Review on influencing parameters in the performance of concentrated solar power collector based on materials,heat transfer fluids and design

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - The solar collector (reflector and receiver) is the primary device being used in the concentrating solar power technologies for tapping the solar...     

Comparative computational appraisal of supercritical CO2-based natural circulation loop: effect of heat-exchanger and isothermal wall

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - Natural circulation loop (NCL) is a geometrically simple heat transfer device in which fluid flow occurs due to density gradient of loop fluid, induced...     

Recent Advances in the Chemistry and Therapeutic Evaluation of Naturally Occurring and Synthetic Withanolides

Natural products are a major source of biologically active compounds that make promising lead molecules for developing efficacious drug-like molecules. Natural withanolides are found in many flora and fauna, including plants, algae, and corals, that traditionally have shown multiple health benefits and are known for their anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-leishmaniasis, and many other medicinal properties. Structures of these withanolides possess a few reactive sites that can be exploited to design and synthesize more potent and safe analogs. In this review, we discuss the literature evidence related to the medicinal implications, particularly anticancer properties of natural withanolides and their synthetic analogs, and provide perspectives on the translational potential of these promising compounds.     

The effect of ph and gas composition on the bubble fractionation of proteins

Studies were conducted to establish the effect of the variation of environmental factors on the separation occurring in protein systems, resulting from bubble fractionation in a bioreactor. The measure of separation was selected to be the separation ratio. This is defined to be the ratio of either the top or the middle position concentration in the vessel to the bottom concentration of the vessel. Invertase and α-amylase were the two “model” enzymes considered. It was observed that, under certain conditions, i.e., a combination of the nature of the sparging gas and the medium pH, varying degrees of protein separation were achieved. The pH of the system dramatically influenced the separation. It was found that the best separation occurred at a certain pH, assumed to be at or close to thepI of the protein in question. Furthermore, it was observed that systems sparged with CO₂ exhibited greater separation than systems sparged with air. In fact, in the case of invertase, almost threefold separation was observed at the top port when the solution was sparged with CO₂.     

A Microbial Sensor Based on Direct Electron Transfer at Shewanella Sp. Drop‐Coated Screen‐Printed Carbon Electrodes

Aerobically grown Shewanella sp. bacterial suspension drop‐coated on a disposable screen‐printed carbon electrode was found to possess electroactivity without the aid of redox mediator. Cyclic voltammetric studies revealed the characteristics of a mixed diffusion adsorption‐controlled electrochemical process for direct electron transfer at the bacteria‐modified electrode. Both FE‐SEM and ATR FT‐IR experiments were carried out to investigate the surface characteristics. The electroanalytical applicability was further demonstrated for electrocatalytic reduction of arsenite, hydrogen peroxide and nitrite. Low cost and very simple manufacturing procedure allow for the proposed bacterial sensor to be applied as disposable devices.     

Effect of annealing on hydrophobic stability of plasma deposited fluoropolymer coatings

Fluorinated amorphous carbon (a-C:F) films e.g. plasma polymerised perfluorocyclobutane have long attracted much consideration due to their low surface energy, hydrophobicity, low refractive index, good electrical and thermal insulation and good thermal stability. Although a-C:F films have many advantages, hydrophobic stability over time in air and water remains a major concern. In this study, the effects of weathering conditions on the hydrophobicity of fluorocarbon films prepared from perfluorocyclobutane precursors were examined using water contact angle measurements. It was found that the high initial hydrophobicity of as-deposited films degrades rapidly in humid conditions. The stability of hydrophobicity can be significantly improved when a suitable treatment such as annealing is employed. The mechanism of weathering was explained with the help of a number of morphological and chemical characterisation techniques such as Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). In particular, XPS results demonstrated that a reduction in the overall amount of -CF₃ radical, oxygenation of surface fluorides and the formation of an overlayer all influence the degradation of fluorocarbon in aquatic environment.     

Synthetic studies on C14 cembranoids: synthesis of C4-12 fragment of sarcophytonolides E-G and L and C5-11 fragment of sarcophytonolide L

An efficient stereoselective synthesis of C4-12 fragment of the cembranoids, sarcophytonolides E-G and L and C5-11 fragment of sarcophytonolide L is described. The C4-12 building block is efficiently assembled starting from chiral pool material (R)-carvone employing the Baeyer-Villiger oxidation, modified Knoevenagel condensation and asymmetric dihydroxylation as the key steps. The synthesis of C5-11 fragment is based on orthoester Johnson-Claisen rearrangement as the key step.     

A microenvironment-sensitive fluorescent pyrimidine ribonucleoside analogue: synthesis, enzymatic incorporation, and fluorescence detection of a DNA abasic site

Base-modified fluorescent ribonucleoside-analogue probes are valuable tools in monitoring RNA structure and function because they closely resemble the structure of natural nucleobases. Especially, 2-aminopurine, a highly environment-sensitive adenosine analogue, is the most extensively utilized fluorescent nucleoside analogue. However, only a few isosteric pyrimidine ribonucleoside analogues that are suitable for probing the structure and recognition properties of RNA molecules are available. Herein, we describe the synthesis and photophysical characterization of a small series of base-modified pyrimidine ribonucleoside analogues derived from tagging indole, N-methylindole, and benzofuran onto the 5-position of uracil. One of the analogues, based on a 5-(benzofuran-2-yl)pyrimidine core, shows emission in the visible region with a reasonable quantum yield and, importantly, displays excellent solvatochromism. The corresponding triphosphate substrate is effectively incorporated into oligoribonucleotides by T7 RNA polymerase to produce fluorescent oligoribonucleotide constructs. Steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopic studies with fluorescent oligoribonucleotide constructs demonstrate that the fluorescent ribonucleoside photophysically responds to subtle changes in its environment brought about by the interaction of the chromophore with neighboring bases. In particular, the emissive ribonucleoside, if incorporated into an oligoribonucleotide, positively reports the presence of a DNA abasic site with an appreciable enhancement in fluorescence intensity. The straightforward synthesis, amicability to enzymatic incorporation, and sensitivity to changes in the microenvironment highlight the potential of the benzofuran-conjugated pyrimidine ribonucleoside as an efficient fluorescent probe to investigate nucleic acid structure, dynamics, and recognition events.     

Imidazole derivatives as the organic precursor of ZnO nano particle

N₁-Hydroxy-2,4,5-trisubstituted imidazoles were synthesized starting from 1,2-diketones. The crystal structure of 4,5-dimethyl-2-(3-nitrophenyl)-1H-imidazol-1-ol has been determined. An unusual intermolecular hydrogen bonding through the association of water molecule has been reported. These imidazole derivatives can be thought of as the organic precursor for the synthesis of zinc oxide nano particles.