Vanadyl(IV) Acetate: An Efficient,Reusable Heterogenous Catalyst for Aza-Michael Reaction Under Solvent-Free Conditions

Vanadyl(IV) acetate [VO(OAc)₂] efficiently catalyzes the conjugate addition of aliphatic, aromatic amines to α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds in solvent-free media at room temperature to afford corresponding amino compounds in good to excellent yields. The catalyst can be recovered and reused for further cycles.     

Zeolite H‐Y–Supported Copper(II) Nitrate: A Simple and Effective Solid‐Supported Reagent for Nitration of Phenols and Their Derivatives

Highly regiospecific mononitration of phenols and substituted phenols is accomplished by employing copper(II) nitrate supported on a catalytic amount of zeolite H‐Y in a solid state.     

Radiation-Induced Copolymerization of Acrylonitrile with Methyl Acrylate: Synthesis and Characterization

Radiation-induced copolymerization of acrylonitrile with methyl acrylate was carried out in aqueous medium at room temperature. Different compositions of the copolymer were prepared and characterized by IR, ¹H-NMR, thermal, and dielectric studies. NMR spectroscopy was used to determine the composition and stereochemistry of the copolymer. Glass transition temperature values (T_g ) were determined by DSC. Dielectric studies were carried out to understand the segmental motions and the effect of composition on dielectric loss.     

Photocatalytic reduction of CO2 over Cu-TiO2 /molecular sieve 5A composite

TiO(2) and different Cu wt% loaded TiO(2) (TC(0.5-5.0)), 10 wt% TC(2.0) supported on molecular sieve 5A (10 wt% TC(2.0)/MS) were prepared by impregnation and solid-state dispersion methods. The photocatalysts prepared were characterized using XRD, SEM, and UV-Vis DRS, TEM, XPS spectroscopy techniques. Photocatalytic reduction of CO(2) in water and alkaline solution are investigated in a batch reactor. The yield of oxalic acid increased notably when TC was supported on molecular sieve. The Cu-TiO(2) supported on molecular sieve catalyst promotes the charge separation that leads to an increase in the selective formation of oxalic acid in addition to methanol, acetic acid and traces of methane. The product formation is due to the high adsorption of CO(2), water and product shape selectivity of the composite photocatalyst. The maximum yield of oxalic acid was found to be 65.6 μg h(-1) g(-1) per cat using 0.2 N NaOH containing solution over 10 wt% TC(2.0)/MS photocatalyst. The difference in the photocatalytic activity is related to its physicochemical properties.     

Elastic behavior of some manganite-based orthorhombic RMnO3 (R=Sm,Eu, Gd,Dy) multiferroics

A series of multiferroic materials with the compositional formula, RMnO₃ (where R=Sm, Eu, Gd, Dy) were prepared by the well-known citrate sol–gel technique. After characterizing the samples structurally, a systematic investigation of elastic behavior has been undertaken and it has been found that the elastic moduli are increasing continuously with decreasing ionic radii of the dopant ion. Variation of longitudinal velocity with temperature for all the samples, over a temperature range 80–300 K has also been studied and the observed experimental behavior is explained using four theoretical models. It has been concluded that Lakkad's model explains the variation of Young's modulus with temperature in a better way than the other ones.     

Improved efficiencies of hybrid organic light‐emitting diodes using efficient electron injection layer

Hybrid organic‐inorganic light‐emitting diodes were developed with pristine ZnO (2.0 wt%) and Cu‐doped ZnO (2.0 wt%) as electron injection layer and iridium(III)‐bis‐2‐(4‐fluorophenyl)‐1‐(naphthalen‐1‐yl)‐1H‐phenanthro[9,10‐d]imidazole (acetylacetonate) [Ir(fpnpi)₂ (acac)] as green emissive layer (521 nm). The pristine ZnO and Cu‐doped ZnO are deposited at indium tin oxide cathode and emissive layer interface. The electroluminescent performances increased by electron injection layer–Cu‐doped ZnO compared with ZnO‐based device because Cu‐doped ZnO injects electron efficiently result in balanced h⁺ ? e^? recombination in emissive layer than ZnO‐based device. The Cu‐doped ZnO (2.0 %) device shows luminance (L) of 10 982 cd/m² at 23.0 V (ZnO, 1450 cd/m² at 23.0 V).     

Deciphering the Role of MicroRNAs in Neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma (NB) is a type of peripheral sympathetic nervous system cancer that most commonly affects children. It is caused by the improper differentiation of primitive neural crest cells during embryonic development. Although NB occurs for 8% of paediatric cancers, it accounts for 15% of cancer-related deaths. Despite a considerable increase in cytotoxic chemo- and radiotherapy, patients in advanced stages remain virtually incurable. Therefore, there is a desperate necessity for new treatment strategies to be investigated. Accumulating evidence suggested that microRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNAs with 19–25 nucleotides lengths and play a central role in the development of NB carcinogenesis. Fascinatingly, miRNA inhibitors have an antisense property that can inhibit miRNA function and suppress the activity of mature miRNA. However, many studies have addressed miRNA inhibition in the treatment of NB, but their molecular mechanisms and signalling pathways are yet to be analysed. In this study, we impart the current state of knowledge about the role of miRNA inhibition in the aetiology of NB.     

High Tg polyimide nanofoams derived from pyromellitic dianhydride and 1,1-bis(4-aminophenyl)-1-phenyl-2,2,2-trifluoroethane

New routes for the synthesis of high T_g thermally stable polymer foams with pore sizes in the nanometer regime have been developed. Foams were prepared by casting well-defined microphase-separated block copolymers comprised of a thermally stable block and a thermally labile material. At properly designed volume fractions the morphology provides a matrix of the thermally stable material with the thermally labile material as the dispersed phase. Upon thermal treatment, the thermally unstable block undergoes thermolysis generating pores, the size and shape of which are dictated by the initial copolymer morphology. Triblock copolymers comprised of a high T_g, amorphous polyimide matrix with poly(propylene oxide) as the thermally decomposable coblock, were prepared. The copolymer synthesis was conducted through the poly(amic acid) precursor and subsequent cyclodehydration to the polyimide by either thermal or chemical means. Dynamic mechanical analysis confirmed microphase separated morphologies for all copolymers, irrespective of the propylene oxide block lengths investigated. Upon decomposition of the thermally labile coblock, a 9–18% reduction in density was observed, consistent with the generation of a foam which was stable to 400°C. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Plant-Derived Antiviral Compounds as Potential Entry Inhibitors against Spike Protein of SARS-CoV-2 Wild-Type and Delta Variant: An Integrative in SilicoApproach

The wild-type SARS-CoV-2 has continuously evolved into several variants with increased transmissibility and virulence. The Delta variant which was initially identified in India created a devastating impact throughout the country during the second wave. While the efficacy of the existing vaccines against the latest SARS-CoV-2 variants remains unclear, extensive research is being carried out to develop potential antiviral drugs through approaches like in silico screening and drug-repurposing. This study aimed to conduct the docking-based virtual screening of 50 potential phytochemical compounds against a Spike glycoprotein of the wild-type and the Delta SARS-CoV-2 variant. Subsequently, molecular docking was performed for the five best compounds, such as Lupeol, Betulin, Hypericin, Corilagin, and Geraniin, along with synthetic controls. From the results obtained, it was evident that Lupeol exhibited a remarkable binding affinity towards the wild-type Spike protein (−8.54 kcal/mol), while Betulin showed significant binding interactions with the mutated Spike protein (−8.83 kcal/mol), respectively. The binding energy values of the selected plant compounds were slightly higher than that of the controls. Key hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions of the resulting complexes were visualized, which explained their greater binding affinity against the target proteins—the Delta S protein of SARS-CoV-2, in particular. The lower RMSD, the RMSF values of the complexes and the ligands, Rg, H-bonds, and the binding free energies of the complexes together revealed the stability of the complexes and significant binding affinities of the ligands towards the target proteins. Our study suggests that Lupeol and Betulin could be considered as potential ligands for SARS-CoV-2 spike antagonists. Further experimental validations might provide new insights for the possible antiviral therapeutic interventions of the identified lead compounds and their analogs against COVID-19 infection.     

Modulating Photochemical Properties to Enhance the Stability of Electronically Dimmable Eye Protection Devices†

The study evaluates compatibility of stabilizers with dye doped liquid crystal (LC) scaffolds that are used in electronically dimmable materials. The photodegradation of the materials was investigated and suitable stabilizers were evaluated to slow the degradation process. Various types of benzotriazole-based stabilizers were evaluated for stabilizing the liquid crystals. Based on spin trapping experiments, radicals generated upon UV exposure is likely responsible for the degradation of the system. The radical generation is competitively inhibited by the addition of stabilizers.