Acetylcholinesterase Immobilization on Polyacrylamide/Functionalized Multi-walled Carbon Nanotube Nanocomposite Nanofibrous Membrane

In this work, polyacrylamide/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) solution is electrospun to nanocomposite nanofibrous membranes for acetylcholinesterase enzyme immobilization. A new method for enzyme immobilization is proposed, and the results of analysis show successful covalent bonding of enzymes on electrospun membrane surface besides their non-covalent entrapment. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, mechanical and thermal investigations of nanofibrous membrane approve successful cross-linking and enzyme immobilization. The enzyme relative activity and kinetic on both pure and nanocomposite membranes is investigated, and the results show proper performance of designed membrane to even improve the enzyme activity followed by immobilization compared to free enzyme. Scanning electron microscopy images show nanofibrous web of 3D structure with a low shrinkage and hydrogel structure followed by enzyme immobilization and cross-linking. Moreover, the important role of functionalized carbon nanotubes on final nanofibrous membrane functionality as a media for enzyme immobilization is investigated. The results show that MWCNT could act effectively for enzyme immobilization improvement via both physical (enhanced fibers’ morphology and conductivity) and chemical (enzyme entrapment) methods.

Synthesis of gem-Dihydroperoxides from Ketones and Aldehydes Using Silica Sulfuric Acid as Heterogeneous Reusable Catalyst

Silica sulfuric acid (SSA) was found to efficiently catalyze the conversion of aldehydes and ketones directly into the corresponding gem-dihydroperoxides (DHPs) on treatment with aqueous 30% H₂O₂ at room temperature. Mild reaction conditions, good to excellent yields, short reaction times, low environmental impact, and recyclability of the catalyst are the main advantages of this synthetic method.     

Efficient Synthesis of Urea Derivatives via a Sequential One-Pot Nucleophilic Addition/Ugi Five-Component Reaction Under Solvent-Free Conditions

Urea polyfunctional derivatives were successfully synthesized via a one-pot, five-component nucleophilic addition/Ugi reaction sequence. Simplicity, solvent-free conditions, and good yields of products are advantages of this method.     

Comprehensive evaluation of the effluents eluted from different processes of the textile industry and its immobilization to trim down the environmental pollution

Due to the significance of industrial waste water pollution, which creates severe health hazards in humans, this study concentrates over the reduction and determination of the amounts of toxic metals/pollution parameters in the effluents leached from different processes of the textile industry. The concentrations of metal ions were measured by using neutron activation analysis (NAA) technique. The values of toxic metals such as As (49.1 ± 1.8 mg/L), Cu (42.7 ± 1.5 mg/L), Ni (41.1 ± 3.3 mg/L), Mn (51.1 ± 0.7 mg/L), Sb (1.89 ± 0.04 mg/L), Se (0.41 ± 0.01 mg/L), Co (7.5 ± 0.3 mg/L), Cr (8.5 ± 0.5 mg/L) and Cd (1.21 ± 0.08 mg/L) were found very high in crude textile??s effluents as compared to their standard recommended limits. The immense variation observed among the injurious pollutants of the effluents i.e. pH, temperature, electrical conductivity, turbidity, biological oxygen demands, chemical oxygen demands, total suspended solids, total dissolved solids, total solids etc. The toxic metals and injurious pollutants in the unprocessed effluents have been reduced in the post filtration effluents up to 98% and 96% respectively with the help of an ultra-filtration membrane therapy unit.     

Alleviation of adverse effects of drought stress on growth and some potential physiological attributes in maize (Zea mays L.) by seed electromagnetic treatment

Effects of varying preseed magnetic treatments on growth, chlorophyll pigments, photosynthesis, water relation attributes, fluorescence and levels of osmoprotectants in maize plants were tested under normal and drought stress conditions. Seeds of two maize cultivars were treated with different (T0 [0 mT], T1 [100 mT for 5 min], T2 [100 mT for 10 min], T3 [150 mT for 5 min] and T4 [150 mT for 10 min]) electromagnetic treatments. Drought stress considerably suppressed growth, chlorophyll a and b pigments, leaf water potential, photosynthetic rate (A), stomatal conductance (g(s)) and substomatal CO(2) concentration (C(i)), while it increased leaf glycinebetaine and proline accumulation in both maize cultivars. However, pretreated seeds with different magnetic treatments significantly alleviated the drought-induced adverse effects on growth by improving chlorophyll a, A, E, g(s), C(i) and photochemical quenching and nonphotochemical quenching, while it had no significant effect on other attributes. However, different magnetic treatments negatively affected the g(s) and C(i) particularly in cv. Agaiti-2002 under drought stress conditions. Of all magnetic treatments, 100 and 150 mT for 10 min were most effective in alleviating the drought-induced adverse effects. Overall, preseed electromagnetic treatments could be used to minimize the drought-induced adverse effects on different crop plants.     

Effect of Ziziphus and Cordia Gums on Dough Properties and Baking Performance of Cookies

The influence of 2% and 5% Cordia (CG) and Ziziphus (ZG) gums on dough characteristics and cookie quality was investigated. Micro-DoughLab, a texture analyzer (TA), a rapid viscoanalyzer (RVA), and solvent retention capacity were used to examine the effect of CG and ZG gums on dough physicochemical parameters (SRC) and cookie quality. The diameter, thickness, spread, and sensory evaluation of cookies were evaluated. With the addition of CG and ZG, dough softness, mixing time, and mixing tolerance index (MTI) increased, whereas stability and water absorption decreased. TA data showed that adding gums resulted in softer and less sticky doughs than the control, whereas RVA data showed that adding CG resulted in a significant increase in peak viscosity, but no change in flour gel setback. In comparison to the control and CG samples, the ZG samples exhibited the most dough extensibility. The thickness and diameter of the cookies increased but the spread decreased, due to the added gums. The gum-containing cookies had a lower overall acceptability by panelists than the control, although only by a small margin. Gum-containing cookies, on the other hand, can deliver up to 5% soluble fiber.     

Manganese porphyrins/mesoporous amberlyst 15 nanocomposites: Robust biomimetic catalysts for aqueous oxidation of olefins

In this study, the manganese complexes of N-methylated meso-tetra(2-, 3-, or 4 pyridyl)porphyrins, immobilized into the pores of the sodium salt of mesoporous amberlyst 15 nanoparticles (nanoAmbSO₃Na), nanoAmbSO₃@MnT(2-MePy)P (OAc), nanoAmbSO₃@MnT(3-MePy)P (OAc), and nanoAmbSO₃@MnT(4-MePy)P (OAc), were synthesized and characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), nitrogen adsorption/desorption porosimetry analysis, and diffuse reflectance UV–vis spectroscopy. FESEM images revealed a particle size less than ~40 nm for the nanocomposites. The results of BET are in accord with the occupation of the larger pores of the polymer matrix in the case of MnT(2-MePy)P (OAc) as the most sterically demanding metalloporphyrin of the series, and the smaller pores in the case of the other ones. The immobilized manganese porphyrins were used as catalysts for the oxidation of olefins with sodium periodate in the presence of imidazole (ImH) as the co-catalyst. The negligible oxidative destructions of the immobilized manganese porphyrins under the oxidative conditions allowed the comparison of the inherent catalytic activity of the metalloporphyrins, decreased as nanoAmbSO₃@MnT(4-MePy)P (OAc) > nanoAmbSO₃@MnT(3-MePy)P (OAc) ≫ nanoAmbSO₃@MnT(2-MePy)P (OAc). Contrary to the general belief that electron-deficient metalloporphyrins are more efficient catalysts than the electron-rich ones, the most electron-deficient metalloporphyrin of the series, that is, nanoAmbSO₃@MnT(2-MePy)P (OAc), showed the lowest catalytic activity. Due to the high oxidative stability of the immobilized manganese porphyrins, ring opening of epoxide competes with the epoxidation reaction to decrease the yield of epoxide at longer reaction times than the optimized one.     

Oxidative degradation of dipeptide (glycyl–glycine) by water-soluble colloidal manganese dioxide in the aqueous and micellar media

The kinetics of the oxidative degradation of dipeptide glycyl–glycine (Gly-Gly) by water-soluble colloidal MnO₂ in acidic medium has been studied by employing visible spectrophotometer in the aqueous and micellar media at 35 °C. To obtain the rate constants as functions of [Gly-Gly], [MnO₂] and [HClO₄], pseudo-first-order conditions were maintained in each kinetic run. The first-order-rate is observed with respect to [MnO₂], whereas fractional-order-rates are determined in both [Gly-Gly] and [HClO₄]. The addition of sodium pyrophosphate and sodium fluoride has composite effects (catalytic and inhibition). The reaction proceeds through the fast adsorption of Gly-Gly on the surface of the colloidal MnO₂. The observed results are discussed in terms of Michaelis–Menten/Langmuir–Hinshelwood model. The Arrhenius and Eyring equations are found valid for the reaction over a range of temperatures and different activation parameters have been evaluated. A probable reaction mechanism, in agreement with the observed kinetic results, has been proposed and discussed. The influence of changes in the surfactant concentrations on the observed rate constant is also investigated and the reaction followed the same type of kinetic behavior in micellar media. The pseudo-first-order rate constant (k_ψ) is found to increase about two-fold with increase in [TX-100]. The catalytic effect of nonionic surfactant TX-100 is explained in terms of the mathematical model proposed by Tuncay et al.