Synthesis of KIT-5 decorated by Bi2S3-Fe3O4 photocatalyst for degradation of parathion pesticide in aqueous media: Offering a degradation model and optimization using response surface methodology (RSM)

In this research, a novel KIT-5/Bi₂S₃-Fe₃O₄ nanocomposite was prepared. The structure and morphology properties of the nanocomposite were well characterized by XRD, FESEM-EDS-mapping, TEM, and N₂ adsorption–desorption. Benefiting from the visible light, the as-prepared KIT-5/Bi₂S₃-Fe₃O₄ nanocomposite exhibit significantly improved photocatalytic performance for the degradation of parathion. The optimum photocatalytic efficiency of KIT-5/Bi₂S₃-Fe₃O₄ nanocomposite was investigated with the central composite design using Design Expert software. The four critical variables affecting parathion degradation such as the concentration of parathion, pH, irradiation time, and amount of KIT-5/Bi₂S₃-Fe₃O₄ nanocatalyst. A polynomial function corresponding to degradation percent was obtained for the experimental data. The results showed that this catalyst has a good performance for the degradation of parathion.     

Synthesis,Characterization, Theoretical Studies,and Antimicrobial/Antitumor Potencies of Salen and Salen/Imidazole Complexes of Co (II), Ni (II), Cu (II), Cd (II), Al (III) and La (III)

Although salens and imidazoles are well-studied motifs among bioactive and therapeutic agents, their properties when combined in transition metal complexes are not well developed. To explore the structure/reactivity of this class of compounds, a salen-based ligand, namely (2,2′-{1,2-ethanediylbis[nitrilo(E)methylylidene]}diphenol, S), and its binary (MS) and ternary (MSI) complexes (I = imidazole; M = Co (II), Ni (II), Cu (II), Cd (II), Al (III), and La (III)) have been synthesized and fully characterized by standard physicochemical and theoretical methods. Evidence from structural analysis tools along with DFT modeling revealed an unusual monobasic tridentate salen binding mode, involving the phenolic oxygen, the nitrogen of the azomethine group, and NH group formed via phenol-to-cyclohexadienone tautomerization, giving rise to a general molecular formula of MSI complexes as [M(S)(I)₂(Cl)] for M (II) = Co, Ni, Cu and Cd or [M(S)(I)(Cl)₂] for M (III) = Al and La, respectively. The antimicrobial activities of S, MS, and MSI were screened against several bacterial and fungal strains. Of all tested complexes, CdS and CuSI were the most effective antimicrobials, giving larger inhibition zones than the reference antibiotics. The antimicrobial efficacy for the MS complexes follows the order: CdS > gentamicin > CuS > NiS > CoS > LaS > AlS > S, whereas MSI complex, potencies are ordered as CuSI > gentamicin > CdSI >NiSI > CoSI > LaSI > AlSI > S. In vitro cytotoxicity screening of MSI complexes disclosed that both CuSI and CdSI exhibited higher activity against human liver (Hep-G2) and breast (MDA-MB231) carcinoma cell lines than the reference (cisplatin) drug. The satisfactory bioactivities observed for several of these compounds supports the underlying design idea for combining important bioactive motifs for possible therapeutic benefit.     

Slow Relaxation of Magnetization in an Isostructural Series of Zinc–Lanthanide Complexes: An Integrated EPR and AC Susceptibility Study

We report the synthesis, structure, and spectroscopic and dynamic magnetic properties of a series of heterodinuclear complexes, [ZnLn(LH₄)₂](NO₃)₃ ? 6 H₂O (Ln=Nd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, and Yb), with the singly deprotonated form of a new compartmentalized Schiff‐base ligand, LH₅. The Ln^III ions in these systems show a distorted square‐antiprism geometry with an LnO₈ coordination sphere. EPR spectroscopy and DC magnetic studies have shown that the anisotropic nature of the complexes is far more complicated than predicted on the basis of a simple electrostatic model. Among the investigated systems, only the Dy^III derivative showed single‐ion magnet behavior, in zero and an applied magnetic field, both in pure polycrystalline samples and in a series of polycrystalline samples with different degrees of dilution at the single‐crystal level in the isostructural Y^III derivative. The rich dynamics observed as functions of frequency, field, and temperature reveals that multiple relaxation mechanisms are at play, resulting in a barrier of 189 cm^?1, which is among the highest reported for a dinuclear Zn–Dy system. Analysis of the dynamic behavior as a function of dilution degree further evidenced the persistence of non‐negligible intermolecular interactions, even at the lowest concentration of 1 %.     

Study of Optical Soliton Perturbation with Quadratic-Cubic Nonlinearity by Lie Symmetry and Group Invariance

Here, optical soliton perturbation with quadratic-cubic nonlinearity has been discussed by applying Lie symmetry and group invariants. The perturbation terms include third and fourth order dispersions in addition to self-steepening, intermodal dispersion and higher order dispersion effects. Using presented algorithms, Bright and dark soliton solutions are revealed.     

Surface‐Enhanced Fluorescence from Fluorophore‐Assembled Monolayers by Using Ag@SiO2 Nanoparticles

A new and simple procedure to enhance the fluorescence of analytes on the surfaces of a solid substrate is demonstrated based on Ag@SiO₂ nanoparticles. Two kinds of silver–silica core–shell nanoparticles with shell thicknesses of around 3 and 15 nm have been prepared and used as enhancing agents, respectively. By simply pipetting drops of the enhancing agents onto substrate surfaces with Rose Bengal monolayers, an enhancement of about 27 times, compared with the control sample, is achieved by using the Ag@SiO₂ nanoparticles with shells of about 3 nm, whereas an enhancement of around 11.7 times is obtained when using those with thicker shells. The effects of shell thickness and surface density of the enhancing agents on the enhancement have been investigated experimentally. The results show that this method can be potentially helpful in fluorescence‐based surface analysis.     

Vibrational spectrum and structure of CoO6: a model compound for molecular oxygen reversible binding on cobalt oxides and salts; a combined IR matrix isolation and theoretical study

The formation and structure of a novel species, a disuperoxo-cobalt dioxide complex (CoO(6)), has been investigated using matrix isolation in solid neon and argon, coupled to infrared spectroscopy and by quantum chemical methods. It is found that CoO(6) can be formed by successive complexation of cobalt dioxide by molecular oxygen without activation energy by diffusion of ground state O(2) molecules at 9K in the dark. The IR data on one combination and seven fundamentals, isotopic effects, and quantum chemical calculations are both consistent with an asymmetrical structure with two slightly nonequivalent oxygen ligands complexing a cobalt dioxide subunit. Evidence for other, metastable states is also presented, but the data are not complete. The electronic structure and formation pathway of this unique, formally +VI oxidation state, complex has been investigated using several functionals of current DFT within the broken-symmetry unrestricted formalism. It has been shown that the M06L pure local functional well reproduce the experimental observations. The ground electronic state is predicted to be an open shell (2)A' doublet with the quartet states above by more than 9 kcal/mol and the sextet lying even higher in energy. The ground state has a strong and complex multireference character that hinders the use of more precise multireference approaches and requires caution in the methodology to be used. The geometrical, energetic, and vibrational properties have been computed.     

Improvement of size-based particle separation throughput in slanted spiral microchannel by modifying outlet geometry

The inertial microfluidic technique, as a powerful new tool for accurate cell/particle separation based on the hydrodynamic phenomenon, has drawn considerable interest in recent years. Despite numerous microfluidic techniques of particle separation, there are few articles in the literature on separation techniques addressing external outlet geometry to increase the throughput efficiency and purity. In this work, we report on a spiral inertial microfluidic device with high efficiency (>98%). Herein, we demonstrate how changing the outlet geometry can improve the particle separation throughput. We present a complete separation of 4 and 6 μm from 10 μm particles potentially applicable to separate microalgae (Tetraselmis suecica from Phaeodactylum tricornutum). Two spiral microchannels with the same cross section dimension but different outlet geometry were considered and tested to investigate the particle focusing behavior and separation efficiency. As compared with particle focusing observed in channels with a simple outlet, the particle focusing in a modified outlet geometry appears in a more successful focusing manner with complete separation. This simple approach of particle separation makes it attractive for lab-on-a-chip devices for continuous extraction and filtration of a wide range of cell/particle sizes.     

Synthesis of chalcone precursor via Cu(I) catalyzed 1,3-dipolar reaction of functionalized acetylene and pyrazole embedded dipole

A new class of functionalized pyrazole bearing 1,2,3-triazole has been synthesized via Cu(I) mediated 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of pyrazole bearing azide with various aromatic/heteroaromatic bearing terminal dipolarophile (acetylene). Structures of the newly synthesized compounds were explicated by analytical and spectral analysis. All the newly synthesized compounds were evaluated for their in-vitro antibacterial and antioxidant activity. Among the synthesized compound, triazole bearing 2,5-thiazolidinone 5b (20 ± 0.70) and triazole bearing thiocarboamide 5e (19 ± 0.70) showed good antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, respectively. The newly synthesized compounds further tested for their ability to bleach DPPH radical using DPPH scavenging assay. Among the synthesized compounds 1,2,3-triazole bearing 2,5-thiazolidinone 5b (58.81%) exhibited good DPPH scavenging activity compared to the rest of the compounds. From the X-ray and Hirshfield analysis, it was observed that compound 3 , crystallizes in a triclinic crystal system with a P-1 space group. The major intercontacts present in these molecules are H…H (39.7%), C…H (23.9%), N…H (20.3%).