CNC) were successfully used as a catalyst for the carbonylative cycloaddition of alkyne, alkene, and carbon monoxide (Pauson-Khand reaction), hydrogenation, and the reductive Pauson-Khand reaction.     

Insights into the synthesis and mechanism of green synthesized antimicrobial nanoparticles,answer to the multidrug resistance

Emergence of the multidrug resistant human pathogenic strains is posing a serious health challenge. Resistant strains carry mutations which help them to resist conventional drugs. Therefore, it is required to produce more effective agents that are able to degrade the resistant pathogenic bacterial strains. The antimicrobial properties of nanoparticles (NPs) by eco-friendly green synthetic methods have pulled attention everywhere owing to their exceptional properties and small particle size of 100 nm. NPs are considered to belong to a group of antimicrobial agents which have ability to go inside microbial cells and kill them. In this comprehensive review, we are discussing the green synthetic methods used for the synthesis of NPs targeting the microbes. Additionally, several characterization techniques of antimicrobial NPs are also discussed. Subsequently, various methods used for the analysis of antimicrobial activities and their mechanisms are also examined.     

A new and versatile one-pot synthesis of indol-2-ones by a novel Ugi-four-component-Heck reaction

A novel one-pot-synthesis of highly substituted indol-2-ones using a combination of Ugi and Heck reaction (U-4CR-Heck) is described. The synthesized indol-2-ones represent an interesting pharmacological scaffold with four potential points of diversity. Thus, this novel reaction-type is amenable to combinatorial high-throughput screening.     

Design,synthesis and screening of some novel benzoxazole based 1,3,4-oxadiazoles as potential antimicrobial agents

A series of novel 2-(5-substituted-[1,3,4]oxadiazol-2-yl)-benzoxazoles (7a–h) were synthesized in good yields in two different directions by involving benzoxazole-2-carboxylic acid (1) as raw material and benzoxazole-2-carbonyl chloride (2), benzoxazole-2-carboxylic acid methyl ester (3), benzoxazole-2-carboxylic acid hydrazide (4), benzoxazole-2-carboxylic acid N′-acetyl hydrazide (5a–d) and benzoxazole-2-carboxylic acid-ethylidene-hydrazides (6a–d) as reactive intermediates. The chemical structures of all the synthesized compounds were elucidated by their IR, ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR and mass spectral data. Further, the target compounds were screened for their antimicrobial activity against various Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.     

Ultrasmall Pd nanoclusters: facile synthesis and versatile catalytic application

A simple and efficient method for the synthesis of ultrasmall Pd nanoclusters(NCs) has been developed. The as-obtained Pd NCs displayed uniform size with an average diameter of 1.8±0.2 nm. The ultrasmall Pd NCs and carbon nanotubes(CNTs)-supported Pd NCs also showed outstanding catalytic activity for nitrobenzene reduction and Suzuki coupling reactions. Notably, the reactions were conducted under mild conditions with high yield and selectivity.     

A versatile synthesis of tricyclic analogues of quinolone antibacterial agents: Use of a novel reformatsky reaction

A simple synthesis of tricyclic analogues of the quinolone antibiotics bearing a diverse range of substituents on the aromatic ring is described. The key steps involve unprecedented Reformatsky reaction between diethyl bromomalonate and N-arylpyrrolidine-2-thiones 8, followed by cyclisation of the resulting enaminone intermediates 9 in polyphosphoric acid.     

Coumarin-derived azolyl ethanols: synthesis,antimicrobial evaluation and preliminary action mechanism

A series of coumarin-derived azolyl ethanols including imidazolyl,triazolyl,tetrazolyl,benzotriazolyl,thiol-imidazolyl and thiol-triazolyl ones were conveniently synthesized and characterized by IR,~1H NMR,~(13)C NMR and high-resolution mass spectra(HRMS) spectra.Some of the prepared compounds showed appropriate logP_(ow) values and effective antibacterial and antifungal activities.Noticeably,compound 14 with bis-triazolyl ethanol group exhibited low minimal inhibitory concentration(MIC)value of 8 μg/mL against MRSA,which was comparable or even superior to reference drugs Norfloxacin(MIC=8μg/mL)and Chloramphenicol(MIC=16μg/mL).It could also effectively inhibit the growth of the tested fungal strains compared to Fluconazole.Further binding studies of coumarin 14 with calf thymus DNA were investigated by UV-Vis absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy.It was found that compound 14 could interact with calf thymus DNA by groove binding to form14-DNA complex via both hydrogen bonds and van der Waals force,which might be the factor to exert the powerful antimicrobial activity.     

Antimony(III) chloride-catalysed Biginelli reaction: a versatile method for the synthesis of dihydropyrimidinones through a different reaction mechanism

Antimony(III) chloride (20 mol %) in refluxing acetonitrile efficiently catalyses the synthesis of dihydropyrimidinones (50-90% yields) by the Biginelli reaction of aromatic aldehydes, acetoacetate esters and urea. This reaction proceeds through 3-ureido-crotonates followed by cyclisation with an aromatic aldehyde to the dihydropyrimidinone.     

Monooxovanadium(V) 2-phenylphenoxides: synthesis,characterization, and antimicrobial potential

Monooxovanadium(V) complexes of the composition VOCl_{3? n} (L) _n (where L = 2-phenylphenoxide ion; n = 1–3) (1–3) have been synthesized in quantitative yields by the reaction of VOCl₃ with 2-phenylphenol in toluene. The characterization of the complexes has been accomplished by elemental analysis, molar conductance measurements, IR, ¹H-NMR, electronic, mass spectral, and thermal studies. The ligands as well as the complexes have been screened for their in vitro antimicrobial activity against the pathogenic bacteria Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus and fungi Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger, and Fusarium oxysporum by a twofold serial dilution. An increase in the biocidal activity was observed for the vanadium complexes. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values were 6.25–25 µg mL^?1 for complexes, relative to that of the free ligand of 25–50 µg mL^?1.     

Imidazolium carboxylates as versatile and selective N-heterocyclic carbene transfer agents: synthesis, mechanism, and applications

N,N'-Disubstituted imidazolium carboxylates, readily synthetically available, isolable, air- and water-stable reagents, efficiently transfer N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) groups to Rh, Ir, Ru, Pt, and Pd, to give novel NHC complexes, e.g., [Pd(NHC)3OAc]OAc and [Pt(NHC)3Cl]Cl (NHC = 1,3-dimethyl imidazol-2-ylidene). The NHC esters are also effective. Tuning the reaction conditions for NHC transfer can give either mono- or bis-NHCs, or bis- and tris-NHCs. A net N to C rearrangement of the N-alkyl imidazole complex to the corresponding NHC complex was seen with (MeO)2CO (DMC). DFT calculations identify the steps needed to form the carboxylate from imidazole and DMC: SN2 methyl transfer from DMC to imidazole, followed by proton transfer from the imidazolium CH to the carboxylate counterion, produces the free NHC H-bonded to MeOH with a weakly associated CO2. The nucleophilic NHC attacks CO2 to form NHC-CO2. NHC transfer to the metal with loss of CO2 has been calculated for Rh(cod)Cl. A proposed two-cis-site reactivity model rationalizes the experimental data: two such vacant sites at the metal are needed to allow coordination of the NHC-CO2 carboxylate and subsequent CC cleavage with NHC transfer. Partial cod decoordination or chloride loss is thus required for Rh(cod)Cl. Chloride dissociation, calculated to be easier in polar solvent, is confirmed experimentally from the retarding effect of excess chloride.     

Formulation and characterization of in situ generated copper nanoparticles reinforced cellulose composite films for potential antimicrobial applications

Cellulose was dissolved in aq.(LiOH + urea) solution pre-cooled to –12.5°C and the wet films were prepared using ethyl alcohol coagulation bath. The gel cellulose films were dipped in 10 wt.% Cassia alata leaf extract solution and allowed the extract to diffuse into them. The leaf extract infused wet cellulose films were dipped in different concentrated aq. copper sulphate solutions and allowed for in situ generation of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) inside the matrix. The morphological, structural, antibacterial, thermal, and tensile properties of dried cellulose/CuNP composite films were carried out. The presence of CuNPs was established by EDX spectra and X-ray diffraction. The composite films displayed higher thermal stability than the matrix due to the presence of CuNPs. Cellulose/CuNP composite films possessed better tensile strength than the matrix. The composite films showed good antibacterial activity against E.coli bacteria. We conclude that good antibacterial activity and better tensile properties of the cellulose/CuNP composite films make them suitable for antibacterial wrapping and medical purposes.