Synthesis and characterization of a novel copolymer of glyoxal dihydrazone and glyoxal dihydrazone bis(dithiocarbamate) and application in heavy metal ion removal from water

We demonstrate synthesis of water insoluble, novel copolymer P_A1 from condensation of glyoxal dihydrazone and glyoxal dihydrazone bis(dithiocarbamate) monomers having high capacity to remove metal ions from aqueous solution. The presence of a high atomic percentage of nitrogen and sulfur atoms in P_A1 leads to strong ligating ability with metal ions. The monomers and the polymer have been characterized by FTIR, UV–Visible spectroscopy, CHNS elemental analysis, NMR, MALDI-MS, and TG/DTA. As a proof of concept, the P_A1 is tested for its ability to remove heavy metal ions Cu²⁺, Co²⁺, Fe²⁺, Ni²⁺, Mn²⁺, and CrO ₇ ^2? from aqueous solutions. P_A1 efficiently removed metals ions from the metal solutions. The highest absorption ability has been observed toward the iron salts where 0.969 g metal salt is absorbed by 1 g polymer. This study has implication for inexpensive and efficient polymer for purification of water.     

Mixed matrix vanadium oxide catalytic nanocomposite membrane for styrene oxidation

Mesoporous nanocomposite membranes with vanadium oxide–carbon nanotubes (V_xO_y-CNTs) embedded in γ-Al₂O₃ were successfully synthesized using the dip coating method. The membranes were evaluated for styrene oxidation to determine the optimum styrene conversion and benzaldehyde selectivity. Several factors that influence the preparation of defect-free coatings, such as the type of binder, the binder addition time and surface support treatments, were investigated. The physico-chemical permeation properties of the membranes were characterized using scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray Diffraction XRD, Nitrogen adsorption (BET) and Thermogravimetric TGA. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to investigate the effects of oxidant (H₂O₂) concentration, temperature, contact time and catalyst loading on styrene conversion and the selectivity of benzaldehyde. Based on the RSM analysis, the optimal oxidation conditions included a reaction temperature of 45 °C, a differential pressure of 1.5 bars, a molar ratio of H₂O₂: styrene of 1.5:1 and a catalyst loading of 30 %. These conditions resulted in the maximal styrene conversion of 25.6 and 84.9 % benzaldehyde selectivity.     

Ionic conductivity enhancement of PVA: carboxymethyl cellulose poly-blend electrolyte films through the doping of NaI salt

Cellulose - In this paper, we report the effect of doping sodium iodide (NaI) salt into a polymer blend matrix of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (NaCMC) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). Solution...     

Structurally Stabilized Organosilane‐Templated Thermostable Mesoporous Titania

Structurally thermostable mesoporous anatase TiO₂ (m‐TiO₂) nanoparticles, uniquely decorated with atomically dispersed SiO₂, is reported for the first time. The inorganic Si portion of the novel organosilane template, used as a mesopores‐directing agent, is found to be incorporated in the pore walls of the titania aggregates, mainly as isolated sites. This is evident by transmission electron microscopy and high‐angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy, combined with electron dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy. This type of unique structure provides exceptional stability to this new material against thermal collapse of the mesoporous structure, which is reflected in its high surface area (the highest known for anatase titania), even after high‐temperature (550 °C) calcination. Control of crystallite size, pore diameter, and surface area is achieved by varying the molar ratios of the titanium precursor and the template during synthesis. These mesoporous materials retain their porosity and high surface area after template removal and further NaOH/HCl treatment to remove silica. We investigate their performance for dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) with bilayer TiO₂ electrodes, which are prepared by applying a coating of m‐TiO₂ onto a commercial titania (P25) film. The high surface area of the upper mesoporous layer in the P25–m‐TiO₂ DSSC significantly increases the dye loading ability of the photoanode. The photocurrent and fill factor for the DSSC with the bilayer TiO₂ electrode are greatly improved. The large increase in photocurrent current (ca. 56 %) in the P25–m‐TiO₂ DSSC is believed to play a significant role in achieving a remarkable increase in the photovoltaic efficiency (60 %) of the device, compared to DSSCs with a monolayer of P25 as the electrode.     

Noise-induced chaotic-attractor escape route

Nonlinear Dynamics - In the present article, a combination of numerical and experimental studies is undertaken to comprehend the influence of noise on the responses of continuous-time dynamical...     

Developing CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Fluorescent Reporter Human Pluripotent Stem-Cell Lines for High-Content Screening

Application of the CRISPR/Cas9 system to knock in fluorescent proteins to endogenous genes of interest in human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) has the potential to facilitate hPSC-based disease modeling, drug screening, and optimization of transplantation therapy. To evaluate the capability of fluorescent reporter hPSC lines for high-content screening approaches, we targeted EGFP to the endogenous OCT4 locus. Resulting hPSC–OCT4–EGFP lines generated expressed EGFP coincident with pluripotency markers and could be adapted to multi-well formats for high-content screening (HCS) campaigns. However, after long-term culture, hPSCs transiently lost their EGFP expression. Alternatively, through EGFP knock-in to the AAVS1 locus, we established a stable and consistent EGFP-expressing hPSC–AAVS1–EGFP line that maintained EGFP expression during in vitro hematopoietic and neural differentiation. Thus, hPSC–AAVS1–EGFP-derived sensory neurons could be adapted to a high-content screening platform that can be applied to high-throughput small-molecule screening and drug discovery campaigns. Our observations are consistent with recent findings indicating that high-frequency on-target complexities appear following CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing at the OCT4 locus. In contrast, we demonstrate that the AAVS1 locus is a safe genomic location in hPSCs with high gene expression that does not impact hPSC quality and differentiation. Our findings suggest that the CRISPR/Cas9-integrated AAVS1 system should be applied for generating stable reporter hPSC lines for long-term HCS approaches, and they underscore the importance of careful evaluation and selection of the applied reporter cell lines for HCS purposes.     

Effect of pharmaceuticals on thermoreversible gelation of PEO-PPO-PEO copolymers

Pluronic F127, a triblock copolymer of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(propylene oxide) (PPO), has generated considerable interest as a drug delivery vehicle due to its ability to gel at physiological temperatures. This work examines the gelation behavior of Pluronic F127 in the presence of a series of hydrophobic pharmaceuticals, to determine whether there is any correlation between gelation and physicochemical parameters of drug solutes. The study includes the local anesthetics dibucaine, lidocaine, and tetracaine; the pharmaceutical additives methyl paraben, ethyl paraben, and propyl paraben; the anti-cancer agents paclitaxel and baccatin III; and the anti-inflammatory agent sulindac. The results indicate that the presence of local anesthetics and pharmaceutical additives allows F127 solutions to form gels at lower copolymer concentrations; local anesthetics and pharmaceutical additives also shift gelation down to a lower gelation temperature. This behavior is strongly dependent on drug solubility; poorly soluble drugs (paclitaxel, baccatin III, sulindac) do not change the lower gelation temperature or minimum F127 concentration for gelation. An equation relating the decrease in gelation temperature to drug solubility is presented, and the equation fits the data well. The results have significant positive implications on the toxicity and economic issues related to use of Pluronic F127 in drug delivery.     

Biotechnological Innovations from Ocean: Transpiring Role of Marine Drugs in Management of Chronic Disorders

Marine drugs are abundant in number, comprise of a diverse range of structures with corresponding mechanisms of action, and hold promise for the discovery of new and better treatment approaches for the management of several chronic diseases. There are huge reserves of natural marine biological compounds, as 70 percent of the Earth is covered with oceans, indicating a diversity of chemical entities on the planet. The marine ecosystems are a rich source of bioactive products and have been explored for lead drug molecules that have proven to be novel therapeutic targets. Over the last 70 years, many structurally diverse drug products and their secondary metabolites have been isolated from marine sources. The drugs obtained from marine sources have displayed an exceptional potential in the management of a wide array of diseases, ranging from acute to chronic conditions. A beneficial role of marine drugs in human health has been recently proposed. The current review highlights various marine drugs and their compounds and role in the management of chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, and cardiovascular disorders, which has led to the development of new drug treatment approaches.     

Hydromagnetic Stability of a Self-Gravitating Composite Plasma in the Presence of Finite Larmor Radius

The hydromagnetic stability of a self-gravitating composite plasma has been studied to include the effects of ion viscosity and the finiteness of the ion Larmor radius. The whole medium is embedded in a uniform horizontal magnetic field. The F. L. R. effects have been included through the stress tensor. An explicit solution for a semi-infinite plasma of finite depth and with an exponential density variation along the vertical is obtained by means of a variational principle characterizing the problem. Numerical calculations show that the influence of the effects of ion viscosity and F. L. R. is to reduce the growth rate of unstable perturbations. On the other hand the effects of neutral gas collisions have been found to be both stabilizing as well as destabilizing.