Free‐Standing CoO‐POM Janus‐like Ultrathin Nanosheets

A single‐step solution‐based strategy is used to obtain 2D Janus‐like free‐standing ultrathin nanosheets build from two structurally unrelated species, that is, polyoxomolybdate (POM) and CoO. A controlled 2D‐to‐1D morphological transition was achieved by judiciously adjusting the solvent choice. These POM‐CoO heterostructures can behave as an ideal catalyst for the epoxidation of styrene. Benefiting from their amphiphilic nature, these 2D POM‐CoO nanosheets have also been used as surfactant to emulsify immiscible solvents. It is anticipated that structurally diverse polyoxometalates will offer promise as design elements for variety of structurally and compositionally tunable van der Waals integrated heteromaterials having a broad range applications.     

New citrinin derivatives from the deep-sea-derived fungus Cladosporium sp. SCSIO z015

Abstract

During the course of our search for novel bioactive compounds from marine fungi, four new citrinin derivatives, cladosporins A–D (1–4) were isolated from a culture broth of the deep-sea-derived fungus Cladosporium sp. SCSIO z015. Their complete structural assignments were elucidated by the extensive spectroscopic investigation. The absolute configurations of 1–3 were established by quantum chemical calculations of the electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. Compounds 1–4 showed weak toxicity towards brine shrine naupalii with LC₅₀ values of 72.0, 81.7, 49.9 and 81.4?μM, respectively. And 4 also showed significant antioxidant activity against ɑ,α-diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals with an IC₅₀ value of 16.4?μM.     

Aromaticity‐promoted CO2 Capture by P/N‐Based Frustrated Lewis Pairs: A Theoretical Study

Carbon dioxide (CO₂, a common combustion pollutant) releasing continuously into the atmosphere is primarily responsible for the rising atmospheric temperature. Therefore, CO₂ sequestration has been an indispensable area of research for the past several decades. On the other hand, the concept of aromaticity is often employed in designing chemical reactions and metal‐free frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) have proved ideal reagents to achieve CO₂ reduction. However, considering FLP and aromaticity together is less developed in CO₂ capture. Here we report theoretical investigations on the aromaticity‐promoted CO₂ activation, involving heterocyclopentadiene‐bridged P/N‐FLPs. The calculations reveal that furan‐ and pyrrole‐bridged P/N‐FLPs can make CO₂ capture both thermodynamically and kinetically favorable (with activation energies of 5.4–7.7 kcal mol^?1) due to the aromatic stabilization of the transition states and products. Our findings could open an avenue to the design of novel FLPs for CO₂ capture.     

The role of biosensors in coronavirus disease-2019 outbreak

Herein, we have summarized and argued about biomarkers and indicators used for the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Antibody detection methods are not considered suitable to screen individuals at early stages and asymptomatic cases. The diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 using biomarkers and indicators at point-of-care level is much crucial. Therefore, it is urgently needed to develop rapid and sensitive detection methods which can target antigens. We have critically elaborated key role of biosensors to cope the outbreak situation. In this review, the importance of biosensors including electrochemical, surface enhanced Raman scattering, field-effect transistor, and surface plasmon resonance biosensors in the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has been underscored. Finally, we have outlined pros and cons of diagnostic approaches and future directions.     

Preparation of antifog and antibacterial coatings by photopolymerization

This paper contains a kind of ultraviolet‐cured antifogging and antibacterial coating. A quaternary ammonium salt (14QAS), which was synthesized in this paper, has been implemented as a monomer. The chemical structure of 14QAS has been confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance. The nitrogen atom on the surface of the coatings with 14QAS was observed by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The Surface wettability of the polymer film was studied by contact angle analysis, which confirmed the hydrophilicity of the coatings with low water contact angle (~25°). The antifog properties were evaluated under different conditions. The antibacterial activity of coatings with 14QAS reached 99.9% against S. aureus and E. coli. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Structure-based design,synthesis and biological evaluation of β-glucuronidase inhibitors

Using structure-based virtual screening approach, a coumarin derivative (1) was identified as β-glucuronidase inhibitor. A focused library of coumarin derivatives was synthesized by eco-benign version of chemical reaction, and all synthetic compounds were characterized by using spectroscopy. These compounds were found to be inhibitor of β-glucuronidase with IC₅₀ values in a micromolar range. All synthetic compounds exhibited interesting inhibitory activity against β-glucuronidase, however, their potency varied substantially from IC₅₀ = 9.9–352.6 µM. Of twenty-one compounds, four exhibited a better inhibitory profile than the initial hit 1. Interestingly, compounds 1e, 1k, 1n and 1p exhibited more potency than the standard inhibitor with IC₅₀ values 34.2, 21.4, 11.7, and 9.9 µM, respectively. We further studied their dose responses and also checked our results by using detergent Triton ×-100. We found that our results are true and not affected by detergent.     

The Effect of Grafting Zirconia and Ceria onto Alumina as a Support for Silicotungstic Acid for the Catalytic Dehydration of Glycerol to Acrolein

The effect of ceria and zirconia grafting onto alumina (α and θ–δ phases) as supports for silicotungstic acid for the dehydration of glycerol to acrolein was studied. 30 % Silicotungstic acid (STA) supported on 5 % zirconia/δ,θ‐alumina was the best catalyst, producing 85 % selectivity to acrolein at 100 % glycerol conversion, and it showed stable activity without using oxygen as a co‐feed. The catalyst produced a STA of 90 g_(acrolein) kg_(cat)^?1 h^?1, which was greater than the STA simply supported on δ,θ‐alumina, which only demonstrated 75 % selectivity towards acrolein. The effect of grafting on the support material was investigated by means of nitrogen adsorption, ammonia temperature‐programmed desorption, thermogravimetric analysis, Raman spectroscopy, and powder X‐ray diffraction. A pulsed‐field gradient (PFG) NMR technique was also used to study diffusion processes associated with the catalysts. Diffusion studies of the grafted catalysts showed that zirconia contributes to the formation of more tortuous pathways within the pore structure, leading to the diminution of acid strength and making the catalyst less susceptible to coke formation.     

Fabrication of NiO coated SiO2 and SiO2 coated NiO for the removal of Pb2＋ ions

We have prepared silica,SiO2coated NiO and NiO coated SiO2by sol-gel method.The physicochemical properties of the desired materials were investigated by surface charge properties,scanning electron microscopy（SEM）,energy dispersive X-ray（EDX） spectroscopy,surface area measurements and X-ray diffraction（XRD） analyses.The point of zero charge（PZC） of the solid was determined by the salt addition method.In coated materials,two PZC values were noted representing the surface charge of their counterparts.The SEM image of SiO2coated NiO displays a uniform coating of silica on the surface of NiO whereas in case of NiO coated SiO2,a honeycomb like appearance was observed with highly porous structures.In the diffractograms of NiO,the characteristic peaks were suppressed in NiO coated silica however,no diffraction peak could be seen in SiO2coated NiO.Batch adsorption technique was applied for the removal of Pb2＋ions from aqueous solution.The sorption trend for Pb2＋ions was observed in the order of NiO coated SiO2〉 SiO2coated NiO 〉 NiO 〉 SiO2.This trend confirms that the coated materials have more sorption capacities than their parent counterparts.     

Porous carbon as electrode material in direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) synthesized by the direct carbonization of MOF-5

Porous carbon (PC-900) was prepared by direct carbonization of porous metal-organic framework (MOF)-5 (Zn₄O(bdc)₃, bdc?=?1,4-benzenedicarboxylate) at 900 °C. The carbon material was deposited with PtM (M?=?Fe, Ni, Co, and Cu (20 %) metal loading) nanoparticles using the polyol reduction method, and catalysts PtM/PC-900 were designed for direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs). However, herein, we are reporting PtFe/PC-900 catalyst combination which has exhibited superior performance among other options. This catalyst was characterized by powder XRD, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) technique. The electrocatalytic capability of the catalyst for ethanol electrooxidation was investigated using cyclic voltammetry and direct ethanol single cell testing. The results were compared with those of PtFe and Pt supported on Vulcan XC72 carbon catalysts (PFe/CX-72 and Pt/XC-72) prepared via the same method. It has been observed that the catalyst PtFe/PC-900 developed in this work showed an outstanding normalized activity per gram of Pt (6.8 mA/g Pt) and superior power density (121 mW/cm² at 90 °C) compared to commercially available carbon-supported catalysts.     

On‐line determination of 4‐nitrophenol by combining molecularly imprinted solid‐phase extraction and fiber‐optic spectrophotometry

In the present paper, we describe a new on‐line SPE system where molecular imprinting, fiber‐optic detection and flow injection analysis were combined for the first time. This new system has been applied for the on line detection of 4‐nitrophenol (4‐NP). Initially, molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP) have been prepared for the selective extraction of 4‐NP using 4‐vinylpyridine and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as functional and cross‐linking monomers, respectively. Selective extraction was achieved using the designed MIP with 97% of recovery on imprinted polymer and 10% on control polymer. The system provided a high degree of accuracy, with RSDs varying between 0.7 and 1.39%. In respect of accuracy, reproducibility, and rapidity, this system is comparable with HPLC. In short, the system allows simple, fast, and accurate analyte determination with the possibility of future automation.