Characterization,Analysis, and Application of Fabricated Fe3O4-Chitosan-Pectinase Nanobiocatalyst

The investigation on fabrication of Fe₃O₄-chitosan-pectinase nanobiocatalyst was performed by covalently binding the pectinase onto carboxyl group activated chitosan-coated magnetic nanoparticles (CMNPs). The morphological and size distribution analysis of the different magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) was done using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and the average diameter was 11.07?±?3.04, 11.55?±?3.16, and 11.59?±?3.16 nm for MNPs, CMNPs, and fabricated nanobiocatalyst, respectively, suggesting that there was no significant change in the size of MNPs after coating and binding. The characteristic peaks occurred at 2θ of 30.39, 35.43, 43.37, 57.22, and 62.9, and their corresponding indices 220, 311, 400, 520, and 441 for different MNPs from the X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies confirmed the presence of Fe₃O₄ with the spinel structure, and there was no phase change even after coating and binding. The various required characteristic absorption peaks (575, 585, 1,563, 1,614, 1,651, and 1,653 cm^?1) from Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy confirmed the surface modifications and binding of pectinase onto the MNPs. At the weight ratio of about 19.8?×?10^?3 mg bound pectinase/mg activated CMNPs, the activity of fabricated nanobiocatalyst was found to be maximum. In order to monitor their improved activity, the pH, temperature, reusability, storage ability, and kinetic studies were established.     

New genetic insights to consider coffee waste as feedstock for fuel,feed, and chemicals

Caffeine is a natural plant product found in many drinks, including coffee, tea, soft and energy drinks. Due to caffeine’s presence in the environment, microorganisms have evolved two different mechanisms to live on caffeine. The genetic maps of the caffeine N-demethylation pathway and C-8 oxidation pathway have been discovered in Pseudomonas putida CBB5 and Pseudomonas sp. CBB1, respectively. These genes are the only characterized bacterial caffeine-degrading genes, and may be of great value in producing fine chemicals, biofuels, and animal feed from coffee and tea waste. Here, we present preliminary results for production of theobromine and 7-methylxanthine from caffeine and theobromine, respectively, by two strains of metabolically engineered E. coli. We also demonstrate complete decaffeination of tea extract by an immobilized mixed culture of Klebsiella and Rhodococcus cells. These processes provide a first level demonstration of biotechnological utilization of coffee and tea waste.      

Synthesis of β-hydroxy selenides using benzeneselenol and oxiranes under supramolecular catalysis in the presence of β-cyclodextrin in water

A simple and efficient method for the synthesis of β-hydroxy selenides is reported at room temperature in impressive yields for the first time by the highly the regioselective ring-opening of oxiranes with benzeneselenol in water under supramolecular catalysis in the presence of β-cyclodextrin. This is a direct one-pot synthesis of β-hydroxy selenides under mild conditions using water as solvent and has many advantages over the existing methodologies. β-Cyclodextrin can also be recovered and reused.     

Measurement of extensional viscosity of polymer solutions

A filament stretching technique for measuring the extensional viscosity of polymer solutions at constant stretch rate is presented. The liquid sample is held between two coaxial discs and stretched by moving the bottom disc downwards with a speed that increases exponentially with time. This is illustrated using a constant viscosity, elastic fluid consisting of 0.185% polyisobutylene in a solvent of kerosene and polybutene. For the case of this particular fluid, two distinct stretch rate regions are found to arise. The stretch rate in the first region is much higher than in the second, which is, in most cases, close to the overall stretch rate imposed on the sample. Nonetheless, all the results of any given run can be represented using an average extensional rate. The extensional stress growth data, plotted as the Trouton ratio against time, show an initial linear viscoelastic region where T_R rises to a value of 3, independent of extensional rate. Beyond this region, T_R depends on the stretch rate and rises dramatically to values in excess of 10³; the higher the extensional rate, the faster is the increase in T_R. These data do not seem to reach a steady state and appear to be similar to polymer melt data obtained by others in the past. The reproducibility of the results is very good and all this suggests that it is now possible to obtain unambiguous constant-stretch-rate stress-growth data for polymer solutions stretched from a state of rest.     

A new protocol to synthesize 1,4-dihydropyridines by using 3,4,5-trifluorobenzeneboronic acid as a catalyst in ionic liquid: synthesis of novel 4-(3-carboxyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-1,4-dihydropyridines

3,4,5-Trifluorobenzeneboronic acid catalysed, ionic liquid mediated facile synthesis of 4-pyrazolyl 1,4-dihydropyridines at room temperature by the cyclocondensation of ethyl 3-aminocrotonate, pyrazole aldehyde and a β-keto ester is reported. The procedure adopted was found to be eco-benign, facile at room temperature and better than the conventional, [bmim]Cl mediated and InCl₃ catalysed, [bmim]Cl mediated 1,4-dihydropyridine syntheses.     

An efficient synthesis of conjugated nitro-olefins using ceric ammonium nitrate

An efficient method for the synthesis of conjugated nitro-olefins from α,β-unsaturated acids under extremely mild conditions using ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) at room temperature in acetonitrile in moderate to good yields is described.