Candida Biofilm Disrupting Ability of Di-rhamnolipid (RL-2) Produced from Pseudomonas aeruginosa DSVP20

Biosurfactant produced from Pseudomonas aeruginosa DSVP20 was evaluated for its potential to disrupt Candida albicans biofilm formed on polystyrene (PS) surfaces in this investigation. P. aeruginosa DSVP20 exhibited optimum production of biosurfactant (5.8 g?L^?1) after 96 h of growth with an ability to reduce surface tension of the aqueous solution from 72 to 28 mN?m^?1. Analysis of purified biosurfactant with FT-IR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR and MALDI-TOF MS revealed it to be di-rhamnolipid (RL-2) in nature. Biofilm disrupting ability of RL-2 (0.16 mg?mL^?1) on Candida cells when checked using XTT reduction assay revealed that about 50 % of the cells remain adhered to 96-well plate after 2 h of treatment, while up to 90 % reduction in pre-formed C. albicans biofilm on PS surface was observed with RL-2 (5.0 mg?mL^?1) in a dose-dependent manner. Microscopic analyses (SEM and CLSM) further confirm the influence of RL-2 on disruption of Candida biofilm extracellular matrix on PS surface which can be exploited as a potential alternative to the available conventional therapies.     

Dynamic Entangled Porous Framework for Hydrocarbon (C2–C3) Storage,CO2 Capture,and Separation

Storage and separation of small (C1–C3) hydrocarbons are of great significance as these are alternative energy resources and also can be used as raw materials for many industrially important materials. Selective capture of greenhouse gas, CO₂ from CH₄ is important to improve the quality of natural gas. Among the available porous materials, MOFs with permanent porosity are the most suitable to serve these purposes. Herein, a two‐fold entangled dynamic framework {[Zn₂(bdc)₂(bpNDI)]?4DMF}_n with pore surface carved with polar functional groups and aromatic π clouds is exploited for selective capture of CO₂, C2, and C3 hydrocarbons at ambient condition. The framework shows stepwise CO₂ and C₂H₂ uptake at 195 K but type I profiles are observed at 298 K. The IAST selectivity of CO₂ over CH₄ is the highest (598 at 298 K) among the MOFs without open metal sites reported till date. It also shows high selectivity for C₂H₂, C₂H₄, C₂H₆, and C₃H₈ over CH₄ at 298 K. DFT calculations reveal that aromatic π surface and the polar imide (RNC=O) functional groups are the primary adsorption sites for adsorption. Furthermore, breakthrough column experiments showed CO₂/CH₄ C₂H₆/CH₄ and CO₂/N₂ separation capability at ambient condition.     

A New Redox Initiating System for the Polymerization of Vinyl Monomers

Abstract

A new redox system, dioxane-ascorbic acid, has been investigated for the homopolymerization of vinyl monomers. Detailed kinetic studies on the aqueous polymerization of acrylamide by this initiating system have been done iodometrically at 35 ± 0.2°C. The effect of various additives, such as organic solvents, inorganic salts, surfactants, etc., on the rate of polymerization has been studied. The retardation constants for organic solvents have been evaluated by the “intercept method.” The overall energy of activation has been found to be 8.75 kcal/deg/mol, within the temperature range 25–45°C. A suitable mechanism has been suggested. The following rate expression: R_p α [acrylamide]^1.0 [dioxane]^1.0 [ascorbic acid]⁰, has been observed.     

Theoretical study of the substituent effect of hydroxy group on tandem Cope rearrangement and [2 + 2] cycloaddition in cis-1,2-diethynylcyclopropane and its mono-hetero analogues

The tandem Cope rearrangement and [2?+?2] cycloaddition of cis-1,2-diethynyl-1,2-dihydroxycyclopropane and its mono-hetero analogues have been investigated at the B3LYP/6-31+G* level. The presence of the hydroxy group lowers the activation enthalpies for the Cope rearrangement, whereas activation enthalpies for the [2?+?2] cycloaddition are raised as compared to those for their non-hydroxy derivatives. The NBO analysis indicates that in the transition structure involved in the Cope rearrangement, lone pairs of the oxygen atoms of the hydroxy groups are transferred into the σ* C–C bond undergoing migration, as a result of which it is weakened. On the other hand, the lone pairs of the oxygen atoms interact with the π* C=C orbitals of the bis-allenic systems in the intermediate thereby stabilizing it and, thus, suppressing its driving ability for the [2?+?2] cycloaddition. In the products so formed, 6π electrons are delocalized conferring stability on them, which is further augmented by extended conjugation with the hydroxy groups. Due to high stability of these products, activation barrier for the change of enol into ketone is very high.