@article {43217, title = {First synthesis of a noreremophilane isolated from the roots of ligularia przewalskii}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {46}, year = {2005}, month = {AUG}, pages = {5211-5213}, abstract = {

The total synthesis of a natural product noreremophilane has been achieved in just three steps from readily available starting materials. A highly stereo- and regio-selective Diels-Alder reaction was the key step in Our synthesis. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2005.05.130}, author = {Reddy, D. Srinivasa and Palani, K. and Balasubrahmanyam, D. and Kamath, V. B. and Iqbal, Javed} } @conference { ISI:000230895600102, title = {Immobilized molybdovanadophosphoric acids on SBA-15 for selective oxidation of alkenes}, booktitle = {4th International Symposium on Nanoporous Materials}, series = {STUDIES IN SURFACE SCIENCE AND CATALYSIS}, volume = {156}, year = {2005}, note = {4th International Symposium on Nanoporous Materials, Niagara Falls, CANADA, JUN 07-10, 2005}, month = {JUN}, pages = {769-778}, publisher = {Elsevier Science BV, Sara Burgerhartstraat 25, Po Box 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands}, organization = {Elsevier Science BV, Sara Burgerhartstraat 25, Po Box 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands}, address = { Niagara Falls, Canada}, abstract = {

Vanadium substituted molybdophosphoric acids have been immobilized on amine functionalized SBA-15 and characterized by different techniques. Small angle X-ray scattering analysis and SEM technique provide evidence for the structural integrity of the samples. UV-Vis, NMR and IR data confirm the incorporation of molybdovanadophosphoric acids onto the amine functionalized SBA-15. The textural properties of these materials were studied by nitrogen sorption studies. Oxidation of cyclooctene and norbornene was carried out with oxidants in aqueous (aq. H2O2) and non-aqueous (TBHP extracted in dichloroethane) medium. The reactions were carried out with both the neat catalysts (homogeneous) and the immobilized catalysts (heterogenized) and the results were compared. The selectivity of the desired products was always \> 99\% with the immobilized catalyst with both aq.H2O2 and TBHP. However, while the leaching was negligible in the non-aqueous medium, the aqueous medium leads to considerable leaching. The immobilized catalysts could be separated after the reaction and the reusability of the catalyst has also been demonstrated especially with oxidant in the nonaqueous medium.

}, isbn = {0-444-51748-0}, issn = {0167-2991}, author = {Raj, N. K. K. and Deshpande, S. S. and Ingle, Rohit H. and Raja, T. and Manikandan, Palanichamy}, editor = {Sayari, A. and Jaroniec, M.} } @article { ISI:000229454100009, title = {Lilliputian hardware platform for scientific applications}, journal = {International Journal of Software Engineering and Knowledge Engineering}, volume = {15}, number = {2}, year = {2005}, note = {1st International Embedded and Hybrid Systems Conference, Singapore, SINGAPORE, MAY 11-13, 2005}, month = {APR}, pages = {189-192}, publisher = {WORLD SCIENTIFIC PUBL CO PTE LTD}, type = {Article, Proceedings Paper}, address = {5 TOH TUCK LINK, SINGAPORE 596224, SINGAPORE}, abstract = {

Microcontroller plays an important role in gearing up scientific applications for measurements, data acquisition and controls. With the advent of technology in microcontrollers, a new era in the form of microconverter is available at the user{\textquoteright}s doorstep. Benefited by the excellent features of Analog Devices{\textquoteright} microconverter chip ADuC 842, an attempt has been made to develop a Lilliputian platform for scientific applications at National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune. A real time system has been developed for measuring surface tension exerted by Langmuir films formed at air water interface. The films are compressed by smooth and precision barrier mechanism through DC motor in a controlled manner. (IC)-C-2 compatible EEPROM is provided on board for data storage and it can be communicated to a PC through RS232 link for further analysis. The other features provided are, In-circuit programming for firmware updating, keyboard functioning for special routine executions, (IC)-C-2 compatible RTC and battery backup. The software has been completely developed using assembly language programming. Intelligent Lilliputian platform designed using ADuC 842 chip and graphic LCD for real time plotting of surface pressure area isotherm of Langmuir films has been developed and tested successfully at NCL.

}, keywords = {Langmuir films, microconverter}, issn = {0218-1940}, doi = {10.1142/S0218194005002361}, author = {Iyer, Neelima and Khatavkar, Rupali and Joshi, Bhagyashree and Upadhye, V.} } @article {43222, title = {Mild and efficient method for the synthesis of vinylogous carbamates from alkyl azides}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {46}, year = {2005}, month = {FEB}, pages = {979-982}, abstract = {A mild and efficient one-pot method for the synthesis of vinylogous carbamates is reported starting from alkyl azides under a hydrogen atmosphere using 10\% Pd/C. The resulting products are useful intermediates for the synthesis of heterocyclic compounds, natural products, and in peptidomimetics. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2004.12.047}, author = {Reddy, D. Srinivasa and Rajale, T. V. and Shivakumar, K. and Iqbal, Javed} } @article { ISI:000232011300008, title = {Nitrogen ligands: The transition metal catalyzed reaction of aryl halides with olefins (Mizoroki-Heck), phenylboronic acid (Suzuki coupling) and Buchwald-Hartwig amination, new catalysts and effect of co-catalysts - Aryl halide activation - Part I}, journal = {Indian Journal of Chemistry Section B-Organic Chemistry including Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {44}, number = {9}, year = {2005}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1894-1908}, publisher = {COUNCIL SCIENTIFIC \& INDUSTRIAL RES}, type = {Article}, address = {ANUSANDHAN BHAWAN, 2 RAFI MARG, NEW DELHI, 110001, INDIA}, abstract = {

Nitrogen ligands are an excellent alternative for the traditional P-ligands in the Pd catalyzed Mizoroki-Fleck reaction, Suzuki coupling and Buchwald-Hartwig aryl amination. Pd complexes of dimethyl glyoxime, 8-hydroxyquinoline, salen, picolinic acid, and DAB ligands gave high yields of the E-cinnamates and E-stilbenes from aryl iodides. Acetophenone oxime N, N-dimethybenzylamine and ferrocenyl oxime palladacycle are better catalysts with comparable yields, high TON (95, 000) and TOF{\textquoteright}s (2, 500 h(-1)) to P-ligand catalysts. Aryl bromides and in a few cases, aryl chlorides could also be activated by these complexes by the use of Lewis acid and (C(4)H(9))(4)NI as additives. Cy-DAB ligands gave good yields with electron rich aryl bromides and the use of ionic liquid improve the yield. These N-ligand metal complexes can be readily synthesized and the ligands possess the advantage of easy functional group modifications and convenient synthetic methods compared to P-ligands. The degradation reactions associated with P-ligands are not observed in the N-ligands, with comparable, high thermal, moisture and air stability and insensitivity. Activation of aryl bromides (Mizoroki-Fleck reaction, Suzuki reaction) could be achieved in high yields, TON and TOF (86-94\% yield, TON: 36, 000-90, 000, TOF:6, 000-11, 500 h-1) catalyzed by monomeric amine and oxime palladacycles (Cat-8, 11, 13 B) with a N-heterocyclic carbene ligand better than a phosphorous ligand. Molten (C(4)H(9))(4)NBr is an efficient ionic liquid medium for the Mizoroki-Fleck reaction of aryl bromides, giving higher yields. Low to moderate yields of aryl amination are obtained with the carbene pallaclacycle and N, N-dibenzyl piperazine Pd complexes.

}, keywords = {DAB, DMG, Mizoroki-Heck reaction, nitrogen ligands, Palladacycle}, issn = {0376-4699}, author = {Iyer, S and Kulkarni, GM and Ramesh, C and Sattar, AK} } @article { ISI:000234350400019, title = {Synthesis and swelling behaviour of hydrophobically modified responsive polymers in dilute aqueous solutions}, journal = {Polymer}, volume = {46}, number = {26}, year = {2005}, month = {DEC}, pages = {12190-12199}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

New series of associating polymers were synthesised in order to investigate opposite behaviours of hydrophobically modified water-soluble polymers and thermoresponsive water-soluble polymers carrying LCST stickers. On the basis of a poly(acrylic acid) backbone, amino-terminated poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), poly(ethylene oxide-co-propylene oxide) and/or dodecyl chains were grafted following a reaction of condensation activated by carbodiimide. Two homologous series of well-defined single grafted and double grafted copolymers were obtained, with double grafted chains containing both C12 and LCST grafts. The dilute solution properties of these copolymers were carefully studied by capillary viscometry. At low salt concentration and below the LCST of the grafts, the swelling properties of macromolecular chains are controlled either by intramolecular associations between hydrophobes, excluded volume effect exerted by hydrophilic grafts or by a balance between these opposite interactions. The deswelling of macromolecular chains, induced by hydrophobic interactions, is amplified at higher ionic strength and more particularly above the transition temperature of the side chains. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {associating polymers, poly(acrylic acid), viscometry}, issn = {0032-3861}, doi = {10.1016/j.polymer.2005.10.140}, author = {Iyer, N. P. and Hourdet, Dominique and Badiger, Manohar V. and Chassenieux, Christophe and Perrin, P. and Wadgaonkar, P.} } @article {43221, title = {Synthesis of small cyclic peptides constrained with 3-(3-aminomethylphenyl)propionic acid linkers using free radical-mediated macrocyclization}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {46}, year = {2005}, month = {AUG}, pages = {5207-5210}, abstract = {In this letter, we report that small peptides (di- and tri-) having a 3-bromobenzyl group at the C-termini and an acryloyl group at the N-termini undergo an efficient Bu3SnH-AlBN mediated intramolecular free radical cyclization to afford cyclic peptides in good yields. We also propose that these cyclizations are occurring via a pre-organized acyclic structure dictated by a reverse turn (gamma/beta-turn). (c) 2005 Published by Elsevier Ltd.}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2005.05.115}, author = {Balraju, V. and Reddy, D. Srinivasa and Periasamy, M. and Iqbal, Javed} } @article { ISI:000242601100010, title = {Assembly of phase transferred nickel nanoparticles at air-water interface using Langmuir-Blodgett technique}, journal = {Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology}, volume = {6}, number = {12}, year = {2006}, month = {DEC}, pages = {3736-3745}, publisher = {AMER SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS}, type = {Article}, address = {25650 NORTH LEWIS WAY, STEVENSON RANCH, CA 91381-1439 USA}, abstract = {

Development of simple and efficient protocol for the synthesis of Ni nanoparticles in aqueous media and their subsequent phase transfer to organic media is reported. The synthesis of nickel nanoparticles in aqueous medium is accomplished by reducing the nickel nitrate with sodium borohydricle in presence of oleic acid. It results in the formation of nickel nanoparticles capped with oleic acid. The pristine oleic acid capped nickel nanoparticles were then phase transferred to nonpolar solvents such as toluene using stearic acid. The phase transfer was effective probably due to the space exchange between the oleic acid moiety and stearic acid molecules. The hydrophobized Ni thus obtained was organized at the air-water interface and it was observed that by controlling the pressure and concentration of hydrophobized Ni nanoparticles at air-water interface, linear ribbon like assemblies could be obtained. The organization process was followed by surface pressure-area isotherm measurement and Brewster Angle Microscopy.

}, keywords = {assembly, Langmuir-Blodgett technique, Ni nanoparticles, Phase transfer}, issn = {1533-4880}, doi = {10.1166/jnn.2006.615}, author = {Bala, Tanushree and Joshi, Bhagyashree and Iyer, Neelima and Sastry, Murali and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article {42737, title = {Brewster angle microscope - an excellent tool for nanoscience researchers}, journal = {Synthesis and Reactivity in Inorganic Metal - Organic and Nano-Metal Chemistry}, volume = {36}, year = {2006}, month = {AUG}, pages = {227-229}, type = {Article}, doi = {10.1080/15533170500524785}, author = {Joshi, Bhagyashree and Khatavkar, Rupali and Iyer, Neelima} } @article {43212, title = {Concise asymmetric route to the antibiotic macrolides patulolide A and pyrenophorin}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {47}, year = {2006}, month = {SEP}, pages = {6623-6626}, abstract = {In this letter, we describe an enantiospecific route to patulolide A and pyrenophorin through the synthesis of known protected seco acid precursors starting from commercially available (S)-ethyl lactate. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2006.07.026}, author = {Rao, K. Srinivasa and Reddy, D. Srinivasa and Mukkanti, K. and Pal, Manojit and Iqbal, Javed} } @article { ISI:000240238100085, title = {Flexible ring polymers in an obstacle environment: Molecular theory of linear viscoelasticity}, journal = {Physical Review E}, volume = {74}, number = {2, 1}, year = {2006}, month = {AUG}, pages = {Article No. 021805}, publisher = {AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {ONE PHYSICS ELLIPSE, COLLEGE PK, MD 20740-3844 USA}, abstract = {

We formulate a coarse-grained mean-field approach to study the dynamics of the flexible ring polymer in any given obstacle (gel or melt) environment. The similarity of the static structure of the ring polymer with that of the ideal randomly branched polymer is exploited in formulating the dynamical model using aspects of the pom-pom model for branched polymers. The topological constraints are handled via the tube model framework. Based on our formulation we obtain expressions for diffusion coefficient D, relaxation times tau, and dynamic structure factor g(k,t). Further, based on the framework we develop a molecular theory of linear viscoelasticity for ring polymers in a given obstacle environment and derive the expression for the relaxation modulus G(t). The predictions of the theoretical model are in agreement with previously proposed scaling arguments and in qualitative agreement with the available experimental results for the melt of rings.

}, issn = {1539-3755}, doi = {10.1103/PhysRevE.74.021805}, author = {Iyer, Balaji V. S. and Lele, Ashish K. and Juvekar, Vinay A.} } @proceedings {42734, title = {Microconverter ADuC842 and LabVIEW platform ? a best suitable approach for real time plotting of pressure area isotherm of a monolayer}, year = {2006}, month = {FEB}, pages = {70-73}, publisher = {World Scientific and Engineering Academy and Society (WSEAS)}, address = {Madrid, Spain}, author = {Iyer, Neelima and Khatavkar, Rupali and Joshi, Bhagyashree} } @article { ISI:000241686000011, title = {Novel beaded polymers from telechelic methacrylic ether esters}, journal = {Reactive \& Functional Polymers}, volume = {66}, number = {10}, year = {2006}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1087-1096}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A series of telechelic dimethacrylic ether-esters (MEE) were prepared by solventless reaction of alpha,omega-dihydroxy poly(oxytetramethylene) (polytetrahydrofuran, PTHF) with phthalic anhydride and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA). MEE was polymerized with GMA as well as GMA-ethylene dimethacrylate (EGDM) to form porous beads. The terpolymer beads were observed using optical microscopy and SEM and characterized for internal pore volume, equilibrium volume-swelling ratio and dimethyl formamide and aqueous buffer regain. The morphology of the beads was dictated by the mole fraction and molecular weight of MEE in the feed. Porosity was found to increase with increase in molecular weight of MEE. Thus, porosity as high as 49\%, 50\% and 55\% was observed with MEE of molecular weights 1580, 2580 and 3480, respectively. At a specific terpolymerization feed ratio of monomers, the terpolymers formed transform from gel like structure into a macroporous one, with increase in molecular weight of MEE. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {ether-ester dimethacrylates, macroporous, Pore size distribution, porosity, telechelics}, issn = {1381-5148}, doi = {10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2006.01.020}, author = {Pujari, N. S. and Trivedi, J. and Ingavle, Ganesh C. and Ponrathnam, S.} } @conference {42804, title = {Poly(High Internal Phase Emulsion) of 2-EHA, 2-EHMA and EGDA with naturally occurring phenolic compounds", paper presented at international conference on ?polymers for advanced technology}, booktitle = {Polymers for Advanced Technology}, year = {2006}, month = {DEC}, address = {National Chemical Laboratory, Pune}, author = {Ingavle, Ganesh C. and Shaikh, A. A. and Bhongale, Sunil Sitaram and Scaria, S. and Chavan, Nayaku and Qureshi, Mohammed and Ponrathnam, Surendra} } @article { ISI:000236423600081, title = {Synthesis and characterization of aromatic copolyesters containing siloxane linkages in the polymer backbone}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {100}, number = {4}, year = {2006}, month = {MAY}, pages = {3222-3228}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN, NJ 07030 USA}, abstract = {

A new series of aromatic copolyesters containing siloxane linkages were prepared by the melt polymerization of bisphenol A (BPA) with eugenol end-capped siloxane (EuSi), diphenyl terephthalate (DPT), and diphenyl isoplithalate (DPI) in varying ratio in the temperature range 220-290 degrees C under reduced pressure in the presence of dibutyl tin dilaurate (DBTL) catalyst. The siloxane copolyesters prepared were characterized by FTIR, H-1-NMR spectroscopy, solution viscosity, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and X-ray diffraction. The effect of incorporation of eugenol end-capped siloxane was studied on the properties of BPA/DPI/DPT copolyesters. The glass-transition temperature of copolyester was decreased from 184 to 70 degrees C by incorporation of 20\% of eugenol endcapped siloxane. All copolyesters were found to be soluble in commonly used aprotic polar solvents and had film-forming properties. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

}, keywords = {aromatic copolyesters, Bisphenol A, diphenyl isophthalate, diphenyl terephthalate, eugenol end-capped siloxane, melt polymerization}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.22266}, author = {Waghmare, P. B. and Idage, Susheela B. and Menon, Shamal K. and Idage, Bhaskar B.} } @article { ISI:000237680000010, title = {Synthesis and characterization of copolyarylates using tin octoate as a catalyst}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {101}, number = {1}, year = {2006}, month = {JUL}, pages = {70-77}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN, NJ 07030 USA}, abstract = {

A series of copolyarylates of bisphenol A (BPA) with varying ratios of diphenyl terephthalate (DPT) and diphenyl isophthalate (DPI) were prepared by melt polymerization at a temperature ranging from 200 to 290 degrees C under reduced pressure in the presence of tin octoate catalyst. Tin octoate catalyst has been extensively used for the preparation of biodegradable polymers namely, poly(lactic acid), poly(glycolic acid), and poly(lactide-glycolide) copolyesters. However, there are no reports on the preparation of copolyesters by melt polymerization using tin octoate catalyst. The effect of tin octoate catalyst was studied on the preparation of BPA/DPT/DPI copolyarylates. The copolyarylates were characterized by infrared and H-1 NMR spectroscopy, solution viscosity, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and X-ray diffraction. The solution viscosities of copolyarylates were varied from 0.43 to 0.56 dL/g and the glass transition temperature (T-g) of copolyarylates was varied from 155 to 222 degrees C by varying the ratio of DPT and DPI. Most of the copolyarylates were found to be soluble in commonly used organic solvents and had film-forming properties. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

}, keywords = {copolyarylates, diphenyl isophthalate, diphenyl terephthalate, melt polymerization, tin octoate}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.22953}, author = {Waghmare, P. B. and Pathak, P. and Deshmukh, S. A. and Idage, Susheela B. and Idage, Bhaskar B.} } @article { ISI:000238709700070, title = {Synthesis and characterization of siloxane copolyesters containing phenylindane linkages}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {101}, number = {4}, year = {2006}, month = {AUG}, pages = {2668-2674}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN, NJ 07030 USA}, abstract = {

A novel series of siloxane copolyesters containing 1,1,3-trimethyl-3-(p-hydroxyphenyl)-5-indanol (phenylindane bisphenol), diphenyl terephthalate (DPT), diphenyl isophthalate (DPI), and eugenol end-capped siloxanes in varying ratios were prepared at a temperature range of 200-290 degrees C under reduced pressure using dibutyl tin dilaurate catalyst by melt polycondensation. The siloxane-containing copolyesters were characterized by infrared and H-1 NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, solution viscosity, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and X-ray diffraction. The effect of incorporation of siloxane moiety was studied on the properties of phenyl indane/DPT/DPI coplyester. The glass transition temperatures of copolyesters were decreased from 235 to 124 degrees C by incorporation of 10\% eugenol end-capped siloxane without affecting the thermal properties. All copolyesters were found to be soluble in commonly used organic solvents and had film forming properties. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

}, keywords = {eugenol end capped siloxane, melt polymerization, phenylindane bisphenol, siloxane copolyesters}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.23910}, author = {Waghmare, P. B. and Deshmukh, S. A. and Idage, Susheela B. and Idage, Bhaskar B.} } @article {43213, title = {Synthesis of cyclic peptides using a palladium-catalyzed enyne cycloisomerization}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {47}, year = {2006}, month = {MAY}, pages = {3569-3571}, abstract = {In this letter, we report a palladium-catalyzed enyne cycloisomerization of linear peptides to generate small cyclic peptides embedded with a conjugated 1,3-diene. The utility of these resulting macrocyclic dienes is demonstrated by carrying out [4+2] cycloadditions with dienophiles to generate constrained cyclic peptides with cyclic linkers. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2006.03.053}, author = {Balraju, V. and Dev, R. Vasu and Reddy, D. Srinivasa and Iqbal, Javed} } @article {43076, title = {Characterization of nano-sized CdS-Ag2S core-shell nanoparticles using XPS technique}, journal = {Colloids and Surfaces A-Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects}, volume = {293}, year = {2007}, month = {FEB}, pages = {5-12}, abstract = {

This paper reports the use of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) method for the characterization of surface composition of core and shell nanoparticles. The core and shell nanoparticles were synthesized using sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT)/n-heptane/water microemulsion technique. The post-core and partial microemulsion methods have shown promise for core and shell formation and enhanced stability and sphericity of the semiconductor nanoparticles. In addition to above technique, the core-shell nanoparticles have also been characterized using SEM-elemental detection X-ray analysis (EDAX) and results are discussed. The XPS studies of US, Ag2S, and CdS-Ag2S nanoparticles prepared by post-core/partial microemulsion methods were carried out and results are compared with physical mixing of US and Ag2S nanoparticles. The Ag/Cd atomic ratio is found to be 5 and 10 as determined by XPS methods for nanoparticles prepared by using post-core and partial microemulsion methods, respectively. These results show the formation of core and shell nanoparticles. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.colsurfa.2006.06.036}, author = {Hota, G. and Idage, Susheela B. and Khilar, Kartic C.} } @article { ISI:000251244900026, title = {Direct oxidation of hydrogen to hydrogen peroxide over Pd (or PdO)/Al2O3 in aqueous reaction medium: influence of different acids and halide anions in reaction medium on formation and destruction of H2O2}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {46}, number = {25}, year = {2007}, note = {Joint 6th International Symposium on Catalysis in Multiphase Reactors/5th International Symposium on Multifunctional Reactors (CAMURE-6/ISMR-5-), Pune, INDIA, JAN 14-17, 2007}, month = {DEC}, pages = {8566-8573}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Effects of different mineral acids (viz. H2SO4, H3PO4, HNO3, HCl, HBr, and HI), acid (H3PO4) concentration, different halide anions (viz. F-, Cl-, Br-, and I-), and halide anion concentration in aqueous reaction medium on the H2O2 formation (in H-2-to-H2O2 oxidation) and/or on the H2O2 destruction (by H2O2 decomposition and hydrogenation) activities of Pd (or PdO)/Al2O3 catalyst (at 300 K and atmospheric pressure) have been thoroughly investigated. Among the different halide anions, Br- anions are most effective for promoting the H2O2 formation and inhibiting the H2O2 destruction by both the H2O2 decomposition and/or hydrogenation. The cations associated with the halide anions, however, have only a little or no influence on both the H2O2 formation and destruction. The concentration of the different halide anions has a strong influence on the H-2 conversion and H2O2 formation and destruction activities of the Pd/Al2O3. The H2O2 formation activity in the presence of Br- or Cl- anions is highest at the optimum concentration of halide (about 1.0 mmol/dm(3)). it is also highest at the optimum concentration of phosphoric acid (between 0.1 and 0.3 mol/dm(3)). In general, the H2O2 formation is increased with decreasing the H2O2 destruction activity of the catalyst, indicating a close relationship between the two. Br- anions act as an excellent catalyst promoter for Pd/Al2O3 catalyst, but they show only a small promoting effect for PdO/Al2O3 catalyst. The next choice for halide promoter for Pd/Al2O3 catalyst is Cl- anions. F- and I- anions are, however, catalyst inhibitor and strong poison, respectively, for the H2O2 formation. At the same concentration, Br- anions are more effective than Cl- anions for inhibiting the H2O2 destruction reactions over Pd/Al2O3 Catalyst. For both halide promoters (Cl- and Br-), the net H2O2 formation is controlled by the H2O2 hydrogenation rather than by the H2O2 decomposition.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/ie061653c}, author = {Choudhary, Vasant R. and Ingole, Yugesh V. and Samanta, Chanchal and Jana, Prabhas} } @article { ISI:000251631200005, title = {Effect of substituent polarity, bulk, and substitution site toward enhancing gas permeation in dibromohexafluorobisphenol-A based polyarylates}, journal = {Journal of Polymer Science Part B-Polymer Physics}, volume = {45}, number = {23}, year = {2007}, month = {DEC}, pages = {3156-3168}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN, NJ 07030 USA}, abstract = {

The gas permeation properties of polyarylates were tuned by varying nature and site of substituents present on both of its monomers, viz., bisphenol and dicarboxylic acid. The phenyl rings of hexafluorobisphenol-A were substituted in asymmetric manner by polar bromine to obtain dibromohexafluorobisphenol-A. This bisphenol was polymerized with equimolar mixture of iso- and terephthalic acid (base case), bromo- and nitroterephthalic acid (polar group substituted acids), 4,4{\textquoteright}-hexafluoroisopropylidene bis(benzoic acid), and t-butyl isophthalic acid (bulky group containing acids). Physical properties and gas permeation properties of these polyarylates were investigated to assess combined effects of asymmetric nature of bisphenol substitution, polar nature of substituent bromine, hexafluoroisopropylidene group present at the bridge position of bisphenol, and substituent present on the acid moiety. The combination of these substituent types led these polyarylates to lie near Robeson upper bound. The gas sorption analysis and estimation of diffusivity in these polyarylates shed a light on observed variations in gas permeation properties by attempted structural variations. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

}, keywords = {asymmetric substitution, Diffusion, Gas permeation, gas sorption, polyarylates, selectivity, structure-property relations}, issn = {0887-6266}, doi = {10.1002/polb.21314}, author = {Ishole, Yogesh S. and Karadkar, Prasad R. and Kharul, Ulhas K.} } @article { ISI:000252094200024, title = {Efficient synthesis of 2,4-disubstituted thiazoles using ionic liquid under ambient conditions: a practical approach towards the synthesis of Fanetizole}, journal = {Tetrahedron }, volume = {63}, number = {45}, year = {2007}, month = {NOV}, pages = {11066-11069}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A highly efficient and rapid synthesis of 2-amino-4-arylthiazoles and 2-methyl-4-arylthiazole from alpha-bromoketone and thiourea/thioamide is described using room temperature ionic liquid at ambient conditions. The method is simple, rapid and practical, generating thiazole derivatives in excellent isolated yields. This protocol is utilized for a commercially feasible synthesis of an anti-inflammatory agent, Fanetizole. (c) 2007 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

}, keywords = {alpha-bromo ketone, ionic liquids, thiazoles, thiourea/thioamide}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2007.08.036}, author = {Potewar, Taterao M. and Ingale, Sachin A. and Srinivasan, Kumar V.} } @article { ISI:000248062700019, title = {Exhaustive analysis of frontal copolymerization of functionalized monovinyl and divinyl monomers}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {13}, number = {20}, year = {2007}, month = {APR}, pages = {5862-5872}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, type = {Article}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

A series of copolymers of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA)/ glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) and ethylene dimethacrylate (EGDM) were synthesized by frontal polymerization (FP). This study was conducted to investigate the effect of crosslink density, type and concentration of initiator, the use of a complex initiator system, porogen, and diluent on the most relevant parameters of FP, such as sustainability of the front, temperature profile, front velocity, and yield. The products were also characterized for intruded pore volume, pore-size distribution, epoxy-functionality number, and surface morphology. Higher crosslink densities (CLDs) and initiator concentration produced higher front velocities, whereas no trend in front temperature was noted. A complex initiation system was effective in stabilizing and increasing the polymerization yield. Relative to suspension polymerization (SP), FP products synthesized without a solvent were microporous, whereas micro-to-macroporous products were obtained in the presence of a solvent (for HEMA-EGDM polymers). We also present, explain, and discuss the exotic patterns observed under a microscope. We observed two basic types of spatial patterns, namely, planar and nonplanar patterns. The type of planar pattern observed under scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has a spatial impulse that appears as a loop followed by regular periodic motion in the radial and axial directions. This behavior gives rise to a repeating pattern that is a few microns thick. Also, nonplanar patterns, namely, layered concentric rings and winding staircase patterns, were observed under SEM.

}, keywords = {copolymerization, patterns, Polymers, porosity}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.200601428}, author = {Pujari, Narahari S. and Inamdar, Satish R. and Ambekar, Jalindar D. and Kulkarni, B. D. and Ponrathnam, Surendra} } @article { ISI:000250792200005, title = {Immobilization of mushroom polyphenol oxidase on poly(allyl glycidyl ether-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) macroporous beaded copolymers}, journal = {Reactive \& Functional Polymers}, volume = {67}, number = {10}, year = {2007}, month = {OCT}, pages = {905-915}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Functional, macroporous, beaded copolymers containing epoxy groups were synthesized for immobilization of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) from edible mushroom (Agaricus bisporus). The effect of incorporation of two different sets of monomers such as glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) and allyl glycidyl ether (AGE) and the effect of cross-linking agent ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDM) with varying cross-link densities on binding and expression of mushroom PPO activity were studied. The effect of porogen viz. cyclohexanol and hexanol on PPO immobilization was studied. AGE copolymers with hexanol as a porogen were found to give higher binding and expression of PPO activity than GE polymers. Crosslinking of amino groups of enzyme with 5\% glutaraldehyde for 6 h gave a stable binding of PPO on AGE-75(Hex) polymer with storage half-life of approximately 25 days. Under optimum conditions, AGE-75(Hex) polymer gave 70.3\% of activity yield while percent retention of PPO activity was found to be 83.5\%. Immobilized PPO showed a broader pH, higher temperature and excellent storage stability. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {cross-linking agent, Enzyme immobilization, Epoxy-activated support, mushroom PPO}, issn = {1381-5148}, doi = {10.1016/j.reactfunetpolym.2007.05.015}, author = {Vaidya, Bhalchandra K. and Karale, Abhijeet J. and Suthar, Hitesh K. and Ingavle, Ganesh C. and Pathak, Tara Sankar and Ponrathnam, S. and Nene, Sanjay} } @article { ISI:000246727900030, title = {Low density porous carrier based conceptual drug delivery system}, journal = {Microporous and Mesoporous Materials}, volume = {102}, number = {1-3}, year = {2007}, month = {MAY}, pages = {290-298}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Chronotherapy, a new approach for treating pathological conditions, is based on circadian rhythm. Present work conceptualizes a specific technology, based on combining floating and pulsatile principles to develop drug delivery system, intended for chronotherapy in arthritis. This approach was achieved by using low density microporous polypropylene, Accurel MP 1000 (R), as a multiparticulate carrier along with drug of choice ibuprofen. Carrier amount and solvent volume was kept invariant in designing this simple system by adsorbing drug via melting or solvent evaporation using different carrier: drug ratios. In solvent evaporation, methanol (M) and dichloromethane (DCM) were used. Drug loaded multiparticulate system was subjected to various characterization and evaluation parameters showing influence of adsorption process. Drug release study was performed in acidic environment using pH 1.2 HCl IP medium for 6 h to mimic gastric condition for evaluating gastroretention followed by basic environment using appropriate medium as phosphate buffer pH 7.2 IP for 3 h resembling transit. The release pattern showed influence of drug adsorption methods characterized by ever changing pore geometry with total release ranges in acidic medium as 10.7-27.6\% and final release as 55.6-88.6\%. Present drug delivery system devoid of any additives/excipients influencing drug release show distinct behaviour from other approaches/technologies in chronotherapy by (a) observing desired low drug release (11\%) in acidic medium (b) overcoming the limitations of process variables caused by multiple formulation steps (c) reducing time consumption due to single step process (d) can be extended to controlled release also. (C) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {chronotherapy, floating pulsatile drug delivery, low density porous carrier, melt adsorption, solvent polarity}, issn = {1387-1811}, doi = {10.1016/j.micromeso.2007.01.001}, author = {Sher, Praveen and Ingavle, Ganesh C. and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Pawar, Atmaram P.} } @article { ISI:000244634100009, title = {Low density porous carrier - drug adsorption and release study by response surface methodology using different solvents}, journal = {International Journal of Pharmaceutics}, volume = {331}, number = {1}, year = {2007}, month = {FEB}, pages = {72-83}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Low density porous carriers are widely used in the pharmaceutical applications. Response surface methodology, using 3 2 factorial design was used to study drug adsorption on and its release patterns from microporous polypropylene (Accurel MP 1000((R))) in the absence of additives. Ibuprofen, as model drug, was adsorbed on the polymer by solvent evaporation using two organic solvents methanol (M) and dichloromethane (DCM). The amount of carrier (100 mg) and its particle size range (250-350 mu m) were kept invariant while solvent volume (X-1) and drug amount (X-2) were taken as variables. Drug adsorption pattern depended on the type and amount of solvent used. DSC, XRD, FTIR and TGA, predict crystalline nature and physical form of adsorption. SEM showed the penetration and adsorption of the drug in and on the microporous polymer. Accurel NIP 1000((R)) had a pore volume of 1.992 g/cm(3) and surface area of 55.9855 m(2)/g as detected by mercury porosimetery. On drug adsorption, pore volume ranged from 0.413 to 1.198 g/cm(3) for methanol and 0.280-0.759 g/cm(3) for DCM. Similarly surface area was in the range 38.445-25.497 m(2)/g for methanol and 18.710-32.528 m(2)/g for DCM. The drug release was investigated in phosphate buffer pH 7.2. All batches showed excellent in vitro floating property. Drug release was partial with recovery to complete dependent on type and volume of solvent. R 2 values relating to bulk density, pore volume, surface area and drug release at 60, 120 and 180 min were estimated. Effect of solvent properties shows a positive influence on drug adsorption and release. Release profiles of some batches could be considered as gastroretentive drug delivery system. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {3(2) factorial design, carrier, microporous polymer, Response surface methodology, solvent evaporation}, issn = {0378-5173}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijpharm.2006.09.013}, author = {Sher, Praveen and Ingavle, Ganesh C. and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Pawar, Atmaram P.} } @article {REDDY, title = {Macroporous beads for lipase immobilization: kinetic resolution of a racemic drug intermediate}, journal = {Journal of Bioactive and Compatible Polymers}, volume = {22}, number = {2}, year = {2007}, month = {MAR}, pages = {174-194}, publisher = {HORTICULTURAL SOC INDIA}, type = {Article}, address = {DIV FRUITS \& HORTICULTURAL TECHNOL, INDIAN AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INST, NEW DELHI, 110 012, INDIA}, abstract = {

{Lipase isolated from Arthrobacter sp. (RRLJ-1, MTCC No. 5125, named ABL), is effective in resolving a wide range of racemic drug intermediates. In this study, ABL was immobilized on a series of synthetic macroporous epoxy copolymers beads with varying pore sizes, surface area and hydrophobicity. Poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) beads, with 75\% crosslink density and 10\% of epoxy groups modified with dibutyl amine [

}, keywords = {auxin pulse, coco-peat, grape, micropropagation, plantlet survival}, issn = {0972-8538}, author = {Bhushan, Indu and Parshad, Rajinder and Qazi, G. N. and Ingavle, Ganesh C. and Jamalpure, Trupti M. and Rajan, C. R. and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Gupta, V. K.} } @conference {42803, title = {Removal of AS(III) and AS (V) from contaminated water sources by sorption onto novel pei-attached poly(hipe) beads", paper presented at international conference on ?role of analytical chemistry in nuclear technology?}, booktitle = {Role of Analytical Chemistry in Nuclear Technology}, year = {2007}, month = {DEC}, address = {BARC, Mumbai, India}, author = {Ingavle, Ganesh C. and Tayal, Rajeev and Shaikh, Wasif Abdul Lateef and Chaudhari, Sanjeev and Chavan, Nayaku and Rajan, Chelanattukizhakkemadath Raman and Ponrathnam, Surendra} } @article { ISI:000244183400009, title = {[SbW9O33]-based polyoxometalate combined with a phase transfer catalyst: A highly effective catalyst system for selective oxidation of alcohols with H2O2, and spectroscopic investigation}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Catalysis A-Chemical}, volume = {262}, number = {1-2}, year = {2007}, month = {FEB}, pages = {52-58}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Na-9[SbW9O33] in conjunction with a phase transfer catalyst, methyltricapryl ammonium chloride, is highly efficient for selective oxidation of variety of alcohols with aq. H2O2 to yield corresponding carbonyls. Most importantly the reactions are carried out in the absence of any organic solvents especially halogenated solvents. In case of allylic alcohols, the catalyst is highly selective for the alcohol oxidation reaction and least selective for epoxidation reaction in the presence of aq. H2O2. IR studies support the formation of W-peroxo intermediate species and also support the stability of the catalyst in the presence of phase transfer compound under the present experimental condition. The catalyst can be reused after careful decomposition of peroxide of the final reaction mixture. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Alcohol, Aq.H2O2, Nag[SbW9O33], Oxidation, Phase transfer catalyst, Polyoxometalate, polyoxotungstate}, issn = {1381-1169}, doi = {10.1016/j.molcata.2006.08.050}, author = {Ingle, Rohit H. and Raj, N. K. Kala and Manikandan, Palanichamy} } @article { ISI:000244413600017, title = {Spinning wave motion in frontal polymerization}, journal = {Chemical Engineering Science}, volume = {62}, number = {5}, year = {2007}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1448-1455}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We present a mathematical model describing dynamics of spinning waves which propagate during frontal polymerization reaction taking place in a cylindrical reactor tube. The self-organization of spatio-temporal solution of wave equations due to interplay between thermal diffusion and kinetics gives rise to pattern formation. We begin with a fundamental equation of motion of radial coordinate after defining an asymptotic phase for spinmode. The motion is analyzed near a critical (Hopf) point and a perturbation solution is used to obtain patterns for a case of preparation of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) via frontal polymerization reaction. The model uses the distance as seen in photograph taken using scanning electron microscope (SEM) from which motion begins around core of spiral and calculates pitch of spiral which matches closely with experimental observation in micrograph. Also the model predicts qualitatively the ramp wave and spiral wave motion as observed under SEM. Both these results are reported in open literature for the first time to our best knowledge. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {frontal polymerization, spinning wave, spiral motion, wave dynamics}, issn = {0009-2509}, doi = {10.1016/j.ces.2006.11.037}, author = {Inamdar, Satish R. and Pujari, N. S. and Karimi, I. A. and Ponrathnam, S. and Tayal, R. K. and Kulkarni, B. D.} } @article { ISI:000244006300011, title = {Water-triggered frontal polymerization}, journal = {Macromolecular Rapid Communications}, volume = {28}, number = {1}, year = {2007}, month = {JAN}, pages = {109-115}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

A totally new mode of frontal polymerization (FP) of acrylamide is established which is triggered by the simple addition of a minute, specific volume of water. Experimental conditions under which this mode of polymerization yields linear and water-soluble polyacrylamide were carefully established, paving the way to synthesize commercially pertinent homo- and copolymers. A new redox couple was identified to circumvent the imidization and the ensuing gelation, hitherto associated with FP of acrylamide. Effects of reaction variables such as type and concentration of redox couple and volume of water on measurable parameters of FP such as front velocity, front temperature, shape of front and yield have been studied. Two types of redox couples are reported. Nonplanar frontal regime was observed in few redox couples. We could visually observe helical patterns with naked eyes, while layered patterns were observable under SEM. Additionally, micro-phase separation and heterogeneity in the polymer matrix was observed due to unreacted pockets of monomer which evolve via bulk mode. This nonlinear phenomenon is described.

}, issn = {1022-1336}, doi = {10.1002/marc.200600572}, author = {Pujari, Narahari S. and Inamdar, Satish R. and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Kulkarni, Bhaskar D.} } @article { ISI:000254804700001, title = {2(7-3) fractional factorial optimization of polybenzimidazole based membrane electrode assemblies for H-2/O-2 fuel cells}, journal = {Journal of Applied Electrochemistry}, volume = {38}, number = {5}, year = {2008}, month = {MAY}, pages = {583-590}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, type = {Article}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

We describe the usefulness of a statistical fractional factorial design to obtain consistent and reproducible behavior of a membrane-electrode-assembly (MEA) based on a phosphoric acid (PA) doped polybenzimidazole (PBI) membrane, which allows a H-2/O-2 fuel cell to operate above 150 degrees C. Different parameters involved during the MEA fabrication including the catalyst loading, amount of binder, processing conditions like temperature and compaction load and also the amount of carbon in the gas diffusion layers (GDL) have been systematically varied according to a 2(7-3) fractional factorial design and the data thus obtained have been analyzed using Yates{\textquoteright}s algorithm. The mean effects estimated in this way suggest the crucial role played by carbon loading in the gas diffusion layer, hot compaction temperature and the binder to catalyst ratio in the catalyst layer for enabling continuous performance. These statistically designed electrodes provide a maximum current density and power density of 1,800 mA cm(-2) and 280 mW cm(-2), respectively, at 160 degrees C using hydrogen and oxygen under ambient pressure.

}, keywords = {Carbon loading, Fractional factorial optimization, MEA, PBI, PEMFC}, issn = {0021-891X}, doi = {10.1007/s10800-007-9475-1}, author = {Kannan, Ramaiyan and Islam, Md. Nazrul and Rathod, D. and Vijay, M. and Kharul, Ulhas K. and Ghosh, P. C. and Vijayamohanan, K.} } @article { ISI:000253450900068, title = {Alkene epoxidation catalyzed by vanadomolybdophosphoric acids supported on hydrated titania}, journal = {Catalysis Communications}, volume = {9}, number = {5}, year = {2008}, month = {MAR}, pages = {931-938}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Vanadomolybdophosphoric acids wet-impregnated oil hydrated titania (TiO(2) - xH(2)O), make ail efficient catalytic system for the epoxidation of a variety of alkenes with organic solvent extracted TBHP as the oxidant. By,in appropriate choice of solvent, the catalyst call be reused at least three times without much loss in the activity for subsequent runs. XRD shows that the heteropoly acid is uniformly dispersed over the support and up to 15 wt\% loading of the heteropoly acid, no additional peak of the same call be seen in the XRD pattern of the catalyst. The reactivity varied with the nature of alkene but the major product was always the corresponding epoxide. The catalytic system is free of high temperature calcination steps and tedious multi-step procedures, normally encountered in the heter-ogenization of heteropoly acids. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {alkenes, epoxidation, heteropoly acids, TBHP, titania, vanadomolybdophosphoric acids}, issn = {1566-7367}, doi = {10.1016/j.catcom.2007.09.022}, author = {Ingle, Rohit H. and Vinu, A. and Halligudi, Shivaraj B.} } @proceedings { ISI:000257623000146, title = {Blob-spring model for the dynamics of ring polymer in obstacle environment}, volume = {1027}, year = {2008}, note = {15th International Congress on Rheology/80th Annual Meeting of the Society-of-Rheology, Monterey, CA, AUG 03-08, 2008}, month = {AUG}, pages = {445-447}, publisher = {Soc Rheol}, address = {2 Huntington Quadrangle, STE 1no1, Melville, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

The dynamical behavior of cyclic macromolecules in a fixed obstacle (FO) environment is very different than the behavior of linear chains in the same topological environment; while the latter relax by a snake-like reptational motion from their chain ends(1) the former can relax only by contour length fluctuations since they are endless.(2) Duke, Obukhov and Rubinstein proposed a scaling model (the DOR model) to interpret the dynamical scaling exponents shown by Monte Carlo simulations of rings in a FO environment.(2) We present a model (blob-spring model) to describe the dynamics of flexible and non-concatenated ring polymer in FO environment based on a theoretical formulation developed for the dynamics of an unentangled fractal polymer.(3) We argue that the perpetual evolution of ring perimeter by the motion of contour segments results in an extra frictional load. Our model predicts self-similar dynamics with scaling exponents for the molecular weight dependence of diffusion coefficient and relaxation times that are in agreement with the scaling model proposed by Obukhov et al.(2).

}, keywords = {fractal polymer dynamics, linear viscoelasticity, ring polymer dynamics}, isbn = {978-0-7354-0549-3}, issn = {0094-243X}, author = {Lele, Ashish K. and Iyer, Balaji V. S. and Juvekar, Vinay A.}, editor = {Co, A. and Leal, L. G. and Colby, R. H. and Giacomin, A. J.} } @article { ISI:000256179700013, title = {Catalyst-free efficient synthesis of 2-aminothiazoles in water at ambient temperature}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {64}, number = {22}, year = {2008}, month = {MAY}, pages = {5019-5022}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A highly efficient and facile method has been described for the synthesis of substituted 2-aminothiazoles in water without any added catalyst or co-organic solvent. The reaction was carried out at ambient temperature and the products were obtained in excellent isolated yields. The developed protocol is successfully applied for the preparation of an anti-inflammatory drug, fanetizole. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {2-aminothiazoles, ambient temperature, environment-friendly synthesis, Water}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2008.03.082}, author = {Potewar, Taterao M. and Ingale, Sachin A. and Srinivasan, Kumar V.} } @article { ISI:000253283700034, title = {Chemical inhomogeneity and mixed-state ferromagnetism in diluted magnetic semiconductor Co : TiO2}, journal = {Chemistry of Materials}, volume = {20}, number = {4}, year = {2008}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1344-1352}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMS) are among the most intensely investigated materials in recent times in view of their great application potential. Yet, they are also the most controversial because of the possibility of extrinsic effects attributable to dopant solubility and clustering, point defects, incorporation of unintentional impurities, etc. This has highlighted the central role of materials chemistry in rendering a specific microstate and property response. In this work, we provide a combined window of high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy and electron energy-loss spectrometry, X-ray absorption (XAS)/X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD), and magnetization measurements on epitaxial rutile CoxTi1-xO2 (x = 0-0.06) system (the first discovered oxide-DMS, which continues to be controversial) grown at low temperature (400 degrees C) under different ambient atmospheres. The study brings out a mixed-state scenario of ferromagnetism involving intrinsic DMS (uniform dopant distribution at low dopant concentration) and coupled cluster magnetism, involving cobalt associations within the matrix at higher concentrations. We also show that by matrix valence control during growth, it is possible to realize a uniform embedded cluster state and the related coupled cluster magnetism.

}, issn = {0897-4756}, doi = {10.1021/cm702089z}, author = {Ogale, Satishchandra B. and Kundaliya, Darshan and Mehraeen, Shareghe and Fu, Lian-feng and Zhang, Shixiong and Lussier, Alexandre and Dvorak, Joe and Browning, Nigel D. and Idzerda, Yves and Venkatesan, Thirumalai} } @article { ISI:000260411100014, title = {Efficient and eco-friendly synthesis of 2-amino-1,3-selenazoles in an ionic liquid/water system under ambient conditions}, journal = {Arkivoc}, number = {12}, year = {2008}, month = {JAN}, pages = {117-125}, publisher = {ARKAT USA INC}, type = {Article}, address = {C/O ALAN R KATRITZKY, UNIV FLORIDA, DEPT CHEMISTRY, PO BOX 117200, GAINESVILLE, FL 32611 USA}, abstract = {

An efficient and eco-friendly synthesis of 2-amino-1,3-selenazoles in ionic liquid/water solvent system is described. The paper describes synthesis of 2-amino-1,3-selenazoles by condensation of various phenacyl bromide with selenourea under ambient conditions in short reaction times. This protocol has notable advantages such as the absence of any added catalyst, simple operation and excellent yields of products and recyclability of the ionic liquid.

}, keywords = {2-Amino-1, 3-selenazoles, ambient conditions, heterocycles, ionic liquid/water system, selenoureas, substituted phenacyl bromide}, issn = {1551-7004}, author = {Potewar, Taterao M. and Ingale, Sachin A. and Srinivasan, Kumar V.} } @article { ISI:000260209800002, title = {Efficient synthesis of quinoxalines in the ionic liquid 1-n-butylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([Hbim]BF4) at ambient temperature}, journal = {Synthetic Communications}, volume = {38}, number = {21}, year = {2008}, month = {FEB}, pages = {3601-3612}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {325 CHESTNUT ST, SUITE 800, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

Quinoxaline derivatives have been synthesized in excellent yields using an ionic liquid (IL) (viz., 1-n-butylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate) as a reaction medium as well as promoter from various 1,2-diketones and aryl-1,2-diamines. The process is general for the synthesis of quinoxaline derivatives from aromatic as well as aliphatic-1,2-diketones. The advantages of the present method are ambient reaction temperature, simplicity of operation, high yields of products, the recyclability of the IL, and ecofriendly nature of the reaction medium.

}, keywords = {1, 2-diamines, 2-Diketones, Aryl-1, ionicliquid(IL), quinoxalines}, issn = {0039-7911}, doi = {10.1080/00397910802054271}, author = {Potewar, Taterao M. and Ingale, Sachin A. and Srinivasan, Kumar V.} } @article { ISI:000254479300039, title = {Immobilization of Candida rugosa lipase on poly(allyl glycidyl ether-co-thylene glycol dimethacrylate) macroporous polymer particles}, journal = {Bioresource Technology}, volume = {99}, number = {9}, year = {2008}, month = {JUN}, pages = {3623-3629}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Macroporous polymer particles containing surface epoxy groups were synthesized for immobilization of Candida rugosa lipase (CRL). The effect of incorporation of two different sets of monomers [allyl glycidyl ether (AGE) and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA)] and the effect of crosslinking density on immobilization of lipase were studied. AGE-co-EGDM polymers gave higher binding and expression of lipase than GMA-co-EGDM polymers. Optimization of immobilization parameters was done with respect to immobilization time and enzyme loading. Amongst AGE-co-EGDM polymer series, AGE-150 polymer found to give maximum lipase activity yield and therefore evaluated for temperature, pH and storage stability. Under optimum conditions, AGE-150 polymer gave 78.40\% of activity yield. Immobilized lipase on AGE-150 showed a broader pH, higher temperature and excellent storage stability. (C) 2007 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

}, keywords = {Candida rugosa lipase, Enzyme immobilization, Epoxy-activated support}, issn = {0960-8524}, doi = {10.1016/j.biortech.2007.07-035}, author = {Vaidya, Bhalchandra K. and Ingavle, Ganesh C. and Ponrathnam, S. and Kulkarni, B. D. and Nene, Sanjay N.} } @article { ISI:000260803700002, title = {Lacunary Keggin type polyoxotungstates in conjunction with a phase transfer catalyst: an effective catalyst system for epoxidation of alkenes with aqueous H2O2}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Catalysis A-Chemical}, volume = {294}, number = {1-2}, year = {2008}, month = {OCT}, pages = {8-13}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Na-9[SbW9O33] in conjunction with a phase transfer catalyst (methyl tricapryl ammonium chloride) is a highly efficient catalytic system for the selective epoxidation of alkenes with aqueous H2O2 as the oxidant. Importantly, the reactions can be carried out in the absence of any organic solvents. The alkene epoxidation reactions with both, a transition metal ion substituted polyoxotungstate as well as a transition metal ion free polyoxotungstate precursor indicates that the tungstate group is the active center for the oxidation reaction. It was also observed that the transition metal ion does not play any significant role in the reaction. IR studies support the formation of tungsten-peroxo species and also show that the catalyst is stable in the presence of phase transfer catalyst when aqueous H2O2 is used as an oxidant. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {alkenes, Aqueous H2O2, epoxidation, Na-9[SbW9O33], Phase transfer catalyst, polyoxometalates}, issn = {1381-1169}, doi = {10.1016/j.molcata.2008.07.003}, author = {Ingle, Rohit H. and Raj, N. K. Kala} } @article { ISI:000255130000001, title = {Lipase enzyme immobilization on synthetic beaded macroporous copolymers for kinetic resolution of chiral drugs intermediates}, journal = {Process Biochemistry}, volume = {43}, number = {4}, year = {2008}, month = {APR}, pages = {321-330}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Lipase isolated from Arthrobacter sp. (bacterial strain, MTCC No. 5125) at RRL Jammu, being used for various process development. Arthrobacter sp. lipase (ABL) now has been immobilized on synthetic polymers and reused many a times. In this investigation number of various synthetic macroporous alkylated glycidyl epoxy copolymers with varying hydrophobicity, pore volume and surface area were prepared and used for this study. Among all the polymers prepared and used only two epoxy polymers GMA-EGDM 75-20(I) and GMA-EGDM 75-30(I) with particle size in the range of 150-450 nm, epoxy groups 80 and 70\%, tertiary amino groups 20 and 30\% was found suitable for immobilization of lipase (ABL). Dibutyl amine (DBA) incorporation created an internal pore radii 20-50 nm and hydrophobic microenvironment in both the polymers for binding the enzyme, which led to improvement in stability and enatioselectivity in racemic resolution process especially by binding to one of the isomers. The optimal ABL binding capacity of polymer GMA-EGDM 75-20(I) was 60 units, 34 mg protein and GMA-EGDM 75-30(l) was 36 units, 21 mg protein/g polymer. The immobilized lipase matrices displayed enhanced pH, thermal, organic solvent and long-term storage stability. Both the immobilized enzyme matrices were tested firstly for the hydrolysis of triglycerides using tributyrin as substrate. After testing, both the matrices were reused for racemic resolution of ethyl-3-hydroxy-3-phenyl propanoate (fluoxetine intermediate, an antidepressant drug) and racemic chiral auxiliary, acetyl-1-phenyl ethanol (intermediate of many chiral drugs) for 15 cycles. These immobilized lipase matrices have shown very high stability on recycling, high-enantioselectivity, high conversion and faster recovery of product compare to free enzyme, therefore these matrices may find use in kinetic resolution process developments. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {1-phenyl ethanol and enantioselectivity, chiral resolution, enantiomeric excess (ee), ethyl-3-hydroxy-3-phenyl propanoate, Immobilization, Lipase}, issn = {1359-5113}, doi = {10.1016/j.procbio.2007.11.019}, author = {Bhushan, Indu and Parshad, Rajinder and Qazi, Gulam Nabi and Ingavle, Ganesh C. and Rajan, C. R. and Ponrathnam, Surendera and Gupta, Vijay Kumar} } @article { ISI:000257904900015, title = {MCM-41-supported ruthenium carbonyl cluster-derived catalysts for asymmetric hydrogenation reactions}, journal = {Applied Catalysis A-General}, volume = {344}, number = {1-2}, year = {2008}, month = {JUL}, pages = {124-130}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

{The anionic ruthenium carbonyl cluster [Ru-4(mu-H)(3)(CO)(12)](-) has been ion-paired with (3-chloropropyl)-trimethoxysilyl-cinchonidium or sparteinium groups chemically bound to the surfaces of MCM-41 [(MCM-41-)(-O)(3)SiCH2CH2CH2NR3+Cl-

}, keywords = {asymmetric catalysis, functionalized MCM-41, hydrogenation catalysts, nanocatalyst, ruthenium carbonyl cluster}, issn = {0926-860X}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcata.2008.04.009}, author = {Indra, Arindam and Basu, Susmit and Kulkarni, Dhanashree G. and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. and Bhaduri, Sumit and Lahiri, Goutam Kumar} } @article { ISI:000258370500013, title = {New route for preparation of luminescent mercaptoethanoate capped cadmium selenide quantum dots}, journal = {Bulletin of Materials Science}, volume = {31}, number = {3}, year = {2008}, note = {National Review and Coordination Meeting on Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Hyderabad, INDIA, 2007}, month = {JUN}, pages = {291-296}, publisher = {INDIAN ACAD SCIENCES}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

We report a synthesis of cadmium selenide quantum dots (Q-CdSe) by refluxing a mixture of cadmium acetate, selenium powder, sodium sulfite and 2-mercaptoethanol in N,N{\textquoteright}-dimethyl formamide (DMF)/water solution. X-ray and electron diffractions suggest the formation of hexagonal phase of size quantized CdSe. Based on TEM analysis, the formation of nanoparticles with an average diameter of 3.5 +/- 0.5 nm is inferred. Their sols in DMF and dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) gave characteristic absorption peaks at 300 nm and 327 nm, which is attributed to the formation of high quality, size quantized CdSe particles. Extracted particles from the sol were readily redispersed in DMF and DMSO, which were diluted further with water without losing their optical and colloidal properties. FTIR spectroscopy suggested the formation of 2-mercaptoethanol thiolate on the particle surface, with free -OH groups available for linkage. Sols in DMSO and their solutions in water displayed an intense photoluminescence (PL).

}, keywords = {chalcogenides, Chemical synthesis, photoluminescence, semiconductor quantum dots}, issn = {0250-4707}, doi = {10.1007/s12034-008-0047-8}, author = {Wankhede, Manoj E. and Inamdar, Shaukatali N. and Deshpande, Aparna and Thete, Aniket R. and Pasricha, Renu and Kulkarni, Sulabha K. and Harani, Santosh K.} } @article {43210, title = {New route to eremophilanes: synthesis of (+/-)-eremophilenolide, (+/-)-eremophiledinone, and (+/-)-deoxyeremopetasidione}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {49}, year = {2008}, month = {OCT}, pages = {6084-6086}, abstract = {A new and efficient route to the family of eremophilanes is reported. Key steps are the highly stereocontrolled Diels-Alder reaction and aldol condensation to furnish a cis-decalin system with the desired stereochemistry present in the eremophilane family of natural products. This approach is general and was utilized for the synthesis of (+/-)-eremophilenolide, (+/-)-eremophiledinone, and (+/-)-deoxyeremopetasidione. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2008.08.006}, author = {Srinivas, P. and Reddy, D. Srinivasa and Kumar, K. Shiva and Dubey, P. K. and Iqbal, Javed and Das, Parthasarathi} } @article { ISI:000252563300006, title = {Selective oxidation of ethane over Mo-V-Al-O oxide catalysts: insight to the factors affecting the selectivity of ethylene and acetic acid and structure-activity correlation studies}, journal = {Catalysis Letters}, volume = {121}, number = {1-2}, year = {2008}, month = {FEB}, pages = {39-51}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Catalysts of general formula, MoVAlOx were prepared with the initial elemental composition of 1:0.34:0.167 (Mo:V:Al) at a pH value in the range of 1-4. The elemental analysis showed that the final composition of the catalysts is pH dependant. The performance of the catalysts was tested for selective oxidation of ethane to give ethylene and acetic acid. While all of them were active for ethane oxidation with a moderate conversion, the catalyst prepared at pH 2 showed a highest activity with 23\% ethane conversion and a combined selectivity of 80.6\% to ethylene and acetic acid. The catalyst prepared at pH 4 was least selective to ethylene and acetic acid. Various techniques like powder XRD, SEM, Raman, UV-Vis and EPR were used to characterize the catalysts and to identify the active phases responsible for the selective oxidation of ethane. The powder XRD data showed that the catalysts prepared at pH 1 and 2 contain mainly of MoO3 and MoV2O8 along with traces of Mo4O11. The amount of MoO3 was slightly higher in the catalyst prepared at pH 1. However, the catalyst prepared at pH 3 contains mainly of MoV2O8 with no trace of MoO3. The catalyst prepared at pH 4 showed V2O5 as the major phase along with MoVAlO4 phase. The Raman data corroborated the XRD results. EPR and UV-Vis studies indicated the presence of traces of V-4 in pH 1 and 2 catalysts and significant amount of Mo5+ in all the catalysts. Thus, the high activity and selectivity to ethylene and acetic acid are attributed to the presence of MoV2O8 phase and other reduced species like Mo4O11 phase supported on MoO3. The presence of V and Mo ions in a partially reduced form seems to play a crucial role in the selective oxidation of ethane.

}, keywords = {Acetic acid, ethane, Ethylene, mixed metal oxide, Selective oxidation}, issn = {1011-372X}, doi = {10.1007/s10562-007-9289-0}, author = {Sankaranarayanan, T. M. and Ingle, Rohit H. and Gaikwad, T. B. and Lokhande, S. K. and Raja, T. and Devi, R. N. and Ramaswamy, V. and Manikandan, Palanichamy} } @article { ISI:000260587200010, title = {Self-diffusion coefficient of ring polymers in semidilute solution}, journal = {Journal of Polymer Science Part B-Polymer Physics}, volume = {46}, number = {21}, year = {2008}, month = {NOV}, pages = {2370-2379}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, abstract = {

In a topologically constraining environment the size of a flexible nonconcatenated ring polymer (macrocycles) and its dynamics are known to differ from that of linear polymers. Hence, the diffusion coefficient of ring polymers can be expected to be different from linear chains. We present here scaling arguments for the concentration and molecular weight dependence of self-diffusion coefficient of ring polymers in semidilute solutions, and show that contrary to expectations these scaling relations are identical to what is known for linear polymers. At higher concentrations excluded volume interactions arising from possibilities of segmental overlap can become effective for large ring polymers. In this regime the diffusion coefficient of large ring polymers shows a relatively weaker dependence on concentration and molecular weight. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 46: 2370-2379, 2008

}, keywords = {Diffusion, Macrocycles, Monte Carlo simulation}, issn = {0887-6266}, doi = {10.1002/polb.21569}, author = {Iyer, Balaj V. S. and Shanbhag, Sachin and Juvekar, Vinay A. and Lele, Ashish K.} } @article { ISI:000262196200011, title = {Synthesis of tryptanthrin and deoxyvasicinone by a regioselective lithiation-intramolecular electrophilic reaction approach}, journal = {Arkivoc}, year = {2008}, month = {JAN}, pages = {100-U9}, publisher = {ARKAT USA INC}, type = {Article}, address = {C/O ALAN R KATRITZKY, UNIV FLORIDA, DEPT CHEMISTRY, PO BOX 117200, GAINESVILLE, FL 32611 USA}, abstract = {

An efficient synthesis of the 4(3H)-quinazolinone-based alkaloids, tryptanthrin and deoxyvasicinone has been achieved in good overall yields by using the strategy of regioselective lithiation-intramolecular electrophilic reaction as a key-step. Both the molecules have been synthesized in just two-steps from readily available starting materials.

}, keywords = {4(3H)-Quinazolinone heterocycles, deoxyvasicinone, lithiation-intramolecular electrophilic reaction, tryptanthrin}, issn = {1424-6376}, author = {Potewar, Taterao M. and Ingale, Sachin A. and Srinivasan, Kumar V.} } @article { ISI:000270665200029, title = {Catalytic aerobic oxidation of cyclohexane and ethyl benzene over chromium-containing mesoporous organosilicas}, journal = {Catalysis Letters}, volume = {132}, number = {3-4}, year = {2009}, month = {OCT}, pages = {492-499}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Chromium-containing ethane-bridged hybrid periodic mesoporous organosilicas (Cr-PMO) were synthesized using 1,2-bis(triethoxysilyl) ethane (BTEE) and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as silica sources and alkyltrimethyl ammonium salts as surfactants by two different synthesis routes. PXRD and N(2) adsorption-desorption analysis shows that the original structure of the materials is maintained after chromium substitution while spectroscopic study proves the incorporation of chromium in the frame wall positions and show the existence of Cr(2)O(3) species in the mixed silica source (BTEE-TEOS) synthesized chromium samples. The catalytic activity of the newly developed chromium samples was evaluated in the liquid phase oxidation of cyclohexane and ethylbenzene using air as an oxidant. Further, the Cr-PMO samples exhibited better cyclohexane conversion and cyclohexanone selectivity than the conventional Cr-MCM-41 and other metal-containing MCM-41 samples. The exceptional activity of the new chromium-containing molecular sieves is attributed to the hydrophobicity of the materials and to the complementary structural features that facilitates the accessibility of substrate to the active framework chromium sites.

}, keywords = {Cr-MCM-41, Cyclohexane, Ethyl benzene, Organosilicas, Oxidation}, issn = {1011-372X}, doi = {10.1007/s10562-009-0121-x}, author = {Singh, A. P. and Torita, N. and Shylesh, S. and Iwasa, N. and Arai, M.} } @article { ISI:000266821100020, title = {Design of an "allsolid-state{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} supercapacitor based on phosphoric acid doped polybenzimidazole (PBI) electrolyte}, journal = {Journal of Applied Electrochemistry}, volume = {39}, number = {7}, year = {2009}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1097-1103}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The effectiveness of phosphoric acid doped polybenzimidazole as a polymer electrolyte membrane to fabricate an all solid-state super capacitor has been explored using hydrous RuO(2)/carbon composite electrodes (20 wt.\%) of surface area 250 m(2) g(-1) with many intrinsic advantages. The electrochemical evaluation of these super capacitors through cyclic voltammetry, charge/discharge and impedance measurements demonstrate the utility of this type of thin, compact and flexible supercapacitor capable of functioning at 150 degrees C to yield a maximum capacitance of about 290 F g(-1) along with a life of more than 1,000 cycles. A power density of 300 W kg(-1) and energy density of 10 Wh kg(-1) have been accomplished although the equivalent series resistance (ESR) of about 3.7 Omega needs to be reduced further for high rated applications.

}, keywords = {Electrochemical characterization, Electrochemical supercapacitor, Energy storage device, PBI electrolyte, RuO(2)/carbon composite}, issn = {0021-891X}, doi = {10.1007/s10800-008-9764-3}, author = {Rathod, Dhanraj and Vijay, Meenu and Islam, Md. Nazrul and Kannan, Ramaiyan and Kharul, Ulhas K. and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Pillai, Vijayamohanan} } @article { ISI:000263152800005, title = {Formal synthesis of (+)-didemniserinolipid B employing a Pd-mediated 6-endo selective alkynediol cycloisomerization}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {50}, number = {3}, year = {2009}, month = {JAN}, pages = {271-273}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Herein, we describe a concise assembly of central 6,8-dioxabicyclo[3,2,1]octane core of didemniserino-lipid by employing a Pd-mediated alkynediol cycloisomerization and a formal total synthesis of didemniserinolipid (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Alkynol cycloisomerization, Bridged bicyclic ketal, Didemniserinolipid, Yamaguchi oxirane alkyne coupling, Zipper reaction}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2008.10.137}, author = {Ramana, C. V. and Induvadana, Boddeti} } @article { ISI:000271713300024, title = {Influence of electronic factors on pd-mediated cycloisomerization: a systematic investigation of competitive 6-exo-dig versus 7-endo-dig cyclizations of sugar alkynols}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {65}, number = {47}, year = {2009}, month = {NOV}, pages = {9819-9832}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Pd-mediated cycloisomerization of 3-C-propargyl-ribo- and allofuranose derivatives was investigated in detail to understand the influence of electronic factors on the regioselectivity (6-exo- vs 7-endo) of alkynol cycloisomerization leading either to a six- or seven-membered ring. In general, the 6-exo-dig mode of cyclization is facile and is independent of electronic factors. With some of the alkynols, a regioselective (7-endo?) hydration of the alkyne unit was observed and this has been attributed to the participation of C(3)-OH. When the C(3)-OH was protected as its benzyl ether, cycloisomerization of these alkynols occurred exclusively in a 6-exo-dig mode resulting in the corresponding [3.2.1]-bicyclic ketals. Additional control experiments conducted were in support of the participation of C(3)-OH in regioselective alkyne hydration. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Alkynol cycloisomerization, Bridged bicyclic ketal, Palladium, Sonogashira coupling, Sugar alkynol}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2009.09.071}, author = {Ramana, C. V. and Induvadana, Boddeti and Srinivas, Burgula and Yadagiri, Kommagalla and Deshmukh, Madhusudhan N. and Gonnade, Rajesh G.} } @article { ISI:000266640800030, title = {Modulation and optimization of drug release from uncoated low density porous carrier based delivery system}, journal = {AAPS Pharmscitech}, volume = {10}, number = {2}, year = {2009}, month = {JUN}, pages = {547-558}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

The purpose of this research work was to explore an application of uncoated porous drug carrier prepared by single-step drug adsorption for a delivery system based on integration of floating and pulsatile principles intended for chronotherapy. This objective was achieved by utilizing 3(2) factorial design, solvent volume (X (1)) and drug amount (X (2)) as selected variables, for drug adsorption using solvents, methanol, and dichloromethane (DCM), of varying polarity. Nitrogen adsorption (N(2)), scanning electron microscopy of cross-sections, and atomic force microscopy were done to study adsorption patterns and their effect on release pattern. Drug release study was customized by performing for 6 h in acidic environment to mimic gastroretention followed by basic environment akin to transit phase. Correlation between porous data from mercury and N(2) adsorption was probably studied for the first time. Observed regression analysis values for pore volume, surface area, and drug release indicated the influence of selected variables. Total release range in acidic medium was 12.77-24.57\% for methanol, 8.79-15.26\% for DCM, and final release of 69.45-92.23\% for methanol, and 60.16-99.99\% for DCM influenced by varying internal geometries was observed. Present form of drug delivery system devoid of any additives/excipients influencing drug release shows distinct behavior from other approaches/technologies in chronotherapy by (a) observing desired low drug release (8\%) in acidic medium, (b) overcoming the limitations of process variables caused by multiple formulation steps and different characteristic polymers, (c) reducing time consumption due to single step process, and (d) extending as controlled/extended release.

}, keywords = {chronotherapy, floating pulsatile drug delivery system, low density porous carrier, pore data, solvent polarity}, issn = {1530-9932}, doi = {10.1208/s12249-009-9239-9}, author = {Sher, Praveen and Ingavle, Ganesh C. and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Poddar, Pankaj and Pawar, Atmaram P.} } @article { ISI:000273174300036, title = {Novel/conceptual floating pulsatile system using high internal phase emulsion based porous material intended for chronotherapy}, journal = {AAPS Pharmscitech}, volume = {10}, number = {4}, year = {2009}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1368-1380}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

The aim of the present study was to design a novel/conceptual delivery system using ibuprofen, anticipated for chronotherapy in arthritis with porous material to overcome the formulation limits (multiple steps, polymers, excipients) and to optimize drug loading for a desired release profile suitable for in vitro investigations. The objective of this delivery system lies in the availability of maximum drug amount for absorption in the wee hours as recommended. Drug loading using 3(2) factorial design on porous carrier, synthesized by high internal phase emulsion technique using styrene and divinylbenzene, was done via solvent evaporation using methanol and dichloromethane. The system was evaluated in vitro for drug loading, encapsulation efficiency, and surface characterization by scanning electron, atomic force microscopy, and customized drug release study. This study examined critical parameters such as solvent volume, drug amount, and solvent polarity on investigations related to drug adsorption and release mostly favoring low-polarity solvent dichloromethane. Overall release in all batches ranged 0.98-52\% in acidic medium and 71-94\% in basic medium. These results exhibit uniqueness in achieving the least drug release of 0.98\%, an ideal one, without using any release modifiers, making it distinct from other approaches/technologies for time and controlled release and for chronotherapy.

}, keywords = {chronotherapy, floating pulsatile drug delivery system, high internal phase emulsion, ibuprofen, multiparticulate porous carriers}, issn = {1530-9932}, doi = {10.1208/s12249-009-9331-1}, author = {Sher, Praveen and Ingavle, Ganesh C. and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Benson, James R. and Li, Nai-Hong and Pawar, Atmaram P.} } @article { ISI:000271103500021, title = {Self-similar dynamics of a flexible ring polymer in a fixed obstacle environment: a coarse-grained molecular model}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {48}, number = {21}, year = {2009}, month = {NOV}, pages = {9514-9522}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

In this contribution we concern ourselves with an interesting problem, namely, the dynamics of ideal flexible ring polymers constrained in tin array of fixed obstacles. The fundamental issue in this problem is to understand how a topologically constrained polymer chain is able to relax its conformation in the absence of chain ends. The key physics was provided in tin elegant scaling theory by Rubinstein and co-workers (Obukhov, S. P; Rubinstein, M.; Duke, T. Dynamics of a Ring Polymer in a Gel. Phys. Rev. Lett. 1994, 73, 1263-1267). In this work we develop a coarse-grained mean-field model based oil the physical arguments of the scaling theory and derive constitutive relations for rings in fixed obstacle and melt environments. The model is composed of three distinct steps. In the first step the dynamics of an arbitrary section of a ring chain is worked out based oil fractal Blob-Spring (BS) dynamics, and the center of mass diffusion and the relaxation spectrum of this section are determined. In the second step the center of mass diffusion obtained using the BS dynamics is used to model the one-dimensional diffusion of the section in a topologically constrained environment. In the final step we invoke the idea of dynamic self-similarity and argue that the dynamics described in the first and the second step, for any arbitrary section of the chain, applies to all sections of the chain. The constitutive relation is obtained consequently as the superposition of dynamic response of all sections of the ring chain.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/ie900535v}, author = {Iyer, Balaji V. S. and Lele, Ashish K. and Juvekar, Vinay A. and Mashelkar, Raghunath Anant} } @article {43208, title = {Total synthesis of (+/-)-petasitolone and (+/-)-fukinone}, journal = {Synthesis-Stuttgart}, year = {2009}, month = {NOV}, pages = {3833-3837}, abstract = {An efficient, general, and fully stereocontrolled synthesis of eremophilane-type compounds is disclosed. The approach features a highly diastereoselective Diels-Alder/aldol sequence to give a common intermediate, which is subsequently exploited to produce (+/-)-petasitolone and (+/-)-fukinone in a short sequence.}, doi = {10.1055/s-0029-1218150}, author = {Pasikanti, Srinivas and Reddy, D. Srinivasa and Iqbal, Javed and Dubey, Pramod Kumar and Das, Parthasarathi} } @article { ISI:000264434000008, title = {Variation in acid moiety of polybenzimidazoles: investigation of physico-chemical properties towards their applicability as proton exchange and gas separation membrane materials}, journal = {Polymer}, volume = {50}, number = {6}, year = {2009}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1403-1413}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A series of polybenzimidazoles (PBIs) were prepared from 3,3{\textquoteright}-diaminobenzidine (DAB) and substituted aromatic dicarboxylic acids. Effects of added polarity, bulk and isomerism in the dicarboxylic acid moiety on the properties of formed aromatic polybenzimidazoles were investigated. Solution polycondensation procedure was optimized for individual case of PBI synthesis in order to obtain inherent viscosity of \>= 1 dL/g. Analysis of physical properties, water uptake, acid doping (H(3)PO(4) and H(2)SO(4)) and gas permeability was performed. All these PBIs exhibited high thermal stability, good solvent solubility and amorphous nature. The uptake of H(3)PO(4) varied from 9 to 20.1 moles per repeat unit (mol/RU), H(2)SO(4) uptake varied from 3.39 to 3.81 mol/RU, while water uptake varied from 1.8 to 3.6 mol/RU of PBI. The dibromoterephthalic acid and tert-butylisophthalic acid based PBI showed the highest H(3)PO(4) uptake in the series, while tert-butylisophthalic acid based PBI exhibited the highest water uptake. Acid uptake was correlated with swelling of the PBI matrix, while density estimation of H(3)PO(4)-doped PBI by He gas expansion method could be correlated to the physical state of PBI. 5-tert-Butylisophthalic acid and 4,4{\textquoteright}-(hexafluoroisopropylidene)bis(benzoic acid) based PBI exhibited higher H(2) and O(2) permeability than other PBIs. The ideal gas selectivity for O(2)/H(2) was considerably higher for most of the PBIs than conventional gas separation membrane materials. These analyses suggested that some of these PBIs have a potential to be used as a PEM or gas separation membrane material. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Gas permeability, Polybenzimidazole, Proton exchange membrane}, issn = {0032-3861}, doi = {10.1016/j.polymer.2009.01.043}, author = {Kumbharkar, S. C. and Islam, Md. Nazrul and Potrekar, R. A. and Kharul, Ulhas K.} } @article { ISI:000273403400066, title = {Adsorption induced enzyme denaturation: the role of polymer hydrophobicity in adsorption and denaturation of alpha-chymotrypsin on allyl glycidyl ether (AGE)-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDM) copolymers}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {26}, number = {2}, year = {2010}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1096-1106}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Effects of changes in hydrophobicity of polymeric support oil structure and activity of alpha-chymotrypsin (E.C.3.4.21.1) have been studied with copolymers of allyl glycidyl ether (AGE) and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDM) with increasing molar ratio of EGDM to AGE (cross-link density 0.05 to 1.5). The enzyme is readily adsorbed front aqueous buffer at room temperature following Langmuir adsorption isotherms in unexpectedly large amounts (25\% w/w). Relative hydrophobicity of the copolymers has been assessed by studying adsorption of naphthalene and Fmoc-methionine by the series of copolymers from aqueous solutions. Polymer hydrophobicity appears to increase linearly oil increasing cross-link density from 0.05 to 0.25. Further increase in cross-link density Causes a decrease in naphthalene binding but has little effect on binding of Fmoc-Met. Binding of alpha-chymotrypsin to these copolymers follow the trend for Fmoc-methionine binding, rather than naphthalene binding, indicating involvement of polar interactions along with hydrophobic interactions during binding of protein to the polymer. The adsorbed enzyme undergoes extensive denaturation (ca. 80\%) with loss of both tertiary and secondary structure on contact with the copolymers as revealed by fluorescence, CID and Raman spectra of the adsorbed protein. Comparison of enzyme adsorption behavior with Eupergit C, macroporous Amberlite XAD-2, and XAD-7 Suggests that polar interactions of the EGDM ester functional groups with the protein play a significant role in enzyme denaturation.

}, issn = {0743-7463}, doi = {10.1021/la904114u}, author = {Lahari, Challa and Jasti, Lakshmi Swarnalatha and Fadnavis, Nitin W. and Sontakke, Kalpana and Ingavle, Ganesh C. and Deokar, Sarika Babasaheb and Ponrathnam, Surendra} } @article { ISI:000278307300010, title = {Citrate-capped quantum dots of CdSe for the selective photometric detection of silver ions in aqueous solutions}, journal = {Materials Science and Engineering B-Advanced Functional Solid-State Materials}, volume = {168}, number = {1-3, SI}, year = {2010}, note = {Conference on Specialty Advanced Materials and Polymers for Aerospace and Defense and Applications (SAMPADA-2008), Mat Res Soc Singapore, Singapore, SINGAPORE, JUL 03-08, 2005}, month = {APR}, pages = {60-65}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A simple strategy for the synthesis of water soluble, luminescent, citrate-capped CdSe quantum dots (Q-CdSe) and their applications to selective detection of silver ions are described. The steady state photoluminescence (PL) spectra show single, narrow emission band at ca. 554 nm without any contribution from the trap states. The effect of various ions including physiologically important metal ions (viz. K(+), Ca(2+), Fe(3+), Zn(2+), Mg(2+), Mn(2+), Cu(2+), Ag(+), Pb(2+) and Cd(2+)), on the PL intensity of citrate-capped Q-CdSe has been studied. Among these, selective luminescence quenching with Ag(+) ion was found to be predominant. Under the optimum conditions, the response was linear between 1.7 and 18 mu M. The quenching constant K(SV) was found to be ca. 3.4 x 10(5) M(-1). The mechanism of photoluminescence quenching of Q-CdSe by metal ions (Ag(+)) is also discussed. Based on these studies, the potential use of Q-CdSe as a luminescent probe for the selective detection of silver ion has been proposed. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ag(+) ions, Luminescence quenching, Luminescent probe, Q-CdSe, Tri-sodium citrate}, issn = {0921-5107}, doi = {10.1016/j.mseb.2009.10.033}, author = {Ingole, Pravin P. and Rajiv M. Abhyankar and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Haram, Santosh K.} } @article { ISI:000281754000029, title = {DFT Study of lewis base interactions with the MgCl2 surface in the ziegler-natta catalytic system: expanding the role of the donors}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {114}, number = {37}, year = {2010}, month = {SEP}, pages = {15771-15781}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

We present a computational study, using density functional theory, of the role of internal and external donors in supported heterogeneous Ziegler-Natta polymerization catalyst systems. The focus of the investigation is the ability of the donors to stabilize the MgCl2 support through the zip mode of coordination. Phthalates and alkoxy benzoates have been considered as representative internal and external donors, respectively. Models for the alpha (ccp) and the beta (hcp) phases of the (110) MgCl2 lateral cut have been considered. Studies were first done with a {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}Fully Fixed Model{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}, where the atoms in the MgCl2 lateral cuts were kept fixed. The studies indicated that the phthalate donors would preferentially stabilize the alpha phase of MgCl2, while the alkoxy benzoate donors would stabilize the beta phase more, corroborating experimental results. A comparison of the zip coordination mode with other modes of coordination (mono, chelate, and bridge) indicates that it would be preferred over the mono and chelate coordination modes and be competitive with the bridge coordination mode. The validity of the Fully Fixed Model was then tested by doing calculations with the Partially Relaxed (some of the magnesium and chlorine atoms unfixed) and the Fully Relaxed (all atoms free) Models. The results from the latter two models corrected some of the discrepancies that had been observed for the Fully Fixed Model in comparison to previous experimental and computational investigations but were in general agreement with the Fully Fixed Model, indicating that the overall conclusions drawn with the earlier model are correct. Insertion studies done on an octahedrally coordinated titanium site flanked by two zip-coordinated phthalate donor molecules indicated that the zip-coordinating donors can confer exceptional regioselectivity to the titanium center. A list of potential donors that could serve as external donors, with di-iso-butyl phthalate (DIBP) as the internal donor, was investigated, and it was found that 1,3-diethers would serve as the best external donors to DIBP.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp106673b}, author = {Vanka, Kumar and Singh, Gurmeet and Iyer, Divya and Gupta, Virendra K.} } @article {43206, title = {Efficient synthesis of varenicline}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {51}, year = {2010}, month = {JAN}, pages = {151-152}, abstract = {Synthesis of varenicline the antismoking drug has been achieved in six steps with 10\% overall yield. A Diels-Alder reaction, oxidative cleavage of an olefin and reductive amination remain as key steps in the synthesis (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2009.10.107}, author = {Pasikanti, Srinivas and Reddy, D. Srinivasa and Venkatesham, B. and Dubey, P. K. and Iqbal, Javed and Das, Parthasarathi} } @article { ISI:000272936000061, title = {Fluconazole analogues containing 2H-1,4-benzothiazin-3(4H)-one or 2H-1,4-benzoxazin-3(4H)-one moieties, a novel class of anti-Candida agents}, journal = {Bioorganic \& Medicinal Chemistry Letters}, volume = {20}, number = {2}, year = {2010}, month = {JAN}, pages = {722-725}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

As a part of our program to develop new antifungal agents, a series of fluconazole analogues was designed and synthesized wherein one of the triazole moieties in fluconazole was replaced with 2H-1,4-benzothiazin-3(4H)-one or 2H-1,4-benzoxazin-3(4H)-one moiety. The new chemical entities thus synthesized were screened against various fungi and it was observed that the compounds 4a and 4i are potent inhibitors of Candida strains. The structure-activity relationship for these compounds is discussed. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {antifungal, Benzothiazinone, Benzoxazinone, Fluconazole}, issn = {0960-894X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bmcl.2009.11.071}, author = {Borate, Hanumant B. and Maujan, Suleman R. and Sawargave, Sangmeshwer P. and Chandavarkar, Mohan A. and Vaiude, Sharangi R. and Joshi, Vinay A. and Wakharkar, Radhika D. and Iyer, Ramki and Kelkar, Ramesh G. and Chavan, Subhash P. and Kunte, Sunita S.} } @article { ISI:000278307300033, title = {Ring opening polymerization of dilactide using salen complex as catalyst}, journal = {Materials Science and Engineering B-Advanced Functional Solid-State Materials}, volume = {168}, number = {1-3, SI}, year = {2010}, note = {Conference on Specialty Advanced Materials and Polymers for Aerospace and Defense and Applications (SAMPADA-2008), Mat Res Soc Singapore, Singapore, SINGAPORE, JUL 03-08, 2005}, month = {APR}, pages = {193-198}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The recent concerns about our environment have led to search for environmentally benign and sustainable materials that could substitute the more commonly used petroleum based materials. Biodegradable and sustainable polylactide (PLA) is becoming one of the most promising and practical materials as a partial replacement for the petroleum-based materials. The commercially available PLA is generally homochiral poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) at present because L-lactic acid with high optical purity can only be obtained in bulk by fermentation of carbohydrate. PLLA is mostly synthesized by ring opening polymerization (ROP) of homochiral L-lactide (LLA), which is a cyclic dimer of L-lactic acid. In the present work, poly(L-lactide)s were synthesized by the ring opening polymerization (ROP) of L-lactide using iron and manganese salen complexes as catalyst. The new iron and manganese salen complexes were synthesized, purified, characterized and used as catalyst for polymerization of L-lactide. The poly(L-lactide)s prepared were characterized by infrared, proton NMR spectroscopy, solution viscosity, gel permeation chromatography, thermal analysis and X-ray diffraction. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Gel permeation chromatography, Iron salen catalyst, L-Lactic acid, L-Lactide, Manganese salen catalyst, Poly(L-lactide), ring opening polymerization, Solution viscosity}, issn = {0921-5107}, doi = {10.1016/j.mseb.2009.10.037}, author = {Idage, Bhaskar B. and Idage, Susheela B. and Kasegaonkar, A. S. and Jadhav, R. V.} } @proceedings {42729, title = {Development of embedded system for In-Situ QCM measurements to study molecular recognition processes}, year = {2011}, month = {JAN}, address = {Chennai}, author = {Iyer, Neelima} } @article {43240, title = {Effect of solvation on the vertical ionization energy of thymine: from microhydration to bulk}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry A}, volume = {115}, year = {2011}, month = {JUN}, pages = {6028-6038}, abstract = {The effect of hydration on the vertical ionization energy (VIE) of thymine was characterized using equation-of-motion ionization potential coupled-cluster (EOM-IP-CCSD) and effective fragment potential (EFP) methods. We considered several microsolvated clusters as well as thymine solvated in bulk water. The VIE in bulk water was computed by averaging over solvent-solute configurations obtained from equilibrium molecular dynamics trajectories at 300 K. The effect of microsolvation was analyzed and contrasted against the combined effect of the first solvation shell in bulk water. Microsolvation reduces the ionization energy (IE) by about 0.1 eV per water molecule, while the first solvation shell increases the IE by 0.1 eV. The subsequent solvation lowers the IE, and the bulk value of the solvent-induced shift of thymine{\textquoteright}s VIE is approximately -0.9 eV. The combined effect of the first solvation shell was explained in terms of specific solute-solvent interactions, which were investigated using model structures. The convergence of LE to the bulk value requires the hydration sphere of approximately 13.5 angstrom radius. The performance of the EOM-IP-CCSD/EFP scheme was benchmarked against full EOM-IP-CCSD using microhydrated structures. The errors were found to be less than 0.01-0.02 eV. The relative importance of the polarization and higher multipole moments in EFP model was also investigated.}, doi = {10.1021/jp110438c}, author = {Ghosh, Debashree and Isayev, Olexandr and Slipchenko, Lyudmila V. and Krylov, Anna I.} } @article { ISI:000291182100026, title = {Efficiency and recycling capability of montmorillonite supported Fe-Ni bimetallic nanocomposites towards hexavalent chromium remediation}, journal = {Applied Catalysis B-Environmental}, volume = {104}, number = {3-4}, year = {2011}, month = {MAY}, pages = {407-414}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The remediation of Cr(VI) from simulated water streams is investigated using Fe-Ni bimetallic nanoparticles (Fe-Ni NPs) and their nanocomposites prepared with montmorillonite (MMT) clay. These nanocomposites are characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analyses. XRD analysis revealed proper dispersion as well as intercalation of Fe-Ni NPs in the clay matrix. TEM of nanocomposites showed the presence of spherical particles having a size of 20-40 nm. Batch experiments with a 25 mg L(-1) Cr(VI) solution and 2 g L-1 Fe-Ni NPs exhibited complete reduction of Cr(VI) within 10 min that follows first order reaction kinetics. Amongst 25\%, 50\%, 75\% in situ and loaded nanocomposites, 75\% compositions possess better activity with enhanced reduction capacity below pH 4 due to generation of reactive H center dot species. XPS analysis of nanocomposites after Cr(VI) treatment suggested that reduction process occurs through Cr(111) formation followed by its subsequent reduction to Cr(0). Their potentiality towards reusage is established from the recycling experiments that revealed the order of efficiency as 75\% in situ \> Fe-Ni NPs \> 75\% loaded nanocomposites. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Cr(VI) remediation, Iron-nickel bimetallics, Montmorillonite, Nanocomposites, Recycling}, issn = {0926-3373}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcatb.2011.02.011}, author = {Kadu, Brijesh S. and Sathe, Yogesh D. and Ingle, Abhijit B. and Chikate, Rajeev C. and Patil, Kashinath R. and Rode, Chandrashekhar V.} } @article { ISI:000286732600010, title = {Enhanced DNA binding of 9-omega-amino alkyl ether analogs from the plant alkaloid berberine}, journal = {DNA and Cell Biology}, volume = {30}, number = {2}, year = {2011}, month = {FEB}, pages = {123-133}, publisher = {MARY ANN LIEBERT, INC}, address = {140 HUGUENOT STREET, 3RD FL, NEW ROCHELLE, NY 10801 USA}, abstract = {

To understand the structure-activity relationship of isoquinoline alkaloids, absorption, fluorescence, circular dichroism, and thermodynamics were employed to study the interaction of five C-9-omega-amino alkyl ether analogs from the plant alkaloid berberine with double-stranded calf thymus DNA. The C-9 derivatization resulted in dramatic enhancements in the fluorescence emission of these compounds. The most remarkable changes in the spectral and binding properties were in the BC4 and BC5 derivatives. Interactions of these analogs, which have an additional recognition motif with DNA, were evaluated through different spectroscopic and calorimetric titration experiments. The analogs remarkably enhanced the DNA binding affinity and the same was directly dependent on the alkyl chain length. The analog with six alkyl chains enhanced the DNA binding affinity by about 33 times compared with berberine. The binding became more entropically driven with increasing chain length. These results may be of potential use in the design of berberine derivatives and understanding of the structure-activity relationship for improved therapeutic applications.

}, issn = {1044-5498}, doi = {10.1089/dna.2010.1109}, author = {Islam, Md Maidul and Basu, Anirban and Hossain, Maidul and Sureshkumar, Gopalsamy and Hotha, Srinivas and Kumar, Gopinatha Suresh} } @article { ISI:000293168000044, title = {Novel hybrids of fluconazole and furanones: design, synthesis and antifungal activity}, journal = {Bioorganic \& Medicinal Chemistry Letters}, volume = {21}, number = {16}, year = {2011}, month = {AUG}, pages = {4873-4878}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

During our efforts to develop new antifungal agents, a number of hybrid molecules containing furanones and fluconazole pharmacophores were designed and synthesized. The new chemical entities thus synthesized were tested for their potential as antifungal agents against various fungal strains and it was observed that the compounds with general structure 7 were potent inhibitors of Candida albicans ATCC 24433, Candida glabrata ATCC 90030, Candida tropicalis ATCC 750 and Candida neoformans ATCC 34664 while the fluconazole analogues 12 exhibited antifungal activity against Candida albicans ATCC 24433 and Candida glabrata ATCC 90030. The structure-activity relationship for these compounds is discussed. The synthetic strategies used in the present work have potential to prepare a large number of compounds for further refinement of structures to obtain molecules suitable for development as antifungal drugs. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Antifungal activity, Fluconazole, Furanones}, issn = {0960-894X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bmcl.2011.06.022}, author = {Borate, Hanumant B. and Sawargave, Sangmeshwer P. and Chavan, Subhash P. and Chandavarkar, Mohan A. and Iyer, Ramki and Tawte, Amit and Rao, Deepali and Deore, Jaydeep V. and Kudale, Ananada S. and Mahajan, Pankaj S. and Kangire, Gopinath S.} } @article {43203, title = {Novel pyrazole-3-carboxamide derivatives as cannabinoid-1 (CB1) antagonists: journey from non-polar to polar amides}, journal = {Bioorganic \& Medicinal Chemistry Letters}, volume = {21}, year = {2011}, month = {JAN}, pages = {562-568}, abstract = {The synthesis and biological evaluation of novel pyrazole-3-carboxamide derivatives as CB1 antagonists are described. As a part of eastern amide SAR, various chemically diverse motifs were introduced. In general, a range of modifications were well tolerated. Several molecules with high polar surface area were also indentified as potent CB1 receptor antagonists. The in vivo proof of principle for weight loss is exemplified with a lead compound from this series. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.bmcl.2010.10.055}, author = {Sasmal, Pradip K. and Reddy, D. Srinivasa and Talwar, Rashmi and Venkatesham, B. and Balasubrahmanyam, D. and Kannan, M. and Srinivas, P. and Kumar, K. Shiva and Devi, B. Neelima and Jadhav, Vikram P. and Khan, Sanjoy K. and Mohan, Priya and Chaudhury, Hira and Bhuniya, Debnath and Iqbal, Javed and Chakrabarti, Ranjan} } @article { ISI:000287996100027, title = {Selective catalytic oxidation of geraniol to citral with molecular oxygen in supercritical carbon dioxide}, journal = {Applied Catalysis A-General}, volume = {394}, number = {1-2}, year = {2011}, month = {FEB}, pages = {209-214}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Selective catalytic oxidation of geraniol to citral with molecular oxygen in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO(2)) has been investigated. The catalyst used was a chromium containing mesoporous molecular sieve catalyst viz. CrMCM-41. Comparison studies were performed with CoMCM-41. PtMCM-41 and PdMCM-41 catalysts. Among the various catalysts studied. CrMCM-41 showed a high conversion of geraniol and an excellent selectivity for citral. In contrast CoMCM-41, PtMCM-41 and PdMCM-41 catalysts exhibited low conversion of geraniol. However all three catalysts compared showed similar citral selectivity to CrMCM-41. The effect of CO(2) pressure and reaction temperature geraniol oxidation was studied with CrMCM-41. Supercritical CO(2) medium was found to enhance the conversion of geraniol and/or yield of citral. It was noticed that the catalyst can be recycled with negligible loss of conversion. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Citral, Geraniol, heterogeneous catalyst, Molecular oxygen, Selective oxidation, Supercritical carbon dioxide}, issn = {0926-860X}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcata.2011.01.001}, author = {Dapurkar, Sudhir E. and Kawanami, Hajime and Chatterjee, Maya and Rode, Chandrasekhar V. and Yokoyama, Toshirou and Ikushima, Yutaka} } @article { ISI:000291421400015, title = {Selective hydrogenation of chloronitrobenzenes with an MCM-41 supported platinum allyl complex derived catalyst}, journal = {Applied Catalysis A-General}, volume = {399}, number = {1-2}, year = {2011}, month = {MAY}, pages = {117-125}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A platinuin precatalyst (1) has been prepared by reacting [(eta(3)-C3H5)(4)Pt4Cl4] with surface functionalized MCM-41 with pendant -(CH2)(3)NH(CH2)(2)NH2 groups. For the hydrogenation of o-, m- and p-chloronitrobenzenes to the corresponding chloroanilines, 1 is found to be a highly active catalyst with good selectivities for them-and p-isomers. Its performance is superior to that of its palladium analogue and far superior to that of commercial (5\%) Pt/C or (5\%) Pt/Al2O3. Comparison of solid state and solution NMR data and other evidences indicate that on treatment with the functionalized MCM-41 support; [(eta(3)-C3H5)(4)Pt4Cl4] loses the ally! ligand. XPS data show that in the fresh catalyst Pt is present in the 2+ oxidation state. Based on these and analytical data, co-ordination by surface diamine and hydroxo groups to Pt2+ in 1 is suggested. In the used catalyst both Pt2+ and Pt are present but the amount of metallic platinum is similar to 16\% of the total. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Chloronitrobenzenes, Dehydrohalogenation, heterogeneous catalyst, MCM-41, Selective hydrogenation}, issn = {0926-860X}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcata.2011.03.044}, author = {Indra, Arindam and Rajamohanan, Pattuparambil R. and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. and Bhaduri, Sumit and Lahiri, Goutam Kumar} } @article { ISI:000296871800013, title = {Sharp cut algorithm for optimization}, journal = {Computers \& Chemical Engineering}, volume = {35}, number = {12}, year = {2011}, month = {DEC}, pages = {2716-2728}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

In this paper, we introduce a new cutting plane algorithm which is computationally less expensive and more efficient than Kelley{\textquoteright}s algorithm. This new cutting plane algorithm uses an intersection cut of three types of cutting planes. We find from numerical results that the global search method formed using successive linear programming and a new intersection set is at least twice as fast as Kelley{\textquoteright}s cutting planes. The necessary mathematical analysis and convergence theorem are provided. The key findings are illustrated via optimization of a cascade of three CSTRs. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Convergence theorem, Cutting plane, Sharp cut, Successive linear programming}, issn = {0098-1354}, doi = {10.1016/j.compchemeng.2010.11.010}, author = {Inamdar, Satish R. and Karimi, I. A. and Parulekar, S. J. and Kulkarni, B. D.} } @article { ISI:000306503200003, title = {Activity modulated low platium content oxygen reduction electrocatalysts prepared by inducing nano-order dislocations on carbon nanofiber through N-2-doping}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {116}, number = {28}, year = {2012}, month = {JUL}, pages = {14754-14763}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

We demonstrate how surface unsaturation developed during small order buckling of graphene interlayer upon doping iron nitride (i.e., FeNx) moieties in carbon nanofiber can be utilized as a very efficient mode of surface activation to establish fine distribution of Pt nanoparticles with 10 wt \%. The surface dislocations have been effectively modulating the oxygen reduction characteristics of Pt through synergistic effects of the interacting species. The simultaneous enhancement of dispersion of Pt and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity with a low weight percentage of dispersed Pt has been attained by FeNx doping, which increases the density of the active sites owing to the formation of fine and abundant delaminated regions on the CNF surface. HR-TEM images clearly depict the fine distribution of Pt nanoparticles on the delaminated regions of FeNxCNF. The stable incorporation of Pt on nitrogen doped active sites has been further confirmed by observing the formation of Pt-N peak at 391.5 eV using XPS analysis. The fine distribution of Pt nanoparticles along the abundant nanopockets between the buckled graphene layers helped the system to attain significantly high electrochemically active surface area of Pt as evident from the cyclic voltammetric studies. The mass activity of PtFeNxCNF at 0.9 V vs RHE is 4.9 mA mgPt(-1) which is two times higher than that of E-TEK. The superior catalytic activity (exchange current density (i(0)) at 0.8 V is 2.61X 10(-6)) could be further confirmed by single cell evaluation of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) of polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC), where the cathode electrode was fabricated from this new catalyst.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp300881p}, author = {Palaniselvam, Thangavelu and Irshad, Ahamed and Unni, Bipinlal and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article { ISI:000312149600044, title = {Base promoted highly efficient copper fluorapatite catalyzed coupling of phenols with arylboronic acids under mild and ligand-free conditions}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {2}, number = {33}, year = {2012}, month = {OCT}, pages = {12818-12823}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A mild, general and highly efficient protocol has been developed for the synthesis of diaryl ethers in good to excellent yield under mild and ligand-free conditions. This is the first example in which a recyclable, heterogeneous copper fluorapatite catalyst is used for the arylation of phenols with arylboronic acids at room temperature in the presence of Cs2CO3 as a base and methanol as a solvent. The catalyst was recovered and reused several times without loss of catalytic activity.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c2ra21850j}, author = {Mulla, Shafeek Abdul Rashid and Inamdar, Suleman M. and Pathan, Mohsinkhan Y. and Chavan, Santosh S.} } @article { ISI:000301921300006, title = {Crystallization and X-ray structure analysis of a thermostable penicillin G acylase from alcaligenes faecalis}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica Section F-Structural Biology and Crystallization Communications}, volume = {68}, number = {3}, year = {2012}, month = {MAR}, pages = {273-277}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, abstract = {

{The enzyme penicillin G acylase (EC 3.5.1.11) catalyzes amide-bond cleavage in benzylpenicillin (penicillin G) to yield 6-aminopenicillanic acid, an intermediate chemical used in the production of semisynthetic penicillins. A thermostable penicillin G acylase from Alcaligenes faecalis (AfPGA) has been crystallized using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method in two different space groups: C2221, with unit-cell parameters a = 72.9

}, keywords = {calcium binding, disulfide bridges, Ntn hydrolases, orthorhombic form, tetragonal form, Thermostability}, issn = {1744-3091}, doi = {10.1107/S1744309111053930}, author = {Varshney, Nishant Kumar and Kumar, R. Suresh and Ignatova, Zoya and Prabhune, Asmita and Pundle, Archana and Dodson, Eleanor J. and Suresh, C. G.} } @article { ISI:000312974300031, title = {CuO nanoparticles supported on silica: a simple, efficient, and recyclable catalyst for hydroacylation reactions of aldehydes with azodicarboxylate}, journal = {Chemistry Letters}, volume = {41}, number = {11}, year = {2012}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1484-1486}, publisher = {CHEMICAL SOC JAPAN}, address = {1-5 KANDA-SURUGADAI CHIYODA-KU, TOKYO, 101-8307, JAPAN}, abstract = {

We describe a green and efficient procedure for the hydroacylation of aldehydes with diisopropyl azodicarboxylate, using CuO nanoparticles supported on silica (CuO-np/SiO2) as a catalyst, in good to excellent yields. A wide range of aldehydes, including aromatic and aliphatic compounds, were considered. The catalyst is found to be truly heterogeneous in the reaction mixture and can be reused without loss of catalytic activity.

}, issn = {0366-7022}, doi = {10.1246/cl.2012.1484}, author = {Inamdar, Suleman M. and More, Vinod K. and Mandal, Sisir K.} } @article { ISI:000302023500063, title = {Efficient, rapid synthesis of bis(indolyl)methane using ethyl ammonium nitrate as an ionic liquid}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {2}, number = {8}, year = {2012}, month = {MAR}, pages = {3525-3529}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A simple and rapid protocol has been developed for an efficient synthesis of bis( indolyl)methane in excellent yields using ethyl ammonium nitrate (EAN) as reusable ionic liquid at room temperature. The protocol involves an electrophilic substitution reaction of indoles with several aldehydes.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c2ra00849a}, author = {Mulla, Shafeek Abdul Rashid and Sudalai, A. and Pathan, Mohsinkhan Y. and Siddique, Shafi A. and Inamdar, Suleman M. and Chavan, Santosh S. and Reddy, R. Santosh} } @article { ISI:000301965000034, title = {Ligand free, highly efficient synthesis of diaryl ether over copper fluorapatite as heterogeneous reusable catalyst}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {53}, number = {14}, year = {2012}, month = {APR}, pages = {1826-1829}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A novel ligand-free, highly efficient, and an inexpensive method has been developed by using ecofriendly, heterogeneous reusable copper fluorapatite (CuFAP) catalyst for the synthesis of diaryl ethers from the cross coupling reaction of the various substituted aryl halides (fluoride, chloride, bromide, and iodide) with the potassium salts of various substituted phenols in the presence of N-methyl 2-pyrrolidone (NMP) as a solvent at 120 degrees C. The protocol obtained the corresponding cross coupling products in good to excellent yield. The CuFAP catalyst was recovered by simple filtration from the reaction mixture and reused several times without the loss of catalytic activity. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Arylhalide, Copper fluorapatite, Diaryl ethers, phenol, Ullmann coupling}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2012.01.124}, author = {Mulla, Shafeek Abdul Rashid and Inamdar, Suleman M. and Pathan, Mohsinkhan Y. and Chavan, Santosh S.} } @article { ISI:000306651100077, title = {Novel anti-inflammatory activity of epoxyazadiradione against macrophage migration inhibitory factor inhibition of tautomerase and proinflammatory activities of macrophage migration inhibitory factor}, journal = {Journal of Biological Chemistry}, volume = {287}, number = {29}, year = {2012}, month = {JUL}, pages = {24844-24861}, publisher = {AMER SOC BIOCHEMISTRY MOLECULAR BIOLOGY INC}, address = {9650 ROCKVILLE PIKE, BETHESDA, MD 20814-3996 USA}, abstract = {

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is responsible for proinflammatory reactions in various infectious and noninfectious diseases. We have investigated the mechanism of anti-inflammatory activity of epoxyazadiradione, a limonoid purified from neem (Azadirachta indica) fruits, against MIF. Epoxyazadiradione inhibited the tautomerase activity of MIF of both human (huMIF) and malaria parasites (Plasmodium falciparum (PfMIF) and Plasmodium yoelii (PyMIF)) non-competitively in a reversible fashion (K-i, 2.11-5.23 mu M). Epoxyazadiradione also significantly inhibited MIF (huMIF, PyMIF, and PfMIF)-mediated proinflammatory activities in RAW 264.7 cells. It prevented MIF-induced macrophage chemotactic migration, NF-kappa B translocation to the nucleus, up-regulation of inducible nitric-oxide synthase, and nitric oxide production in RAW 264.7 cells. Epoxyazadiradione not only exhibited anti-inflammatory activity in vitro but also in vivo. We tested the anti-inflammatory activity of epoxyazadiradione in vivo after co-administering LPS and MIF in mice to mimic the disease state of sepsis or bacterial infection. Epoxyazadiradione prevented the release of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-1 alpha, IL-1 beta, IL-6, and TNF-alpha when LPS and PyMIF were co-administered to BALB/c mice. The molecular basis of interaction of epoxyazadiradione with MIFs was explored with the help of computational chemistry tools and a biological knowledge base. Docking simulation indicated that the binding was highly specific and allosteric in nature. The well known MIF inhibitor (S, R)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4,5-dihydro-5-isoxazole acetic acid methyl ester (ISO-1) inhibited huMIF but not MIF of parasitic origin. In contrast, epoxyazadiradione inhibited both huMIF and plasmodial MIF, thus bearing an immense therapeutic potential against proinflammatory reactions induced by MIF of both malaria parasites and human.

}, issn = {0021-9258}, doi = {10.1074/jbc.M112.341321}, author = {Alam, Athar and Haldar, Saikat and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V. and Kumar, Rahul and Goyal, Manish and Iqbal, Mohd Shameel and Pal, Chinmay and Dey, Sumanta and Bindu, Samik and Sarkar, Souvik and Pal, Uttam and Maiti, Nakul C. and Bandyopadhyay, Uday} } @article { ISI:000309096400004, title = {Poly(allyl glycidyl ether-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) copolymer beads as support for covalent immobilization of L-aminoacylase}, journal = {Reactive \& Functional Polymers}, volume = {72}, number = {10}, year = {2012}, month = {OCT}, pages = {687-694}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Porous epoxy-activated copolymer beads were synthesized as support for the covalent immobilization of Aspergillus melleus L-aminoacylase. Here, a series of copolymer bead were synthesized using either glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) or ally] glycidyl ether (AGE) as monomer units and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDM) as cross-linking agent. The effect of monomer used and the effect of amount of cross-linking agent on covalent immobilization of aminoacylase were studied. Furthermore, the effect of porogen on immobilization of aminoacylase was also evaluated. AGE-co-EGDM copolymer beads gave higher binding of aminoacylase than GMA-co-EGDM copolymer beads. AGE-co-EGDM copolymer beads synthesized with lauryl alcohol as porogen and having 150\% cross-linked density (i.e. AGE-(L)-150) gave maximum enzyme binding. Under optimum conditions, AGE-(L)-150 copolymer beads gave about 130 U/g of aminoacylase activity which corresponds to 72.24\% of activity yield. Immobilized aminoacylase showed a broader pH, higher temperature and extended storage stability. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Enzyme immobilization, Epoxy-activated support, L-Aminoacylase}, issn = {1381-5148}, doi = {10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2012.06.012}, author = {Vaidya, Bhalchandra K. and Ingavle, Ganesh C. and Ponrathnam, S. and Nene, Sanjay N.} } @article { ISI:000308300700010, title = {Prediction of structure and energy of trans-1,4-polybutadiene glassy surface by atomistic simulations of free-standing ultrathin films}, journal = {Journal of Macromolecular Science Part B-Physics}, volume = {51}, number = {11}, year = {2012}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2201-2221}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {325 CHESTNUT ST, SUITE 800, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

Atomistic modeling of amorphous trans-1,4-polybutadiene (TPBD), using molecular mechanics and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, is performed to generate three-dimensionally periodic bulk and two-dimensionally periodic thin film condensed phases. The condensed structures are constructed using multiple polymer chains. Structural and energetic relaxations and sampling of properties are performed using MD in the canonical ensemble (NVT) by a procedure that relieves local high-energy spots and brings the system to realistic thermodynamic states. The calculated surface energy for TPBD, 30.72 erg/cm(2), is in excellent agreement with the reported experimental value of 31 erg/cm(2). The structure of the surface layers is probed in terms of the atomic mass density variations, bond-bond orientation function profiles, and the distribution of the dihedral angles about the rotatable backbone bonds. The thickness of the surface layer over which the density varies smoothly but rapidly is found to be approximately 15 angstrom. The level of agreement of the calculated surface energy with the experimental value is superior in comparison to previous investigations in the literature using the atomistic approach for flexible polymers.

}, keywords = {4-polybutadiene, atomistic simulation, bond-orientation, Conformation, molecular dynamics, polymer glass, surface energy, trans-1}, issn = {0022-2348}, doi = {10.1080/00222348.2012.669683}, author = {Ijantkar, Ashwini S. and Natarajan, Upendra} } @article { ISI:000306790900018, title = {Sad demise of Dr. Doraiswamy, former CSIR-NCL director}, journal = {National Academy Science Letters-India}, volume = {35}, number = {3}, year = {2012}, month = {JUN}, pages = {241-242}, publisher = {NATL ACAD SCIENCES INDIA}, address = {5 LAJPATRAI RD, ALLAHABAD 211002, INDIA}, issn = {0250-541X}, doi = {10.1007/s40009-012-0055-5}, author = {Ingle, P. K.} } @article {42726, title = {Smart wireless temperature monitor \& control system}, journal = {UACEE International Journal of Computer Science and its Application}, volume = {2}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {56-60}, doi = {10.3850/ 978-981-07-2950-9_687}, author = {Patil, Rohit and Joshi, Dnyanesh and More, Rahul and Iyer, Neelima} } @article { ISI:000299212700017, title = {Tuning spectral properties of phenothiazine based donor-pi-acceptor dyes for efficient dye-sensitized solar cells}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry}, volume = {22}, number = {3}, year = {2012}, month = {NOV}, pages = {889-894}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Two novel metal-free organic donor-pi-acceptor dyes were synthesized using electron-rich 10-butyl-(2-methylthio)-10H-phenothiazine as a donor and cyanoacrylic acid as an acceptor. The spectral response of the dye was tuned by introducing a vinylene thiophene pi-bridge. Obtained optical and electrochemical properties of the dyes seemed to be promising in terms of employing them as light harvesters in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). The efficiencies of the devices under standard AM 1.5G (100 mW cm(-2)) conditions reached 7.3\% with volatile electrolyte. The differences in the photovoltaic parameters of these DSCs were explained by comparing the results of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements and transient photovoltage and photocurrent decay experiments.

}, issn = {0959-9428}, doi = {10.1039/c1jm14024h}, author = {Marszalek, Magdalena and Nagane, Satyawan and Ichake, Amol and Humphry-Baker, Robin and Paul, Vincent and Zakeeruddin, Shaik M. and Graetzel, Michael} } @article { ISI:000320036300013, title = {Ant-pro reverse-turn motif. structural features and conformational characteristics}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, number = {17, SI}, year = {2013}, month = {JUN}, pages = {3529-3542}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

This article details the characteristic conformational features of the Ant-Pro reverse turn ? a folded pseudo -turn motif that displays a closed nine-membered-ring hydrogen-bonded network involving just two amino acid residues, namely anthranilic acid (Ant; a constrained -amino acid), and proline (Pro; a constrained -amino acid). The results from the extensive investigation of ten crystal structures and their NMR conformations in the solution state provide a clear idea about the conformational characteristics of the Ant-Pro reverse turn. The Ant and Pro residues, which form the turn segment, maintain a perfect antiperiplanar orientation throughout, leaving little possibility for the formation of the otherwise possible six-membered hydrogen-bonding that requires a coplanar disposition of the two amino acid residues, as clearly evident from investigation of several crystal structures. The closed hydrogen-bonded network observed in the Ant-Pro reverse turn motif, formed in the forward direction of the sequence (12 amino acid interactions) involving only two amino acid residues, is in stark contrast to the native -turns that involve four residues to form hydrogen-bonded network featuring backward 14 amino acid interactions. The readily available two-residue Ant-Pro motif raises the possibility of a practical utility, particularly in the application of rigidifying flexible peptide backbones by inserting the robust Ant-Pro reverse turn motifs into their backbone.

}, keywords = {Peptides, Peptidomimetics, Protein folding, Protein structures}, issn = {1434-193X}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.201201739}, author = {Thorat, Vijaykumar H. and Ingole, Tukaram S. and Vijayadas, Kuruppanthara N. and Nair, Roshna V. and Kale, Sangram S. and Ramesh, Veera V. E. and Davis, Hilda C. and Prabhakaran, Panchami and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Gawade, Rupesh L. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Rajamohanan, Pattuparambil R. and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article { ISI:000321965300043, title = {Biosynthesis of antinutritional alkaloids in solanaceous crops is mediated by clustered genes}, journal = {Science}, volume = {341}, number = {6142}, year = {2013}, month = {JUL}, pages = {175-179}, publisher = {AMER ASSOC ADVANCEMENT SCIENCE}, address = {1200 NEW YORK AVE, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20005 USA}, abstract = {

Steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs) such as alpha-solanine found in solanaceous food plants-as, for example, potato-are antinutritional factors for humans. Comparative coexpression analysis between tomato and potato coupled with chemical profiling revealed an array of 10 genes that partake in SGA biosynthesis. We discovered that six of them exist as a cluster on chromosome 7, whereas an additional two are adjacent in a duplicated genomic region on chromosome 12. Following systematic functional analysis, we suggest a revised SGA biosynthetic pathway starting from cholesterol up to the tetrasaccharide moiety linked to the tomato SGA aglycone. Silencing GLYCOALKALOID METABOLISM 4 prevented accumulation of SGAs in potato tubers and tomato fruit. This may provide a means for removal of unsafe, antinutritional substances present in these widely used food crops.

}, issn = {0036-8075}, doi = {10.1126/science.1240230}, author = {Itkin, M. and Heinig, U. and Tzfadia, O. and Bhide, Amey J. and Shinde, B. and Cardenas, Pablo D. and Bocobza, S. E. and Unger, T. and Malitsky, Sergey and Finkers, R. and Tikunov, Y. and Bovy, A. and Chikate, Y. and Singh, P. and Rogachev, I. and Beekwilder, J. and Giri, Ashok P. and Aharoni, Asaph} } @article { ISI:000314882600028, title = {Chemical modification of ethyl cellulose-based highly porous membrane for the purification of immunoglobulin G}, journal = {Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology}, volume = {169}, number = {3}, year = {2013}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1026-1038}, publisher = {HUMANA PRESS INC}, address = {999 RIVERVIEW DRIVE SUITE 208, TOTOWA, NJ 07512 USA}, abstract = {

The chemical modification of developed ethyl cellulose-based membrane was carried out to make it suitable for bioseparation. The different reagents were used for the modification of membrane to couple protein A (PA) to study the purification of immunoglobulin G (IgG) from blood. The chemical modification was carried out using relatively simple and mild reaction conditions. The attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared analysis of chemically modified membrane showed new peak at 1,596.06 and 1,716.49 cm(-1). The scanning electron microscopy of PA-coupled membrane, which was used for IgG purification showed open pores and 950 +/- 21.5 LMH (L m(-2) h(-1)) operational flux at 0.5-bar out pressure. The flux of unmodified membrane was 1,746 +/- 18.5 LMH at 0.5-bar out pressure. The equilibrium adsorption concentration (318.5 +/- 5.9 mu g cm(-2)) was obtained at 3 h. The adsorption character of PA-coupled membrane was consistent with the Langmuir adsorption model and the non-specific binding was 67.08 +/- 1.3 mu g cm(-2). The sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis showed similar purification pattern for purified IgG from human serum and commercial preparation of IgG. All the results have suggested a high potential of PA-coupled ethyl cellulose-based membrane for large-scale purification of IgG.

}, keywords = {Affinity bioseparation, Ethyl cellulose, Glutaraldehyde, Immunoglobulin G, Polyethylenimine, Protein A}, issn = {0273-2289}, doi = {10.1007/s12010-012-0085-y}, author = {Adikane, H. V. and Iyer, G. J.} } @article { ISI:000325950600096, title = {Enantiodivergent routes to (+) and (-)-novioses from (-)-pantolactone}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {3}, number = {43}, year = {2013}, month = {AUG}, pages = {20291-20297}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Noviose, a rare sugar moiety present in many biologically interesting molecules such as novobiocin and tiacumicin was obtained through formal synthesis in (+)- and (-)-forms starting from commercially available (-)-pantolactone in an enantiodivergent manner.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c3ra42891e}, author = {Rajesh, B. M. and Shinde, Madhuri V. and Kannan, M. and Srinivas, Gujjary and Iqbal, Javed and Reddy, D. Srinivasa} } @article { ISI:000318939700024, title = {Hydroxyapatite supported palladium catalysts for suzuki-miyaura cross-coupling reaction in aqueous medium}, journal = {Catalysis Science \& Technology}, volume = {3}, number = {6}, year = {2013}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1625-1633}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Supported palladium catalyst 1 has been prepared by the immobilisation of [Pd(COD)Cl-2] (COD = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) on hydroxyapatite. Catalyst 2 has been prepared by subsequent reduction of catalyst 1 with sodium borohydride in ethanol. Under similar reaction conditions, catalyst 1 with Pd2+, is found to be almost five times more active than 2. Using 1 as the catalyst and water as the solvent, reaction conditions for Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions have been optimised under aerobic conditions. The best catalytic activities are observed in the presence of potassium carbonate as the base and tetrabutylammonium bromide as a promoter. Catalyst 1 has been tested for catalytic cross-coupling reactions with sixteen different, electronically neutral, electron rich, electron poor and sterically hindered aryl boronic acids, and several different aryl halides including aryl chlorides. More than thousand turnovers and high selectivities to the hetero-coupled products have been observed in most cases. For many substrates the turnovers with 1 are notably more than what has been reported with other supported catalysts in water. The recyclability and scale-up potential of catalyst 1 have been tested and found to be satisfactory. A negligible drop in activity is observed over ten recycles with an accumulated turnover number of similar to 30000.

}, issn = {2044-4753}, doi = {10.1039/c3cy00160a}, author = {Indra, Arindam and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. and Bhaduri, Sumit and Lahiri, Goutam Kumar} } @article { ISI:000315557700001, title = {Isolation, fractionation and evaluation of the antiplasmodial properties of Phyllanthus niruri resident in its chloroform fraction}, journal = {Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine}, volume = {6}, number = {3}, year = {2013}, month = {MAR}, pages = {169-175}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Objective: To investigate the antiplasmodial activity of Phyllanthus niruri (P. niruri) methanol extract (ME) and its fractions in mice. Methods: P. niruri methanol extract and its chloroform, ethanol and aqueous portions were tested against chloroquine-sensitive Plasmodium berghei berghei. in early, established mid repository models of infection using Knight and Peter{\textquoteright}s 4-day suppressive model, Ryley and Peters curative model and Peters prophylactic model respectively. Results: Chemosuppression of parasitaemia (37.65\%-50.53 \%) was elicited by 100-400 mg/kg (b.w.) of ME. At doses of 100 mg/kg b.w., the chloroform fraction (F1) significantly (P\<0.01) suppressed parasitaemia by 85.29\%, while ethanol and aqueous fractions (F2 and F3, respectively) elicited 67.06\% and 51.18\% chemosuppression. The most active fraction, F1 was selected for further antiplasmodial screening. In established infection, ME reduced parasitaemia (15.81\%-62.96\%) while F1 significantly (P\<0.01) reduced parasitaemia (44.36\%-90.48\%), with effects comparable to that of chloroquine (96.48\%). The prophylactic antiplasmodial activity of ME (92.50\% suppression) was also significant (P\<0.01) and was more effective than pyrimethamine (85.00\%). Additionally, cell membrane integrity of non-parasitized erythrocytes incubated with 125-500 mg/mL F1 was maintained. Conclusions: These findings indicate the antiplasmodial efficacy of P. niruri methanol extract, and the localization of this effect in its chloroform fraction.

}, keywords = {malaria, Phyllanthus niruri, Plasmodium}, issn = {1995-7645}, doi = {10.1016/S1995-7645(13)60018-8}, author = {Ifeoma, Obidike and Samuel, Okhale and Itohan, Aboh Mercy and Adeola, Salawu Oluwakanyinsola} } @article { ISI:000315321400011, title = {Metal-mediated alkynediol cycloisomerization: first and second generation formal total syntheses of didemniserinolipid B}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {69}, number = {7}, year = {2013}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1881-1896}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A formal total synthesis of didemniserinolipid B was developed by employing a regioselective metal-mediated 6-endo-dig alkynol-cycloisomerization reaction. Two routes for the synthesis of key Burke{\textquoteright}s intermediate have been developed. Our initial approach involved the introduction of a C-17-allcynol followed by Pd-mediated cycloisomerization and then coupling with the serinol unit prior to the introduction of an alpha,beta-unsaturated ester unit through selective oxidation of 1 degrees-OH followed by a two-carbon Wittig homologation. Alternatively, the second generation strategy featuring the serinol coupling with the C-17-alkynol followed by alkyne addition to the epoxide and subsequent Au-mediated cycloisomerization of an acetonide protected alkynediol unit has been executed. This approach has avoided several late stage protection-deprotection events. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Alkynol-cycloisomerization, Bicyclic ketal, Gold catalysis, Palladium catalysis, Zipper reaction}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2012.12.045}, author = {Das, Shyamsundar and Induvadana, Boddeti and Ramana, C. V.} } @article { ISI:000329137400042, title = {Selective imaging of quorum sensing receptors in bacteria using fluorescent Au nanocluster probes surface functionalized with signal molecules}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {5}, number = {24}, year = {2013}, month = {DEC}, pages = {13076-13081}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Fluorescent ultrasmall gold clusters decorated with bacterial quorum sensing signal molecules, acyl homoserine lactone, are synthesized. These fluorescent probes are found to have emission in the near-infrared spectral region advantageous for bioimaging. Imaging studies using different. strains of bacteria with and without acyl homoserine lactone receptors with the aid of confocal microscopy have shown that the probe interacts preferentially with cells possessing these receptors. This indicates that, with appropriate surface functionalization, the Au clusters can be used for receptor specific detection with enhanced selectivity.

}, keywords = {Au nanoclusters, Biosensor, fluorescence imaging, quorum sensing}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/am404093m}, author = {Mukherji, Ruchira and Samanta, Anupam and Illathvalappil, Rajith and Chowdhury, Somak and Prabhune, Asmita and Devi, R. Nandini} } @article { ISI:000314743000016, title = {Solvent-free, highly efficient one-pot multi-component synthesis of 1-amido- and 1-carbamato-alkyl naphthols/phenols catalyzed by ethylammonium nitrate as reusable ionic liquid under neat reaction condition at ambient temperature}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {54}, number = {7}, year = {2013}, month = {FEB}, pages = {672-675}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A solvent-free, environmentally clean, mild, and simple one-pot multi-component protocol has been developed for the efficient synthesis of 1-amido- and 1-carbamato-alkyl naphthols/phenols in excellent yields via one-pot three-component condensation of various aldehydes, amides/carbamates/urea, and naphthols/phenols using ethylammonium nitrate (EAN) as a reusable ionic liquid catalyst under neat reaction condition at ambient temperature. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Aldehyde, amide, Carbamate Phenol, Ethylammonium nitrate (EAN), Urea}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet2012.12.004}, author = {Mulla, Shafeek Abdul Rashid and Salama, Tarek A. and Pathan, Mohsinkhan Y. and Inamdar, Suleman M. and Chavan, Santosh S.} } @article { ISI:000318634000040, title = {Structural variations of D-pi-A dyes influence on the photovoltaic performance of dye-sensitized solar cells}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {3}, number = {21}, year = {2013}, month = {MAR}, pages = {7921-7927}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Two new organic D-pi-A dyes containing identical pi-conjugated spacer and anchoring/acceptor moieties but different donor groups were designed and synthesized. These dyes containing didodecylcyclopentadithiophene (CPDT) as a spacer, cyanoacrylic acid as an acceptor and N-butyl-carbazole or N-butyl-phenothiazine moieties as electron donor groups are labelled as V4 and V11 dyes, respectively. The variation in the donor group of these two dyes, that influences the photophysical, electrochemical and photovoltaic parameters, was investigated. The highest photovoltaic conversion efficiency of 7.5\% was obtained with V4 dye at AM 1.5 G full sunlight intensity (100 mWcm(-2)). Comparison of phenothiazine donor dyes with two different pi-conjugated spacers, CPDT (V11) and vinyl thiophene (V7) containing devices shows that the V-oc of V7 dye is lower than that of V11 due to the downward shift of the conduction band edge. Transient photovoltage and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements were performed to explain the differences in the PV parameters by varying the donors and/or spacer groups.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c3ra22249g}, author = {Marszalek, Magdalena and Nagane, Satyawan and Ichake, Amol and Humphry-Baker, Robin and Paul, Vincent and Zakeeruddin, Shaik M. and Gratzel, Michael} } @article {42704, title = {Synthesis, structures, and dearomatization by deprotonation of iron complexes featuring bipyridine-based PNN pincer ligands}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {52}, year = {2013}, month = {JUL}, pages = {9636{\textendash}9649}, abstract = {

The synthesis and characterization of new iron pincer complexes bearing bipyridine-based PNN ligands is reported. Three phosphine-substituted pincer ligands, namely, the known tBu-PNN (6-((di-tert-butylphosphino)methyl)-2,2'-bipyridine) and the two new iPr-PNN (6-((di-iso-propylphosphino)methyl)-2,2'-bipyridine) and Ph-PNN (6-((diphenylphosphino)methyl)-2,2'-bipyridine) ligands were synthesized and studied in ligation reactions with iron(II) chloride and bromide. These reactions lead to the formation of two types of complexes: mono-chelated neutral complexes of the type [(R-PNN)Fe(X)2] and bis-chelated dicationic complexes of the type [(R-PNN)2Fe]2+. The complexes [(R-PNN)Fe(X)2] (1: R = tBu, X = Cl, 2: R = tBu, X = Br, 3: R = iPr, X = Cl, and 4: R = iPr, X = Br) are readily prepared from reactions of FeX2 with the free R-PNN ligand in a 1:1 ratio. Magnetic susceptibility measurements show that these complexes have a high-spin ground state (S = 2) at room temperature. Employing a 2-fold or higher excess of iPr-PNN, diamagnetic hexacoordinated dicationic complexes of the type [(iPr-PNN)2Fe](X)2 (5: X = Cl, and 6: X = Br) are formed. The reactions of Ph-PNN with FeX2 in a 1:1 ratio lead to similar complexes of the type [(Ph-PNN)2Fe](FeX4) (7: X = Cl, and 8: X = Br). Single crystal X-ray studies of 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 do not indicate electron transfer from the FeII centers to the neutral bipyridine unit based on the determined bond lengths. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to compare the relative energies of the mono- and bis-chelated complexes. The doubly deprotonated complexes [(R-PNN*)2Fe] (9: R = iPr, and 10: R = Ph) were synthesized by reactions of the dicationic complexes 6 and 8 with KOtBu. The dearomatized nature of the central pyridine of the pincer ligand was established by X-ray diffraction analysis of single crystals of 10. Reactivity studies show that 9 and 10 have a slightly different behavior in protonation reactions.

}, doi = {10.1021/ic401432m}, author = {Zell, Thomas and Langer, Robert and Iron, Mark A. and Konstantinovski, Leonid and Shimon, Linda J. W. and Diskin-Posner, Yael and Leitus, Gregory and Balaraman, Ekambaram and Ben-David, Yehoshoa and Milstein, David} } @article { ISI:000341552000026, title = {Efficient synthesis of O-aryloxime ethers by copper fiuorapatite catalyzed cross-coupling of aryloximes with arylboronic acids}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {55}, number = {38}, year = {2014}, month = {SEP}, pages = {5327-5332}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A novel, highly efficient, and mild protocol has been developed for the synthesis of O-aryloxime ethers in good to excellent yields at ambient reaction conditions. This is the first report in which =N-O-Ar linkage was achieved with ecofriendly, recyclable, heterogeneous copper fluorapatite (CuFAP) catalyst via C-O cross coupling of aryloxime with arylboronic acid in the presence of Cs2CO3 as base and methanol as solvent. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Arylboronic acid, Aryloxime, Copper fluorapatite, O-Aryloxime ethers}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2014.07.056}, author = {Mulla, Shafeek Abdul Rashid and Chavan, Santosh S. and Inamdar, Suleman M. and Pathari, Mohsinkhan Y. and Shaikh, Taufeekaslam M. Y.} } @article { ISI:000340469800024, title = {Highly efficient chiral resolution of DL-arginine by cocrystal formation followed by recrystallization under preferential-enrichment conditions}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {20}, number = {33}, year = {2014}, month = {AUG}, pages = {10343-10350}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

An excellent chiral symmetry-breaking spontaneous enantiomeric resolution phenomenon, denoted preferential enrichment, was observed on recrystallization of the 1:1 cocrystal of dl-arginine and fumaric acid, which is classified as a racemic compound crystal with a high eutectic ee value (\>95\%), under non-equilibrium crystallization conditions. On the basis of temperature-controlled video microscopy and in situ time-resolved solid-state (CNMR)-C-13 spectroscopic studies on the crystallization process, a new mechanism of phase transition that can induce preferential enrichment is proposed.

}, keywords = {Amino acids, chiral resolution, cocrystals, Crystal growth, phase transitions}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201402446}, author = {Iwama, Sekai and Kuyama, Kazunori and Mori, Yuko and Manoj, Kochunnoonny and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Suzuki, Katsuaki and Hughes, Colan E. and Williams, P. Andrew and Harris, Kenneth D. M. and Veesler, Stephane and Takahashi, Hiroki and Tsue, Hirohito and Tamura, Rui} } @article { ISI:000343988200032, title = {Layer-separated distribution of nitrogen doped graphene by wrapping on carbon nitride tetrapods for enhanced oxygen reduction reactions in acidic medium}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {50}, number = {89}, year = {2014}, month = {SEP}, pages = {13769-13772}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Layer-separated 3D nitrogen doped graphene (NG) with an accessible interstitial surface and modulated activity characteristics for oxygen reduction in acidic medium could be prepared by wrapping NG sheets on in situ generated carbon nitride (CNx) tetrapods.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c4cc06180b}, author = {Unni, SreeKuttan M. and Illathvalappil, Rajith and Gangadharan, Pranav K. and Bhange, Siddheshwar N. and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article { ISI:000333203900024, title = {Nanoporous graphene by quantum dots removal from graphene and its conversion to a potential oxygen reduction electrocatalyst via nitrogen doping}, journal = {Energy \& Environmental Science}, volume = {7}, number = {3}, year = {2014}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1059-1067}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A simple way to produce an efficient metal-free oxygen reduction electrocatalyst from graphene by generating nanopores in the matrix and subsequently establishing nitrogen-doped active sites along the pore openings is demonstrated. Well-structured nanoporous graphene (pGr) and photoluminescent graphene quantum dots (GQDs) could be simultaneously generated by a chemically assisted oxidative treatment of graphene. The process helped to knock out small pieces of Gr through epoxide formation, which subsequently resulted in the generation of GQD and pGr simultaneously. A longer oxidation time increased the quantity of GQDs and also resulted in a higher photoluminescent (PL) quantum yield. The PL quantum yield of GQD formed after 72 h of the oxidative treatment (GQD-72) was 15.8\%, which is greater than the previous reported values. The TEM images showed matching sizes for GQDs and the pores present in pGr, implying that the pores are generated by the removal of GQDs from graphene during the oxidative treatment. Since pore openings are expected to give higher levels of unsaturation and defect sites in the system and are thus being treated as fertile regions for heteroatom doping, pGr-72 was further subjected to nitrogen (NpGr-72). NpGr-72 displayed excellent activity towards the electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) compared to nitrogen-doped non-porous graphene (NGr) and many other reported nitrogen-doped carbon materials. A distinct 50 mV gain in the overpotential and 2.5 times increment in the kinetic current density (j(k)) have been achieved in the case of NpGr-72 compared to NGr. Interestingly, unlike NGr, NpGr-72 effectively reduced the oxygen molecule with a greater involvement of the preferred four-electron pathway. Additionally, the overpotential difference of NpGr-72 with respect to 20 wt\% Pt/C is only 60 mV. Additionally, in a single cell evaluation under anion exchange membrane fuel cell (AEMFC) conditions, NpGr-72 exhibited a maximum power density of 27 mW cm(-2), which is significantly higher than the corresponding value of 10 mW cm(-2) obtained for NGr. Thus, the overall enhancement in the performance characteristics of NpGr-72 is attributed to the higher content of nitrogen (7.8 wt\%) and its large proportion of desired chemical environment, which could be established by utilizing the high level of carbon unsaturation around the pore openings.

}, issn = {1754-5692}, doi = {10.1039/c3ee43648a}, author = {Palaniselvam, Thangavelu and Valappil, Manila Ozhukil and Illathvalappil, Rajith and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article { ISI:000340768000019, title = {New approach of blending polymeric ionic liquid with polybenzimidazole (PBI) for enhancing physical and electrochemical properties}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry A}, volume = {2}, number = {35}, year = {2014}, month = {JUN}, pages = {14449-14458}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Although the use of ionic liquids (IL) in polymeric membranes is known to elevate the electrochemical performance for proton exchange membrane-based fuel cells (PEMFC), they suffer from drawbacks such as IL drain and lowering in mechanical properties that lead to deterioration in PEMFC performance. To mitigate these issues, we report, for the first time, the use of polymeric ionic liquid (PIL), namely, poly(diallyl dimethyl ammonium trifluoride methane sulphonate) (P[DADMA][TFMS]) to be blended with polybenzimidazole (PBI-I) as a membrane material for PEMFC. PBI-I and (P[DADMA][TFMS]) were chosen because they form miscible blends and are suitable for acid doping as a matrix, which can eventually be used as proton conductor. The structure, miscibility and inter-polymer interactions were studied by infrared (IR) spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The increase in proton conduction in comparison to the PBI membranes was observed due to the presence of ionic groups of PILs in blend membranes. With the increase in PIL content, the proton conductivity of the composite membranes gradually increased from 0.04 S cm(-1) for PBI to 0.07 S cm(-1) for the blend membrane at 150 degrees C. The MEAs were fabricated with PBI-I, PBI-PIL15, PBI-PIL25 and PBI-PIL35. Corresponding single cells were successfully tested at temperatures of 160 degrees C. The maximum power density and current density obtained were 515 mW cm(-2) and 1632 mA cm(-2), respectively, for PBI-PIL25-based MEA.

}, issn = {2050-7488}, doi = {10.1039/c4ta02184c}, author = {Rewar, Anita S. and Chaudhari, Harshal D. and Illathvalappil, Rajith and Sreekumar, K. and Kharul, Ulhas K.} } @article { ISI:000331819800001, title = {Non-coding RNA interact to regulate neuronal development and function}, journal = {Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience}, volume = {8}, year = {2014}, month = {FEB}, pages = {47}, publisher = {FRONTIERS RESEARCH FOUNDATION}, address = {PO BOX 110, LAUSANNE, 1015, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

The human brain is one of the most complex biological systems, and the cognitive abilities have greatly expanded compared to invertebrates without much expansion in the number of protein coding genes. This suggests that gene regulation plays a very important role in the development and function of nervous system, by acting at multiple levels such as transcription and translation. In this article we discuss the regulatory roles of three classes of non-protein coding RNAs (ncRNAs)-microRNAs (miRNAs), piwi-interacting RNA (piRNAs) and long-non-coding RNA (lncRNA), in the process of neurogenesis and nervous function including control of synaptic plasticity and potential roles in neurodegenerative diseases. miRNAs are involved in diverse processes including neurogenesis where they channelize the cellular physiology toward neuronal differentiation. miRNAs can also indirectly influence neurogenesis by regulating the proliferation and self renewal of neural stem cells and are dysregulated in several neurodegenerative diseases. miRNAs are also known to regulate synaptic plasticity and are usually found to be co-expressed with their targets. The dynamics of gene regulation is thus dependent on the local architecture of the gene regulatory network (GRN) around the miRNA and its targets. piRNAs had been classically known to regulate transposons in the germ cells. However, piRNAs have been, recently, found to be expressed in the brain and possibly function by imparting epigenetic changes by DNA methylation. piRNAs are known to be maternally inherited and we assume that they may play a role in early development. We also explore the possible function of piRNAs in regulating the expansion of transposons in the brain. Brain is known to express several lncRNA but functional roles in brain development are attributed to a few lncRNA while functions of most of the them remain unknown. We review the roles of some known lncRNA and explore the other possible functions of lncRNAs including their interaction with miRNAs.

}, keywords = {gene expression regulation, lncRNA, miRNA, network-motifs, piRNA}, issn = {1662-5102}, doi = {10.3389/fncel.2014.00047}, author = {Iyengar, Bharat R. and Choudhary, Ashwani and Sarangdhar, Mayuresh A. and Venkatesh, K. V. and Gadgil, Chetan J. and Pillai, Beena} } @article { ISI:000343985600001, title = {Synthetic turn mimetics and hairpin nucleators: quo vadimus?}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {50}, number = {90}, year = {2014}, month = {OCT}, pages = {13874-13884}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Structural mimicry of peptides has witnessed perceptible progress in the last three decades. Reverse turn and beta-hairpin units are the smallest secondary structural motifs that are some of the most scrutinized functional cores of peptides and proteins. The practice of mimicking, without altering the function of the bioactive core, ranges from conformational locking of the basic skeleton to total replacement of structural architecture using synthetic analogues. Development of heterogeneous backbones - using unnatural residues in place of natural ones - has broadened further opportunities for efficient structural rigidification. This feature article endeavours to trail the path of progress achieved hitherto and envisage the possibilities that lie ahead in the development of synthetic turn mimetics and hairpin nucleators.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c4cc03114h}, author = {Nair, Roshna V. and Baravkar, Sachin B. and Ingole, Tukaram S. and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article { ISI:000344997100001, title = {When gold meets chiral bronsted acid catalysts: extending the boundaries of enantioselective gold catalysis}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {50}, number = {96}, year = {2014}, month = {AUG}, pages = {15124-15135}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

This review describes the development in the use of Au(I)/Bronsted acid binary catalytic systems to enable an enantioselective transformation in one-pot that cannot be achieved by gold catalysts alone. The examples discussed herein are promising since apart from using chiral ligands there exists a possibility of using chiral Bronsted acids. Clearly, the horizon for enantioselective gold catalysis has been expanded as more options to make the gold-catalyzed reactions enantioselective have become available.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c4cc04633a}, author = {Inamdar, Suleman M. and Konala, Ashok and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article { ISI:000364355500053, title = {Carbon nanohorn-derived graphene nanotubes as a platinum-free fuel cell cathode}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {7}, number = {43}, year = {2015}, month = {NOV}, pages = {24256-24264}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Current low-temperature fuel cell research mainly focuses on the development of efficient nonprecious electrocatalysts for the reduction of dioxygen molecule due to the reasons like exorbitant cost and scarcity of the current state-of-the-art Pt-based catalysts. As a potential alternative to such costly electrocatalysts, we report here the preparation of an efficient graphene nanotube based oxygen reduction electrocatalyst which has been derived from single walled nanohorns, comprising a thin layer of graphene nanotubes and encapsulated iron oxide nanopartides (FeGNT). FeGNT shows a surface area of 750 m(2)/g, which is the highest ever reported among the metal encapsulated nanotubes. Moreover, the graphene protected iron oxide nanoparticles assist the system to attain efficient distribution of Fe-N-x and quaternary nitrogen based active reaction centers, which provides better activity and stability toward the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in acidic as well as alkaline conditions. Single cell performance of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell by using FeGNT as the cathode catalyst delivered a maximum power density of 200 mW cm(-2) with Nafion as the proton exchange membrane at 60 degrees C. The facile synthesis strategy with iron oxide encapsulated graphitic carbon morphology opens up a new horizon of hope toward developing Pt-free fuel cells and metal-air batteries along with its applicability in other energy conversion and storage devices.

}, keywords = {carbon nanohorns, carbon nanotube, electrocatalyst, fuel cell, oxygen reduction reaction}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.5b07802}, author = {Unni, SreeKuttan M. and Illathvalappil, Rajith and Bhange, Siddheshwar N. and Puthenpediakkal, Hasna and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article { ISI:000358349700002, title = {Enantioselective cooperative catalysis}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {13}, number = {30}, year = {2015}, month = {JUN}, pages = {8116-8162}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

In recent years, enantioselective cooperative catalytic reactions, wherein two catalysts work simultaneously to form products which cannot be obtained by the use of a single catalyst alone, have attracted considerable attention. This review focuses on this emerging field, with particular emphasis on mechanistic aspects, which will help readers to understand the role of each catalyst.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/c5ob00986c}, author = {Inamdar, Suleman M. and Shinde, Valmik S. and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article { ISI:000364449200020, title = {Engineering ligands on the Au center: discovering broadly applicable gold catalysis with high turnover numbers}, journal = {Organic Chemistry Frontiers}, volume = {2}, number = {8}, year = {2015}, month = {JUN}, pages = {995-998}, publisher = {CHINESE CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {PO BOX 1-18, NANKANG, TAIPEI 115, TAIWAN}, abstract = {

The research groups of Hammond/Xu and Zhang report the discovery of new ligands for gold catalysis. With these ligands, gold catalyzed reactions have been reported for a broader range of substrates with very high TONs at a level that can match the needs of large-scale applications.

}, issn = {2052-4129}, doi = {10.1039/c5qo00162e}, author = {Inamdar, Suleman M. and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article { ISI:000362662100024, title = {Layer-separated MoS2 bearing reduced graphene oxide formed by an in situ intercalation-cum-anchoring route mediated by Co(OH)(2) as a Pt-free electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {7}, number = {40}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {16729-16736}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A significant improvement in the electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity of molybdenum sulphide (MoS2) could be accomplished by its layer separated dispersion on graphene mediated by cobalt hydroxide (Co(OH)(2)) through a hydrothermal process (Co(OH)(2)-MoS2/rGO). The activity make-over in this case is found to be originated from a controlled interplay of the favourable modulations achieved in terms of electrical conductivity, more exposure of the edge planes of MoS2 and a promotional role played by the coexistence of Co(OH)(2) in the proximity of MoS2. Co(OH)(2)-MoS2/rGO displays an oxygen reduction onset potential of 0.855 V and a half wave potential (E-1/2) of 0.731 V vs. RHE in 0.1 M KOH solution, which are much higher than those of the corresponding values (0.708 and 0.349 V, respectively) displayed by the as synthesized pristine MoS2 (P-MoS2) under identical experimental conditions. The Tafel slope corresponding to oxygen reduction for Co(OH)(2)-MoS2/rGO is estimated to be 63 mV dec(-1) compared to 68 mV dec(-1) displayed by the state-of-the-art Pt/C catalyst. The estimated number of electrons transferred during oxygen reduction for Co(OH)(2)-MoS2/rGO is in the range of 3.2-3.6 in the potential range of 0.77 V to 0.07 V, which again stands out as valid evidence on the much favourable mode of oxygen reduction accomplished by the system compared to its pristine counterpart. Overall, the present study, thus, demonstrates a viable strategy of tackling the inherent limitations, such as low electrical conductivity and limited access to the active sites, faced by the layered structures like MoS2 to position them among the group of potential Pt-free electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/c5nr04415d}, author = {Illathvalappil, Rajith and Unni, SreeKuttan M. and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article { ISI:000351236300080, title = {Ligand-, base-, co-catalyst-free copper fluorapatite (CuFAP) as a versatile, ecofriendly, heterogeneous and reusable catalyst for an efficient homocoupling of arylboronic acid at ambient reaction conditions}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {31}, year = {2015}, month = {MAR}, pages = {24675-24680}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

This paper describes the first report in which copper species containing copper fluorapatite (CuFAP) acts as a versatile, eco-friendly, recyclable, heterogeneous catalyst for an efficient synthesis of symmetric biaryls from the homo-coupling of arylboronic acids in methanol solvent at ambient reaction conditions. The developed protocol is ligand-, base-, and co-catalyst-free, sustainable, mild, inexpensive, and compatible with a wide range of aromatic/heterocyclic boronic acids and provides the corresponding products in excellent yields without purification. The catalyst was easily recovered from the reaction mixture and reused several times without loss of activity.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c4ra16760k}, author = {Mulla, Shafeek Abdul Rashid and Chavan, Santosh S. and Pathan, Mohsinkhan Y. and Inamdar, Suleman M. and Shaikh, Taufeekaslam M. Y.} } @article { ISI:000359234100023, title = {M-Au/TiO2 (M = Ag, Pd, and Pt) nanophotocatalyst for overall solar water splitting: role of interfaces}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {7}, number = {32}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {13477-13488}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

M-Au/TiO2 (M = Ag, Pd, Pt) composites were prepared through a facile one-pot photodeposition synthesis and evaluated for solar water splitting (SWS) with and without a sacrificial agent. The M-Au combination exhibits a dominant role in augmenting the H2 generation activity by forming a bi-metallic system. Degussa P25 was used as a TiO2 substrate to photodeposit Au followed by Au + M (M = Ag/Pd/Pt). The SWS activity of the M-Au/TiO2 was determined through photocatalytic H-2 production in the presence of methanol as a sacrificial agent under one sun conditions with an AM1.5 filter. The highest H-2 yield was observed for Pt-0.5-Au-1/TiO2 and was around 1.3 +/- 0.07 mmol h(-1) g(-1), with an apparent quantum yield (AQY) of 6.4\%. Pt-0.5-Au-1/TiO2 also demonstrated the same activity for 25 cycles of five hours each for 125 h. Critically, the same Pt-0.5-Au-1/TiO2 catalyst was active in overall SWS (OSWS) without any sacrificial agent, with an AQY = 0.8\%. The amount of Au and/or Pt was varied to obtain the optimum composition and it was found that the Pt0.5-Au1/TiO2 composition exhibits the best activity. Detailed characterization by physico-chemical, spectral and microscopy measurements was carried out to obtain an in-depth understanding of the origin of the photocatalytic activity of Pt-0.5-Au-1/TiO2. These in-depth studies show that gold interacts predominantly with oxygen vacancies present on titania surfaces, and Pt preferentially interacts with gold for an effective electron-hole pair separation at Pt-Au interfaces and electron storage in metal particles. The Pt in Pt-0.5-Au-1/TiO2 is electronically and catalytically different from the Pt in Pt/TiO2 and it is predicted that the former suppresses the oxygen reduction reaction.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/c5nr03735b}, author = {Melvin, Ambrose A. and Illath, Kavya and Das, Tanmay and Raja, Thirumalaiswamy and Bhattacharyya, Somnath and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article {45881, title = {Nitrogen-induced surface area and conductivity modulation of carbon nanohorn and its function as an efficient metal-free oxygen reduction electrocatalyst for anion-exchange membrane fuel cells}, journal = {SMALL}, volume = {11}, year = {2015}, month = {JAN }, pages = {352-360}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Nitrogen-doped carbon morphologies have been proven to be better alternatives to Pt in polymer-electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells. However, efficient modulation of the active sites by the simultaneous escalation of the porosity and nitrogen doping, without affecting the intrinsic electrical conductivity, still remains to be solved. Here, a simple strategy is reported to solve this issue by treating single-walled carbon nanohorn (SWCNH) with urea at 800 degrees C. The resulting nitrogen-doped carbon nanohorn shows a high surface area of 1836 m(2) g(-1) along with an increased electron conductivity, which are the pre-requisites of an electro catalyst. The nitrogen-doped nanohorn annealed at 800 degrees C (N-800) also shows a high oxygen reduction activity (ORR). Because of the high weight percentage of pyridinic nitrogen coordination in N-800, the present catalyst shows a clear 4-electron reduction pathway at only 50 mV overpotential and 16 mV negative shift in the half-wave potential for ORR compared to Pt/C along with a high fuel selectivity and electrochemical stability. More importantly, a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) based on N-800 provides a maximum power density of 30 mW cm(-2) under anion-exchange membrane fuel cell (AEMFC) testing conditions. Thus, with its remarkable set of physical and electrochemical properties, this material has the potential to perform as an efficient Pt-free electrode for AEMFCs.

}, issn = {1613-6810}, doi = {10.1002/smll.201303892}, author = {Unni, SreeKuttan M. and Bhange, Siddheshwar N. and Illathvalappil, Rajith and Mutneja, Nisha and Patil, Kasinath R. and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article { ISI:000356370500002, title = {Preferential enrichment of DL-leucine using cocrystal formation with oxalic acid under nonequilibrium crystallization conditions}, journal = {Chirality}, volume = {27}, number = {7}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {405-410}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

By utilizing the preferential enrichment (PE) technique, we achieved an improved enantiomeric resolution of DL-leucine (Leu) using a 1:1 cocrystal (DL-1) of DL-Leu and oxalic acid. The crystal structure analysis of DL-1 indicated the occurrence of a novel type of phase transition and subsequent preferential redissolution of one enantiomer from the resulting crystals into solution. Chirality 27:405-410 2015. (c) 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

}, keywords = {chiral resolution, cocrystal formation, leucine, phase transition, preferential enrichment}, issn = {0899-0042}, doi = {10.1002/chir.22431}, author = {Manoj, Kochunnoonny and Takahashi, Hiroki and Morita, Yoko and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Iwama, Sekai and Tsue, Hirohito and Tamura, Rui} } @article { ISI:000352270700029, title = {Singlet-triplet gaps in polyacenes: a delicate balance between dynamic and static correlations investigated by spin-flip methods}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {17}, number = {15}, year = {2015}, month = {MAR}, pages = {9849-9856}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Over the last few years people have been interested in the process of singlet fission, owing to its relevance to solar cell technology. The energetics of singlet fission is intimately related to singlet-triplet (ST) gaps and energies of singlet excited states. However, accurate calculations of ST gaps in polyacenes are complicated due to near degeneracies in the pi orbitals, and therefore, have been quite challenging. The spin-flip equation-of-motion coupled-cluster (SF-EOM-CC) and its perturbative approximation have been shown to correctly treat situations involving electronic degeneracies and near degeneracies. In this work, we use various spin-flip methods to benchmark the ST gaps of small polyacenes and show that the error in the ST gaps with respect to the experiment is small and does not increase appreciably with the system size. The diradical and polyradical character of the polyacene ground states increase with the system size. However, for the small polyacenes the open-shell character of the ground state is still small enough to be treated using single reference methods.

}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/c5cp00214a}, author = {Ibeji, Collins U. and Ghosh, Debashree} } @article { ISI:000349667700031, title = {Surface-modified single wall carbon nanohorn as an effective electrocatalyst for platinum-free fuel cell cathodes}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry A}, volume = {3}, number = {8}, year = {2015}, month = {JAN}, pages = {4361-4367}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Platinum (Pt) and its alloys are routinely used in the cathodes of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) due to their high electrocatalytic activity in oxygen reduction reactions (ORRs). A variety of alternative materials have been examined as alternatives to Pt, but most of these had low activity and their performance deteriorated even further in use. In the present study an alternate electrocatalyst has been examined, obtained by a simple surface modification of single-walled carbon nanohorns by simultaneous doping with Fe and N at 900 degrees C (FeNCNH-900). This had an ORR activity superior to that of 40 wt\% Pt on carbon (Pt/C). Compared to Pt/C, FeNCNH-900 gave a 30 mV improvement in onset potential and a 20 mV gain in half-wave potential in an ORR. Its high activity is the result of the simultaneous modulation achieved by the high surface area and the microporosity of carbon nanohorns, together with the establishment of the desired nitrogen-iron coordinated pyrrolic active centres. The catalyst showed excellent electrochemical stability and, most notably, its ORR activity was still increasing after 1000 cycles. Single-cell fuel cell performance using FeNCNH-900 as cathode catalyst showed a maximum power density of 35 mW cm(-2) under alkaline conditions.

}, issn = {2050-7488}, doi = {10.1039/c4ta05092d}, author = {Unni, SreeKuttan M. and Ramadas, Sarath and Illathvalappil, Rajith and Bhange, Siddheshwar N. and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article { ISI:000364355500044, title = {Temperature-dependent raman spectroscopy of titanium trisulfide (TiS3) nanoribbons and nanosheets}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {7}, number = {43}, year = {2015}, month = {NOV}, pages = {24185-24190}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Titanium trisulfide (TiS3) has recently attracted the interest of the 2D community because it presents a direct bandgap of similar to 1.0 eV, shows remarkable photoresponse, and has a predicted carrier mobility up to 10000 cm(2) V-1 s(-1). However, a study of the vibrational properties of TiS3, relevant to understanding the electron-phonon interaction that can be the main mechanism limiting the charge carrier mobility, is still lacking. In this work, we take the first steps to study the vibrational properties of TiS3 through temperature-dependent Raman spectroscopy measurements of TiS3 nanoribbons and nanosheets. Our investigation shows that all the Raman modes linearly soften (red shift) as the temperature increases from 88 to 570 K due to anharmonic vibrations of the lattice, which also includes contributions from the lattice thermal expansion. This softening with the temperature of the TiS3 modes is more pronounced than that observed in other 2D semiconductors, such as MoS2, MoSe2, WSe2, and black phosphorus (BP). This marked temperature dependence of the Raman spectra could be exploited to determine the temperature of TiS3 nanodevices by using Raman spectroscopy as a noninvasive and local thermal probe. Interestingly, the TiS3 nanosheets show a stronger temperature dependence of the Raman modes than the nanoribbons, which we attribute to lower interlayer coupling in the nanosheets.

}, keywords = {2D semiconductors, layered materials, Raman spectroscopy, thermal effect, TiS3 nanoribbons, TiS3 nanosheets}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.5b07492}, author = {Pawbake, Amit S. and Island, Joshua O. and Flores, Eduardo and Ramon Ares, Jose and Sanchez, Carlos and Ferrer, Isabel J. and Jadkar, Sandesh R. and van der Zant, Herre S. J. and Castellanos-Gomez, Andres and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article {43630, title = {3-Aminothiophenecarboxylic acid (3-Atc)-induced folding in peptides}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {40}, year = {2016}, month = {SEP}, pages = {9205-9210}, abstract = {This paper describes the consequences of incorporating a constrained heterocyclic aromatic b-amino acid 3-aminothiophenecarboxylic acid (3-Atc) into peptides containing beta-turn forming elements such as Pro-Gly motif and the effect on the secondary structural architecture of the entire peptide backbone. Conformational investigations of oligomers comprising an alpha,beta,alpha peptide sequence were carried out by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, solution-state NMR, nOe-restrained MD simulation and circular dichroism studies. The results suggested that these peptide sequences assume helical architecture. The helical folding in the oligomers was found to be devoid of inter-residual H-bonding, instead found to be stabilized by a co-operative effect of 6-membered H-bonding within the 3-Atc unit and conformational restrictions of individual amino acids in the peptide backbone.}, doi = {10.1039/c6nj01667g}, author = {Ingole, Tukaram S. and Kotmale, Amol S. and Gawade, Rupesh L. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Rajamohanan, Pattuparambil R. and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article { ISI:000380072400017, title = {Biogenic terbium oxide nanoparticles as the vanguard against osteosarcoma}, journal = {Spectrochimica Acta Part A-Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy}, volume = {168}, year = {2016}, month = {NOV}, pages = {123-131}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The synthesis of inner transition metal nanoparticles via an ecofriendly route is quite difficult. This study, for the first time, reports synthesis of terbium oxide nanoparticles using fungus, Fusarium oxysporum. The biocompatible terbium oxide nanoparticles (Tb2O3 NPs) were synthesized by incubating Tb4O7 with the biomass of fungus F. oxysporum. Multiple physical characterization techniques, such as UV-visible and photoluminescence spectroscopy, TEM, SAED, and zeta-potential were used to confirm the synthesis, purity, optical and surface characteristics, crystallinity, size, shape, distribution, and stability of the nanoemulsion of Tb2O3 NPs. The Tb2O3 NPs were found to inhibit the propagation of MG-63 and Saos-2 cell-lines (IC50 value of 0.102 mu g/mL) and remained non-toxic up to a concentration of 0373 gg/mL toward primary osteoblasts. Cell viability decreased in a concentration-dependent manner upon exposure to 10 nmTb(2)O(3) NPs in the concentration range 0.023-0373 mu g/mL Cell toxicity was evaluated by observing changes in cell morphology, cell viability, oxidative stress parameters, and FACS analysis. Morphological examinations of cells revealed cell shrinkage, nuclear condensation, and formation of apoptotic bodies. The level of ROS within the cells an indicator of oxidative stress was significantly increased. The induction of apoptosis at concentrations \<= IC50 was corroborated by 4{\textquoteright},6-diamidino-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride (DAPI) staining (DNA damage and nuclear fragmentation). Flow-cytometric studies indicated that the response was dose dependent with a threshold effect. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Biosynthesis, Cytotoxicity, fusarium oxysporum, Osteosarcoma, Tb2O3 nanoparticles}, issn = {1386-1425}, doi = {10.1016/j.saa.2016.05.053}, author = {Iram, Sana and Khan, Salman and Ansary, Abu Ayoobul and Arshad, Mohd and Siddiqui, Sahabjada and Ahmad, Ejaz and Khan, Rizwan H. and Khan, Mohd Sajid} } @article { ISI:000366859200017, title = {Conjugated porous polymers as precursors for electrocatalysts and storage electrode materials}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {52}, number = {2}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {316-318}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Conjugated porous polymers were used as precursors to prepare nitrogen and sulphur doped carbon atoms, which were then used for oxygen reduction and energy storage.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c5cc08148c}, author = {Bhosale, Manik E. and Illathvalappil, Rajith and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Krishnamoorthy, Kothandam} } @article { ISI:000372848000021, title = {Disruption of native beta-turns: consequence of folding competition between native and orthanilic acid proline-based pseudo beta-turn}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, number = {7}, year = {2016}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1380-1388}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {POSTFACH 101161, 69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Five tetrapeptides comprising beta-turn-forming elements and a pseudo beta-turn (C9 H-bonding) based on an SAntPro (orthanilic acid - proline) motif were designed and synthesized. Their extensive conformational investigation by single-crystal X-ray crystallography, solution-state 2D NMR spectroscopic, and nOe-restrained MD simulation studies revealed the formation of C14 or C9 folding and disruption of the native beta-turn (C10 H-bonding) architecture. The striking difference between the psi(psi(2)) angle of {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}i + 2{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} residues of native beta-turn and designed peptides suggest that formation of the native beta-turn is not favored. The results suggest that other turn-forming motifs can dramatically modulate the stability of the native beta-turn structure.

}, keywords = {Conformation analysis, hydrogen bonds, Peptidomimetics, structure elucidation}, issn = {1434-193X}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.201501558}, author = {Ingole, Tukaram S. and Vijayadas, Kuruppanthara N. and Chaitanya, K. N. and Kotmale, Amol S. and Gawade, Rupesh L. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Rajamohanan, P. R. and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article { ISI:000374321000015, title = {Dr. V. Jagannathan (1921-2015) Obituary}, journal = {National Academy Science Letters-India}, volume = {39}, number = {2}, year = {2016}, month = {APR}, pages = {135-136}, publisher = {NATL ACAD SCIENCES INDIA}, address = {5 LAJPATRAI RD, ALLAHABAD 211002, INDIA}, issn = {0250-541X}, doi = {10.1007/s40009-016-0456-y}, author = {Rao, Mala and Deshpande, Vasanti and Ingle, Prabhakar} } @article {45636, title = {Graphene oxide sheathed ZIF-8 microcrystals: engineered precursors of nitrogen-doped porous carbon for efficient oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysis}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {8}, year = {2016}, month = {NOV}, pages = {29373-29382}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Nitrogen containing mesoporous carbon obtained by the pyrolysis of graphene oxide (GO) wrapped ZIF-8 (Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks-8) micro crystals is demonstrated to be an efficient catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). ZIF-8 synthesis in the presence of GO sheets helped to realize layers of graphene oxide over ZIF-8 microcrystals and the sphere-like structures thus obtained, on heat treatment, transformed to highly porous carbon with a nitrogen content of about 6.12\% and surface area of 502 m(2)/g. These catalysts with a typical micromeso porous architecture exhibited an onset potential of 0.88Vvs RHE in a four electron pathway and also demonstrated superior durability in alkaline medium compared to that of the commercial Pt/C catalyst. The N-doped porous carbon derived from GO sheathed ZIF-8 core shell structures could therefore be employed as an efficient electrocatalyst for fuel cell applications.

}, keywords = {alkaline fuel cell, graphene oxide, N-doped carbon, oxygen reduction reaction, porous carbon, ZIF-8}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.6b06979}, author = {Thomas, Minju and Illathvalappi, Rajith and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Nair, Balagopal N. and Mohamed, Abdul Azeez Peer and Anilkumar, Gopinathan M. and Yamaguchi, Takeo and Hareesh, U. S.} } @article {45652, title = {Hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs): a new class of porous crystalline proton-conducting materials}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {55}, year = {2016}, month = {AUG }, pages = {10667-10671}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Two porous hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) based on arene sulfonates and guanidinium ions are reported. As a result of the presence of ionic backbones appended with protonic source, the compounds exhibit ultra-high proton conduction values (sigma) 0.75x 10(-2)Scm(-1) and 1.8x10(-2)Scm(-1) under humidified conditions. Also, they have very low activation energy values and the highest proton conductivity at ambient conditions (low humidity and at moderate temperature) among porous crystalline materials, such as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent organic frameworks (COFs). These values are not only comparable to the conventionally used proton exchange membranes, such as Nafion used in fuel cell technologies, but is also the highest value reported in organic-based porous architectures. Notably, this report inaugurates the usage of crystalline hydrogen-bonded porous organic frameworks as solid-state proton conducting materials.

}, keywords = {guanidinium, hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks, porous crystalline frameworks, proton conduction, sulfonates}, issn = {1433-7851}, doi = {10.1002/anie.201604534}, author = {Karmakar, Avishek and Illathvalappil, Rajith and Anothumakkool, Bihag and Sen, Arunabha and Samanta, Partha and Desai, Aamod V. and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Ghosh, Sujit K.} } @article {45630, title = {Low band gap benzimidazole COF supported Ni3N as highly active OER catalyst}, journal = {Advanced Energy Materials}, volume = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {DEC }, pages = {Article No:1601189}, abstract = {

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have structures and morphologies closely resembling graphenes, whose modular construction permits atomiclevel manipulations. This, combined with their porous structure, makes them excellent catalyst supports. Here, the high electrocatalytic activity of a composite, formed by supporting Ni3N nanoparticles on a benzimidazole COF, for oxygen evolution reaction is shown. The composite oxidizes alkaline water with a near-record low overpotential of 230 mV @ 10 mA cm(-2) (eta(10)). This high activity is attributed to the ability of the COF to confine the Ni3N nanoparticles to size regimes otherwise difficult to obtain and to its low band gap character (1.49 eV) arising from the synergy between the conducting Ni3N nanoparticles and the pi-conjugated COF. The COF itself, as a metalfree self-standing framework, has an oxygen evolution reaction activity with 10 of 400 mV. The periodic structure of the COF makes it serve as a matrix to disperse the catalytically active Ni3N nanoparticles favoring their high accessibility and thereby good charge-transport within the composite. This is evident from the amount of O-2 evolved (230 mmol h(-1) g(-1)), which, to the best of our knowledge, is the highest reported. The work reveals the emergence of COF as supports for electrocatalysts.

}, issn = {1614-6832}, doi = {10.1002/aenm.201601189}, author = {Nandi, Shyamapada and Singh, Santosh Kumar and Mullangi, Dinesh and Illathvalappil, Rajith and George, Leena and Vinod, Chathakudath P. and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Vaidhyanathan, Ramanathan} } @article { ISI:000382122200014, title = {Self-assembled vesicles of urea-tethered foldamers as hydrophobic drug carriers}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {52}, number = {71}, year = {2016}, month = {AUG}, pages = {10771-10774}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Molecular self-assembly of nonamphiphilic alpha,beta-hybrid foldamers based on urea-tethered anthranilic acid-proline (Ant-Pro) foldamers is reported. These self-assembled hollow vesicular architectures can take up and release the anticancer hydrophobic drug curcumin.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c6cc05079d}, author = {Ingole, Tukaram S. and Kale, Sangram S. and Sukumaran, Santhosh Babu and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article { ISI:000367915800019, title = {Synthesis and characterization of well-defined random and block copolymers of epsilon-caprolactone with l-lactide as an additive for toughening polylactide: Influence of the molecular architecture}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {133}, number = {14}, year = {2016}, month = {APR}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

Well-defined multiarmed star random and block copolymers of epsilon-caprolactone with l-lactide with controlled molecular weights, low polydispersities, and precise numbers of arms were synthesized by the ring-opening polymerization of respective cyclic ester monomers. The polymers were characterized by H-1-NMR and C-13-NMR to determine their chemical composition, molecular structure, degree of randomness, and proof of block copolymer formation. Gel permeation chromatography was used to establish the degree of branching. Star-branched random copolymers exhibited lower glass-transition temperatures (T-g{\textquoteright}s) compared to a linear random copolymer. When the star random copolymers were melt-blended with poly(l-lactic acid) (PLA), we observed that the elongation of the blend increased with the number of arms of the copolymer. Six-armed block copolymers, which exhibited higher T-g{\textquoteright}s, caused the maximum improvement in elongation. In all cases, improvements in the elongation were achieved with no loss of stiffness in the PLA blends. (c) 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43267.

}, keywords = {biodegradable, copolymers, differential scanning calorimetry, mechanical properties, ring-opening polymerization}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.43267}, author = {Deokar, Megha D. and Idage, Susheela B. and Idage, Bhaskar B. and Sivaram, Swaminathan} } @article { ISI:000368533200012, title = {Synthesis and tyrosinase inhibition activity of trans-stilbene derivatives}, journal = {Bioorganic Chemistry}, volume = {64}, year = {2016}, month = {FEB}, pages = {97-102}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

Synthesis of a focussed library of trans-stilbene compounds through Wittig and other base catalysed condensation reactions is presented. The synthesized stilbenes were screened for their inhibitory potential against murine tyrosinase activity to explore the structure activity relationship (SAR). Presence of electron withdrawing group (-CN) at the double bond and hydroxyl group or halogen atom especially at para-position on the aromatic rings was found to significantly elevate the inhibitory activity. Among all the compounds screened, compounds 2, 6, 8, 10, 11, 15 and 21 were found to exhibit appreciable inhibitory activity. Compound 21 ((E)-2,3-bis(4-Hydroxyphenyl) acryonitrile) was found to be the most active with an IC50 value of 5.06 mu M which is less than half of the value 10.78 mu M observed for resveratrol (common standard used in murine tyrosinase activity studies) under similar conditions. The results obtained from the present study reveal structural/functional group sensitivity for the tyrosinase inhibitory activity of stilbenoid moieties and are expected to be very helpful for the design and synthesis of novel, selective and effective tyrosinase inhibitors. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Electron withdrawing groups, Murine tyrosinase activity, Resveratrol, Stilbenoids, Tyrosinase inhibitors, Wittig reaction}, issn = {0045-2068}, doi = {10.1016/j.bioorg.2016.01.001}, author = {Ismail, Tabasum and Shafi, Syed and Srinivas, Jada and Sarkar, Dhiman and Qurishi, Yasrib and Khazir, Jabeena and Alam, Mohammad Sarwar and Kumar, Halmuthur Mahabalarao Sampath} } @article { ISI:000373440600012, title = {Synthesis of new hybrid sorbent 2-mercaptobenzaldehyde SBA-15 and its application in solid phase extraction of Cd(II) from water and food samples}, journal = {Analytical Methods}, volume = {8}, number = {14}, year = {2016}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2947-2954}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

In this paper, a new mesoporous hybrid material was fabricated by anchoring 2-mercaptobenzaldehyde (2MB) onto the surface of SBA-15. The adsorbent (2MB-SBA-15) was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm measurements and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and applied as a sorbent in the preconcentration of Cd(II) in water samples and food samples. The effect of various analytical parameters such as pH, dose of sorbent, amount of eluent, sample flow rate and interfering ions was investigated. The preconcentration capacity of the prepared material under optimized conditions for Cd(II) was 0.94 +/- 0.01 mmol g(-1). The Cd collected onto the sorbent was eluted out with 10 mL of 1 M HNO3 and determined by AAS. The LOD, LOQ and preconcentration factor of the present method were found to be 6.93 x 10(-6), 1.21 x 10(-5) mM and 100, respectively. The relative standard deviation for four preconcentration experiments was found to be \<= 5\%.

}, issn = {1759-9660}, doi = {10.1039/c5ay03031e}, author = {Sreenu, B. and Imran, K. and Seshaiah, K. and Sharma, Priti and Singh, A. P.} } @article {42857, title = {Is there any real effect of low dimensional morphologies towards light harvesting? a case study of Au-rGO-TiO2 nanocomposites}, journal = {Chemistry Select }, volume = {1}, year = {2016}, month = {APR}, pages = {917{\textendash}923}, abstract = {

Nanotube and nanosheet morphologies have been celebrated for their electron transport properties. Present work has been explored to exploit the same by combining 1D TiO2 nanotube (1D-TN) with 2D reduced graphene oxide (rGO) along with nano gold for visible light sensitization for photocatalytic H2 generation under one sun condition and visible light (λ>= 400 nm). Vertical and horizontal electron transport in 1D-TN and rGO, respectively, is combined with the visible light absorption capability of Au nanoparticle. H2 yield (HY) varies between 100 and 655 {\textmu}mol/g.h with an apparent quantum yield between 0.45 and 3.2 \%, respectively, depending on Au/rGO/1D-TN preparation method and reaction conditions. It has been demonstrated that interfacial contact between rGO/1D-TN and Au is crucial for high photocatalytic HY. Preparation method influences charge utilization, and hence HY, to a large extent. Nonetheless, the maximum HY reported in the present work is just comparable to HY reported in literature with the most commonly found spherical morphology, and this leads to a question of, is there any real influence of 1D and/or 2D materials, particularly, towards light harvesting applications?

}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201600182}, author = {Melvin, Ambrose A. and Bharad, Pradnya A. and Illath, Kavya and Lawrence, Meenu P. and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article { ISI:000381436500019, title = {Understanding the electron transfer process in ZnO-naphthol azobenzoic acid composites from photophysical characterisation}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {18}, number = {32}, year = {2016}, month = {AUG}, pages = {22179-22187}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Semiconductor nanoparticles surface modified with organic molecules capable of visible light absorption and effectively transferring the electrons to the catalytic sites have the potential to be good photocatalysts. ZnO nanoparticles of size similar to 3 nm are grafted with two azonaphthols, one conjugated and the other non-conjugated. The photophysical properties of modified ZnO indicate an effective electron transfer from the conjugated azonaphthol to ZnO but not in the case of the non-conjugated molecule. It is also observed from lifetime studies that the conjugated molecule stabilises the defect sites on ZnO nanoparticles. It is possible that excited electrons from the conjugated molecule are transferred to specific defect sites in ZnO. This apparently does not occur in the non-conjugated molecule, bringing to focus the importance of the photophysical characteristics of organic modifiers in designing visible light active photocatalysts.

}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/c6cp02908f}, author = {George, Leena and Kunhikannan, Athira K. and Illathvalappil, Rajith and Ottoor, Divya and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Devi, R. Nandini} } @article { ISI:000374049700040, title = {Unified approach to pyrrole-embedded aza-heterocyclic scaffolds based on the RCM/isomerization/cyclization cascade catalyzed by a Ru/B-H binary catalyst system}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {6}, number = {41}, year = {2016}, month = {MAR}, pages = {34428-34433}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

An easy and straightforward preparation of pyrrole-embedded aza-heterocyclic scaffolds employing a Ru/B-H binary catalyst system has been developed. The strategy generates a diverse array of privileged scaffolds from 2-aminophenyl group appended pyrroles that can be prepared by a two-step process from corresponding aminoaryl-substituted pyrroles. The technique of incorporating 2-aminoaromatic groups in the heterocycles and their subsequent ring-closing-metathesis (RCM) isomerization followed by subsequent Pictet-Spengler type reaction should also be applicable to other heterocycles for generating a library of multi-ring compounds in an efficient manner.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c6ra05646f}, author = {Inamdar, Suleman M. and Chakrabarty, Indradweep and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {42825, title = {[3+2]-Annulation of platinum-bound azomethine ylides with distal C[double bond, length as m-dash]C bonds of N-allenamides}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {53}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, pages = {196-199}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A Pt-catalyzed, highly regioselective reaction between N-allenamides and imino-alkynes leading to pyrrolo[1,2-a] indoles is described. This represents the first example of [3+2]-annulation of Pt-bound azomethine ylides with the distal CQC bond of N-allenamides. The mechanism of the reaction was established by computational studies.

}, doi = {10.1039/c6cc07874e}, author = {Chakrabarty, Indradweep and Inamdar, Suleman M. and Akram, Manjur O. and Gade, Amol B. and Banerjee, Subhrashis and Bera, Saibal and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {44175, title = {Chitosan intercalated metal organic gel as a green precursor of fe entrenched and fe distributed N-doped mesoporous graphitic carbon for oxygen reduction reaction}, journal = {Chemistryselect}, volume = {2}, year = {2017}, month = {SEP}, pages = {8762-8770}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Herein, we present Metal-Organic Gel intercalated with chitosan, a {\textquoteleft}green{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} precursor for the synthesis of intrinsic N-doped Fe entrenched (CHI-TMA-Fe-CW) and Fe distributed mesoporous graphitic carbon structures (CHI-TMA-Fe-CW-M1) with appreciable Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR) activity in alkaline medium. Modulation of the synthetic protocol as a function of reaction kinetics and gelation time while maintaining identical pyrolysis conditions (900 degrees C, flowing N-2 atmosphere) improves the microstructure, surface area and Fe distribution of the graphitic structures (CHI-TMA-Fe-CW-M1). CHI-TMA-Fe-CW has a Fe entrenched graphitic nanocapsule like morphology while Fe distributed mesoporous graphitic carbon sheets, with a specific surface area value of 565 m(2) g(-1) obtained by modulating the synthesis chemistry in CHI-TMA-Fe-CW-M1. The higher percentage of graphitic N in CHI-TMA-Fe-CW-M1 apparent from the XPS data validate that the modified synthetic method favours creation of more graphitic N sites contributing for better catalytic performance. CHI-TMA-Fe-CW-M1 catalyst exhibited comparable electrocatalytic activity with that of the commercially available Pt/C via an efficient four-electron-dominant ORR pathway with a positive onset potential value of 0.925 V vs RHE. Good durability of CHI-TMA-Fe-CW-M1 after 5000 cycles further confirm the prospects of MOG-chitosan and the feasibility to be used as a potential catalyst for ORR.

}, keywords = {electrocatalyst, fuel cell, Metal-Organic-Gel, oxygen reduction reaction}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201701416}, author = {Shijina, Kottarathil and Illathvalappil, Rajith and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Nair, Balagopal N. and Mohamed, A. Peer and Yamaguchi, Takeo and Anilkumar, Gopinathan M. and Hareesh, U. S. and Sailaja, G. S.} } @conference {45807, title = {Development of ARM based embedded controller for mass flow controller system}, booktitle = {9th International Conference on Trends in Industrial Measurement and Automation, TIMA 2017.}, year = {2017}, month = {OCT}, publisher = {Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.}, organization = {Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.}, address = {Chennai, India.}, abstract = {The purpose for this paper is to describe the central Embedded Controller development done for Mass Flow Controllers (MFCs) M100B system. Work caters to control M100B MFCs being used for one of the systems at National Chemical Laboratory. M100B MFC accurately measures and controls the mass flow rates of gases. The central controller for this system is non functional and technology is outdated and hence new central embedded controller is developed for the system. Development is done using ARM7 32-bit RISC microcontroller Philips LPC2148, as low power and high frequency design. Serial ADCs are interfaced to ARM microcontroller. LCD display 20{\texttimes}4 is used for display of run status, diagnostic and error messages. Touch keypad is designed and interfaced for setting of mass flow rate for different MFCs against MFC number selected by keypad. The software development is done using Keil micro vision 4. This ARM based controller is a real time system with display of diagnostic and error messages.}, isbn = {978-150903001-9}, doi = {10.1109/TIMA.2017.8064779}, author = {Iyer, N. and Shinde, S. and Dhawale, T. and Shelar, N.} } @article {44152, title = {Direct production of furfural in one-pot fashion from raw biomass using bronsted acidic ionic liquids}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {7}, year = {2017}, month = {OCT}, pages = {Article Number: 13508}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The conversion of raw biomass into C5-sugars and furfural was demonstrated with the one-pot method using Bronsted acidic ionic liquids (BAILs) without any mineral acids or metal halides. Various BAILs were synthesized and characterized using NMR, FT-IR, TGA, and CHNS microanalysis and were used as the catalyst for raw biomass conversion. The remarkably high yield (i.e. 88\%) of C5 sugars from bagasse can be obtained using 1-methyl-3(3-sulfopropyl)-imidazolium hydrogen sulfate ([C3SO3HMIM][HSO4]) BAIL catalyst in a water medium. Similarly, the [C3SO3HMIM][HSO4] BAIL also converts the bagasse into furfural with very high yield (73\%) in one-pot method using a water/toluene biphasic solvent system.}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-017-13946-4}, author = {Matsagar, Babasaheb M. and Hossain, Shahriar A. and Islam, Tofazzal and Alamri, Hatem R. and Alothman, Zeid A. and Yamauchi, Yusuke and Dhepe, Paresh L. and Wu, Kevin C. W.} } @article {43959, title = {Gold nanoconjugates reinforce the potency of conjugated cisplatin and doxorubicin}, journal = {Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces}, volume = {160}, year = {2017}, month = {DEC}, pages = {254-264}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {Osteosarcoma or osteogenic sarcoma is the most common and prevalent cancerous tumor of bone and occurs especially in children and teens. Recent treatment strategy includes a combination of both chemotherapy and surgeries. Although, the use of single drug-based chemotherapy treatment remains unsatisfactory. Therefore, combinatorial therapy has emerged as a potential strategy for treatment with limited side- effects. Here, we evaluated the combinatorial anticancerous effect of cisplatin (CIS) and doxorubicin (DOX) bioconjugated bromelain encapsulated gold nanoparticles (B-AuNPs conjugated CIS and DOX) in the treatment of osteosarcoma. The synthesized B-AuNPs conjugated CIS and DOX were characterized by various characterization techniques like UV{\textendash}vis spectroscopy, TEM, DLS and zeta potential to ensure the synthesis, size, shape, size distribution and stability. Drug loading efficiency bioconjugation of CIS and DOX was ensured by UV{\textendash}vis spectroscopy. Bioconjugation of CIS and DOX was further confirmed using UV{\textendash}vis spectroscopy, TEM, DLS, Zeta potential and FT-IR analysis. The combinatorial effect of CIS and DOX in B-AuNPs conjugated CIS and DOX showed highly improved potency against MG-63 and Saos-2 cells at a very low concentration where primary osteoblasts didn{\textquoteright}t show any cytotoxic effect. The apoptotic effect of B-AuNPs conjugated CIS and DOX on osteosarcoma and primary osteoblasts cells were analyzed by increased permeability of the cell membrane, condensed chromatin and deep blue fluorescent condensed nucleus. The results clearly showed that B-AuNPs conjugated CIS and DOX significantly improved the potency of both the chemotherapeutic drugs by delivering them specifically into the nucleus of cancer cells through caveolae-dependent endocytosis. Thus, the greater inhibitory effect of combinatorial drugs (B-AuNPs conjugated CIS and DOX) over single drug based chemotherapy would be of great advantage during osteosarcoma treatment. }, keywords = {cells, chemotherapy, Cytology, Cytotoxicity, Drug interactions, dynamic light scattering, Gold, Molecular Biology, Platinum Compounds}, doi = {10.1016/j.colsurfb.2017.09.017}, author = {Iram, S.}, editor = {Zahera, M.} } @proceedings {45658, title = {Growth of flower-like patterns of TiO2 nanorods over FTO substrate}, volume = { 184 }, year = {2017}, month = {NOV}, pages = {166-171}, publisher = {Taylor \& Francis Group 2\&4 Park Square Milton Park Abingdon OX14 4RN}, address = { Univ Delhi, New Delhi, India}, abstract = {

Nanostructures such as nanoparticles, nanowires, nanorods, nanotubes have attracted great interest with the understanding of shape and size dependence in the electronic and sensing properties. This work demonstrates growth and characterization of one-dimensional nanorods of titanium-dioxide (TiO2) on the fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate by using hydrothermal method. Field effect scanning electron microscopy shows flower-like morphology, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy confirms the presence of Ti and O. The X-ray diffraction peaks agree well with the JCPDS data. Initially, the 1D nanorods are formed and high concentration of precursor assists evolution of the short branches to form flower-like structures.

}, doi = {10.1080/10584587.2017.1368640}, author = {Issar, Sheetal and Poddar, Pankaj and Mehra, N. C. and Mahapatro, Ajit K.} } @article {43820, title = {Increasing light coupling in a photovoltaic film by tuning nanoparticle shape with substrate surface energy}, journal = {Materials Research Express}, volume = {4}, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, pages = {Article Number: 085022}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Tuning metal nanoparticle (MNP) contact angle on the surface it is formed can help maximise the useful optical coupling in photovoltaic films by localized surface plasmon (LSP) resonance-opening up the possibility of building improved photovoltaic cells. In this work experimental demonstration of optical absorption increase in copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) films by tuning silver MNP shape by changing its contact angles with substrate has been reported. Thin films of poly3,4 ethylenedioxythiophene: sodium dodecycl sulphate (PEDOT: SDS) with different surface energies were formed on indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass by electro-deposition. Silver MNPs thermally evaporated directly on ozonised ITO as well as on the PEDOT: SDS films showed contact angles ranging from 60 degrees to 125 degrees. The CuPc layer was deposited on top of the MNPs. For the samples studied, best optical absorption in the CuPc layer was for a contact angle of 110 degrees.}, doi = {10.1088/2053-1591/aa8275}, author = {Kataria, Devika and Krishnamoorthy, Kothandam and Iyer, S. Sundar Kumar} } @article {43976, title = {Multi-mode hydrogen storage in nanocontainers}, journal = {International Journal of Hydrogen Energy}, volume = {42}, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, pages = {24256-24262}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Hydrogen can be stored in containers or in materials (in molecular or atomic forms). The atomic form can further exist as multiple phases. Molecular hydrogen can be adsorbed on the surface or can be present inside the material. By invoking multiple modes of hydrogen storage, we establish a paradigm shift in the philosophy of hydrogen storage. Using a novel strategy of storage of molecular hydrogen in metal (Pd) nanocontainers, we observe that 18\% hydrogen is in molecular form. Interestingly, this is achieved at 25 {\textdegree}C and 1 atm pressure; which is in contrast to storage in MOFs and carbonaceous materials like nanotubes. Enhancement in storage capacity as compared to Pd nanocrystals of the same mass is observed (36\% increase at 1 atm \& 25 {\textdegree}C), along with fast kinetics (0.5 wt\% hydrogen absorption in 5 s). A new mechanism for hydrogen storage involving the dual catalytic role of Pd is established.}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijhydene.2017.07.233}, author = {Shervani, Suboohi and Mukherjee, Puspal and Gupta, Anshul and Mishra, Gargi and Illath, Kavya and Ajithkumar, Thallaseril G. and Sivakumar, Sri and Sen, Pratik and Balani, Kantesh and Subramaniam, Anandh} } @article {43844, title = {Nitrogen-doped graphene anchored with mixed growth patterns of CuPt alloy nanoparticles as a highly efficient and durable electrocatalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction in an alkaline medium}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {9}, year = {2017}, month = {JUL}, pages = {9009-9017}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A highly active and durable CuPt alloy catalyst with trigonal bipyramidal and truncated cube-type mixed morphologies, anchored on the nitrogen-doped graphene (NGr) surface (CuPt-TBTC/NGr), was prepared by a simple and fast method. The obtained CuPt alloy showed improved oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity, with a 30 mV positive shift in the half-wave potential value, as compared to the state-of-the-art Pt/C catalyst in a 0.1 M KOH solution. The CuPt alloy with the trigonal bipyramidal morphology possesses porous type inter-connected sides, which help to achieve improved mass transport of oxygen during the ORR. The exposure of the (111) plane of the CuPt alloy further improved the catalytic activity towards the dioxygen reduction in alkaline media. The ORR activity of the NGr-supported CuPt alloy was found to be dependent on the reaction time, and improved activity was obtained on the material derived at a reaction time of 90 min (CuPt-TBTC/NGr-90). The material synthesized at a lower or higher reaction time than 90 min resulted in a partially formed trigonal bipyramidal morphology with more truncated cubes or agglomerated trigonal bipyramidal and truncated cubes with closed type structures, respectively. Along with the high intrinsic ORR activity, CuPt-TBTC/NGr-90 displayed excellent electrochemical stability. Even after repeated 1000 potential cycling in a window ranging from 0.10 to 1.0 V (vs. RHE), the system clearly outperformed the state-of-the-art Pt/C catalyst with 15 and 60 mV positive shifts in the onset and half-wave potentials, respectively. CuPt-TBTC/NGr-90 also exhibited 2.1 times higher mass activity and 2.2 times higher specific activity, compared to Pt/C at 0.90 V (vs. RHE). Finally, a zinc-air battery fabricated with the alloy catalyst as the air electrode displayed a peak power density of 300 mW cm(-2), which is much higher than the peak power density of 253 mW cm(-2) obtained for the state-of-the-art Pt/C catalyst as the air electrode.

}, doi = {10.1039/c7nr00697g}, author = {Illathvalappil, Rajith and Dhavale, Vishal M. and Bhange, Siddheshwar N. and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article {42969, title = {Phenothiazine-based D-A-π-A dyes for highly efficient dye sensitized solar cells: effect of internal acceptor and non-conjugated π-spacer on device performance}, journal = {ChemPlusChem}, volume = {82}, year = {2017}, month = {FEB}, pages = {280-286}, abstract = {Three new D-A-pi-A metal-free organic dyes based on phenothiazine as a donor (D) and non-conjugated pi-spacer were designed and synthesized. The incorporation of different {\textquoteright}internal acceptors{\textquoteright} (electron traps) such as benzothiadiazole (BTD), benzotriazole (BTA), and pyridine were shown to allow systematic tuning of the energy levels and the photophysical properties. The AI-1 dye showed lower electronic disorder compared with the other two dyes. The efficiencies achieved with AI-1, AI-2, and AI-3 dyes were 8.5\% (J(sc) = 15.42 mA cm(-2), V-oc = 0.78 V, FF = 68\%), 7\% (J(sc) = 12.8 mA cm(-2), V-oc = 0.78 V, FF = 68\%) and 6.7\% (J(sc) = 11.57 mA cm(-2), V-oc = 0.82 V, FF = 68.26 \%), respectively. The incorporation of non-conjugated phenothiazine as a p-spacer in D-A-pi-A dyes showed remarkable enhancement in the photovoltaic performance of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) devices. The sealed DSSC devices with iodide/tri-iodide (I-/I-3(-) @)based liquid electrolyte showed promising stability under ambient conditions.}, doi = {10.1002/cplu.201600492}, author = {Nagane, Satyawan and Ichake, Amol and Agrawal, Ishita and Sadhanala, Aditya and Friend, Richard H. and Ogale, Satishchandra and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article {44571, title = {Silver sequestration of halides for the activation of Pd(OAc) 2 catalyzed Mizoroki-Heck reaction of 1,1 and 1,2 - Disubstituted alkenes: Ag Sequestration for Pd catalyzed Heck reaction- disubstituted alkenes}, journal = {Applied Organometallic Chemistry}, volume = {32}, year = {2017}, month = {NOV}, pages = {e4159}, abstract = {A ligand free catalytic system consisting of Pd(OAc)2 (cat) and stoichiometric quantities of silver salts, AgOAc or AgBF4, exhibit high efficiency in the Mizoroki-Heck arylation, transforming aryl iodides and 1,1 as well as 1,2 disubstituted alkenes into 1,1,2 {\textendash} trisubstituted aryl alkenes in excellent yields in very short reaction times.}, keywords = {1, 1-disubstituted alkenes, 2-disubstituted alkenes, AgBF4, AgOAc, Mizoroki-Heck reaction}, issn = {0268-2605}, doi = {10.1002/aoc.4159}, author = {Bangar, Pronnoy G. and Jawalkar, Priyanka R. and Dumbre, Swapnil and Patil, Dharmaraj and Iyer, Suresh} } @inbook {44022, title = {Step-growth polymers from cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL)-based aromatic difunctional monomers}, booktitle = {Cashew Nut Shell Liquid}, year = {2017}, pages = {163-214}, abstract = {

Cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) is an attractive renewable resource material which is available in abundance (44,50,000 tonnes worldwide and 7,53,000 tonnes in India in 2013) at low cost (around 0.27 $/kg in 2015) and is mainly composed of anacardic acid, cardanol, cardol and 2-methyl cardol. Cardanol is obtained as a major product during hot oil extraction or roasting process of CNSL. Cardanol possesses interesting structural features. The aromatic ring of cardanol can undergo electrophilic substitution reactions; the unsaturated side chain can undergo epoxidation, hydrogenation, metathesis, etc., while the phenolic hydroxyl group can undergo various reactions such as esterification and alkylation. Such opportunities of chemical modifications offered by cardanol have been extensively explored to synthesise a range of interesting aromatic difunctional monomers that have subsequently been utilised to prepare a host of step-growth polymers. Summarised herein are research efforts that have contributed towards the synthesis of step-growth polymers based on aromatic difunctional monomers derived from cardanol. The properties of high-performance polymers, with a particular focus on processability and thermal characteristics, are highlighted.

}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-319-47455-7_9}, author = {Chatterjee, Deepshikha and Sadavarte, Nilakshi V. and Shingte, Rahul D. and More, Arvind S. and Tawade, Bhausaheb V. and Kulkarni, Arun D. and Ichake, Amol B. and Avadhani, C. V. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article {43974, title = {Stimulation of d - and l -lactate dehydrogenases transcriptional levels in presence of diammonium hydrogen phosphate resulting to enhanced lactic acid production by Lactobacillus strain}, journal = {Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering}, volume = {17}, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1389-1723}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The present study revealed the effect of nitrogen sources on lactic acid production and stimulation of d- and l-lactate dehydrogenases (LDH) of parent Lactobacillus lactis NCIM 2368 and its mutant RM2-24 generated after UV mutagenesis. Both the parent and mutant strains were evaluated for d-lactic acid production in control and modified media. The modified media did not show remarkable effect on lactic acid production in case of parent whereas mutant exhibited significant enhancement in d-lactic acid production along with the appearance of l-lactic acid in the broth. Both LDH activities and specific activities were found to be higher in mutant than the parent strain. These results suggested that the diammonium hydrogen phosphate in modified media triggered the expression of LDH genes leading to enhanced lactic acid production. This observation has been proved by studying the expression levels of d- and l-LDH genes of parent and mutant in control and modified media using quantitative RT-PCR technique. In case of mutant, the transcriptional levels of d-LDH and l-LDH increased \~{}17 fold and \~{}1.38 fold respectively in modified medium compared to the values obtained with control medium. In case of parent, no significant change in transcriptional levels of d- and l-LDH was found when the cells were grown in either control medium or modified medium. This study suggested that the mutant, RM2-24 has l-LDH gene which is expressed in presence of (NH4)2HPO4 resulting in l-lactic acid production. Co-production of l-lactic acid in d-lactic acid fermentation may be detrimental in the PLA production.}, doi = {10.1016/j.jbiosc.2017.07.009}, author = {Singhvi, Mamata S. and Zendo, Takeshi and Iida, Hiroshi and Gokhale, Digambar V. and Sonomoto, Kenji} } @article {43361, title = {Synthesis of annulated bis-indoles through Au(I)/br{\o}nsted acid-catalyzed reactions of (1H-indol-3-yl)(aryl)methanols with 2-(arylethynyl)-1H-indoles}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {15}, year = {2017}, month = {DEC}, pages = {863 - 869}, abstract = {A general method to access annulated bis-indoles from (1H-indol-3-yl)(aryl)methanols and 2-(arylethynyl)-1H-indoles under the catalysis of the Ph3PAuOTf/Br{\o}nsted acid binary catalyst system has been developed. The reaction was found to proceed in a highly efficient manner and benefit from easy-to-make starting materials, broad substrate scope and operational simplicity. The potential of this method has also been exemplified for the synthesis of pyrrole-annulated indoles using 2-(phenylethynyl)-1H-indoles and phenyl(1H-pyrrol-2-yl)methanols. Furthermore, the use of a ternary catalyst system, involving PdCl2/Br{\o}nsted acid/Ph3PAuOTf catalysts, has been realized for the synthesis of annulated bis-indoles starting directly from 2-(phenylbuta-1,3-diyn-1-yl)aniline and (1H-indol-3-yl)(aryl)methanol. Mechanistically, this reaction is very interesting since the overall process involves three different catalytic cycles catalyzed by three different catalysts in a relay fashion.}, doi = {10.1039/C6OB02595A}, author = {Patil, Nitin T. and Inamdar, Suleman M. and Gonnade, Rajesh Ghanshyam} } @article {45683, title = {Systematic comparison of the response properties of protein and RNA mediated gene regulatory motifs}, journal = {Molecular BioSystems}, volume = {13 }, year = {2017}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1235-1245}, type = {Article}, abstract = {We present a framework enabling the dissection of the effects of motif structure (feedback or feedforward), the nature of the controller (RNA or protein), and the regulation mode (transcriptional, post-transcriptional or translational) on the response to a step change in the input. We have used a common model framework for gene expression where both motif structures have an activating input and repressing regulator, with the same set of parameters, to enable a comparison of the responses. We studied the global sensitivity of the system properties, such as steady-state gain, overshoot, peak time, and peak duration, to parameters. We find that, in all motifs, overshoot correlated negatively whereas peak duration varied concavely with peak time. Differences in the other system properties were found to be mainly dependent on the nature of the controller rather than the motif structure. Protein mediated motifs showed a higher degree of adaptation i.e. a tendency to return to baseline levels; in particular, feedforward motifs exhibited perfect adaptation. RNA mediated motifs had a mild regulatory effect; they also exhibited a lower peaking tendency and mean overshoot. Protein mediated feedforward motifs showed higher overshoot and lower peak time compared to the corresponding feedback motifs.}, doi = {10.1039/c6mb00808a}, author = {Iyengar, Bharat Ravi and Pillai, Beena and Venkatesh, K. V. and Gadgil, Chetan J.} } @article {43900, title = {Tailoring the properties of mPEG-PLLA nanoparticles for better encapsulation and tuned release of the hydrophilic anticancer drug}, journal = {Drug Delivery and Translational Research}, volume = {7}, year = {2017}, month = {JUN}, pages = {416-427}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Gemcitabine is used as a first-line drug for treating many solid tumours. However, it suffers from a major drawback of strong side effects and short plasma half-life because of degradation by enzyme when administered intravenously. Polyesters and copolyesters are the most widely used and preferred class of biodegradable polymer. In the present work, efforts have been made to prepare poly(ethylene glycol) monomethoxy ether-poly(l-lactide) (mPEG-PLLA), a biodegradable amphiphilic copolymer with a view to improve the entrapment and tuned release of hydrophilic drug gemcitabine. The different mPEG-PLLA copolymers were synthesized with the varying ratios of mPEG and characterized by different techniques namely FTIR and {\textonesuperior}H NMR spectroscopy, solution viscosity, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Gemcitabine-loaded nanoparticles were prepared using mPEG-PLLA copolymers by two methods i.e. nanoprecipitation and double emulsion solvent evaporation. The nanoprecipitation method showed very less entrapment and polymer solubility in the acetone-water mixture leading to uncontrolled polymer precipitation. The difficulties encountered in the nanoprecipitation method were overcome with the help of the double emulsion (w/o/w) solvent evaporation technique. It has been observed from the results that biodegradable copolymer nanoparticles protect the drug from degradation and also help in controlling the release of encapsulated drug. The properties of nanoparticles can be tailored by varying the composition of mPEG in order to get improved entrapment efficiency and desired drug release. The nanoparticles were assessed for their in vitro cytotoxicity (MTT and FACS) and cellular uptake (fluorescence microscopy) study which showed very promising results. Nanoparticles were also studied for their in vivo release after intravenous administration to Wistar albino rats, which successfully showed controlled drug release for more than 14 days.}, doi = {10.1007/s13346-017-0372-9}, author = {Surwase, Sachin S. and Munot, Neha Manish and Idage, Bhaskar B. and Idage, Susheela B.} } @article {43793, title = {Ultrahigh ionic conduction in water-stable close-packed metal-carbonate frameworks}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {56}, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, pages = {9710-9715}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Utilization of the robust metal-carbonate backbone in a series of water-stable, anionic frameworks has been harnessed for the function of highly efficient solid-state ion conduction. The compact organization of hydrophilic guest ions facilitates water-assisted ion-conduction in all the compounds. The dense packing of the compounds imparts high ion-conducting ability and minimizes the possibility of fuel crossover, making this approach promising for design and development of compounds as potential components of energy devices. This work presents the first report of evaluating ion-conduction in a purely metal-carbonate framework, which exhibits high ion-conductivity on the order of 10(-2) S cm(-1) along with very low activation energy, which is comparable to highly conducting well-known crystalline coordination polymers or commercialized organic polymers like Nafion.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.inorgchem.7b01217}, author = {Manna, Biplab and Desai, Aamod V. and Illathvalappil, Rajith and Gupta, Kriti and Sen, Arunabha and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Ghosh, Sujit K.} } @article {45367, title = {Distribution of water in the pores of periodic mesoporous organosilicates - a proton solid state MAS NMR study}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics }, volume = {20}, year = {2018}, month = {DEC}, pages = {29351-29361}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Solid state proton (H-1) magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR has been employed to study the distribution of confined water in ethane substituted periodic mesoporous organosilicate (PMOE) materials. Proton spectra acquired at different hydration levels are analysed and interpreted in terms of water clusters of various sizes and distributions of water layers on the pore surface. For comparison, we also performed similar experiments on SBA-15. The formation of larger clusters at lower hydration suggests that the pores of PMOE are getting filled with water at lower hydration levels than those in SBA-15. For PMOE, the simultaneous presence of two major resonances in the ranges 3.6-4.1 ppm and 4.4-5.2 ppm and their behaviour upon hydration imply a water layer distribution that is the sum of two contributions, corresponding to fully filled and partially filled pores or pore segments. Furthermore, the behaviour mentioned above suggests that both radial and axial filling mechanisms play a significant role in the hydration process. For SBA-15, as a function of hydration, we observed a smooth variation in the proton chemical shift of the main dynamic resonance. In accordance with previous studies, this is attributed to the gradual increase in the average thickness of water layers with an increase in hydration, and to a pore filling mechanism that is predominantly radial.}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = { 10.1039/c8cp04902e}, author = {Veena, V. S. and Illath, Kavya and Lazar, Anish and Vinod, C. P. and Ajithkumar, T. G. and Jayanthi, S.} } @article {45447, title = { Glucose isomerization catalyzed by bone char and the selective production of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural in aqueous media}, journal = {Sustainable Energy \& Fuels}, volume = {2}, year = {2018}, month = {OCT}, pages = { 2148-2153}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The selective production of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is important, and it is difficult with glucose substrates in a water solvent. Here we demonstrate a selective method for glucose-to-HMF conversion using the combined catalysis of bone char and 1-methyl-3-(3-sulfopropyl)-imidazolium hydrogen sulfate acidic ionic liquid catalysts with a high HMF selectivity (54\%) in water.}, issn = {2398-4902}, doi = {10.1039/c8se00339d}, author = {Matsagar, Babasaheb M. and Van Nguyen, Chi and Hossain, Md. Shahriar A. and Islam, Md. Tofazzal and Yamauchi, Yusuke and Dhepe, Paresh L. and Wu, Kevin C. -W.} } @article {44634, title = {High surface area nanoporous carbon derived from high quality jute from Bangladesh}, journal = {Materials Chemistry and Physics}, volume = {216}, year = {2018}, month = {SEP}, pages = {491-495}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We report an economically viable and environment-friendly strategy for the preparation of nanoporous carbon (NC) from jute which is one of the most abundant natural fibers produced in Bangladesh and some South Asian countries. Nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, UV spectroscopy, and scanning/transmission electron microscopy were performed to characterize the obtained NC. Three different types of jute-derived NCs have been synthesized at three different temperatures, 700 degrees C, 800 degrees C and 900 degrees C. The NC prepared at 800 degrees C resulted in a high surface area (981 m(2) g(-2)) and was associated with the retention of the original fibrous shapes. This study shows a promising future for jute as a natural precursor for NCs for a myriad of applications ranging from water purification to gas separation to energy conversion and storage.

}, keywords = {Adsorbents, Graphitization, Jute, Nanoporous carbons, porous materials}, issn = {0254-0584}, doi = {10.1016/j.matchemphys.2018.05.082}, author = {Khan, Junayet Hossain and Lin, Jianjian and Young, Christine and Matsagar, Babasaheb M. and Wu, Kevin C. W. and Dhepe, Paresh L. and Islam, Md Tofazzal and Rahman, Md Mahbubur and Shrestha, Lok Kumar and Alshehri, Saad M. and Ahamad, Tansir and Salunkhe, Rahul R. and Kumar, Nanjundan Ashok and Martin, Darren J. and Yamauchi, Yusuke and Hossain, Md Shahriar A.} } @article {45413, title = { Integrated constraints based analysis of an engineered violacein pathway in escherichia coli}, journal = {Biosystems }, volume = {171}, year = {2018}, month = {SEP}, pages = {10-19}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Strategies towards optimal violacein biosynthesis, a potential drug molecule, need systems level coordination of enzymatic activities of individual genes in a multigene operon vioABCDE. Constraints-based flux balance analysis of an extended iAF1260 model (iAF1260vio) with a reconstructed violacein module predicted growth and violacein yields in Escherichia coli accurately. Shadow price (SP) analysis identified tryptophan metabolism and NADPH as limiting. Increased tryptophan levels in Delta pgi \& Delta pheA were validated using in silico gene deletion analysis. Phenotypic phase plane (PhPP) analysis highlighted sensitivity between tryptophan and NADPH for violacein synthesis at molar growth yields. A synthetic VioABCDE operon (SYNO) sequence was designed to maximize Codon Adaptive Index (CAI: 0.9) and tune translation initiation rates (TIR: 2-50 fold higher) in E. coli. All pSYN E. coli transformants produced higher violacein, with a maximum six-fold increase in yields. The rational design E. coli: Delta pheA SYN: gave the highest violacein titers (33.8 mg/I). Such integrated approaches targeting multiple molecular hierarchies in the cell can be extended further to increase violacein yields.}, doi = {10.1016/j.biosystems.2018.06.002}, author = {Immanuel, Selva Rupa Christinal and Banerjee, Deepanwita and Rajankar, Mayooreshwar P. and Raghunathan, Anu} } @article {44220, title = {Integrative analysis of rewired central metabolism in temozolomide resistant cells}, journal = {Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications}, volume = {495}, year = {2018}, month = {JAN}, pages = {2010-2016}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

An authenticated U87MG clonal glioblastoma cell line was investigated to identify a sub-population of neurospheroidal (NSP) cells within the main epithelial population (U87MG). The NSP cells sorted using Fluorescence Assisted Cell Sorting (FACS) showed varied morphology, 30\% lower growth rates, 40\% higher IC50 values for temozolomide drug and could differentiate into the glial cell type (NDx). Metabolite profiling using HR-LCMS identified glucose, glutamine and serine in both populations and tryptophan only in U87MG as growth limiting substrates. Glycine, alanine, glutamate and proline were secreted by U87MG, however proline and glycine were re-utilized in NSP. Exo-metabolite profiling and phenotypic microarrays identified differential metabolism of primary carbon sources glucose and derived pyruvate for U87MG; glutamine and derived glutamate metabolism in NSP. Differential mRNA abundance of AKT1, PTEN, PIK3CA controlling metabolism, drug efflux, nutrient transport and epigenetic control MDM2 are potentially critical in shaping DNA methylation effects of temozolomide. Our study provides a new insight into the combined effect of these factors leading to temozolomide resistance in NSP. (C) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Glutamine, Metabolic rewiring, Metabolite profiling, mRNA abundances, Temozolomide resistance, U87MG}, issn = {0006-291X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bbrc.2017.12.073}, author = {Immanuel, Selva Rupa C. and Ghanate, Avinash D. and Parmar, Dharmeshkumar S. and Marriage, Fiona and Panchagnula, Venkateswarlu and Day, Nap J. and Raghunathan, Anu} } @article {44523, title = {Metabolite profiling for biomarkers in schistosoma haematobium infection and associated bladder pathologies}, journal = {Plos Neglected Tropical Diseases}, volume = {12}, year = {2018}, month = {APR}, pages = {e0006452}, abstract = {

Background Metabolic fingerprinting analysis can offer insights into underlying reactions in a biological system; hence it is crucial to the understanding of disease pathogenesis and could provide useful tools for discovering biomarkers. We sought to examine the urine and plasma metabolome in individuals affected by urogenital schistosomiasis and its associated-bladder pathologies. Methodology Blood and midstream urine were obtained from volunteers who matched our inclusion criteria among residents from Eggua, southwestern Nigeria. Samples were screened by urinalysis, microscopy, PCR and ultrasonography, and categorised as advanced (urogenital schistosomiasis associated-bladder pathologies), infection-only (urogenital schistosomiasis alone) and controls (no infection and no pathology). Metabolites were extracted and data acquired with ultra high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with Thermo Q-Exactive orbitrap HRMS. Data was analysed with MetaboAnalyst, Workflow4Metabolomics, HMDB, LipidMaps and other bioinformatics tools, with univariate and multivariate statistics for metabolite selection. Principal findings There were low levels of host sex steroids, and high levels of several benzenoids, catechols and lipids (including ganglioside, phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine), in infection-only and advanced cases (FDR\< 0.05, VIP\> 2, delta\> 2.0). Metabolites involved in biochemical pathways related to chorismate production were abundant in controls, while those related to choline and sphingolipid metabolism were upregulated in advanced cases FDR\<0.05). Some of these human host and Schistosoma haematobium molecules, including catechol estrogens, were good markers to distinguish infection-only and advanced cases. Conclusions Altered glycerophospholipid and sphingolipid metabolism could be key factors promoting the development of bladder pathologies and tumours during urogenital schistosomiasis.

}, issn = {1935-2735}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0006452}, author = {Adebayo, Adewale S. and Mundhe, Swapnil D. and Awobode, Henrietta O. and Onile, Olugbenga S. and Agunloye, Atinuke M. and Isokpehi, Raphael D. and Shouche, Yogesh S. and Santhakumari, Bayatigeri and Anumudu, Chiaka I.} } @article {44637, title = {Morphological ensembles of N-doped porous carbon derived from ZIF-8/Fe-graphene nanocomposites: processing and electrocatalytic studies}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {3}, year = {2018}, month = {AUG}, pages = {8688-8697}, abstract = {

Engineering the active site density of porous carbon catalysts for enhanced electrocatalytic activity is the current focus in the quest for economically viable fuel cells. Herein, we synthesise ZIF-8/Fe-graphene composites for the formation of N and Fe co-doped carbon with diverse morphologies ranging from tubes and sheets to frameworks of carbon. A synthetic strategy involving the one pot synthesis of ZIF-8 based composites is accomplished by the reaction of 2-methylimidazole with mixed Zn/Fe salt solution containing graphene dispersions. The high temperature heat treatment of this precursor mix yielded micro-meso porous architectures of N, Fe co-doped carbon with dispersions of Fe/Fe3C. An onset potential value of 0.95 V and a half-wave potential of 0.82 V coupled with excellent durability and stability in alkaline medium indicated improved electrocatalytic performances over its commercial Pt/C counterpart. The appreciable electrocatalytic properties of the synthesized carbon are attributed to its morphological diversity, hybrid structure, high N doping and its heteroporous characteristics. The dispersed Fe/Fe3C and FeNx sites facilitated enhanced oxygen adsorption and the graphene inclusions in the composite provided retention of high nitrogen contents.

}, keywords = {electrocatalyst, fuel cell, N- Fe co-doped carbon, oxygen reduction reaction, ZIF-8}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201801419}, author = {Thomas, Minju and Illathvalappil, Rajith and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Nair, Balagopal N. and Mohamed, A. Peer and Anilkumar, Gopinathan M. and Yamaguchi, Takeo and Hareesh, U. S.} } @article {45440, title = {Ni-Catalyzed dimerization and hydroperfluoroarylation of 1,3-dienes}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = { 83 }, year = {2018}, month = {AUG}, pages = {9267-9277}, type = {Article}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.8b01266}, author = {Iwasaki, Takanori and Min, Xin and Fukuoka, Asuka and Zhu, Longzhi and Qiu, Renhua and Yang, Tao and Ehara, Masahiro and Sudalai, Arumugam and Kambe, Nobuaki} } @article {44548, title = {Phenazine-containing poly(phenylenevinylene): a new polymer with impressive field emission properties}, journal = {Journal of Polymer Research}, volume = {25}, year = {2018}, month = {FEB}, pages = {Article Number: 61}, abstract = {

Phenazine-containing poly(phenylenevinylene) (P(PHN-PV)) was synthesized using Wittig-Horner polycondensation of the appropriately designed monomers viz. 5,10-dioctyl-5,10-dihydrophenazine-2,7-dicarbaldehyde and tetraethyl ((2,5-bis((2-ethylhexyl) oxy)-1,4 phenylene) bis(methylene)) bis(phosphonate). The design embraces the specific motivation of incorporating the nitrogen-containing heterocycle viz. .phenazine in poly(phenylenevinylene) backbone. P(PHN-PV) exhibited reversible redox properties. In the field emission measurements performed on the film of P(F{\textquoteright}HN-PV), the turn-on field was observed to be 1.93 V/mu m for the current density of 10 mu A/cm(2). The maximum current density of similar to 4.87 mA/cm(2) was achieved at the applied field of 3.84 V/mu m. The emission current showed impressive stability for 6 h at a constant current of 1 mu A (current density of about 20 mu A/cm(2)). These results emphasize the role of phenazine heterocycle with lone pair of electrons on nitrogen in lowering the oxidation onset and in turn reduction of the turn-on voltage.

}, keywords = {field emission, Phenazine, Poly(phenylenevinylene)}, issn = {1022-9760}, doi = {10.1007/s10965-017-1428-8}, author = {Chhatre, Shraddha and Ichake, Amol and Harpale, Kashmira and Patil, Sumati and Deshpande, Aparna and More, Mahendra and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article {45417, title = {Preparation and investigations of ABPBI membrane for HT-PEMFC by immersion precipitation method}, journal = {Journal of Membrane Science}, volume = {564}, year = {2018}, month = {OCT}, pages = {211-217}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Poly(2,5-benzimidazole) (ABPBI) membranes were prepared by an easy and benign {\textquoteright}immersion precipitation{\textquoteright} method; alleviating drawbacks of conventional solution casting method involving evaporation of the corrosive solvent. The importance of varying inherent viscosity on the properties of resulting membranes was investigated. The porous membranes formed by immersion precipitation method were analyzed for basic properties (water flux, porosity and dimensional analysis). Since the dense structure is required for their applicability for a fuel cell, through-porosity of the formed membranes was successfully eliminated using a unique shrinkage (similar to 50\%) property of ABPBI, initially, at 60 degrees C followed by at higher temperature. The correlation of membranes annealing temperature with the mechanical properties, phosphoric acid doping and proton conductivity was established. The present membranes exhibited high doping level (5.1 mol/RU), proton conductivity (0.083 S cm(-1)) and fuel cell performance. For comparison, solution casted membranes were prepared and analyzed. The OCP (0.91 V) and max power density (766mWcm(-2)) are quite promising features of this new type of membranes.}, issn = { 0376-7388}, doi = {10.1016/j.memsci.2018.07.026}, author = {Chaudhari, Harshal D. and Illathvalappil, Rajith and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Kharul, Ulhas K.} } @article {44553, title = {Preparation of colourless phosphate glass by stabilising higher Fe[II] in microwave heating}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {8}, year = {2018}, month = {APR}, pages = {6195}, abstract = {

Iron impurity in raw material remains a major challenge in producing colourless glass. In this investigation, we report microwave (MW) heating capable of altering Fe-redox ratio (Fe2+/Sigma Fe) enabling preparation of colourless phosphate glass. The effect of Sn concentration in retention of Fe[II] in glass melted in MW was compared with conventional glasses. Colourimetric study developing Fe2+-ferrozine colour complex reveals Fe-redox ratio \>= 0.49 required to obtain colourless phosphate glass. In microwave heating, addition of 1 wt.\% Sn metal powder can impart the desired effect whereas addition of 1.9 wt.\% Sn metal powder is required in conventional heating. The correlation equation of Fe-redox ratio with concentration of Sn metal is found to be different in microwave and conventional heating. Thus, exploiting this different redox changes in MW heating optical properties can be tailored. Preservation of higher Fe[II] in MW melted glass is also confirmed by XPS and TGA. P-31 MAS NMR spectra suggest that transition from cross linked ultra phosphate to linear polymer metaphosphate network in incorporation of Sn is found different in glass prepared adopting microwave irradiation. (27)A1 MAS NMR spectra suggest higher relative content of Al6+ in glass obtained from MW heating. Energy consumption analysis revels 3.4 kWh in MW heating while 14 kWh in conventional glass melting using resistance heating. Further, glass melting in MW can be completed within 2 h unlike similar to 5 h needed in conventional. MW heating plays a significant role in improving properties to make colourless phosphate glass in addition to significant energy and time saving.

}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-018-24287-1}, author = {Mandal, Ashis K. and Mandal, B. and Illath, Kavya and Ajithkumar, T. G. and Halder, A. and Sinha, P. K. and Sen, Ranjan} } @article {44362, title = {Sensitive electrochemical detection of cardiac troponin I in serum and saliva by nitrogen-doped porous reduced graphene oxide electrode}, journal = {Sensors and Actuators B-Chemical}, volume = {262}, year = {2018}, month = {JUN}, pages = {180-187}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Cardiovascular diseases pose one of the highest mortality risks among all diseases in developed countries, steadily increasing the burden on the health systems. Early diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases has consequently become highly important to decrease mortality and to use more adapted therapeutic decisions. We demonstrate here the utility of nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (N-prGO) for detecting and quantifying of cardiac troponin I (cTnI), a key human cardiac protein biomarker, under physiologically relevant conditions. Non-covalent modification of N-prGO by 1-pyrenecarboxylic acid (py-COOH) and poly(ethylene glycol) modified pyrene (py-PEG) ligands allowed the covalent integration of Tro4 aptamer, known for its high selectivity towards cTnI. Using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), a label-free electrochemical sensor for cTnI for concentrations down to 1 pgmL(-1) in human serum could be obtained. This sensitive detection arises from the integration of a porous nanomaterial with excellent electrochemical properties being easily amendable to site-specific surface modification. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.snb.2018.01.215}, author = {Chekin, Fereshteh and Vasilescu, Alina and Jijie, Roxana and Singh, Santosh K. and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Iancu, Madalina and Badea, Gabriela and Boukherroub, Rabah and Szunerits, Sabine} } @article {44564, title = {Structural elucidation of NASICON (Na3Al2P3O12) based glass electrolyte materials: effective influence of boron and gallium}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {8}, year = {2018}, pages = {14422-14433}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {

Understanding the conductivity variations induced by compositional changes in sodium super ionic conducting (NASICON) glass materials is highly relevant for applications such as solid electrolytes for sodium (Na) ion batteries. In the research reported in this paper, NASICON-based NCAP glass (Na2.8Ca0.1Al2P3O12) was selected as the parent glass. The present study demonstrates the changes in the Na+ ion conductivity of NCAP bulk glass with the substitution of boron (NCABP: Na2.8Ca0.1Al2B0.5P2.7O12) and gallium (NCAGP: Na2.8Ca0.1Al2Ga0.5P2.7O12) for phosphorus and the resulting structural variations found in the glass network. For a detailed structural analysis of NCAP, NCABP and NCAGP glasses, micro-Raman and magic angle spinning-nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS-NMR) spectroscopic techniques (for 31P, 27Al, 23Na, 11B and 71Ga nuclei) were used. The Raman spectrum revealed that the NCAP glass structure is more analogous to the AlPO4 mesoporous glass structure. The 31P MAS-NMR spectrum illustrated that the NCAP glass structure consists of a high concentration of Q0 (3Al) units, followed by Q0 (2Al) units. The 27Al MAS-NMR spectrum indicates that alumina exists at five different sites, which include AlO4 units surrounded by AlO6 units, Al(OP)4, Al(OP)5, Al(OAl)6 and Al(OP)6, in the NCAP glass structure. The 31P, 27Al and 11B MAS-NMR spectra of the NCABP glass revealed the absence of B{\textendash}O{\textendash}Al linkages and the presence of B3{\textendash}O{\textendash}B4{\textendash}O{\textendash}P4 linkages which further leads to the formation of borate and borophosphate domains. The 71Ga MAS-NMR spectrum suggests that gallium cations in the NCAGP glass compete with the alumina cations and occupy four (GaO4), five (GaO5) and six (GaO6) coordinated sites. The Raman spectrum of NCAGP glass indicates that sodium cations have also been substituted by gallium cations in the NCAP glass structure. From impedance analysis, the dc conductivity of the NCAP glass (\~{}3.13 {\texttimes} 10-8 S cm-1) is slightly decreased with the substitution of gallium (\~{}2.27 {\texttimes} 10-8 S cm-1) but considerably decreased with the substitution of boron (\~{}1.46 {\texttimes} 10-8 S cm-1). The variation in the conductivity values are described based on the structural changes of NCAP glass with the substitution of gallium and boron.

}, issn = {20462069}, doi = {10.1039/C8RA01676C}, author = {Allu, Amarnath R.}, editor = {Balaji, Sathravada} } @article {45400, title = { Synthesis and characterization of partially bio-based polyimides based on biphenylene-containing diisocyanate derived from vanillic acid }, journal = {European Polymer JOurnal }, volume = {109}, year = {2018}, month = { DEC}, pages = {257-264}, type = {Article }, abstract = {A new bio-based biphenylene-containing diisocyanate, namely, 5,5{\textquoteright}-diisocyanato-2,2{\textquoteright},3,3{\textquoteright}-tetramethoxy-1,1{\textquoteright}-biphenyl (BDI) was synthesized starting from vanillic acid - a lignin-derived phenolic acid. A series of new partially bio-based polyimides was prepared by polycondensation of BDI with five commercially available aromatic dianhydrides. Polyimides exhibited good solubility in organic solvents and medium molecular weights (Mn (GPC, polystyrene standard) = 25,100-32,200 g mol(-1)). Polyimides showed good thermal stability with 10\% degradation temperature and glass transition temperature in the range 459-473 degrees C and 262-329 degrees C, respectively.}, issn = {0014-3057}, doi = {10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2018.09.054}, author = {Kuhire, Sachin S. and Ichake, Amol B. and Grau, Etienne and Cramail, Henri and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article {44434, title = {Vanadium-based polyoxometalate complex as a new and efficient catalyst for phenol hydroxylation under mild conditions}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {42}, year = {2018}, month = {APR}, pages = {5142-5152}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

An eco-compatible catalytic protocol for H2O2 induced hydroxylation of phenol (PH) to catechol (CT) and hydroquinone (HQ) in aqueous medium, using a polyoxovanadate (POV) complex as the catalyst, is described. The synthesis of the POV catalyst, with a new type of three dimensional framework, Na6(H2O)22(V10O28)2H2O (1) was accomplished by establishing a non-hydrothermal one-step methodology under mild conditions. The catalyst was characterized by elemental analysis, spectral studies, single crystal X-ray diffraction studies, and Brunauer{\textendash}Emmett{\textendash}Teller (BET) and TGA analysis. Under optimum conditions of reaction, conducted at ambient temperature, the phenol conversion reached up to 55.4\% providing a TON of 138. The catalyst could be recovered easily and recycled at least up to three cycles without significant change in activity. The developed methodology is operationally simple and free from halogenated solvents or any other hazardous additives.

}, issn = {11440546}, doi = { 10.1039/c7nj04433j}, author = {Sharma, Mitu and Saikia, Gangutri and Ahmed, Kabirun and Gogoi, Sandhya Rani and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Islam, Nashreen S.} } @article {44425, title = {Water mediated proton conductance in a hydrogen-bonded Ni(II)-bipyridine-glycoluril chloride self-assembled framework}, journal = {CrystEngComm}, volume = {20}, year = {2018}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1094-1100}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {

Proton conducting properties have been investigated in a new Ni(II)-based hydrogen-bonded porous framework synthesized using a urea-fused bipyridine-glycoluril (BPG) tecton. This hydrogen-bonded self-assembled structure encapsulates water molecules in the channels with hydrogen-bonding networks which exhibits a significant temperature dependent proton conductance of 1.5 \× 10\−4\ S cm\−1\ at 95 \°C and 95\% RH with a low activation energy (Ea) of 0.54 eV, implying a Grotthuss proton hopping mechanism mediated by hydrogen-bonded water molecules in the channels. In addition, this framework exhibited a very high water uptake under humid conditions. A continuous array of water molecules and chloride ions embedded in the highly hydrophilic porous channels of the hydrogen-bonded framework acts as the proton conducting medium.

}, issn = {14668033}, doi = {10.1039/c7ce01814b}, author = {Tayade, Sakharam B. and Bhat, Satish S. and Illathvalappil, Rajith and Dhavale, Vishal M. and Kawade,Vitthal A. and Kumbhar, Avinash S. and Kurungot, Sreekumar and N{\"a}ther, Christian} } @article {47157, title = {Aromatic polycarbonates bearing pendant maleimide groups via functional monomer approach: synthesis and characterization}, journal = {Journal of Polymer Research}, volume = {27}, year = {2019}, month = {DEC}, pages = {8}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A new bisphenol containing pendant maleimide group, viz., 4, 4{\textquoteright}-(5-maleimidopentane-2, 2-diyl) diphenol (BPA-MA), was synthesized starting from commercially available 4, 4{\textquoteright}-bis (4-hydroxyphenyl) pentanoic acid. Aromatic (co)polycarbonates possessing pendant maleimide groups were synthesized by solution polycondensation of BPA-MA or varying mixtures of BPA-MA and bisphenol-A (BPA) with triphosgene in dry dichloromethane in the presence of triethylamine as a base. Inherent viscosities and number average molecular weights of (co)polycarbonates were in the range 0.46-0.66 dL/g and 24,600-36,700, respectively, indicating the formation of reasonably high molecular weight polymers. Tough, transparent, and flexible films could be cast from chloroform solutions of these (co)polycarbonates. (Co)polycarbonates were characterized using FT-IR, H-1 NMR, C-13 NMR spectroscopy, XRD, TGA and DSC analysis. The chemical modification of a representative copolycarbonate containing pendant maleimide groups was carried out quantitatively using thiol-maleimide Michael addition reaction with two thiol compounds, namely, 4-chlorothiophenol and 1-adamantanethiol. Additionally, it was demonstrated that copolycarbonate containing pendant maleimide groups could be used to form insoluble cross-linked gel by reaction with a multifunctional thiol cross-linker, namely, pentaerythritol tetrakis(3-mercaptopropionate).

}, keywords = {Aromatic polycarbonate, Cross-linking, maleimide group, Thiol-maleimide reaction, Triphosgene}, issn = {1022-9760}, doi = {10.1007/s10965-019-1909-z}, author = {Nagane, Samadhan S. and Kuhire, Sachin S. and Ichake, Amol B. and Rajamohanan, P. R. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article {45563, title = {Biosynthesized Co-doped TiO2 nanoparticles based anode for lithium-ion battery application and investigating the influence of dopant concentrations on its performance}, journal = {Composites Part B: Engineering}, volume = {167}, year = {2019}, month = {JUN}, pages = {44-50}, type = {Article}, abstract = {TiO2 is a good alternative anode material for lithium-ion battery application because of its incomparable high structural stability and safety during the charge/discharge cycles. However, the low intrinsic conductivity of TiO2 has been a limiting factor affecting its cycling and rate capability performance. Here in this work, we present Co-doped TiO2 nanoparticles based anode with good reversibility, cycling stability and rate capability performance for its envisaged application in lithium-ion battery. The Co-doped TiO2 nanoparticles with different Co concentrations (3\%, 5\%, and 7\%) are synthesized using simple and economic biomediated green approach, wherein TiCl4 and Co precursors are allowed to react in Bengal gram bean extract containing biomolecules which act as natural capping agents to control the size of nanoparticles. Among the pure TiO2 and different Co-doped TiO2 samples, the 7\% Co-doped TiO2 anode show the highest capacity of 167 mAh g-1 (88.3\%) after 100 cycles at the 0.5C current density. The Co-doped TiO2 shows higher and stable coulombic efficiency up to 100 GCD cycles indicating good reversibility. Based on the results, it is expected that the Co-doped TiO2 nanoparticles might be contributing to the enhanced electronic conductivity providing an efficient pathway for fast electron transfer.}, doi = {10.1016/j.compositesb.2018.12.001}, author = {Kashale, A. A. and Rasal, A. S. and Kamble, G. P. and Ingole, V. H. and Dwivedi, P. K. and Rajoba, S. J. and Jadhav, L. D. and Ling, Y. C. and Chang, J. Y. and Ghule, A. V.} } @article {46294, title = {Carbon derived from soft pyrolysis of a covalent organic framework as a support for small-sized RuO2 showing exceptionally low overpotential for oxygen evolution reaction}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {4}, year = {2019}, month = {AUG}, pages = {13465-13473}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Electrochemical water splitting is the most energy-efficient technique for producing hydrogen and oxygen, the two valuable gases. However, it is limited by the slow kinetics of the anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER), which can be improved using catalysts. Covalent organic framework (COF)-derived porous carbon can serve as an excellent catalyst support. Here, we report high electrocatalytic activity of two composites, formed by supporting RuO2 on carbon derived from two COFs with closely related structures. These composites catalyze oxygen evolution from alkaline media with overpotentials as low as 210 and 217 mV at 10 mA/cm(2), respectively. The Tafel slopes of these catalysts (65 and 67 mV/dec) indicate fast kinetics compared to commercial RuO2. The observed activity is the highest among all RuO2-based heterogeneous OER catalysts-a touted benchmark OER catalyst. The high catalytic activity arises from the extremely small-sized (similar to 3-4 nm) RuO2 nanoparticles homogeneously dispersed in a micro-mesoporous (BET = 517 m(2)/g) COF-derived carbon. The porous graphenic carbon favors mass transfer, while its N-rich framework anchors the catalytic nanoparticles, making it highly stable and recyclable. Crucially, the soft pyrolysis of the COF enables the formation of porous carbon and simultaneous growth of small RuO2 particles without aggregation.

}, issn = {2470-1343}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.9b01777}, author = {Chakraborty, Debanjan and Nandi, Shyamapada and Illathvalappil, Rajith and Mullangi, Dinesh and Maity, Rahul and Singh, Santosh K. and Haldar, Sattwick and Vinod, Chathakudath P. and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Vaidhyanathan, Ramanathan} } @article {46208, title = {A copper(ii)-coordination polymer based on a sulfonic-carboxylic ligand exhibits high water-facilitated proton conductivity}, journal = {Dalton Transactions}, volume = {48}, year = {2019}, month = {AUG}, pages = {11034-11044}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Proton conduction ability has been investigated in a new Cu(ii) based coordination polymer (CP), {[Cu-2(sba)(2)(bpg)(2)(H2O)(3)]center dot 5H(2)O}(n) (1), synthesized using the combination of 4-sulfobenzoic acid (4-Hsba) and bipyridine-glycoluril (BPG) ligands. Single crystal X-ray structure determination revealed that 1 features 1D porous channels encapsulating a continuous array of water molecules. Proton conductivity measurements reveal a high conductivity value of 0.94 x 10(-2) S cm(-1) at 80 degrees C and 95\% RH. The activation energy (E-a) of 0.64 eV demonstrates that the solvate water, coordinated water and hydrophilic groups in the channels promote the mobility of protons in the framework. Water sorption measurements exhibited hysterical behaviour with a high uptake value of 379.07 cm(3) g(-1). Time-dependent measurements revealed that the proton conductivity is retained even after 12 h of measurements. The proton conduction mechanism was validated by ab initio electronic structure calculations using the Nudged Elastic Band (NEB) method with molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies. The theoretical activation energy is calculated to be 0.54 eV which is in accordance with the experimental value.

}, doi = {10.1039/c9dt01983a}, author = {Tayade, Sakharam B. and Illathvalappil, Rajith and Lapalikar, Vaidehi and Markad, Datta and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Pujari, Bhatchandra and Kumbhar, Avinash S.} } @article {46348, title = {Imidazole-linked crystalline two-dimensional polymer with ultrahigh proton-conductivity}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {141}, year = {2019}, month = {SEP}, pages = {14950-14954}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Proton-exchange membrane fuel cells are promising energy devices for a sustainable future due to green features, high power density, and mild operating conditions. A facile proton-conducting membrane plays a pivotal role to boost the efficiency of fuel cells, and hence focused research in this area is highly desirable. Major issues associated with the successful example of Nafion resulted in the search for alternate proton conducting materials. Even though proton carrier loaded crystalline porous organic frameworks have been used for protonconduction, the weak host-guest interactions limited their practical use. Herein, we developed a crystalline 2D-polymer composed of benzimidazole units as the integral part, prepared by the condensation of aryl acid and diamine in polyphosphoric acid medium. The imidazole linked-2D-polymer exhibits ultrahigh proton conductivity (3.2 X 10(-2) S cm(-1)) (at 95\% relative humidity and 95 degrees C) in the pristine state, which is highest among the undoped porous organic frameworks so far reported. The present strategy of a crystalline proton-conducting 2D-polymer will lead to the development of new high performing crystalline solid proton conductor.

}, issn = {0002-7863}, doi = {10.1021/jacs.9b06080}, author = {Ranjeesh, Kayaramkodath Chandran and Ilathvalappil, Rajith and Veer, Sairam Dnyaneshwar and Peter, Joseph and Wakchaure, Vivek Chandrakant and Goudappagouda and Raj, K. Vipin and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Babu, Sukumaran Santhosh} } @article {46320, title = {Mechanistic insights into the pathways of phenol hydrogenation on Pd nanostructures}, journal = {ACS Sustainable Chemistry \& Engineering}, volume = {7}, year = {2019}, month = {OCT}, pages = {17126-17136}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Product selectivity in aqueous phase phenol hydrogenation on well-defined supported Pd nanostructures (spheres, cubes, and octahedra) was studied using defined experiments and density functional theory (DFT) simulations. On Pd spheres and octahedra, the reaction initially showed high selectivity (in the first 3 h, at 363 K and 5 bar H-2 pressure) toward the partially hydrogenated product cyclohexanone. On prolonged operation (\>20 h of reaction time), a shift in the product selectivity (up to 100\%) toward the completely hydrogenated product cyclohexanol was observed on Pd spheres and octahedra. In contrast, the reaction on Pd cubes, which only had {100} facets, showed a high selectivity (similar to 90\%) toward the product cyclohexanone even after 40 h, at the same reaction conditions. Since the {111} facets are expected to be the majority sites on a spherical particle, we attribute the selectivity trend observed on spherical Pd particles to be primarily controlled by the selectivity trend on the Pd{111} facets. This observation was further confirmed on performing the hydrogenation reaction on a mixture of Pd cube and Pd octahedron particles in a ratio of 25:75 (representing the site ratio of a spherical particle). DFT simulations provided a mechanistic insight into the reactivity of the two different facets ({100} and {111}) toward phenol hydrogenation. The calculations revealed that the selectivity significantly depended on the activation barriers involved in cyclohexanone hydrogenation on the Pd{111} facets (77 and 57 kJ/mol) as compared to those on the Pd{100} facets (97 and 101 kJ/mol).

}, keywords = {Cyclohexanol, cyclohexanone, facet-dependent reactivity, phenol hydrogenation}, issn = {2168-0485}, doi = {10.1021/acssuschemeng.9b03392}, author = {Porwa, Govind and Gupta, Shelaka and Sreedhala, S. and Elizabeth, Joes and Ithan, Tuhin Suvra and Haider, M. Ali and Vinod, C. P.} } @article {45509, title = {New approach for the synthesis of miktoarm star polymers through a combination of thiol-epoxy {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}click{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} chemistry and ATRP/Ring-opening polymerization techniques}, journal = {Journal of Polymer Science Part A-Polymer Chemistry}, volume = {57}, year = {2019}, month = {JAN }, pages = {146-156}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A new approach was developed for synthesis of certain A(3)B(3)-type of double hydrophilic or amphiphilic miktoarm star polymers using a combination of {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}grafting onto{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} and {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}grafting from{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} methods. To achieve the synthesis of desired miktoarm star polymers, acetyl protected poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) thiols (M-n = 550 and 2000 g mol(-1)) were utilized to generate A(3)-type of homoarm star polymers through an in situ protective group removal and a subsequent thiol-epoxy {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}click{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} reaction with a tris-epoxide core viz. 1,1,1-tris(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane triglycidyl ether. The secondary hydroxyl groups generated adjacent to the core upon the thiol-epoxy reaction were esterified with alpha-bromoisobutyryl bromide to install atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) initiating sites. ATRP of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) using the three-arm star PEG polymer fitted with ATRP initiating sites adjacent to the core afforded A(3)B(3)-type of double hydrophilic (PEG)(3)[poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)] (PNIPAM)(3) miktoarm star polymers. Furthermore, the generated hydroxyl groups were directly used as initiator for ring-opening polymerization of epsilon-caprolactone to prepare A(3)B(3)-type of amphiphilic (PEG)(3)[poly(epsilon-caprolactone)](3) miktoarm star polymers. The double hydrophilic (PEG)(3)(PNIPAM)(3) miktoarm star polymers showed lower critical solution temperature around 34 degrees C. The preliminary transmission electron microscopy analysis indicated formation of self-assembly of (PEG)(3)(PNIPAM)(3) miktoarm star polymer in aqueous solution. (c) 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 146-156

}, keywords = {Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), miktoarm star polymers, ring-opening polymerization (ROP), thermoresponsive, thiol-epoxy}, issn = {0887-624X}, doi = {10.1002/pola.29278}, author = {Gadwal, Ikhlas and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P. and Ichake, Amol B. and Mane, Shivshankar R.} } @article {46039, title = {Ring opening polymerization of lactide: kinetics and modeling}, journal = {Chemical Engineering Communications}, volume = {206}, year = {2019}, month = {SEP }, pages = {1159-1167}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The ring opening polymerization (ROP) kinetics of L-lactide was studied in bulk at 150, 160, and 180 degrees C using stannous octoate [Sn(Oct)(2)] catalyst and 1-pyrene butanol co-catalyst. The effect of different parameters namely, time and co-catalyst to catalyst ratio was studied on the properties of polylactide. The experimental results showed high conversion of L-lactide. The kinetics of L-lactide ROP follows the co-ordination insertion mechanism. The experimental results obtained were studied to account for the reversible activation, propagation, termination, and validated by modeling using MATLAB. The model developed successfully predicts the monomer conversion and the kinetics of L-lactide ROP.

}, keywords = {1-pyrene butanol, Average molecular weights, GPC, kinetics, L-Lactide, Modeling and simulation, Polymerization temperature, Proton NMR, ROP, Stannous octoate}, issn = {0098-6445}, doi = {10.1080/00986445.2018.1550395}, author = {Metkar, Sangeeta and Sathe, Vivek and Rahman, Imran and Idage, Bhaskar and Idage, Susheela} } @article {45512, title = {Studies on nano composites of SPEEK/ethylene glycol/cellulose nanocrystals as promising proton exchange membranes}, journal = {Electrochimica Acta}, volume = {293}, year = {2019}, month = {JAN }, pages = {260-272}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The present work deals with fabrication and characterisations of nano-composite membranes composed of sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) cross-linked and reinforced with ethylene glycol (EG) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) respectively. The thin films of cross-linked composite membranes were prepared by solvent casting method and further analysed for physicochemical and electrochemical properties to execute their applicability as promising proton exchange membrane (PEM) in fuel cells. The process of cross-linking helps to improve the strength and dimensional stability of bare SPEEK membranes without compromising with conductivity. However, presence of CNCs further improves the strength and provides an effective pathway for the conduction of protons in membranes by interacting through their surface hydroxyl and sulfonic acid groups with ionic moieties of polymer matrix. All prepared composite membranes showed good oxidative and thermal stability along with good proton conductivity. The cross-linked SPEEK membranes with 4 wt\% loading of CNCs possess an appreciable proton conductivity of 0.186 S/cm at 95 degrees C and 95\% RH which is comparable to Nafion 117. From the view point of above studies, the prepared nano-composite can be described as promising proton exchange membrane for fuel cells. (c) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Cellulose nanocrystals, Cross-linked SPEEK, fuel cell, oxidative stability, proton conductivity}, issn = {0013-4686}, doi = {10.1016/j.electacta.2018.10.029}, author = {Bano, Saleheen and Negi, Yuvraj S. and Illathvalappil, Rajith and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Ramya, K.} } @article {47166, title = {Vivo wound healing performance of halloysite clay and gentamicin-incorporated cellulose ether-PVA electrospun nanofiber mats}, journal = {ACS Applied Bio Materials}, volume = {2}, year = {2019}, month = {SEP}, pages = {4324{\textendash}4334}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Wound healing is a dynamic and complex process that requires a suitable environment to enhance the rapid healing process. In this context, fabrications of nanofibrous materials with antibiotic and antibacterial properties are becoming extremely important. In this present work, we report on the fabrication and characterization of electro-spun cellulose ether-PVA nanofiber mats loaded with halloysite clay (HNT) and gentamicin sulfate (GS) for faster wound healing applications. The morphology of nanofiber mats was examined by SEM and TEM. The average diameter of the nanofiber mats were in the range of 325 {\textpm} 30 nm. The physicochemical characterizations were done by FT-IR and XRD, which reveal the presence of HNT and GS into the nanofibers. The incorporation of halloysite gave good mechanical strength to the nanofiber mats. Swelling studies indicated the hydrophilicity of the mats. In vitro studies revealed that HNTs are nontoxic to L929 fibroblast cells and also promote cell growth and proliferation. The antibacterial property of HNT was also studied. The slow release of GS from the nanofiber mats was observed for a period of 18 days. The in vivo wound healing studies on the wistar rats for 21 days revealed the wound healing faster within 2 weeks by the incorporation of HNT and GS into the nanofiber mats and hence these nanofiber mats show great potential in acute and chronic wound healing applications.

}, doi = {10.1021/acsabm.9b00589}, author = {Wali, Ashwini and Gorain, Mahadeo and Inamdar, Satish and Kundu, Gopal and Badiger, Manohar V.} } @article {46614, title = {Bacterial biofilm formation using PCL/curcumin electrospun fibers and its potential use for biotechnological applications}, journal = {Materials}, volume = {13}, year = {2020}, month = {DEC}, pages = {5556}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Electrospun nanofibers are used for many applications due to their large surface area, mechanical properties, and bioactivity. Bacterial biofilms are the cause of numerous problems in biomedical devices and in the food industry. On the other hand, these bacterial biofilms can produce interesting metabolites. Hence, the objective of this study is to evaluate the efficiency of poly (x190;- caprolactone)/Curcumin (PCL/CUR) nanofibers to promote bacterial biofilm formation. These scaffolds were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which showed homogeneous fibers with diameters between 441-557 nm; thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry (TGA and DSC) demonstrated high temperature resilience with degradation temperatures over \>350 degrees C; FTIR and H-1-NMR serve as evidence of CUR incorporation in the PCL fibers. PCL/CUR scaffolds successfully promoted the formation of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. These results will be valuable in the study of controlled harvesting of pathogenic biofilms as well as in metabolites production for biotechnological purposes.

}, keywords = {Bacteria, curcumin, electrospinning, Escherichia coli, Pseudomona aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus}, doi = {10.3390/ma13235556}, author = {Pompa-Monroy, Daniella Alejandra and Figueroa-Marchant, Paulina Guadalupe and Dastager, Syed G. and Thorat, Meghana Namdeo and Iglesias, Ana Leticia and Miranda-Soto, Valentin and Perez-Gonzalez, Graciela Lizeth and Villarreal-Gomez, Luis Jesus} } @article {46783, title = {Co (9) S (8) nanoparticle-supported nitrogen-doped carbon as a robust catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction in both acidic and alkaline conditions}, journal = {ChemElectroChem}, volume = {7}, year = {2020}, month = {JUL}, pages = {3123-3134}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The present work illustrates the synthesis of an efficient and durable catalyst for electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) which is active both in the alkaline and acidic conditions by dispersing few-layer graphitic carbon coated Co(9)S(8)nanoparticles on the nitrogen-doped carbon (NVC-G) support (Co9S8/NVC-G). The size of the Co(9)S(8)nanoparticles is nearly 7-8 nm and the particles are found to be dispersed homogeneously on the NVC-G support. The few-layer graphitic carbon formed on the surface of Co(9)S(8)nanoparticles is assisting to accomplish their small size and it also prevents agglomeration of the nanoparticles. The ORR activity of the obtained material was analyzed in both 0.1 M KOH and 0.5 M H(2)SO(4)solutions. Co9S8/NVC-G displays nearly 70 mV overpotential compared to thestate-of-the-artPt/C in 0.1 M KOH solution. The half-wave potential (E-1/2) difference of the present system is nearly 75 mV with the commercial Pt/C. Co9S8/NVC-G displays promising ORR activity in the acidic conditions as well with nearly 140 mV overpotential compared to its Pt/C counterpart. The system shows about 170 mV lowerE(1/2)value with Pt/C. The system shows good stability both in acidic and basic conditions compared to the Pt/C system. Finally, testing of a single cell of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) was performed by employing Co9S8/NVC-G as the cathode catalyst and Nafion-212 as the proton exchange membrane. The system displays a maximum power density of 245 mW cm(-2)in H-2-O(2)and 115 mW cm(-2)in H-2-air feeding conditions.

}, keywords = {cobalt sulfide, fuel cells, Nanoparticles, nitrogen-doped carbon, oxygen reduction reaction}, issn = {2196-0216}, doi = {10.1002/celc.202000786}, author = {Illathvalappil, Rajith and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article {47013, title = {Design of novel drug-like molecules using informatics rich secondary metabolites analysis of Indian medicinal and aromatic plants}, journal = {Combinatorial Chemistry \& High Throughput Screening}, volume = {23}, year = {2020}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1113-1131}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Background: Several medicinal plants are being used in Indian medicine systems from ancient times. However, in most cases, the specific molecules or the active ingredients responsible for the medicinal or therapeutic properties are not yet known. Objective: This study aimed to report a computational protocol as well as a tool for generating novel potential drug candidates from the bioactive molecules of Indian medicinal and aromatic plants through the chemoinformatics approach. Methods: We built a database of the Indian medicinal and aromatic plants coupled with associated information (plant families, plant parts used for the medicinal purpose, structural information, therapeutic properties, etc.) We also developed a Java-based chemoinformatics open-source tool called DoMINE (Database of Medicinally Important Natural products from plantaE) for the generation of virtual library and screening of novel molecules from known medicinal plant molecules. We employed chemoinformatics approaches to in-silico screened metabolites from 104 Indian medicinal and aromatic plants and designed novel drug-like bioactive molecules. For this purpose, 1665 ring containing molecules were identified by text mining of literature related to the medicinal plant species, which were later used to extract 209 molecular scaffolds. Different scaffolds were further used to build a focused virtual library. Virtual screening was performed with cluster analysis to predict drug-like and lead-like molecules from these plant molecules in the context of drug discovery. The predicted drug-like and lead-like molecules were evaluated using chemoinformatics approaches and statistical parameters, and only the most significant molecules were proposed as the candidate molecules to develop new drugs. Results and Conclusion: The supra network of molecules and scaffolds identifies the relationship between the plant molecules and drugs. Cluster analysis of virtual library molecules showed that novel molecules had more pharmacophoric properties than toxicophoric and chemophoric properties. We also developed the DoMINE toolkit for the advancement of natural product-based drug discovery through chemoinformatics approaches. This study will be useful in developing new drug molecules from the known medicinal plant molecules. Hence, this work will encourage experimental organic chemists to synthesize these molecules based on the predicted values. These synthesized molecules need to be subjected to biological screening to identify potential molecules for drug discovery research.

}, keywords = {Drugs, medicinal plants, Metabolites, scaffolds, text mining, virtual libraries, virtual screening}, issn = {1386-2073}, doi = {10.2174/1386207323666200606211342}, author = {Karade, Divya and Vijayasarathi, Durairaj and Kadoo, Narendra and Vyas, Renu and Ingle, P. K. and Karthikeyan, Muthukumarasamy} } @article {46747, title = {Elucidating the effect of CaF 2 on structure, biocompatibility and antibacterial properties of S53P4 glass}, journal = {Journal of Alloys and Compounds}, volume = {831}, year = {2020}, month = {AUG }, pages = {154704}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The present work focuses on the synthesis and structural elucidation of fluoride containing bioactive glasses in the system (in mol\%) given by (53.86) SiO2\ {\textendash} (22.65) Na2O {\textendash} (21.77-x) CaO {\textendash} (1.72) P2O5\ {\textendash} x CaF2, where, x\ =\ 0, 5.44, 10.885 and 16.33. The role of the incorporated fluoride and its distribution within the glass were interpreted and analyzed using Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and the results were compared with the modified random network (MRN) model. The interpretations from the model have been verified using the MAS-NMR spectroscopy technique. According to this model, fluoride containing bioactive glasses have been proposed to consist of silicate rich network regions and modifier cation {\textendash} fluoride rich inter-network regions. The interface region was found to consist of non-bridging oxygen species (NBO) and phosphate cations which are either isolated orthophosphates (Q0P) or bridged with silicates in the form of pyrophosphate (Q1P) units forming Si{\textendash}O{\textendash}P bonds. The gradual substitution of CaF2\ for CaO in the base glass resulted in an increase in the silicate network connectivity with a reduction in the NBOs and lead to an increase in the association of modifier cations with fluoride ions. However, fluoride ions were found to show a marginal preference to associate with Na+\ cations leading to a decrease in the association of Na+\ ions with orthophosphate and silicate units. These overall structural findings were correlated with the\ in\ vitro\ ion dissolution behaviour of the bioactive glasses as well as with the thermal properties. The glasses were tested for their\ in\ vitro\ cell viability towards mouse osteoblast type (MC3T3) cells in which fluoride containing bioactive glasses did not show any toxicity and exhibited better cell proliferation. The antibacterial efficacy of the fluoride containing glasses was tested at various concentrations (5, 10 and 20\ mg/ml) in\ E.coli\ bacterial inoculum in which bactericidal action was evidenced.

}, keywords = {Fluoride bioactive glasses, In~vitro apatite formation and bactericidal action, MAS-NMR spectroscopy, MD simulations}, issn = {0925-8388}, doi = {10.1016/j.jallcom.2020.154704}, author = {Prasad, Sakthi and Ganisetti, Sudheer and Jana, Anuradha and Kant, Shashi and Sinha, P. K. and Tripathy, Sucheta and Illath, Kavya and Ajithkumar, T. G. and Annapurna, K. and Allu, Amarnath R. and Biswas, Kaushik} } @article {46911, title = {Fe3+ stabilized 3D cross-linked glycine-melamine formaldehyde networks as precursor for highly efficient oxygen reduction catalyst in alkaline media}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {264}, year = {2020}, month = {APR 1}, pages = {127365}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Development of inexpensive oxygen reduction electrocatalyst with high activity and durability is very important. Herein, iron carbide encapsulated pod-like graphitic carbon structures were prepared by simple pyrolysis involving Fe-glycine complex integrated melamine-formaldehyde resin precursor. The best catalyst among those studied, Fe-Gly 2 MF-C, possessing high degree of graphitization (I-D /I-G = 0.99) and enhanced specific surface area (205 m(2)/g) exhibited the highest ORR activity with a half-wave potential of 0.80 V in alkaline medium through the four-electron reduction pathway. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {fuel cell, Graphitic carbon alloy, Iron carbide, ORR}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2020.127365}, author = {Kottarathil, Shijina and Illathvalappil, Rajith and Nisa, S. and Sailaja, G. S. and Mohamed, Peer A. and Nair, Balagopal N. and Gopinathan, Anilkumar M. and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Yamaguchi, Takeo and Hareesh, U. S.} } @article {46649, title = {FeCl3-catalyzed oxidative decarboxylation of aryl/heteroaryl acetic acids: preparation of selected API impurities}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {18}, year = {2020}, month = {NOV }, pages = {8459-8466}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

There is an ever-increasing demand for impurity compounds for use in impurity profiling as regulatory agencies seek information during registration. Herein, we report the FeCl3-catalyzed oxidative decarboxylation of aryl- and heteroaryl acetic acids to the corresponding carbonyl compounds. A variety of useful aldehydes and ketones were prepared in a simple one-pot transformation by employing an environmentally benign, low-cost, and readily available iron salt. The utility of this method has been demonstrated by preparing five valuable API impurities including a multi-gram-scale synthesis of ketorolac impurity B for the first time.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/d0ob01790f}, author = {Gangadurai, Chinnakuzhanthai and Illa, Giri Teja and Reddy, D. Srinivasa} } @article {46845, title = {Hierarchical nanoflower arrays of Co9S8-Ni3S2 on nickel foam: a highly efficient binder-free electrocatalyst for overall water splitting}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {26}, year = {2020}, month = {JUN }, pages = {7900-7911}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Hydrogen production is vital for meeting future energy demands and managing environmental sustainability. Electrolysis of water is considered as the suitable method for H-2 generation in a carbon-free pathway. Herein, the synthesis of highly efficient Co9S8-Ni3S2 based hierarchical nanoflower arrays on nickel foam (NF) is explored through the one-pot hydrothermal method (Co9S8-Ni3S2/NF) for overall water splitting applications. The nanoflower arrays are self-supported on the NF without any binder, possessing the required porosity and structural characteristics. The obtained Co9S8-Ni3S2/NF displays high hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), as well as oxygen evolution reaction (OER), activities in 1 m KOH solution. The overpotentials exhibited by this system at 25 mA cm(-2) are nearly 277 and 102 mV for HER and OER, respectively, in 1 m KOH solution. Subsequently, the overall water splitting was performed in 1 m KOH solution by employing Co9S8-Ni3S2/NF as both the anode and cathode, where the system required only 1.49, 1.60, and 1.69 V to deliver the current densities of 10, 25, and 50 mA cm(-2), respectively. Comparison of the activity of Co9S8-Ni3S2/NF with the state-of-the-art Pt/C and RuO2 coated on NF displays an enhanced performance for Co9S8-Ni3S2/NF both in the half-cell as well as in the full cell, emphasizing the significance of the present work. The post analysis of the material after water electrolysis confirms that the surface Co(OH)(2) formed during the course of the reaction serves as the favorable active sites. Overall, the activity modulation achieved in the present case is attributed to the presence of the open-pore morphology of the as formed nanoflowers of Co9S8-Ni3S2 on NF and the simultaneous presence of the surface Co(OH)(2) along with the highly conducting Co9S8-Ni3S2 core, which facilitates the adsorption of the reactants and subsequently its conversion into the gaseous products during water electrolysis.

}, keywords = {cobalt sulfide, electrocatalysts, Hydrogen evolution, overall water splitting, oxygen evolution}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.202000839, Early Access Date = MAY 2020}, author = {Illathvalappil, Rajith and Walko, Priyanka S. and Kanheerampockil, Fayis and Bhat, Suresh K. and Devi, R. Nandini and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article {46732, title = {Mizoroki-Heck reaction of 1,2-disubstituted aryl alkenes: variables of synthesis, solvent and ligand modulation of reactivity}, journal = {Synthetic Communications}, volume = {50}, year = {2020}, month = {DEC }, pages = {3796-3803}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Reaction of aryl iodides with 1,2-disubstituted aryl alkenes in the presence of TBABr/TBACl gave high yields of the Mizoroki-Heck product. Phosphine ligands were used for the modulation of reactivity and stereoselectivity, for the reaction of 4-iodoanisole with cinnamaldehyde. tert-Bu3P.HBF(4)gave the highest E:Z ratio of 1:0.08. The use of PEG-200 and PEG-400 as solvent could activate the reaction of aryl iodides with various 1,2-disubstituetd aryl alkenes.

}, keywords = {12-Disubstituted aryl alkenes, 400, ligand effect, Mizoroki-Heck reaction, PEG 200, TBABr}, issn = {0039-7911}, doi = {10.1080/00397911.2020.1811986, Early Access Date = AUG 2020}, author = {Bangar, Pronnoy G. and Jawalkar, Priyanka R. and Dumbre, Swapnil R. and Raut, Pallavi K. and Patil, Dharmaraj J. and Tv, Neethu and Sudhakaran, Shana and Iyer, Suresh} } @article {47138, title = {Synthesis and characterization of nylon 6 polymer nanocomposite using organically modified Indian bentonite}, journal = {SN Applied Sciences}, volume = {2}, year = {2020}, month = {JUL}, pages = {Article number: 1412}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this present research work two different organic compounds are applied for the modification of Indian origin bentonite. One\ is with n-hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), intercalated with an\ interlayer of bentonite via cation exchange mechanism. Whereas, another with 3-Aminopropyl trimethoxysilane (APTES) interlayer functionalization with bentonite {\textendash}OH group. APTES and CTAB{\textendash}intercalated bentonites samples were further cross modified with CTAB and APTES to obtain novel co-surfactant locked organo bentonite modeling (CLOM) like matrices. Original and modified bentonite samples were comparatively evaluated by advanced characterization techniques such as, powder X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). Moreover,\ the\ applicability of the developed CLOM like materials were investigated in nylon 6 nanocomposite preparation by melt compounding method using a micro twin co-rotated extruder. Additionally, CLOM-nylon-6 polymer nanocomposites were characterized by wide angle X-ray diffraction, TGA, differential scanning calorimetry, atomic force microscopy and tensile strength measurement. The observed thermograph results confirmed no significant difference in the thermal properties of the developed composites. Whereas, the significant variation observed in the tensile strength results particularly for developed composite 5\% of N6-OAMSB and N6 AMOSB 5 showed 111.5 and 76.6\% respective enhancement in tensile strength results when compared with a bare nylon-6 polymer.

}, doi = {10.1007/s42452-020-2579-5}, author = {Kumaresan, S. and Rokade, Dhammaraj S. and Marathe, Yogesh N. and Ingole, Pravin G. and Pawar, Radheshyam R. and Pol, Harshawardhan V. and Bajaj, Hari C.} } @article {47312, title = {Synthesis, crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis of the hydrated form of N{\textquoteright}, N-(1,4-phenylenebis(methanylylidene) di(iso-nicotinic hydrazide)}, journal = {Chemical Data Collections}, volume = {28}, year = {2020}, month = {AUG}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The title compound, C20H16N6O2\ was synthesized by reflux with isonicotinic hydrazide and terephthaldehyde in ethanol solvent with the acidic condition. The single-crystal X-ray structure determination of the title compound,\ N, N-(1,4-phenylene bis (methanylylidene) di(iso-nicotinic hydrazide), reveals that the molecule crystallizes in center of symmetry with water molecules (Dihydrated form, C20H16N6O2.2H2O) through N-H...O and C-H...O hydrogen bondings. Further, the crystal structure is stabilized by O-H...O and weak C-H...N hydrogen bondings with the formation of infinite chain and dimer. Further, surface analysis and fingerprint plot reveal that the significant hydrogen bonding such as H{\textbullet}{\textbullet}{\textbullet}O (15.9\%) and N{\textbullet}{\textbullet}{\textbullet}H (11.4\%) interactions play the most crucial role for its molecular packing.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.cdc.2020.100401}, author = {Ingle, Kapil S. and Mohurle, Smital A. and Bairagi, Keshab M. and Shaikh, Tabrez R. and Venugopala, Katharigatta N. and Chandrashekharappa, Sandeep and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Nayak, Susanta K.} } @article {46820, title = {Synthesis of alpha-ketoamides using potassium superoxide (KO2) as an oxidizing agent}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {76}, year = {2020}, month = {JUN }, pages = {131262}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A simple and convenient method for the synthesis of alpha-ketoamides by the oxidation of aryl acetamides using potassium superoxide (KO2) as an oxidizing agent is disclosed here. The scope of the developed method is successfully tested with fifteen substrates. In addition, the utility of method has been demonstrated by synthesizing an orexin receptor antagonist, a medicinally interesting compound. (C) 2020 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

}, keywords = {alpha-Ketoamide, Orexin receptor, Oxidation, Potassium superoxide (KO2)}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2020.131262}, author = {Vasudevan, N. and Routholla, Ganesh and Illa, Giri Teja and Reddy, D. Srinivasa} } @article {46770, title = {Template assisted synthesis of Ni,N co-doped porous carbon from Ni incorporated ZIF-8 frameworks for electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {44}, year = {2020}, month = {JUL }, pages = {12343-12354}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A heteroatom doped porous carbon electrocatalyst with enhanced oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) performance in alkaline medium was obtained by high temperature treatment of Ni incorporated ZIF-8 frameworks and its composite with g-C(3)N(4)as a supporting matrix template. The morphology and porosity of this heteroatom containing carbon were tuned by varying the Ni : Zn molar ratio in Ni/Zn ZIF-8 and Ni/Zn ZIF-8@g-C(3)N(4)composites. The template aided synthetic strategy using g-C(3)N(4)helped in the controlled decomposition of composites leading to a heteroporous sheet like architecture with increased nitrogen content. The Ni/Zn ZIF-8 sample on heat treatment in the 800-1000 degrees C temperature range led to the formation of Ni,N co-doped porous carbon (Ni-NPC) with Ni-C active sites. The defective sites induced by nickel carbide along with the distributed N atoms on the carbon surface enabled active O(2)adsorption sites. The high surface area, high degree of graphitisation as well as the defects created by well dispersed N and Ni on porous carbon matrices favoured charge separation leading to higher electrochemical ORR activity. The Ni,N co-doped carbon catalyst in alkaline medium exhibited a limiting current density of 5.2 mA cm(-2)with a half-wave potential of 0.76 Vvs.RHE in 0.1 M KOH. The catalyst also showed improved methanol tolerance and better stability compared to the standard Pt/C catalyst.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/d0nj01373k}, author = {Priya K., Vaishna and Thomas, Minju and Illathvalappil, Rajith and K., Shijina and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Nair, Balagopal N. and Mohamed, A. Peer and Anilkumar, Gopinathan M. and Yamaguchi, Takeo and Hareesh, U. S.} } @article {47082, title = {Bimetallic nano alloy architecture on a special polymer: Ni or Cu merged with Pd for the promotion of the Mizoroki-Heck reaction and the Suzuki-Miyaura coupling}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Sciences}, volume = {133}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB }, pages = {8}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Novel Ni-Pd and Cu-Pd bimetallic nano alloys was designed and heterogenized on the highly robust ABPBI [poly(2,5-benzimidazole)] polymer in high yields using NaBH4 as reducing agent. These were versatile ligand free catalysts for the Mizoroki-Heck reaction and Suzuki-Miyaura coupling. The bimetallic Ni-Pd-ABPBI catalyst for the Mizoroki-Heck reaction of 4-iodo anisole could be recycled 5 times with high yields. Aryl bromides could also be activated for the Mizoroki-Heck reaction using Cu-Pd-ABPBI NP catalysts, with moderate yields. Graphic abstractSynopsis Novel bimetallic Ni-Pd and Cu-Pd nano alloys, heterogenized on the robust ABPBI [poly(2,5-benzimidazole)] polymer using NaBH4 as reducing agent, is described. These were versatile ligand free, noble metal conservative catalysts, for the Mizoroki-Heck reaction and the Suzuki-Miyaura coupling. Aryl bromides were activated for the Mizoroki-Heck reaction using the Cu-Pd-ABPBI catalyst.

}, keywords = {Bimetallic nano alloys, Cu-Pd-ABPBI, Mizoroki-Heck reaction, Ni-Pd-ABPBI, Suzuki coupling}, issn = {0974-3626}, doi = {10.1007/s12039-020-01870-6}, author = {Patil, Vijay P. and Kashid, Abhijit A. and Solanki, Bhanupratap S. and Kharul, Ulhas K. and Iyer, Suresh} } @article {46754, title = {Bimetallic Ni-Pd synergism-mixed metal catalysis of the mizoroki-heck reaction and the suzuki-miyaura coupling of aryl bromides}, journal = {Catalysis Letters}, volume = {151}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB}, pages = {353-358}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A combination of Pd and Ni complexes activated aryl bromides for the thermal Mizoroki-Heck reaction and Suzuki coupling giving high yields in short reaction times. A thermal redox mechanism probably occurs whereby Ni complex transfers electron and reduces the Pd (II) to Pd (0) which then takes the reactants through the standard protocol of oxidative-addition, migratory insertion and reductive elimination, typical for the Mizoroki-Heck reaction and the Suzuki coupling. [GRAPHICS] .

}, keywords = {Bimetallic catalysis, Mizoroki-Heck, Nickel complexes, Pd(OAc)2, Suzuki coupling}, issn = {1011-372X}, doi = {10.1007/s10562-020-03330-9, Early Access Date = AUG 2020}, author = {Kashid, Abhijit A. and Patil, Dharmaraj J. and Mali, Ramling D. and Patil, Vijay P. and Neethu, T. V. and Meroliya, Heena K. and Waghmode, Shobha A. and Iyer, Suresh} } @article {47794, title = {Bimetallic Ni{\textendash}Pd synergism{\textemdash}mixed metal catalysis of the mizoroki-heck reaction and the suzuki{\textendash}miyaura coupling of aryl bromides}, journal = {Catalysis Letters}, volume = {151}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB}, pages = {353 - 358}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A combination of Pd and Ni complexes activated aryl bromides for the thermal Mizoroki-Heck reaction and Suzuki coupling giving high yields in short reaction times. A thermal redox mechanism probably occurs whereby Ni complex transfers electron and reduces the Pd (II) to Pd (0) which then takes the reactants through the standard protocol of oxidative-addition, migratory insertion and reductive elimination, typical for the Mizoroki-Heck reaction and the Suzuki coupling.}, isbn = {1572-879X}, doi = {10.1007/s10562-020-03330-9}, author = {Kashid, Abhijit A. and Patil, Dharmaraj J. and Mali, Ramling D. and Patil, Vijay P. and Neethu, T. V. and Meroliya, Heena K. and Waghmode, Shobha A. and Iyer, Suresh} } @article {47667, title = {Crystal structure analysis of highly efficient chiral resolution of (RS)-arginine-fumaric acid cocrystal under preferential enrichment conditions}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Structure}, volume = {1245}, year = {2021}, month = {DEC }, pages = {131073}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Two new hydrate cocrystals, (RS)-arginine-fumaric acid-H2O ( 2 ) and (S)-arginine-2 fumaric acid-H2O ( 3 ), were obtained by the slow evaporation of the saturated aqueous ethanol solution of a 1:1 mixture of S-enriched arginine (33\% ee) and fumaric acid or (S)-arginine and fumaric acid, respectively. Cocrystals 2 and 3 possess an isostructural molecular organization containing homochiral 1D chains of arginine sim-ilar to that of the anhydrous cocrystal of (RS)-arginine-fumaric acid ( 1 ). The latter showed an efficient {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}preferential enrichment (PE){\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}, a unique spontaneous enantiomeric resolution phenomenon by simple recrystallization from the highly supersaturated solution. The formation of unstable cocrystals 2 and 3 seems to have played a crucial role in the enrichment of arginine in the mother liquor under PE crystal-lization conditions. (c) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, keywords = {Arginine, cocrystals, crystal structure, Enantiomeric resolution, preferential enrichment}, issn = {0022-2860}, doi = {10.1016/j.molstruc.2021.131073}, author = {Manoj, Kochunnoonny and Takahashi, Hiroki and Iwama, Sekai and Gonnade, G. Rajesh and Tsue, Hirohito and Tamura, Rui} } @article {47410, title = {Direct synthesis of mesoporous siliceous phosphotungstic acid and its superior catalytic activity on the cyclohexylation of phenol}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C }, volume = {125}, year = {2021}, month = {APR }, pages = {6723-6734}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The synthesis of highly active and reusable mesoporous siliceous phosphotungstic acid materials (mPTA-Si) which are prepared through a simple self-assembly between phosphotungstic acid (PTA), the polymeric surfactant, and the silica precursor assisted by KCl for cyclohexylation of phenol is reported. The surface area and the acidity of these materials are tuned with a simple adjustment of PTA in the silica framework. The prepared samples exhibit mesoporous structure with a high surface area, but the structure is collapsed when the loading of PTA is high. It is established that the Keggin structure of PTA is retained on the final mPTA-Si. mPTA-Si with different loadings of PTA are employed as the catalysts for the cyclohexylation of phenol under liquid phase conditions. Among the catalysts studied, 10.0-mPTA-8.3Si calcined at 350 degrees C is found to be highly active, selective, and recyclable and offers 100\% conversion of phenol with the highest selectivity for p-cyclohexylphenol (96.8\%).

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcc.1c01596}, author = {Ilbeygi, Hamid and Sawant, Dhanashri P. and Ruban, Sujanya M. and Reshma, Kokane S. and Umbarkar, Shubhangi B. and Halligudi, Shivappa B. and Vinu, Ajayan} } @article {47736, title = {Elucidating the effect of CaF2 on structure, biocompatibility and antibacterial properties of S53P4 glass (vol 831, 154704, 2020)}, journal = {Journal of Alloys and Compounds}, volume = {883}, year = {2021}, month = {NOV}, pages = {161253}, type = {Correction}, issn = {0925-8388}, doi = {10.1016/j.jallcom.2021.161253}, author = {Prasad, Sakthi and Ganisetti, Sudheer and Jana, Anuradha and Kant, Shashi and Sinha, P. K. and Tripathy, Sucheta and Illath, Kavya and Ajithkumar, T. G. and Annapurna, K. and Allu, Amarnath R. and Biswas, Kaushik} } @article {47111, title = {Expression, purification and crystallization of Asrij, A novel scaffold transmembrane protein}, journal = {Journal of Membrane Biology}, volume = {254}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB}, pages = {65-74}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Asrij/OCIAD1 is a scaffold transmembrane protein belonging to the Ovarian Carcinoma Immunoreactive Antigen Domain containing protein family. In Drosophila and mouse models, Asrij localizes at the endosomal and mitochondrial membrane and is shown to regulate the stemness of hematopoietic stem cells. Interaction of Asrij with ADP Ribosylation Factor 1 (Arf1) is shown to be crucial for hematopoietic niche function and prohemocyte maintenance. Here, we report the heterologous expression, standardization of detergents and purification methodologies for crystallization of Asrij/OCIAD1. To probe the activity of bacterially expressed Asrij, we developed a protein complementation assay and conclusively show that Asrij and Arf1 physically interact. Further, we find that sophorolipids improve the solubility and monodispersibility of Asrij. Hence, we propose that sophorolipids could be novel additives for stabilization of membrane proteins. To our knowledge, this is the first study detailing methodology for the production and crystallization of a heterologously expressed scaffold membrane protein and will be widely applicable to understand membrane protein structure and function. Graphic

}, keywords = {Asrij/OCIAD1, Membrane protein crystallography, sophorolipids}, issn = {0022-2631}, doi = {10.1007/s00232-020-00166-7, Early Access Date = JAN 2021}, author = {Motiwala, Zenia and Darne, Priti and Prabhune, Asmita and Inamdar, Maneesha S. and Kulkarni, Kiran} } @article {47113, title = {Integrated genetic and metabolic landscapes predict vulnerabilities of temozolomide resistant glioblastoma cells}, journal = {npj Systems Biology and Applications}, volume = {7}, year = {2021}, month = {JAN }, pages = {2}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Metabolic reprogramming and its molecular underpinnings are critical to unravel the duality of cancer cell function and chemo-resistance. Here, we use a constraints-based integrated approach to delineate the interplay between metabolism and epigenetics, hardwired in the genome, to shape temozolomide (TMZ) resistance. Differential metabolism was identified in response to TMZ at varying concentrations in both the resistant neurospheroidal (NSP) and the susceptible (U87MG) glioblastoma cell-lines. The genetic basis of this metabolic adaptation was characterized by whole exome sequencing that identified mutations in signaling pathway regulators of growth and energy metabolism. Remarkably, our integrated approach identified rewiring in glycolysis, TCA cycle, malate aspartate shunt, and oxidative phosphorylation pathways. The differential killing of TMZ resistant NSP by Rotenone at low concentrations with an IC50 value of 5 nM, three orders of magnitude lower than for U87MG that exhibited an IC50 value of 1.8 mM was thus identified using our integrated systems-based approach.

}, doi = {10.1038/s41540-020-00161-7}, author = {Immanuel, Selva Rupa Christinal and Ghanate, Avinash D. and Parmar, Dharmeshkumar S. and Yadav, Ritu and Uthup, Riya and Panchagnula, Venkateswarlu and Raghunathan, Anu} } @article {47751, title = {Ionic conductivity of Na3Al2P3O12 glass electrolytes role of charge compensators}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {60}, year = {2021}, month = {SEP }, pages = {12893-12905}, type = {Article}, abstract = {In glasses, a sodium ion (Na+) is a significant mobile cation that takes up a dual role, that is, as a charge compensator and also as a network modifier. As a network modifier, Na+ cations modify the structural distributions and create nonbridging oxygens. As a charge compensator, Na+ cations provide imbalanced charge for oxygen that is linked between two network-forming tetrahedra. However, the factors controlling the mobility of Na+ ions in glasses, which in turn affects the ionic conductivity, remain unclear. In the current work, using high-fidelity experiments and atomistic simulations, we demonstrate that the ionic conductivity of the Na3Al2P3O12 (Si0) glass material is dependent not only on the concentration of Na+ charge carriers but also on the number of charge-compensated oxygens within its first coordination sphere. To investigate, we chose a series of glasses formulated by the substitution of Si for P in Si0 glass based on the hypothesis that Si substitution in the presence of Na+ cations increases the number of SiOAl bonds, which enhances the role of Na as a charge compensator. The structural and conductivity properties of bulk glass materials are evaluated by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, magic angle spinning-nuclear magnetic resonance, Raman spectroscopy, and impedance spectroscopy. We observe that the increasing number of charge-imbalanced bridging oxygens (BOs) with the substitution of Si for P in Si0 glass enhances the ionic conductivity by an order of magnitudefrom 3.7 x 10(-8) S.cm(-1) to 3.3 x 10(7) S.cm(-1) at 100 degrees C. By rigorously quantifying the channel regions in the glass structure, using MD simulations, we demonstrate that the enhanced ionic conductivity can be attributed to the increased connectivity of Na-rich channels because of the increased charge-compensated BOs around the Na atoms. Overall, this study provides new insights for designing next-generation glass-based electrolytes with superior ionic conductivity for Na-ion batteries}, issn = {0020-1669}, doi = {10.1021/acs.inorgchem.1c01280}, author = {Keshri, Shweta R. and Ganisetti, Sudheer and Kumar, Rajesh and Gaddam, Anuraag and Illath, Kavya and Ajithkumar, Thalasseril G. and Balaji, Sathravada and Annapurna, K. and Nasani, Narendar and Krishnan, N. M. Anoop and Allu, Amarnath R.} } @article {47721, title = {Lsi2: A black box in plant silicon transport}, journal = {Plant and Soil}, volume = {466}, year = {2021}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1-20}, type = {Review}, abstract = {Background Silicon (Si) is widely considered a non-essential but beneficial element for higher plants, providing broad protection against various environmental stresses (both biotic and abiotic), particularly in species that can readily absorb the element. Two plasma-membrane proteins are known to coordinate the radial transport of Si (in the form of Si(OH)(4)) from soil to xylem within roots: the influx channel Lsi1 and the efflux transporter Lsi2. From a structural and mechanistic perspective, much more is known about Lsi1 (a member of the NIP-III subgroup of the Major Intrinsic Proteins) compared to Lsi2 (a putative Si(OH)(4)/H+ antiporter, with some homology to bacterial anion transporters). Scope Here, we critically review the current state of understanding regarding the physiological role and molecular characteristics of Lsi2. We demonstrate that the structure-function relationship of Lsi2 is largely uncharted and that the standing transport model requires much better supportive evidence. We also provide (to our knowledge) the most current and extensive phylogenetic analysis of Lsi2 from all fully sequenced higher-plant genomes. We end by suggesting research directions and hypotheses to elucidate the properties of Lsi2. Conclusions Given that Lsi2 is proposed to mediate xylem Si loading and thus root-to-shoot translocation and biosilicification, it is imperative that the field of Si transport focus its efforts on a better understanding of this important topic. With this review, we aim to stimulate and advance research in the field of Si transport and thus better exploit Si to improve crop resilience and agricultural output.}, keywords = {Efflux, Lsi2, Membrane transport, Root-to-shoot translocation, silicon, Xylem loading}, issn = {0032-079X}, doi = {10.1007/s11104-021-05061-1}, author = {Coskun, Devrim and Deshmukh, Rupesh and Shivaraj, S. M. and Isenring, Paul and Belanger, Richard R.} } @article {47435, title = {Mechanical properties of anodic titanium dioxide nanostructures}, journal = {Materiali in Tehnologije}, volume = {55}, year = {2021}, month = {JAN}, pages = {19-24}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Highly ordered and uniform titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotubes (NTs) with different morphologies (15 nm, 50 nm and 100 nm in diameter) were prepared by the electrochemical anodization of Ti substrates. The TiO2 NTs{\textquoteright} surface properties were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The elastic modulus (E) and the Vickers hardness (HV) of the Ti foil and of the different-morphology TiO2 NTs were evaluated with the nano-indentation technique. E and HV increase with the decreasing length/diameter of the NTs, meaning that NTs with smaller diameters are more resistant to mechanical wear. The elastic modulus of the TiO2 NTs with 15-nm and 50-nm diameters is similar to that of the human bone.

}, keywords = {Elastic modulus, mechanical properties, titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotubes, Vickers hardness}, issn = {1580-2949}, doi = {10.17222/mit.2020.109}, author = {Kulkarni, Mukta and Sepitka, Josef and Junkar, Ita and Bencina, Metka and Rawat, Niharika and Mazare, Anca and Rode, Chandrashekhar and Gokhale, Suresh and Schmuki, Patrik and Daniel, Matej and Iglic, Ales} } @article {46700, title = {Oxime ligands for Pd catalysis of the mizoroki-heck reaction, suzuki-miyaura coupling \& annulation reactions}, journal = {Synthetic Communications}, volume = {51}, year = {2021}, month = {JAN }, pages = {308-316}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Monodentate and bidentate chelating oximes are readily available ligands for the Pd catalysis of the Mizoroki-Heck reaction and the Suzuki coupling. High yields were obtained in the Suzuki coupling in aqueous dioxane with TBABr as additive. The oximes can be easily synthesized from the corresponding ketones or aldehydes and thus provide a very large number of nitrogen-based ligands. They have the advantage of not undergoing oxidative degradation, common for phosphine ligands. Chelating oximes with Pd(OAc)(2), activate aryl iodides to give high yields of the substitution products in the Mizoroki-Heck reactions as well as the Suzuki coupling. Acetophenone oxime ligand with Pd(OAc)(2), catalyzed the reaction of aryl iodides with 1,2-disubstituted alkenes in moderate to high yields. As a test example, the LaRock indole annulation and synthesis of isocoumarin were achieved with acetophenone oxime ligand and Pd(OAc)(2)in high yields.

}, keywords = {Isocoumarin, LaRock annulation, Mizoroki-Heck reaction, oximes, Suzuki coupling}, issn = {0039-7911}, doi = {10.1080/00397911.2020.1826969, Early Access Date = SEP 2020}, author = {Bangar, Pronnoy G. and Nahide, Pradip D. and Meroliya, Heena K. and Waghmode, Shobha A. and Iyer, Suresh} } @article {47816, title = {Oxime ligands for Pd catalysis of the mizoroki{\textendash}heck reaction, Suzuki{\textendash}Miyaura coupling \& annulation reactions}, journal = {Synthetic Communications}, volume = {51}, year = {2021}, month = {JAN}, pages = {308-316}, type = {Article}, abstract = {AbstractMonodentate and bidentate chelating oximes are readily available ligands for the Pd catalysis of the Mizoroki{\textendash}Heck reaction and the Suzuki coupling. High yields were obtained in the Suzuki coupling in aqueous dioxane with TBABr as additive. The oximes can be easily synthesized from the corresponding ketones or aldehydes and thus provide a very large number of nitrogen-based ligands. They have the advantage of not undergoing oxidative degradation, common for phosphine ligands. Chelating oximes with Pd(OAc)2, activate aryl iodides to give high yields of the substitution products in the Mizoroki{\textendash}Heck reactions as well as the Suzuki coupling. Acetophenone oxime ligand with Pd(OAc)2, catalyzed the reaction of aryl iodides with 1,2-disubstituted alkenes in moderate to high yields. As a test example, the LaRock indole annulation and synthesis of isocoumarin were achieved with acetophenone oxime ligand and Pd(OAc)2 in high yields.}, doi = {10.1080/00397911.2020.1826969}, author = {Bangar, Pronnoy G. and Nahide, Pradip D. and Meroliya, Heena K. and Waghmode, Shobha A. and Iyer, Suresh} } @article {47031, title = {Synthesis and characterization of LAGP-glass-ceramics-based composite solid polymer electrolyte for solid-state Li-ion battery application}, journal = {Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids}, volume = {558}, year = {2021}, month = {APR }, pages = {120654}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Solid State Electrolytes (SSEs) are the future alternatives of the present conventional liquid electrolytes in terms of safety, high temperature stability and also good electrochemical performance. Glass (G), based on Lithium Aluminium Germanium Phosphate (LAGP) was prepared and converted into glass-ceramics (GC) by optimized heating schedule. The crystalline LAGP has Na Super Ionic CONductor (NASICON) type unit cell where the lithium ions hop between two different positions providing long range ionic motion. To improve the inter electrode surface resistance and cell performance, Composite Solid Electrolyte (CSE) was prepared with poly (vinylidene fluoride-co-hexaflurophoaphate) (P(VDF-HFP)), 20wt\% LAGP, Lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) and 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis-(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)-imide (EMITFSI). X-ray diffraction patterns confirm the formation of the NASICON phase in LAGP GC and the amorphous nature of the CSE. NMR studies confirm formation of the Ge/AlO6 octahedra and PO4 tetrahedra inside the crystal. 7Li NMR also confirmed two different Lithium sites in LAGP crystal. The ionic conductivity values of CSE and LAGP GC are (4.49 +/- 0.31) x 10(-3)Scm(-1) and (2.70 +/- 0.04) x 10(-4)Scm(-1), respectively. The thermal stability of the prepared CSE is tested upto 315 degrees C without any degradation. Two cells (Cell-I \& Cell-II) were fabricated using the LAGP GC and CSE respectively. Cell-II shows the specific discharge capacity of 151mAhg1 at 50th cycle which is higher as compared to Cell-I (129mAhg(-1)) when tested at the C-rate of 0.05 degrees C.

}, keywords = {Lithium germanium phosphate, NASICON, Solid state electrolyte, Solid state NMR}, issn = {0022-3093}, doi = {10.1016/j.jnoncrysol.2021.120654}, author = {Das, Anurup and Goswami, Madhumita and Illath, Kavya and Ajithkumar, T. G. and Arya, A. and Krishnan, M.} } @article {48172, title = {Bioinspired hyaluronic acid based nanofibers immobilized with 3, 4-difluorobenzylidene curcumin for treating bacterial infections}, journal = {Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology}, volume = {74}, year = {2022}, month = {AUG}, pages = {103480}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Curcumin (Cur) is a natural polyphenol with multifaceted pharmacological functions, exploited extensively for biomedical applications. Traditionally curcumin is being used as an antimicrobial agent. However, to improvise the pharmacological properties, it is being modified synthetically. One of such modified Cur is 3, 4- difluorobenzylidene curcumin (CDF) which is aimed for enhancing the anti-cancer properties. Though there are reports on the studies of anti-cancer properties involving CDF, the anti-bacterial property is yet to be demonstrated. Accordingly, in our studies, we prepared bioinspired hyaluronic acid blends immobilized with CDF and fabricated non-woven nanofiber mats. These nanofiber mats were characterized and demonstrated in vitro cell culture studies, which involved cell viability, hemolysis, anti-bacterial and cell scratch assay to understand their efficacy in treating bacteria. The molecular docking studies of CDF and Cur were performed on the dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) enzyme receptor, which is an essential protein of S.auerus (Staphylococcus aureus). The results of MTT (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide) assay, and hemolysis of the respective nanofiber mats with Cur and CDF showed non-toxicity and were compatible with blood cells. Further, the cell proliferation and adherence recorded \>60\% fibroblast cells for the nanofiber mats. The anti-bacterial property of Cur and CDF was similar. The in vitro release studies for the respective Cur and CDF loaded nanofiber mats recorded a release of 25 and 37\%, respectively. From these studies, we concluded that the CDF sustained its antibacterial property in addition to the improved anti-cancer property; hence CDF being synergetic, it will have a better scope in cancer therapy.

}, keywords = {anti-bacterial, curcumin, nanofibers, tissue engineering, wound Healing}, issn = {1773-2247}, doi = {10.1016/j.jddst.2022.103480}, author = {Patel, Pratikshkumar R. and Singam, Amarnath and Iyer, Arun K. and Gundloori, Rathna Venkata Naga} } @article {47795, title = {Cardol: Cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) - derived starting material for the preparation of partially bio-based epoxy resins}, journal = {European Polymer Journal}, volume = {166}, year = {2022}, month = {MAR}, pages = {111029}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Cardol is one of the interesting constituents of cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) - a by-product of cashew processing industry- and it amounts to 15{\textendash}20\% by weight in natural CNSL. Chemically, cardol is a 15-carbon chain-substituted resorcinol wherein the side chain predominately contains mixture of one, two and three double bonds. Cardol on reaction with epichlorohydrin in the presence of sodium hydroxide afforded diglycidyl ether of cardol (DGEC). DGEC is a viscous free-flowing liquid (bulk viscosity 70 cP at 25~{\textdegree}C) and thus offers advantages in terms of ease of processing. DGEC and various compositions of DGEC with commercially available diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) were cured with two amine hardeners, namely, isophorone diamine (IPDA) and diethylene triamine (DETA). The effects of different ratios of amine/epoxy (nah/ne) on cure characteristics were studied. The epoxy thermosets were characterized by DSC, TGA, DMA and tensile testing. DSC analysis showed glass transition temperature (Tg) values in the range 63{\textendash}155~{\textdegree}C for IPDA-cured thermosets, while DETA-cured thermosets exhibited Tg values in the range 45{\textendash}145~{\textdegree}C. Td5\% values, determined by TG analysis of epoxy thermosets, were in the range 347{\textendash}359~{\textdegree}C indicating their reasonably good thermal stability. Dynamic mechanical analysis showed storage modulus (E{\textquoteright}) in the range 0.75{\textendash}2.54 GPa and 0.51{\textendash}2.24 GPa for IPDA-cured and DETA-cured thermosets, respectively. The E{\textquoteright} value of epoxy thermosets was found to decrease with increase in molar proportion of DGEC in the formulations with DGEBA while elongation at break was found to increase from 3.1\% to 9.7\% and 2.8\% to 5.1\% for IPDA- and DETA-cured systems, respectively. SEM images of cryogenically fractured surfaces of cured thermosets based on studied compositions of DGEBA and DGEC did not indicate any phase separation implying homogeneous mixing of both the epoxy resins.}, keywords = {bio-based, Cardol, cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL), Epoxy resins, Storage modulus}, issn = {0014-3057}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2022.111029}, url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0014305722000337}, author = {Ketan Makwana and Amol B. Ichake and Vinayak Valodkar and G. Padmanaban and Manohar V. Badiger and Prakash P. Wadgaonkar} } @article {48152, title = {Comparative study of polycaprolactone electrospun fibers and casting films enriched with carbon and nitrogen sources and their potential use in water bioremediation}, journal = {Membranes}, volume = {12}, year = {2022}, month = {MAR}, pages = {327}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Augmenting bacterial growth is of great interest to the biotechnological industry. Hence, the effect of poly (caprolactone) fibrous scaffolds to promote the growth of different bacterial strains of biological and industrial interest was evaluated. Furthermore, different types of carbon (glucose, fructose, lactose and galactose) and nitrogen sources (yeast extract, glycine, peptone and urea) were added to the scaffold to determinate their influence in bacterial growth. Bacterial growth was observed by scanning electron microscopy; thermal characteristics were also evaluated; bacterial cell growth was measured by ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry at 600-nm. Fibers produced have an average diameter between 313 to 766 nm, with 44\% superficial porosity of the scaffolds, a glass transition around similar to 64 degrees C and a critical temperature of similar to 338 degrees C. The fibrous scaffold increased the cell growth of Escherichia coli by 23\% at 72 h, while Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus increased by 36\% and 95\% respectively at 48 h, when compared to the normal growth of their respective bacterial cultures. However, no significant difference in bacterial growth between the scaffolds and the casted films could be observed. Cell growth depended on a combination of several factors: type of bacteria, carbon or nitrogen sources, casted films or 3D scaffolds. Microscopy showed traces of a biofilm formation around 3 h in culture of P. aeruginosa. Water bioremediation studies showed that P. aeruginosa on poly (caprolactone)/Glucose fibers was effective in removing 87\% of chromium in 8 h.

}, keywords = {bacterial growth, carbon source, electrospinning, nitrogen source, poly (caprolactone)}, doi = {10.3390/membranes12030327}, author = {Alejandra Pompa-Monroy, Daniella and Leticia Iglesias, Ana and Gulam Dastager, Syed and Namdeo Thorat, Meghana and Olivas-Sarabia, Amelia and Valdez-Castro, Ricardo and Angelica Hurtado-Ayala, Lilia and Manuel Cornejo-Bravo, Jose and Lizeth Perez-Gonzalez, Graciela and Jesus Villarreal-Gomez, Luis} } @article {48396, title = {Dual-functional 3-acetyl-2,5-dimethylthiophene additive-assisted crystallization control and trap state passivation for high- performance perovskite solar cells}, journal = {ACS Applied Energy Materials}, volume = {5}, year = {2022}, month = {DEC }, pages = {14701-14711}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Defect-mediated charge recombination and successive degradation mainly lag the performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Insufficiency or evaporation of organic cations leaves behind the undercoordinated Pb2+ ions, which act as severe charge recombination centers. Herein, theoretical and experimental insights into crystallization control and defect passivation of MAPbI3 perovskite by the dual-functional 3-acetyl-2,5-dimethylthiophene (ADT) molecule are pre-sented. Density functional theory calculations show that both functional groups of ADT possessing different interaction energies could interact with PbI2. The carbonyl group in ADT shows the dominant interaction with Pb2+ forming an intermediate product that might decrease the crystallization rate. Further, the coordinate bonding between ADT and uncoordinated Pb2+ ions in perovskite leads to defect passivation. The 0.6\% ADT-modified PSCs possess an average power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 18.22 +/- 0.80\% and the highest PCE of 19.03\%, whereas the pristine PSCs exhibit an average PCE of 16.23 +/- 1.32\% and the highest PCE of 17.47\%. Furthermore, the modified PSCs maintain 80\% of the initial PCE up to 650 h during storage at ambient conditions (RH = 35 +/- 5\%). The present study shows that the simultaneous crystalization control and defect passivation achieved via an ADT additive engineering approach could be an efficient strategy to enhance the PCE and stability of PSCs.

}, keywords = {3-acetyl-2, 5-dimethylthiophene, additive engineering, crystallization control, defect passivation, Perovskite solar cells}, issn = {2574-0962}, doi = {10.1021/acsaem.2c01881}, author = {Saykar, Nilesh G. and Iqbal, Muzahir and Pawar, Mahendra and Chavan, Kashinath T. and Mahapatra, Santosh K.} } @article {48225, title = {Enhanced hydrogen fuel production using synergistic combination of solar radiation and TiO2 photocatalyst coupled with Burkholderia cepacia lipase}, journal = {International Journal of Hydrogen Energy}, volume = {47}, year = {2022}, month = {APR }, pages = {14483-14492}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Promising and sustainable alternatives for hydrogen production have been investigated. Among these, the use of enzymes may represent an efficient alternative. In this work, an increase in hydrogen production under simulated sunlight by combining TiO2 and TiO2/MgCl2 with Burkholderia cepacia lipase (BCL) was reported. The samples (TiO2, TiO2/MgCl2, and TiO2 /MgCl2/BCL) were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermo-gravimetric (TGA), N-2 adsorption-desorption isotherms (BET), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and UV-Visible absorption spectra. Hydrogen production tests were performed in aqueous methanol solutions under simulated sunlight. The results demonstrated that 130-times greater increase in hydrogen production rate was observed by the addition of BCL than individual TiO2. This better hydrogen production rate can be attributed to the increase in the amount of reduction equivalent of the system due to the oxidation of protein peptides caused by TiO2. In conclusion, the results indicate that hydrogen production efficiency can be significantly improved when integrating TiO2/MgCl2 with BCL. (C) 2022 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {hydrogen production, Lipase, Nano-conjugated enzymes, Photocatalyst, Solar radiation, Titanium dioxide}, issn = {0360-3199}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijhydene.2022.02.220}, author = {de Souza Brandao, Luma Mirely and Barbosa, Milson dos Santos and de Jesus, Roberta Anjos and Bharad, Pradnya Arunrao and Lima, Alvaro Silva and Faria Soares, Cleide Mara and Navarro Yerga, Rufino Manuel and Bilal, Muhammad and Romanholo Ferreira, Luiz Fernando and Iqbal, Hafiz M. N. and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. and Figueiredo, Renan Tavares} } @article {48135, title = {Enhanced proton conductivity in amino acid based self-assembled non-porous hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {58}, year = {2022}, month = {MAY}, pages = {5972-5975}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

beta-Alaninium oxalate hemihydrate, glycinium oxalate, and L-leucinium oxalate salt-cocrystals as non-porous self-assembled hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks afforded proton conductivity of 2.43 x 10(-2) S cm(-1) (60 degrees C, 95\% RH), 3.03 x 10(-2) S cm(-1) (60 degrees C, 95\% RH), and 1.19 x 10(-2) S cm(-1) (80 degrees C, 95\% RH), respectively. These materials possess an extensive 3-dimensional network of hydrogen bonds in their crystal structures, making them efficient proton conducting membranes. The reduction in conductivity values over 10(-1) S cm(-1) order upon exposure of the samples to a D2O atmosphere in extreme conditions ratified the role of humidity for the conduction of protons. This work explores the relationship between structural features and proton conductivity for the design of proton conducting membranes that are easy to synthesize, eco-friendly, and cheap with potential for futuristic applications.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/d2cc00948j}, author = {Pramanik, Titas and Anand, Ashish and Pandikassala, Ajmal and Illathvalappil, Rajith and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Row, T. N. Guru} } @article {48235, title = {Kupyaphores are zinc homeostatic metallophores required for colonization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {119}, year = {2022}, month = {FEB}, pages = {e2110293119}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) endures a combination of metal scarcity and toxicity throughout the human infection cycle, contributing to complex clinical manifestations. Pathogens counteract this paradoxical dysmetallostasis by producing specialized metal trafficking systems. Capture of extracellular metal by siderophores is a widely accepted mode of iron acquisition, and Mtb iron-chelating siderophores, mycobactin, have been known since 1965. Currently, it is not known whether Mtb produces zinc scavenging molecules. Here, we characterize low-molecular-weight zinc-binding compounds secreted and imported by Mtb for zinc acquisition. These molecules, termed kupyaphores, are produced by a 10.8 kbp biosynthetic cluster and consists of a dipeptide core of ornithine and phenylalaninol, where amino groups are acylated with isonitrilecontaining fatty acyl chains. Kupyaphores are stringently regulated and support Mtb survival under both nutritional deprivation and intoxication conditions. A kupyaphore-deficient Mtb strain is unable to mobilize sufficient zinc and shows reduced fitness upon infection. We observed early induction of kupyaphores in Mtb-infected mice lungs after infection, and these metabolites disappeared after 2 wk. Furthermore, we identify an Mtb-encoded isonitrile hydratase, which can possibly mediate intracellular zinc release through covalent modification of the isonitrile group of kupyaphores. Mtb clinical strains also produce kupyaphores during early passages. Our study thus uncovers a previously unknown zinc acquisition strategy of Mtb that could modulate host-pathogen interactions and disease outcome.

}, keywords = {metallophore, nutritional immunity, tuberculosis, zinc}, issn = {0027-8424}, doi = {10.1073/pnas.2110293119}, author = {Mehdiratta, Kritee and Singh, Shubham and Sharma, Sachin and Bhosale, Rashmi S. and Choudhury, Rahul and Masal, Dattatraya P. and Manocha, Alzu and Dhamale, Bhushan Dilip and Khan, Naseem and Asokachandran, Vivekanand and Sharma, Pooja and Ikeh, Melanie and Brown, Amanda C. and Parish, Tanya and Ojha, Anil K. and Michael, Joy Sarojini and Faruq, Mohammed and Medigeshi, Guruprasad R. and Mohanty, Debasisa and Reddy, D. Srinivasa and Natarajan, Vivek T. and Kamat, Siddhesh S. and Gokhale, Rajesh S.} } @article {48236, title = {Machine learning-based approach to determine infection status in recipients of BBV152 (Covaxin) whole-virion inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine for serological surveys}, journal = {Computers in Biology and Medicine}, volume = {146}, year = {2022}, month = {JUL}, pages = {105419}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Data science has been an invaluable part of the COVID-19 pandemic response with multiple applications, ranging from tracking viral evolution to understanding the vaccine effectiveness. Asymptomatic breakthrough infections have been a major problem in assessing vaccine effectiveness in populations globally. Serological discrimination of vaccine response from infection has so far been limited to Spike protein vaccines since whole virion vaccines generate antibodies against all the viral proteins. Here, we show how a statistical and machine learning (ML) based approach can be used to discriminate between SARS-CoV-2 infection and immune response to an inactivated whole virion vaccine (BBV152, Covaxin). For this, we assessed serial data on antibodies against Spike and Nucleocapsid antigens, along with age, sex, number of doses taken, and days since last dose, for 1823 Covaxin recipients. An ensemble ML model, incorporating a consensus clustering approach alongside the support vector machine model, was built on 1063 samples where reliable qualifying data existed, and then applied to the entire dataset. Of 1448 self-reported negative subjects, our ensemble ML model classified 724 to be infected. For method validation, we determined the relative ability of a random subset of samples to neutralize Delta versus wild-type strain using a surrogate neutralization assay. We worked on the premise that antibodies generated by a whole virion vaccine would neutralize wild type more efficiently than delta strain. In 100 of 156 samples, where ML prediction differed from self-reported uninfected status, neutralization against Delta strain was more effective, indicating infection. We found 71.8\% subjects predicted to be infected during the surge, which is concordant with the percentage of sequences classified as Delta (75.6\%-80.2\%) over the same period. Our approach will help in real-world vaccine effectiveness assessments where whole virion vaccines are commonly used.

}, keywords = {BBV152, Covaxin, COVID-19, Ensemble methods, Infection, machine learning, SARS-CoV-2}, issn = {0010-4825}, doi = {10.1016/j.compbiomed.2022.105419}, author = {Singh, Prateek and Ujjainiya, Rajat and Prakash, Satyartha and Naushin, Salwa and Sardana, Viren and Bhatheja, Nitin and Singh, Ajay Pratap and Barman, Joydeb and Kumar, Kartik and Gayali, Saurabh and Khan, Raju and Rawat, Birendra Singh and Tallapaka, Karthik Bharadwaj and Anumalla, Mahesh and Lahiri, Amit and Kar, Susanta and Bhosale, Vivek and Srivastava, Mrigank and Mugale, Madhav Nilakanth and Pandey, C. P. and Khan, Shaziya and Katiyar, Shivani and Raj, Desh and Ishteyaque, Sharmeen and Khanka, Sonu and Rani, Ankita and Promila and Sharma, Jyotsna and Seth, Anuradha and Dutta, Mukul and Saurabh, Nishant and Veerapandian, Murugan and Venkatachalam, Ganesh and Bansal, Deepak and Gupta, Dinesh and Halami, Prakash M. and Peddha, Muthukumar Serva and Veeranna, Ravindra P. and Pal, Anirban and Singh, Ranvijay Kumar and Anandasadagopan, Suresh Kumar and Karuppanan, Parimala and Rahman, Syed Nasar and Selvakumar, Gopika and Venkatesan, Subramanian and Karmakar, Malay Kumar and Sardana, Harish Kumar and Kothari, Anamika and Parihar, Devendra Singh and Thakur, Anupma and Saifi, Anas and Gupta, Naman and Singh, Yogita and Reddu, Ritu and Gautam, Rizul and Mishra, Anuj and Mishra, Avinash and Gogeri, Iranna and Rayasam, Geethavani and Padwad, Yogendra and Patial, Vikram and Hallan, Vipin and Singh, Damanpreet and Tirpude, Narendra and Chakrabarti, Partha and Maity, Sujay Krishna and Ganguly, Dipyaman and Sistla, Ramakrishna and Balthu, Narender Kumar and Kumar, Kiran A. and Ranjith, Siva and Kumar, B. Vijay and Jamwal, Piyush Singh and Wali, Anshu and Ahmed, Sajad and Chouhan, Rekha and Gandhi, Sumit G. and Sharma, Nancy and Rai, Garima and Irshad, Faisal and Jamwal, Vijay Lakshmi and Paddar, Masroor Ahmad and Khan, Sameer Ullah and Malik, Fayaz and Ghosh, Debashish and Thakkar, Ghanshyam and Barik, S. K. and Tripathi, Prabhanshu and Satija, Yatendra Kumar and Mohanty, Sneha and Khan, Md Tauseef and Subudhi, Umakanta and Sen, Pradip and Kumar, Rashmi and Bhardwaj, Anshu and Gupta, Pawan and Sharma, Deepak and Tuli, Amit and Chaudhuri, Saumya Ray and Krishnamurthi, Srinivasan and Prakash, L. and Rao, V. Ch and Singh, B. N. and Chaurasiya, Arvindkumar and Chaurasiya, Meera and Bhadange, Mayuri and Likhitkar, Bhagyashree and Mohite, Sharada and Patil, Yogita and Kulkarni, Mahesh and Joshi, Rakesh and Pandya, Vaibhav and Mahajan, Sachin and Patil, Amita and Samson, Rachel and Vare, Tejas and Dharne, Mahesh and Giri, Ashok and Mahajan, Sachin and Paranjape, Shilpa and Sastry, G. Narahari and Kalita, Jatin and Phukan, Tridip and Manna, Prasenjit and Romi, Wahengbam and Bharali, Pankaj and Ozah, Dibyajyoti and Sahu, RaviKumar and Dutta, Prachurjya and Singh, Moirangthem Goutam and Gogoi, Gayatri and Tapadar, Yasmin Begam and Babu, Elapavalooru V. S. S. K. and Sukumaran, Rajeev K. and Nair, Aishwarya R. and Puthiyamadam, Anoop and Valappil, Prajeesh Kooloth and Prasannakumari, Adrash Velayudhan Pillai and Chodankar, Kalpana and Damare, Samir and Agrawal, Ved Varun and Chaudhary, Kumardeep and Agrawal, Anurag and Sengupta, Shantanu and Dash, Debasis} } @article {48404, title = {Proteomic profile of candida albicans biofilm}, journal = {Journal of Proteomics}, volume = {265}, year = {2022}, month = {AUG }, pages = {104661}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Candida albicans biofilms are characterized by structural and cellular heterogeneity that confers antifungal resistance and immune evasion. Despite this, biofilm formation remains poorly understood. In this study, we used proteomic analysis to understand biofilm formation in C. albicans related to morphophysiological and architectural features. LC-MS/MS analysis revealed that 64 proteins were significantly modulated, of which 31 were upregulated and 33 were downregulated. The results indicate that metabolism (25 proteins), gene expression (13 proteins), stress response (7 proteins), and cell wall (5 proteins) composition are modulated. The rate of oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos) and biosynthesis of UDP-N-acetylglucosamine, vitamin B6, and thiamine increased, while the rate of methionine biosynthesis decreased. There was a significant modification of the cell wall architecture due to higher levels of Sun41, Pir1 and Csh1 and increased glycosylation of proteins. It was observed that C. albicans induces hyphal growth by upregulating the expression of genes involved in cAMP-PKA and MAPK pathways. This study is significant in that it suggests an increase in OxPhos and alteration of cell wall architecture that could be contributing to the recalcitrance of C. albicans cells growing in biofilms. Nevertheless, a deeper investigation is needed to explore it further.Significance: Candida sps is included in the list of pathogens with potential drug resistance threat due to the increased frequency especially colonization of medical devices, and tissues among the patients, in recent years. Significance of our study is that we are reporting traits like modulation in cell wall composition, amino acid and vitamin biosynthesis and importantly energy generation (OxPhos) etc. These traits could be conferring antifungal resistance, host immune evasion etc. and thus survival, in addition to facilitating biofilm formation. These findings are expected to prime the further studies on devising potent strategy against biofilm growth among the patients.

}, keywords = {Biofilm, Candida albicans, Cell wall, LC-MS, Metabolism, MS, proteomics}, issn = {1874-3919}, doi = {10.1016/j.jprot.2022.104661}, author = {Abdulghani, Mazen and Iram, Rasiqua and Chidrawar, Priti and Bhosle, Kajal and Kazi, Rubina and Patil, Rajendra and Kharat, Kiran and Zore, Gajanan} } @article {48204, title = {Synthesis and characterization of partially biobased aromatic (Co)polycarbonates containing biphenylene units and pendant pentadecyl chains}, journal = {Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics}, volume = {223}, year = {2022}, month = {JUL}, pages = {2100449}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

2-Pentadecyl-[1,1{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}-biphenyl]-4,4{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}-diol (PBD) is synthesized starting from cashew nut shell liquid-a by-product of cashew processing industry. A new series of partially biobased aromatic (co)polycarbonates possessing biphenylene units and pendant pentadecyl chains is synthesized by solution polycondensation of PBD or varying compositions of PBD and bisphenol-A with triphosgene in dry dichloromethane. Inherent viscosities and number average molecular weights of (co)polycarbonates are in the range 0.51-1.24 dL g(-1) and 18 x 10(3)- 43.4 x 10(3) g mol(-1), respectively indicating the formation of reasonably high molecular weight polymers. Flexible, transparent, and free-standing films of (co)polycarbonates can be cast from chloroform solution. (Co)polycarbonates are characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), H-1 NMR, C-13 NMR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis. T-10 and T-g values of (co)polycarbonates are in the range 417-433 and 8-147 degrees C, respectively. It is demonstrated that the T-g values can be tuned by incorporation of appropriate mol\% of PBD as a comonomer in Bisphenol-A-based copolycarbonates. The lowering of the T-g values of (co)polycarbonates can be attributed primarily to the packing disruptive effect of flexible pentadecyl chains. Furthermore, the effect of incorporation of PBD as a comonomer on water contact angle values of (co)polycarbonates is evaluated.

}, keywords = {aromatic polycarbonates, biobased bisphenol, Cashew nut shell liquid, pentadecyl chain, Renewable resources}, issn = {1022-1352}, doi = {10.1002/macp.202100449}, author = {Ichake, Amol B. and Nagane, Samadhan S. and Jadhav, Uday A. and Torris, Arun and Grau, Etienne and Cramail, Henri and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article {48217, title = {Synthesis and crystal structures of Mn(II) and Co(II) complexes as catalysts for oxidation of cyclohexanone}, journal = {Inorganics}, volume = {10}, year = {2022}, month = {JUL}, pages = {100}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The global demand on adipic usage in the production of plasticizers and synthetic polyamide is increasing. In line with the search for an efficient and energy-conserving way to isolate adipic acid (AA) in good yields, this paper introduces the oxidization of cyclohexanone utilizing two new coordination compounds, [Mn(2,6-pydc)(2)](imi) (1) and [Co(H(2)pza)(2)(H2O)(2)(NO3)].NO3 (2), as catalysts. Compounds 1 and 2 were synthesized by room temperature and refluxing methods, and characterized by spectral analyses (IR and UV-Vis.), SEM, BET, TGA, elemental, and X-ray crystallography. The single crystal structure of compound 1 revealed that pyridinedicarboxylate (2,6-pydc) and imidazole (imi) moieties were coordinated to the Mn(II) atom through imine nitrogen and deprotonated oxygen atoms, to form an undistorted octahedral coordination geometry with the N2O4 donor set. The axial and equatorial planes containing O2, O4, O5, and O7 atoms were from two adjacent 2,6-pydc ligands which formed the unidendate donor ligand; imi, on the other hand, acted as a bidendate donor ligand. For compound 2, the Co(II) atom was being coordinated by two pyrazinamide (H(2)pza) moieties, which acted as an unidendate donor ligand; two water molecules occupying the axial position, and one nitrate molecule occupying the apical position, were within the coordination sphere; a nitrate molecule was disordered outside the coordination sphere. The distance, 4.658 angstrom, between the Co1 atom and the N8 atom of the uncoordinated nitrate molecule, was within the range reported elsewhere. Cyclohexanone peroxidation experiments revealed that compound 1 exhibited unique catalytic performance by giving a 72.8\% yield in adipic acid, in comparison to the 71.3\% yield obtained with compound 2. The yields in AA were maintained by way of recyclability evaluation. The reaction kinetics of compound 2 gave less activation energy, E-a 2938 J mol(-1), while the thermodynamic parameters indicated that the chemical reactivity of cyclohexanone on the active surfaces of compounds 1 and 2 was via monolayer physisorption.

}, keywords = {cobalt, Complexes, cyclohexanone, Imidazole, managanese, Oxidation, pyrazinamide, pyridinedicarboxylate}, doi = {10.3390/inorganics10070100}, author = {Tella, Adedibu C. and Isaac, Aaron Y. and Clayton, Hadley S. and Ogunlaja, Adeniyi S. and Venugopalan, Aswathy T. and Prabu, Marimuthu and Thirumalaiswamy, Raja} } @article {48138, title = {Synthesis, characterization and UV-crosslinking of aromatic (Co)polycarbonates bearing pendant azido groups}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {7}, year = {2022}, month = {SEP}, pages = {e202201020}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A new series of (co)polycarbonates bearing pendent azido groups was synthesized by polycondensation of varying molar proportions of 4, 4{\textquoteright}-(5-azidopentane-2, 2-diyl) diphenol and bisphenol-A with triphosgene. The chemical structures, compositions and random nature of (co)polycarbonates were confirmed by NMR spectroscopy. Inherent viscosities and number-average molecular weights of (co)polycarbonates were in the range 0.63-0.77 dL g(-1) and 35,400-43,400 g mol(-1), respectively indicating the formation of reasonably high molecular weight polymers. (Co)polycarbonates could be cast into tough, transparent and flexible films from chloroform solutions. (Co)polycarbonates were further characterized using IR spectroscopy, XRD, TGA and DSC. The thermal crosslinking of (co)polycarbonates bearing pendant azido groups was studied by DSC analysis. Independently, (co)polycarbonates bearing pendant azido groups were exposed to UV irradiation at wavelength of 254 nm and decomposition reaction of azido groups was monitored by FT-IR spectroscopy. The complete decomposition of azido groups was observed with exposure time of 30 min. The formed cross-linked (co)polycarbonates exhibited improved \% char yield values compared to parent (co)polycarbonates. The measurement of mechanical properties of representative crosslinked (co)polycarbonates indicated increase in tensile strength and Young{\textquoteright}s modulus and decrease in \% elongation compared to corresponding parent linear (co)polycarbonates.

}, keywords = {Aromatic polycarbonate, Pendant azido group, solution polycondensation, Triphosgene, UV-crosslinking}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.202201020}, author = {Nagane, Samadhan S. and Kuhire, Sachin S. and Ichake, Amol B. and Talanikar, Aniket A. and Lochab, Bimlesh and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article {48003, title = {Synthesis of a highly electron-deficient, water-stable, large ionic box: multielectron accumulation and proton conductivity}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {24}, year = {2022}, month = {APR 19}, pages = {3038-3042}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

pi-acidic boxes exhibiting electron reservoir and proton conduction are unprecedented because of their instability in water. We present the synthesis of one of the strongest electron-deficient ionic boxes showing e(-) uptake as well as proton conductivity. Two large anions fit in the box to form anion-pi interactions and form infinite anion-solvent wires. The box with NO3-center dot center dot center dot water wires confers high proton conductivity and presents the first example that manifests redox and ionic functionality in an organic electron-deficient macrocycle.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.2c00993}, author = {Shukla, Jyoti and Illathvalappil, Rajith and Kumar, Sharvan and Chorol, Sonam and Pandikassala, Ajmal and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Mukhopadhyay, Pritam} } @article {48743, title = {Bimetallic quantum dots (Cu-Pd, Ni-Pd) catalyzed reaction of bromo arenes with alkenes and aryl boronic acids}, journal = {Indian Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {62}, year = {2023}, month = {AUG}, pages = {843-848}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Bimetallic quantum dots (Cu-Pd and Ni-Pd) are active ligand-free catalysts for the alkenylation and arylation of aryl bromides. The catalysts are easy to synthesize by benign green protocols and characterized by various techniques. The bimetallic QD catalysts synthesized thus are superior to Pd(OAc)2 or other Pd NP catalysis of alkenylation reactions of aryl bromides with similar E-selectivity. The reaction of aryl bromide with aryl boronic acid is facile with high yields.

}, keywords = {Aryl bromides, Bimetallic QDs catalysis, Cu-Pd, Mizoroki-Heck, Ni-Pd, Suzuki coupling}, issn = {0019-5103}, doi = {10.56042/ijc.v62i8.4769}, author = {Raut, Pallavi K. and Meroliya, Heena K. and Dumbre, Swapnil R. and Patil, Vaishali N. and Solanki, Bhanupratap S. and Waghmode, Shobha A. and Iyer, Suresh} } @article {48309, title = {Cobalt-manganese modified theophrastite phase of nickel hydroxide nanoflower arrays on nickel foam as a self-standing bifunctional electrode for overall water electrolysis}, journal = {Sustainable Energy \& Fuels}, volume = {7}, year = {2023}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2428-2440}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Designing and developing self-supported electrodes for water electrolysis is attractive as compared to conventional catalyst-coated electrodes. Herein, a (Co0.3Mn0.1Ni0.6)(OH)(2)/NF nanocomposite is prepared by anchoring (Co0.3Mn0.1Ni0.6)(OH)(2)via simple one-pot hydrothermal synthesis on nickel foam. The presence of Mn induces the external electronic structure of Co(OH)(2), and this also improves the electrochemically active surface area (ECSA). These favor better accessibility of active sites and increased intrinsic activity for the OER and HER. (Co0.3Mn0.1Ni0.6)(OH)(2)/NF has shown promising electrochemical activity toward the OER and HER in a 1 M KOH electrolyte, with an overpotential of 270 mV for the OER and 163 mV for the HER to deliver 10 mA cm(-2) current density. The overall water splitting was performed by employing (Co0.3Mn0.1Ni0.6)(OH)(2)/NF as both the cathode and anode by displaying a voltage of 1.62 V at 10 mA cm(-2), which is comparable to that extracted from a similar system based on the state-of-the-art Pt/C@NF cathode and RuO2@NF anode (1.60 V at 10 mA cm(-2)) standard electrode pair. Interestingly, at high current densities, the (Co0.3Mn0.1Ni0.6)(OH)(2)/NF//(Co0.3Mn0.1Ni0.6)(OH)(2)/NF system displayed better overall water splitting performance (1.78 V at 100 mA cm(-2)) compared to its Pt/C@NF//RuO2@NF (1.89 V at 100 mA cm(-2)) counterpart while displaying a stable output during the evolution period that lasted for 24 h. The amounts of H-2 and O-2 produced are estimated to be 701.2 and 358.6 mmol, respectively, at a time interval of 1 h; these amounts correspond to an similar to 1 : 2 ratio of O-2 and H-2, respectively. This study confirms the capability for employing (Co0.3Mn0.1Ni0.6)(OH)(2)/NF as a bi-functional and self-standing electrode for the realistic demonstrations of overall water splitting applications.

}, issn = {2398-4902}, doi = {10.1039/d3se00233k}, author = {Kharabe, Geeta Pandurang and Illathvalappil, Rajith and Barik, Sidharth and Kanheerampockil, Fayis and Walko, Priyanka S. and Bhat, Suresh K. and Devi, R. Nandini and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article {48795, title = {COF-supported zirconium oxyhydroxide as a versatile heterogeneous catalyst for Knoevenagel condensation and nerve agent hydrolysis}, journal = {iScience}, volume = {26}, year = {2023}, month = {NOV}, pages = {108088}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A composite of catalytic Lewis acidic zirconium oxyhydroxides (8 wt \%) and a covalent organic framework (COF) was synthesized. X-ray diffraction and infrared (IR) spectroscopy reveal that COF{\textquoteright}s structure is pre-served after loading with zirconium oxyhydroxides. Electron microscopy confirms a homogeneous distri-bution of nano-to sub-micron-sized zirconium clusters in the COF. 3D X-ray tomography captures the micron-sized channels connecting the well-dispersed zirconium clusters on the COF. The crystalline ZrOx(OH)(y)@COF{\textquoteright}s nanostructure was model-optimized via simulated annealing methods. Using 0.8 mol \% of the catalyst yielded a turnover number of 100-120 and a turnover frequency of 160-360 h(-1) for Knoevenagel condensation in aqueous medium. Additionally, 2.2 mol \% of catalyst catalyzes the hy-drolysis of dimethyl nitrophenyl phosphate, a simulant of nerve agent Soman, with a conversion rate of 37\% in 180 min. The hydrolytic detoxification of the live agent Soman is also achieved. Our study unveils COF-stabilized ZrOx(OH)(y) as a new class of zirconium-based Lewis + Bronsted-acid catalysts.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.isci.2023.108088}, author = {Shekhar, Pragalbh and Devulapalli, Venkata Swaroopa Datta and Reji, Reshma and Singh, Himan Dev and Jose, Aleena and Singh, Piyush and Torris, Arun and Vinod, Chatakudath P. and Tokarz III, John A. and Mahle, John J. and Peterson, Gregory W. and Borguet, Eric and Vaidhyanathan, Ramanathan} } @article {48314, title = {Highly interconnected porous monolithic and beaded polymers using high internal phase emulsion polymerization: tuning porous architecture through synthesis variables}, journal = {Polymer International}, volume = {72}, year = {2023}, month = {APR}, pages = {451-466}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Open porous polymeric materials have gained popularity due to their exceptional properties and applications in tissue engineering scaffolds, drug delivery, enzyme immobilization and catalysis support. This study developed a novel two-stage approach to create networked, crosslinked poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-N,N{\textquoteright}-methylenebisacrylamide) HEMA-MBA beads. The first part involves producing an oil-in-water-in-oil high internal phase emulsion (HIPE). This is followed by suspension polymerization using a redox initiator pair. In this study, a mixed surfactant combination with low and high hydrophilicity-lipophilicity balance surfactants was identified and successfully utilized to prepare a stable oil-in-water-in-oil HIPE. The effect of crosslinker concentration (i.e. crosslink density), surfactant concentration and monomer-to-porogen ratio on pore architecture and surface area were successfully evaluated. In addition, a new protocol was developed to synthesize HEMA-MBA monoliths using an oil-in-water HIPE method at ambient temperature using a redox initiator pair. The effect of crosslink density and oil phase on pore architecture and surface area was evaluated. Key variables affecting the morphology of porous HEMA-MBA beads and monoliths were identified and quantified, allowing future development of porous HEMA-based polymer beads and monoliths with tunable morphologies which are suitable for numerous applications, especially in the biomedical field. (c) 2022 Society of Industrial Chemistry.

}, keywords = {HIPE polymerization, porosity, porous polymers, redox polymerization, Suspension polymerization}, issn = {0959-8103}, doi = {10.1002/pi.6489}, author = {Ponrathnam, Timothy and Behere, Isha and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Ingavle, Ganesh} } @article {48448, title = {Hydroxide ion-conducting viologen-bakelite organic frameworks for flexible solid-state zinc-air battery applications}, journal = {Nanoscale Horizons}, volume = {8}, year = {2023}, month = {JAN }, pages = {224-234}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Adaptable polymer-based solid-state electrolytes can be a game-changer toward safe, lightweight flexible batteries. We present a robust Bakelite-type organic polymer covalently decked with viologen, triazine, and phenolic moieties. Its flexible structure with cationic viologen centers incorporates counter-balancing free hydroxide ions into the polymeric framework. By design, the aromatic groups and heteroatoms in the framework can be activated under an applied potential to prompt a push-pull drive, setting off the towing of hydroxide ions via weak electrostatic, van der Waals, and hydrogen-bond interactions. The frontier orbitals from a DFT-modeled structure certify this. The hydroxyl-polymer requires minimal KOH wetting to maintain a humid environment for Grotthuss-type transport. The hydroxide ion conductivity reaches a value of 1.4 x 10(-2) S cm(-1) at 80 degrees C and 95\% RH, which is retained for over 15 h. We enhanced its practical utility by coating it as a thin solid-state separator-cum-electrolyte on readily available filter paper. The composite exhibits a conductivity of 4.5 x 10(-3) S cm(-1) at 80 degrees C and 95\% RH. A zinc-air battery (ZAB) constructed using this polymer-coated paper as electrolyte yields a maximum power density of 115 mW cm(-2) and high specific capacitance of 435 mA h g(-1). The power density recorded for our ZAB is among the best reported for polymer electrolyte-based batteries. Subsequently, the flexible battery fabricated with IISERP-POF11_OH@FilterPaper exhibits an OCV of 1.44 V, and three batteries in series power a demo traffic signal. To underscore the efficiency of hydroxide ion transport through the complex multifunctional backbone of the polymer, we calculated the diffusion coefficient for OH- (Exp: 2.9 x 10(-5) cm(2) s(-1); Comp. 5.2 x 10(-6) cm(2) s(-1)) using electrochemical methods and MD simulations. Climbing-edge NEB calculations reveal a large energy barrier of 2.11 eV for Zn2+ to penetrate the polymer and identify hydroxide ions within the polymer, suggesting no undesirable Zn2+ crossover. Our findings assert the readily accessible C-C-linked cationic polymer{\textquoteright}s capacity as a solid-state electrolyte for ZABs and any anion-conducting membrane.

}, issn = {2055-6756}, doi = {10.1039/d2nh00455k}, author = {Rase, Deepak and Illathvalappil, Rajith and Singh, Himan Dev and Shekhar, Pragalbh and Leo, Liya S. and Chakraborty, Debanjan and Haldar, Sattwick and Shelke, Ankita and Ajithkumar, Thalasseril G. and Vaidhyanathan, Ramanathan} } @article {48471, title = {Investigation of Al2O3 induced variations in the structural parameters in strontium borosilicate glasses using solid state NMR}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {25}, year = {2023}, month = {MAY }, pages = {13550-13559}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The physical properties of oxide glasses are crucially dependent on the atomistic structural speciation. In this study, we investigate the variation in the local ordering in the glass network of strontium borosilicate glasses (34.82 SrO, 51.84 B2O3, 13.34 SiO2 in mol\%) with a progressive substitution of B2O3 by Al2O3 and estimate the structural parameters: the oxygen packing fraction, and the average network coordination number. The coordination of the network forming cations at various glass compositions is determined using B-11, Al-27, and Si-29 solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR). The SSNMR reveals that at the higher substitution of B2O3 by Al2O3 in the glass composition, the coordination network of Al3+ exists predominantly in the 4 coordinated state, the network forming B3+ cations transform from a tetrahedral BO4 to a trigonal BO3 structure, and the Q(4) form of silicates is dominant. The average coordination number and the oxygen packing fraction were calculated using the parameters obtained from the SSNMR results, and it is observed that the average coordination number decreases, and the oxygen packing fraction increases on incorporating Al. It is interesting to note that some of the thermophysical properties of these compositions closely follow the pattern shown by the average coordination number and the oxygen packing fraction.

}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/d3cp00751k}, author = {Illath, Kavya and Ojha, Prasanta K. and Rath, Sangram K. and Ajithkumar, T. G.} } @article {48735, title = {Made to measure squaramide COF cathode for zinc dual-ion battery with enriched storage via redox electrolyte}, journal = {Advanced Energy Materials}, volume = {13}, year = {2023}, month = {SEP}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Aqueous rechargeable batteries are promising grid-scale energy storage devices because of their affordability, operational safety, and environmental benignity. Among these, Zn-ion batteries (ZIBs) have unfolded new horizons. Designing superior cathodes for ZIBs is crucial. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) can be made redox active with a high storage surface. Here, for the first time, a chelating COF with redox-active ZnI2 in a ZnSO4(aq) electrolyte is combined. Including iodide harvests an approximately threefold enhancement in capacity from 208 to 690 mAh g(-1) at 1.5 A g(-1), the highest among all the COF-derived ZIBs. Remarkably, a charge-discharge curve at 1.3 V exhibits very limited dropout voltage and super-flat platform, with a remarkable capacity of 600 mAh g(-1) at 5 A g(-1) stable up to 6000 cycles, confirming that the polyiodide generation and storage are sustainable. The COF{\textquoteright}s dual-ion storage (Zn2+ and polyidode) delivers a ZIB with the highest energy density. Spectro-electrochemical measurements coupled with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy unambiguously unveil the existence of multiple polyiodide species, with I-3(-) and IO3- ions as the prominent species. The latter gets reduced at the COF electrode under an applied potential, leaving I-3(-) as the major species stored on the COF. The prospect of COF-polyiodide((aq)) is a windfall for metal-ion batteries.

}, keywords = {covalent organic frameworks, flexible batteries, polyiodide, redox electrolytes, Zn ion batteries}, issn = {1614-6832}, doi = {10.1002/aenm.202301049}, author = {Kushwaha, Rinku and Jain, Chitvan and Shekhar, Pragalbh and Rase, Deepak and Illathvalappil, Rajith and Mekan, Deep and Camellus, Augastus and Vinod, Chathakudath Prabhakaran and Vaidhyanathan, Ramanathan} } @article {48782, title = {Recyclable Pd nanoparticles immobilized on amine functionalized LDH for the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction}, journal = {Chemical Papers}, volume = {77}, year = {2023}, month = {SEP}, pages = {5555-5569}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In the present work, we invented a Pd nanoparticle immobilized on an amine-functionalized LDH catalyst (PdNP@NH2LDH-Al-MCM-41) for cross-coupling reactions. The palladium was grafted onto the support by treating the Pd(OAc)(2) with NH2-LDH-Al-MCM-41 in acetone at room temperature. The prepared catalyst was characterized by FT-IR, SEM, TGA, TEM, and XPS techniques. The TEM characterization of the catalyst showed the uniform distribution of PdNPs with sizes ranging from 3 to 6 nm located inside the mesoporous. The Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction was used to demonstrate the catalytic efficiency of the prepared PdNPs@NH2-LDH-Al-MCM-41 catalyst. The prepared and analyzed catalyst showed good to excellent activity in the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction of various aryl bromides with different aryl boronic acids in ethanol at 80 degrees C. The catalyst showed TON up to similar to 47 and TOF similar to 47 h(-1). The catalytic results exhibited that the catalyst is completely recoverable with simple filtration. The catalytic efficiency shows a slight decrease in activity for the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions even after five repeated recycles. TEM images of the freshly prepared and reused catalysts (after five catalytic cycles) showed palladium nanoparticles remain unchanged at the end of the reactions. [GRAPHICS] .

}, keywords = {LDH, PdNPs, Recyclability, Suzuki-Miyaura coupling}, issn = {0366-6352}, doi = {10.1007/s11696-023-02885-2}, author = {Patil, Seema P. P. and Jadhav, Sanjay N. N. and Inamdar, Firoz A. A. and Ameen, Mohd Aatif and Rode, Chandrashekhar V. V. and Rajmane, Archana S. S. and Kumbhar, Arjun S. S.} } @article {48832, title = {Synthesis, characterization, crystal structure, in silico and computational studies on a novel Schiff base derived from α-chlorocinnamaldehyde and 4-aminoantipyrine}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Structure}, volume = {1289}, year = {2023}, month = {OCT}, pages = {135928}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Schiff base, 4-(((1E,2Z)-2-chloro-3-phenylallylidene)amino)-1,5-dimethyl-2-phenyl-1,2 -dihydro-3H-pyrazol-3-one (1) was synthesized by condensation reaction of 4-aminoantipyrine and \& alpha;-chlorocinnamaldehyde. The compound was characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), ultraviolet (UV)-visible spectroscopy, proton and carbon nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H/13C NMR) and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis (SC-XRD). Density functional theory (DFT) was used to compute molecular parameters and also compared them with experimental data. The X-ray diffraction data revealed that the compound crys-tallizes as a monoclinic crystal system with a space group of C2/c and Z = 8, and is stabilized by C12-H12MIDLINE HORIZONTAL ELLIPSISO1, and C8-H8AMIDLINE HORIZONTAL ELLIPSISO1 intramolecular hydrogen bonds. The presence of a distinctive azomethine C = N bond length N3-C12 of 1.283(3) \& ANGS;, and 1640 cm-1 stretching vibration in the FT-IR spectrum are evidence of the formation of a Schiff base. The computational result indicates that the ionization energy (IE), and electron affinity (EA) values for the molecule are 4.025 and 2.110 eV, respectively. The positive value of EA suggests that the addition of an electron to the molecule would be an exothermic process. The evaluated energy is relatively low and is an expression of the ease of electron transfer from the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) to the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO). Hirsfeld surface map over dnorm and curvedness surface indicated the presence of 7C-7C stacking while the shape factor index suggests donor and acceptor intermolecular C-H-7C. Analysis of Hirsfeld surfaces concerning the fingerprint indicated a minimal contribution from the de -di pair and reveals H{\textendash}H as a major contribution to the Hirsfeld surface. However, the molecular packing did not confirm H{\textendash}H as a significant contributor the packing. Docking calculations on the compound showed average theoretical binding energies toward aromatase (-5.99 \& PLUSMN; 0.34 kcal/mol) and fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) (-17.57 \& PLUSMN; 6.85 kcal/mol), indicating binding interactions with both protein targets.

}, keywords = {Computational studies, molecular modeling, Schiff base, X-ray crystallography}, issn = {0022-2860}, doi = {10.1016/j.molstruc.2023.135928}, author = {Adimudo, Hillary Chijioke and Agu, Chidike Justus and Okenyeka, Obinna U. and Eddy, Nnabuk O. and Dim, Ebubechukwu Nnamdi and Dege, Necmi and Bonardd, Sebastian and Vanka, Kumar and Ibezim, Akachukwu and Idika, Digbo Iku and Diaz, David Diaz and Obasi, Nnamdi Lawrence} } @article {48342, title = {Titanium trisulfide nanosheets and nanoribbons for field emission- based nanodevices}, journal = {ACS Applied Nano Materials}, volume = {6}, year = {2023}, month = {JAN}, pages = {44-49}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The field emission (FE) properties of TiS3 nanosheets and nanoribbons, synthesized by direct sulfuration of bulk titanium, are investigated. The nanosheets show an enhanced FE behavior with a low turn-on field of similar to 0.3 V/ mu m, required for drawing an emission current density of similar to 10 mu A/cm2. Interestingly, the TiS3 nanosheet emitter delivered a large emission current density of similar to 0.9 mA/ cm2 at a relatively low applied electric field of similar to 0.4 V/mu m. We have estimated the values of the field enhancement factor (beta), which are found to be similar to 5 x 104 for the TiS3 nanosheet emitter and similar to 4 x 103 for the nanoribbon emitter. We attribute the superior FE performance to the presence of atomically sharp edges and the reduced thickness of TiS3, as reflected in the high value of beta. In fact, the nanosheet sample presents a higher density of ultrathin layers (similar to 12 nm-thick), and thus, they have a larger edge to volume ratio than the nanoribbon samples (which are similar to 19 nm-thick). The superior FE behavior of TiS3 nanosheets over nanoribbons makes them a propitious field emitter and can be utilized for various FE-based applications, demanding large emission currents and lower operational voltages. Moreover, the FE current stability recorded on these samples confirms their promising performance. Thus, the present investigation brings out a great promise of TiS3 nanosheets and nanoribbons as field emitters for vacuum nanoelectronics devices.

}, keywords = {Current stability, field emission, nanoribbon, nanosheets, TiS3}, doi = {10.1021/acsanm.2c03460}, author = {Pawbake, Amit S. and Khare, Ruchita T. and Island, Joshua O. and Flores, Eduardo and Ares, Jose R. and Sanchez, Carlos and Ferrer, Isabel J. and Pawar, Mahendra and Frank, Otakar and More, Mahendra A. and van der Zant, Herre S. J. and Castellanos-Gomez, Andres and Late, Dattatray J.} }