Co3O4 nanoparticles prepared by oxidative precipitation method: an efficient and reusable heterogeneous catalyst for N-formylation of amines

Research on Chemical Intermediates - N-formylation of different amines was carried out with formic acid in the presence of the Co3O4 nanoparticles as an efficient, stable heterogeneous catalyst to...     

Study of structural,electrical and dielectric behavior of cadmium selenide quantum dots/polyaniline nanocomposites

In this study, the cadmium selenide quantum dots/polyaniline nanocomposites were prepared by in-situ polymerization technique and they were characterized using X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The surface morphology was studied by scanning electron microscopy. The electrical and dielectric properties were investigated by using 4-probe mechanism and LCR meter respectively. The increase in dielectric constant was observed with the increase of quantum dots content in the nanocomposites. The frequency dependent AC conductivity followed the universal power law. The temperature dependent DC conductivity was found to be a typical for a semiconducting behavior following Mott’s 1D variable range hoping model.     

Unlocking the Secrets of Cancer Stem Cells with γ-Secretase Inhibitors: A Novel Anticancer Strategy

The dysregulation of Notch signaling is associated with a wide variety of different human cancers. Notch signaling activation mostly relies on the activity of the γ-secretase enzyme that cleaves the Notch receptors and releases the active intracellular domain. It is well-documented that γ-secretase inhibitors (GSIs) block the Notch activity, mainly by inhibiting the oncogenic activity of this pathway. To date, several GSIs have been introduced clinically for the treatment of various diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and various cancers, and their impacts on Notch inhibition have been found to be promising. Therefore, GSIs are of great interest for cancer therapy. The objective of this review is to provide a systematic review of in vitro and in vivo studies for investigating the effect of GSIs on various cancer stem cells (CSCs), mainly by modulation of the Notch signaling pathway. Various scholarly electronic databases were searched and relevant studies published in the English language were collected up to February 2020. Herein, we conclude that GSIs can be potential candidates for CSC-targeting therapy. The outcome of our study also indicates that GSIs in combination with anticancer drugs have a greater inhibitory effect on CSCs.     

Optimization of β-1,4-Endoxylanase Production by an Aspergillus niger Strain Growing on Wheat Straw and Application in Xylooligosaccharides Production

Plant biomass constitutes the main source of renewable carbon on the planet. Its valorization has traditionally been focused on the use of cellulose, although hemicellulose is the second most abundant group of polysaccharides on Earth. The main enzymes involved in plant biomass degradation are glycosyl hydrolases, and filamentous fungi are good producers of these enzymes. In this study, a new strain of Aspergillus niger was used for hemicellulase production under solid-state fermentation using wheat straw as single-carbon source. Physicochemical parameters for the production of an endoxylanase were optimized by using a One-Factor-at-a-Time (OFAT) approach and response surface methodology (RSM). Maximum xylanase yield after RSM optimization was increased 3-fold, and 1.41- fold purification was achieved after ultrafiltration and ion-exchange chromatography, with about 6.2% yield. The highest activity of the purified xylanase was observed at 50 °C and pH 6. The enzyme displayed high thermal and pH stability, with more than 90% residual activity between pH 3.0–9.0 and between 30–40 °C, after 24 h of incubation, with half-lives of 30 min at 50 and 60 °C. The enzyme was mostly active against wheat arabinoxylan, and its kinetic parameters were analyzed (K_m = 26.06 mg·mL⁻¹ and V_max = 5.647 U·mg⁻¹). Wheat straw xylan hydrolysis with the purified β-1,4 endoxylanase showed that it was able to release xylooligosaccharides, making it suitable for different applications in food technology.     

Comparison of catalytic performance of synthesized EU-1 zeolite with dealuminated EU-1 zeolite for <Emphasis Type="Italic">m</Emphasis>-xylene isomerization reaction

EU-1 zeolite was synthesized with high purity by a hydrothermal method and under optimum conditions: synthesis time 72 h, temperature 200°C, and aging time 12 h. Then, the synthesized EU-1 zeolite was modified by dealumination with nitric acid and the changes of the properties such as surface area, pore volume, and Si/Al ratio were investigated. The catalytic performance of these two catalysts was studied and compared with a commercial mordenite catalyst for meta-xylene isomerization reaction in a fixed bed reactor. The results showed that the modification of catalyst with acid increases Si/Al ratio from 25 to 50 due to the removal of a number of aluminium atoms from the framework of zeolite. Also the catalyst surface area increased from 300.237 m² g^?1 for EU-1 to 333.639 m² g^?1 for modified EU-1. According to results, the modified Eu-1 had higher para/ortho ratio, meta-xylene conversion, and para-xylene yield than EU-1 and commercial mordenite in the meta-xylene isomerization reaction.     

Preparation,characterization and use of sulfonylbis(1,4-phenylene)<Emphasis Type="Italic">bis</Emphasis>(sulfamic acid) as an eco-benign,efficient, reusable and heterogeneous catalyst for the synthesis of mono- and <Emphasis Type="Italic">bis</Emphasis>-chromenes

Sulfonylbis(1,4-phenylene)bis(sulfamic acid) (SPSA) is easily prepared and recognized as a new heterogeneous catalyst by the reaction of 4,4′-sulfonyldianiline with chlorosulfonic acid. This reagent was used for the synthesis of the mono- and bis-chromene derivatives. All reactions were performed under mild reaction conditions in high to excellent yields. The advantages of using the SPSA as a heterogeneous catalyst in these reactions are: being environmentally friendly, low cost, commercially availability and easy to separate from the mixture of the reaction and high reusable catalyst. Using this catalyst, results in acceptable reaction time and high yields with high purity of the obtained products without utilizing any organic solvents. The catalyst was characterized by FT-IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, mass and TGA studies. All the products were characterized by FT-IR, ¹H, ¹³C NMR, HRMS, melting point and elemental analyses.     

[Bmim]<Subscript>5</Subscript>[PNiW<Subscript>11</Subscript>O<Subscript>39</Subscript>]·3H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O an organic–inorganic hybrid as catalyst for one-pot pseudo-five-component synthesis of tetrazolyldiazepines

In this research, two heterogeneous organic–inorganic hybrid catalysts, [bmim]₃[PW₁₂O₄₀]·3H₂O and [bmim]₅[PNiW₁₁O₃₉]·3H₂O, have been prepared. The catalysts were fully characterized by several techniques such as elemental analyses, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermo-gravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscope and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. Next, the hybrid catalysts have been used for the synthesis of functionalized diazepines containing tetrazole ring. Tetrazolyl-1H-spiro[benzo[b]cyclopenta[e][1,4] diazepines products were obtained in excellent yields and mild experimental conditions using [bmim]₅[PNiW₁₁O₃₉]·3H₂O as catalyst. This process was carried out via a one-pot, pseudo-five-component condensation reaction by means of a 1,2-diamine, isocyanide, TMSN3 and two molecules of a linear or cyclic ketone in methanol, at ambient temperature.     

Bismuth-containing layered double hydroxide as a novel efficient photocatalyst for degradation of methylene blue under visible light

Layered double hydroxide (LDH)-based photocatalysts have emerged as a very promising candidate to replace TiO₂, owing to their unique layered structure, tunable band gaps, low cost, ease of scale-up, and good photocatalytic activity. Bismuth-doped ZnCr-LDH was studied as photocatalyst in the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB). The structure and morphology of ZnCr-LDH and ZnCrBi-LDH were characterized using a different mode of delegated tools, e.g., FTIR, XRD, UV–Vis, FESEM–EDX, and TEM measurements. FESEM and TEM image of the synthesized LDHs showed that the synthesized LDH is smooth overlapping crystals, and they are approximately in hexagonal form. The material was found to be a good photocatalyst for degradation of methylene blue in visible light, and the results showed that the photocatalytic activity of ZnCrBi-LDH sample is higher than of ZnCr-LDH sample. According to the kinetic data, the reaction rate constant of ZnCrBi-LDH is approximately four times higher than the apparent reaction rate constant of ZnCr-LDH. The catalytic activity was retained even after four methylene blue degradation cycles, indicating that the LDH could be an important addition to the field of wastewater treatment.     

Applications of Non-precious Transition Metal Oxide Nanoparticles in Electrochemistry

Non-precious transition metal oxide nanomaterials offer numerous opportunities for various cost-effective electrochemical applications. This review article features the design and advancement of such nanomaterials with unique features applied for the fabrication of electrochemical devices. Also, it discusses various new syntheses of transition metal oxide nanoparticles (TMO NPs) via multiple chemicophysical and biological procedures. Further, the novel appliances of the TMO NPs with varying sizes and morphologies are appraised. The advantages and challenges of a number of investigations on the TMO NPs towards electrochemical applications are addressed with their standpoint of cost-effectiveness, applicability, and the efficiency of the introduced nanostructures for the industrial applications.     

Quasi-classical trajectory and direct-dynamics CVT study on the initiation steps of methanol combustion

Direct-dynamics canonical variational transition-state theory (CVT) and quasi-classical trajectory (QCT) calculations have been performed to study the dynamics of the initiation steps in the methanol combustion at high oxygen concentration. The initiation steps in combustion of methanol is hydrogen abstraction from carbon or oxygen in methanol to produce hydroxymethyl radical (CH₂OH) or methoxy radical (CH₃O), respectively, and hydroperoxyl radical (HO₂). A new analytical potential energy function driven from our DFT calculations is constructed to study the dynamics of the title reactions. Reactive cross sections and reaction probabilities at various relative translational energies and initial vibrational and rotational reactant excitation were obtained to calculate the rate constants. The calculated rate constants from CVT and QCT calculations are compared.